Miscellaneous Pics

[ROCK BOTTOM]

HERE ARE SOME MISCELLANEOUS PICTURES FROM THE LAST FEW WEEKS OUT. THE FIRST IS MY BUDDY HENRY PACHECO(WITH A RED SNAPPER) AND MRS ROCK BOTTOM (WITH HER 7.5# SPADEFISH - VERY TASTY) ON THEIR SAFETY STOP.

[ROCK BOTTOM]

Where is the picture? Tried a second time but still no luck.

[ROCK BOTTOM]

Gonna keep trying. Here is an underwater shot of the wife with a nice Horse-eyed Jack.

[ROCK BOTTOM]

Here is the first picture. It's gotta be the right format.

Zz

[ROCK BOTTOM]

Underwater view of the rig.

Zz

[ROCK BOTTOM]

A pair of AJs.

Zz

[ROCK BOTTOM]

Cathleen's Almaco Jack.

Zz

[ROCK BOTTOM]

A decent grouper and mango.

Zz

[ROCK BOTTOM]

Henry's freedive Cuda.

Zz

[ROCK BOTTOM]

Another decent grouper.

Zz

[ROCK BOTTOM]

I was a little high on this Red.

Zz

[ROCK BOTTOM]

Richie McCloskey's freedive Poon.

Zz

[ROCK BOTTOM]

Scuba Kale - "Do I look okay?"

Zz

[ROCK BOTTOM]

My stepson Kale's first fish. He got another one about three times this ones size a little later in the day.

Zz

[ROCK BOTTOM]

The viz up here is usually phenomenal once you get past the river system. We dive the east side of the river and normally have 100' of viz under the surface murk. Sometimes the surface murk is just hazy water with 15'+ viz. Once you get past the hot surface water it gets really clear. I did make a drop last Friday in some shallow water (45 fsw) that had about 5' viz but that was no fun at all. Pulled the trigger on one mangrove and got out of the water.

If you want to shoot virtually unlimited # of Jacks, the Almaco are thick in late December(if you don't mind getting and being cold all day.) We had several trips where we crashed through 50' of zero viz murk and were shooting Almaco in the dark. They would pass within ten feet trying to get a better look at the intruder only to get a stiffy to the side of the head. We were ID'ing fish by silhouette. One of my buddies was hunting a large shark but couldn't get a shot on him. A short while later, one of the other divers reeled up a fish on rod and reel and it was a 200# Bull Shark and the first diver said "Hey, that's the shark I was chasing around down there." I think he said he has DAN. Well, I hope he does, anyway.

Also, as proud as the wife was of that Almaco, there were at least two over 50# shot that same weekend. But that barely dampened her spirit. Hers was the biggest shot by a woman and won 1st place miscellaneous for women. Thanks.

Zz

[PatMyGreen]

Damn nice pictures Rock. I recall you saying your wife would whip my butt on Sheepshead for the SBO. I will concede the point for now. One day soon, when I'm a grown up, I am going to have to shoot on the rigs. For now though I'm content with the bait I shoot over here.

[LSUBigL]

Nice pictures Rock. I'm still working on getting the wife to just dive the rigs with me...the idea of her spearfishing is beyond impossible.

[ROCK BOTTOM]

Note the 12 year old with his "monster" trigger. Diving the rigs can be a fun, easy experience. Timing is everything, though. The weather, current and river level all have to be taken into consideration.

Pat, come over and give it a try. It is really not that difficult. PM me if you want some more information about it.

Zz

[biggsy]

Awesome pics Rock. I especially like the shot you got of the pipes under the rig. Besides the pipes themselves, are there any 'moving' parts? I bet it is great to have your family diving with you! Thanks again for sharing the pics!

[ROCK BOTTOM]

The only moving parts under a rig are the wheels of the supply boats. I usually don't dive when the supply boats are there unless they are tied up and not working. Other than that it is all good. We usually have good viz and I plan on using the camera a lot more. I picked it off of the prize table at the SBO. I had 14th pick and passed on a lot more expensive items to get something that I didn't have already. I didn't pick the most expensive item I could just for the resale value, that's not what it's all about.

Having the wife and kids dive is really great. The only setbacks that I have with them are the slower pace of the day, lack of ability to dive deep and the overall increased cost of the trip. It is hard to get gas money out of a 12 year old. The wife doesn't pay either and I think she likes it like that. But, it is great that they participate. It gets me(and the wife) out there more often which is a great thing. "Ain't nobody happy if Mammy ain't happy!" Even the 5 y.o. likes to jump in. He has his own wetsuit for skin protection and always wears a life jacket. I am looking into buying him a SASY (Scuba Assisted Snorkel - Youth)system but am still on the fence about spending the $700. It is essentially a life jacket with a pony bottle attached. If we spent more time at the beach in Florida, maybe, but in Louisiana it would only be useful some of the time due to surface murk. I plan on diving more to the west this year and the viz is a bit better out there.

[Louis Rossignol]

Nice pics Steve,, your ol' lady shoots bigger fish than you.

[Spear One]

$$$ out of a 12 year old......now thats funny!

[Mobile Diver]

Rock,

Great pics. Trying to my wife to go on some rig dives with her camera. When I dove out of Fouchon for the SBO, the pics could've been awesome like ya'll. Ther was zero surface murk offshore & at least 150' viz.

