seastalker
02-21-2003, 04:26 PM
east coast report
Crew: Remax Reeler, Merk and SeaStalker
Boat: 28 Pursuit twin 200 Honda 4 strokes...Sandy Balls
Target: Snapper and Lobster with a possible grouper
current: light to none
temp:80
Seas: 2-3 all day.
Dive 1: Made the 37 mile run north to a small area of ledges in shallow 60-70 feet that historically held lobster but usually barren of quality fish for the stringer. Drop down to 68 feet 68 degrees 5 foot vis and land on a turtle. This ledge must have been a staging area for turtles to spawn. Every 15 feet one had his head buried in the ledge. After passing on small red snapper and sheephead I was able to coral one of three bugs that the turtles had left.
Dive 2: Ran 8 miles north east in hopes of cleaner water. This area was known for nice mangos and lobster late in the season. Merk and Remax Reeler drop in, one never moves from the jug and the other moves 50 south and stays. I have high hopes but Merk comes up first with a few go's and the story of a mack daddy reg grouper and lobster plus three mangos one over 5 pounds and top to bottom vis....10 minutes later Remax Reeler pops up with a huge smile after having trouble clearing his ear he was finally able to get to the bottom and snare his now (Merk's story bug) Not one attenea or leg broke off. Not bad considering his long layoff since the opener. Bug weights between 7-8 pounds.
Dive 3: Move hundred yards south on same ledge. Merk and SeaStalker drop down . Merk and I foul are communications and end up running the same way... one on top of the break, one under. We meet and I make a b-line the other direction where I find a massive undercut loaded with all big mango's. Shoot 8 and a small scamp all over 5 pounds. Merk manages a bug, 2 mangos and a few triggers.
Dive 4: Merk and Remax Reeler move 1/4 mile south. Not much of anything holding on this area but Merk sees a few grouper lurking out of shooting range.
Dive 5: Merk and SeaStalker make a sand dive. 1# rule always recheck your marker before dropping. The buoy line had hung and the weight was 20 feet off the bottom. With no or little current and wind we never noticed. That one is on me...
Dive 6: Merk and SeaStalker remark and dive same ledge area in 70-75 feet or so. Once again the turtles had made there present known with a few stingrays resting in the sand. I move north Merk moves south. Mango heaven again, find a break that reaches back 12 feet but has a porthole about five feet wide in the top. I swim over the ledge and stick my face in and not a mango under 7 pounds squeezed into ever corner. Knock two down and as I'm waiting for the silt to clear I see a 20 plus pound red grouper making his way out from deep in the cave. Tag him in the gillplate, problem he will not fit through the opening I shot him and no way to back him out......terrible to have to leave the fish.....move 10 feet to find another deep undercut with a mack daddy bug all by himself. After what seem like 15 minutes working him out and attempting to overstuff him in the bag I was back on the hunt and picked up a few more nice mangos. Merk shot a few nice mangos.
Dive 7 Planned hitting a big wreck for some AJ's or grouper on the way back but running out of daylight and seeing a turtle on the surface of an area I did not have numbers to we scoped it out. Nice 3 foot break. Merk and SeaStalker drop down I see nothing much and are snapper limits have already been filled I pass on the go's. I see a grouper taking a peek at me from out in the sand. He is very curious but has seen dives before. I take a hail merry but the lineshaft is stopped before making total penetration. Damn lost the only nice gag I seen all day. Continuing on down the ledge and I see the grouper again he has moved up 10 feet in the water column. I change over to freeshaft and dumped all my accessories (tickle stick. light, bag, string of triggers, ) I try a charge but no luck once again he turned and comes back so I hide in/under the ledge he comes closer and the rest is history, hit him in the mouth and out the top of his head. 29 pound gag on the stringer. Have 700 pounds PSI left and just playing out the rest of the dive...damn find a little hotel with 6 bugs and only 500psi....manage three bugs and bail with a few breaths left.... Back on the boat Remax Reeler is on edge... he had lost are bubbles and it was getting concerned....but we still had not seem Merk. My dive was 35 minutes with a 100. 15 minutes goes by and still no Merk. We started to get a little paranoid and start setting up a second tank to search. Then Merk pops up wearing a LP 120....and smiles from ear to ear. He had located a deep break and was cleaning house on big mangos and scamps with every drop of air he had...
total for the day
limits in mango's all over 5 pounds
7 lobster largest 9.8 pounds
1 gag 29 pounds
7 triggers
2 scamps
and a few stories of lost fish.....