[ROCK BOTTOM]

Yeah Rok(Louis),

It ain't easy being me. It was kind of tough killing fish for myself when I was stuck helping the old lady ID fish to shoot. And she only shoots bigger fish if I let her. Maybe one day I might shoot a big fish like you or Stanley. Until then I will be happy shooting small fish that can actually be eaten.

Kevin, I may not get the cash out of the kid but I am working on getting some free lawn care. I don't know how to keep him from passing the mower over the flower beds, though.

Zz

[KJNDIVER]

Some sweet pics there Rock. That was a good prize choice as it was seem the camera was already tested to be waterproof after the deluge that was at the wiegh-in.

[KevinFish]

What the hell did you do with the Poon?

[Cuban Mule]

Yeah, I'm a bit curious about that myself.

[ROCK BOTTOM]

Crabs gotta eat, same as people.

There isn't much to do with a dead poon other than feed him to the crabs. Now having made that statement, I should go a bit further with my side of this discussion. We live in Louisiana. We aren’t quite as sensitive as the rest of the country to the warm and fuzzy side of life here in Cajun country and do a lot of things just for the sport of it. They are a lot of fun to catch on rod and reel which some of the “warm and fuzzy” people around the country are against and they are even more fun when you are attached to them by a 10’ piece of cable. Also, if you count the number of tarpon that are “harvested” by spear divers, I doubt you would have to take off your shoes.

I apologize if the pictures offend. Scroll past them quickly, you should be okay.

Also, we shoot them cute and fuzzy little Nutria just for sport and leave them to rot right were they died.

Zz

[Louis Rossignol]

Chad told me yall would be offended, but until you try it for yourself don't knock it.

Oh, and by the way, this one was eaten. I gave it to the people at the Chineese restaraunt. They fixed us all kinds of food and we drank about 2 gallons of Mai Tais. The ol' lady at the Chineese restaraunt even sent us home with more food.

The next week she wasn't happy to see us though. Hmmm, wonder why?

[LSUBigL]

Y'all were just following the relevant guidance out there on the food value of tarpon...

http://www.rodnreel.com/gulffish/gulffish.asp?cmd=view&FishID=73

[RichT]

I know Im probably gonna get my nuts busted for this but I dont think shooting Tarpon is good for the image of spearfishing.
Personnally, I dont care one way or the other.
BUT, I have seen what the pictures of spear caught Tarpon do to the hook and line community over on Florida Sportsman forum.
There was a thread about a month ago of that very picture that LSUbgL posted in his last post and the venom that was in the posts from the hook and liners was UNBELIEVABLE!
Myself along with others got on to defend the picture by pointing out that it is legal and all that but those people were not hearing it.
And Im not talkin just a couple of people bitching, Im talkin over three pages of serious Hate mail.
I know crabs gotta eat and its legal and they do it different in cajun country, and every other argument but rite now when our spearfishing rights are under attack from many sides, I KNOW that these pictures dont help relations with the hook and line community.
Lets face it, The hook and line community outnumbers the spearfishing community over 100-1. If there was ever a concerted effort to ban spearfishing, in all likelihood it could be done pretty easily.
Hey its nothing personal.The internet has simply made the world a much smaller place. Regional customs are brought into the light more often than in years past and like they say "perception IS reality".

Peace

[Louis Rossignol]

Well if Tarpon is going to be sacred and only "Line Jerkers" can catch them, they will have to leave a fish that only Spearfishers can shoot. Howabout Warsaw Grouper?
Spearfishing for my last 21 years, I have deffinately seen my share of discriminiation against divers. It doesn't matter what you shoot it offends the "Line Jerkin" community. They're pissed if you shoot a Red Snapper just as much as a Tarpon. That's just one less fish they can dangle their bait infront of.

[ROCK BOTTOM]

RT,

I absolutely agree with you on the outsiders’ image of the killing of tarpon. Growing up in Louisiana and tarpon fishing all my life, I have seen my share of dead ones stacked up on the dock all from rod and reelers. My father was a charter member of the Greater New Orleans Tarpon Club. I have literally been on boats with up to six fish over 100# lying on deck. I guess this pretty much numbed me out to the “dead tarpon syndrome.” I have pulled the trigger on only two tarpon since I started spear diving. I have released dozens on rod and reel. I guess this makes me a confused hypocrite.

On the subject of image, we will never have a clean slate in their eyes. I posted that first picture just for the shock value and probably should have kept it to myself. I can post dozens of rod and reelers standing next to their catch of tarpon and marlin but that really wouldn’t help, either. Maybe I should post that on FS.

Steve

[Graham]

Oh, and by the way, this one was eaten. I gave it to the people at the Chineese restaraunt. They fixed us all kinds of food and we drank about 2 gallons of Mai Tais. The ol' lady at the Chineese restaraunt even sent us home with more food.

Didn't know the Rock n' Sake actually cooked.

[Wet Spot]

Graham, they cook for you long time.

Talk about kick your ass, tarpon are a mix between an amberjack and a cobia. Strong and limber. I'm on underwater video fighting a 150lber,,, jumped twice then took me to 175ft in the blink of an eye.

Tarpon scales make an excellent bikini for the girls too.

[Graham]

Spot,
Do you have to pay extra for the happy ending or is that included?