Crew: Remax Reeler, Merk and SeaStalker
Boat: 28 Pursuit twin 200 Honda 4 strokes...Sandy Balls
Target: Snapper and Lobster with a possible grouper
current: light to none
temp:80
Seas: 2-3 all day.
Dive 1: Made the 37 mile run north to a small area of ledges in shallow 60-70 feet that historically held lobster but usually barren of quality fish for the stringer. Drop down to 68 feet 68 degrees 5 foot vis and land on a turtle. This ledge must have been a staging area for turtles to spawn. Every 15 feet one had his head buried in the ledge. After passing on small red snapper and sheephead I was able to coral one of three bugs that the turtles had left.
Dive 2: Ran 8 miles north east in hopes of cleaner water. This area was known for nice mangos and lobster late in the season. Merk and Remax Reeler drop in, one never moves from the jug and the other moves 50 south and stays. I have high hopes but Merk comes up first with a few go's and the story of a mack daddy reg grouper and lobster plus three mangos one over 5 pounds and top to bottom vis....10 minutes later Remax Reeler pops up with a huge smile after having trouble clearing his ear he was finally able to get to the bottom and snare his now (Merk's story bug) Not one attenea or leg broke off. Not bad considering his long layoff since the opener. Bug weights between 7-8 pounds.
Dive 3: Move hundred yards south on same ledge. Merk and SeaStalker drop down . Merk and I foul are communications and end up running the same way... one on top of the break, one under. We meet and I make a b-line the other direction where I find a massive undercut loaded with all big mango's. Shoot 8 and a small scamp all over 5 pounds. Merk manages a bug, 2 mangos and a few triggers.
Dive 4: Merk and Remax Reeler move 1/4 mile south. Not much of anything holding on this area but Merk sees a few grouper lurking out of shooting range.
Dive 5: Merk and SeaStalker make a sand dive. 1# rule always recheck your marker before dropping. The buoy line had hung and the weight was 20 feet off the bottom. With no or little current and wind we never noticed. That one is on me...
Dive 6: Merk and SeaStalker remark and dive same ledge area in 70-75 feet or so. Once again the turtles had made there present known with a few stingrays resting in the sand. I move north Merk moves south. Mango heaven again, find a break that reaches back 12 feet but has a porthole about five feet wide in the top. I swim over the ledge and stick my face in and not a mango under 7 pounds squeezed into ever corner. Knock two down and as I'm waiting for the silt to clear I see a 20 plus pound red grouper making his way out from deep in the cave. Tag him in the gillplate, problem he will not fit through the opening I shot him and no way to back him out......terrible to have to leave the fish.....move 10 feet to find another deep undercut with a mack daddy bug all by himself. After what seem like 15 minutes working him out and attempting to overstuff him in the bag I was back on the hunt and picked up a few more nice mangos. Merk shot a few nice mangos.
Dive 7 Planned hitting a big wreck for some AJ's or grouper on the way back but running out of daylight and seeing a turtle on the surface of an area I did not have numbers to we scoped it out. Nice 3 foot break. Merk and SeaStalker drop down I see nothing much and are snapper limits have already been filled I pass on the go's. I see a grouper taking a peek at me from out in the sand. He is very curious but has seen dives before. I take a hail merry but the lineshaft is stopped before making total penetration. Damn lost the only nice gag I seen all day. Continuing on down the ledge and I see the grouper again he has moved up 10 feet in the water column. I change over to freeshaft and dumped all my accessories (tickle stick. light, bag, string of triggers, ) I try a charge but no luck once again he turned and comes back so I hide in/under the ledge he comes closer and the rest is history, hit him in the mouth and out the top of his head. 29 pound gag on the stringer. Have 700 pounds PSI left and just playing out the rest of the dive...damn find a little hotel with 6 bugs and only 500psi....manage three bugs and bail with a few breaths left.... Back on the boat Remax Reeler is on edge... he had lost are bubbles and it was getting concerned....but we still had not seem Merk. My dive was 35 minutes with a 100. 15 minutes goes by and still no Merk. We started to get a little paranoid and start setting up a second tank to search. Then Merk pops up wearing a LP 120....and smiles from ear to ear. He had located a deep break and was cleaning house on big mangos and scamps with every drop of air he had...
total for the day
limits in mango's all over 5 pounds
7 lobster largest 9.8 pounds
1 gag 29 pounds
7 triggers
2 scamps
and a few stories of lost fish.....