Diving around fisherman

[junior]

If you run offshore to your spot and it is occupied, how close is too close to someone who is fishing? I know the answer probably varies quite a bit, but I would think somewhere along the lines of 300' or so. What are your ideas??

[Nitroxwzrd]

State law says that in open waters a diver sould stay within 300ft of a divers-down flag, and that any boat other than rescue or law enforcement must stay 300ft away from a divers-down flag. So I would assume that you were right with 300ft.

Besides being hit in the head with a 12oz weight and then being hooked by a 8/0 hook attached to an overly agressive fisherman would ruin a good day of diving in short order.

[Grauer]

As the fishing person i pretend to be i hate divers. But as the diver that i am, I either leave and go on to another spot or dive it. Depends on if i feel like being a dick or not, but it is a big gulf with plenty of room for all. id try and give the other boat maybe 75 ft depending on the structure.

[f94gator]

It's a big ocean. Unless it's a wreck or something where there really isn't anywhere else to go, we usually try another spot first and then come back when they're gone.

[slipknot]

We dont give a crap on the Morningwood,if we wanna dive there,we dive there.Drop the divers and follow the bubbles.If they don't like it,who cares? they don't own the ocean.And after the dive,we will show em' the stringer before we leave.:D

[f94gator]

I think a little courtesy is in order, though. You can do it without a huge problem. I guess all I'm saying is that we expect fishing boats to give us some space, I don't think it's out of line to afford them the same courtesy usually.
Again, when it comes to a wreck, things are different. You have nowhere else to go normally, they don't own the wreck, I'd go ahead and dive. Unless they're trolling the entire length of the wreck, there shouldn't be a problem with you going to the other end and jumping in. And if they're trolling the length - well, screw 'em. I always figured those wrecks were created primarily as dive sites anyway.

[slipknot]

We will show them some courtesy if there is something else close by,but if there's not,DIVER DOWN. I am a troller, and not much of a bottom fisherman. If I want bottom fish, I will go shoot em'. As a trolling fisherman, it really does'nt bother me if divers are down.I'd say 80% of fishermen really hate divers because they think spearfishing is a nobrainer. But we all know that it is harder than that.
Maybe it is different for a shallow water bottom fisherman, I can see why they get mad at us.The only bottom fishing I do, is deep drops on the ledge, with 300+ ft. of water & electric reels.
But who cares anyway,LISB, They don't own the ocean.It's like pulling up on a hot weedline,every boat for its self.If you play patsie,your gonna loose out.All that matters at the end of the day is a bloody boat, and a cooler so full you gotta strap it shut.:cool:

[junior]

Yeah, a little common cuortesy is in order, but I think it depends on the dive site too. I'm just used to the keys where most of the wrecks are put down mostly for divers with money form local dive shops (spiegel grove, duane, bibb). On those, I don't care what anybody else is doing, I'm going diving and I'm spearing the duane and the bibb.

On a busy summer day out here you can find boats parked all over everything. I've gotten some nasty looks gearing up to dive around guys fishing. Fortunately, none of them has decided to steal everything off my boat, including my keys, while I'm down.

[Spearchucker]

Slipknot, I bet you are pretty good at dodging egg sinkers :rolleyes:

[junior]

Nah, he jes eats em:D

[Charlestondivin]

This weekend we had some "issues" with a few fisherman.

Before our fist dive we were bottom fishing. We got there without another boat around.
Little while later a boat nosed up and dropped anchor like 35
yards away! Then 2 more boats showed up. There were 4 boats
on this one little live bottom ledge. Little did they know we were
about to spearfish. After they all got their anchors set we suited
up, dropped in and slayed the fish. Showing the stringers to the
nearby fishermen who crowded us in was satisfying to say the
least.

Second dive a damn headboat came on us dragging anchor and
full speed right up to our spot and stopped dead, Our friggin
dive flag flying high and all. Few yells over the radio later and the
captain answers back, sorry didnt see your flag. If i would have
seen that anchor on the bottom they wouldn't have seen it again.
Bastards could have killed somebody.

[Brad B]

Ya know Slipknot, assholes like you are why it is becoming more and more confrontational out on the water.Let me guess, home state New Jersey.Yes, no one owns the ocean but as far as I am concerned the guy who gets to the spot first has a lease on that little piece until he leaves. You run up on me and drop divers in close and they will spend their bottom time dodging 20 OZ. deep jigs which isn't real conducive to a pleasant dive. I would suggest that you get out a dictionary and look up words such as respect, consideration and sportsmanship but somehow I don't think it would do you a bit of good. I don't even like to bottom fish that much anymore, I would rather spear em, but that doesn't give me, OR YOU, the right to screw over someone else to get some "blood on your fishbox".

[greyface]

Dem's some purty harsh words, there, young buck! If yer gonna be a smartass, ya gotta be real tough, especially way up here, in "southern Georgia"! 20 oz. deep jigs will getcha 230 grains of hydrashocks in these parts!

[slipknot]

DAMN, those are some pretty harsh words. And, for your information,I've never left the South in my life.Born and bred Southerner my man.And your 20 oz. deep jigs wont bother me a bit,but my bubbles all around your boat might bother you.Nobody's got any lease , on any spot, once I clear the inlet.
Have a nice day !!:D

[junior]

Damn, it's the Hatfields and McCoys at it again:D

[greyface]

Ye ain't justa whistlin' Dixie!:D

[100days-a-year]

I have a 300' rule .Violate it at your own risk,this goes for whether I'm fishing or diving.My best story was diving at BR these 2 guys pull up in a junker(worse than my POS)they see the flag but try to anchor 50' away as my wife (5 ft nothin') is all they can see .They get yelled at and make a comment about dragging an achor thru the divers ass.Little did they know BIG Brett was in the water behind the boat listening.He gets up the ladder and at 6'4 280 asks about that anchor .They left.Anybody drops a diver near me no matter what I'm doing and prepare to repel boarders,armed ones.I ran to 3 or 4 different places this weekend cause they had boats on small stuff.We dove one ledge that ran for several hundred yds and when we came up we saw 5 boats all jammed up at the other end.I said hi and was given the lo-down about what was being caught by a charter capt.Pays to play nice.

[f94gator]

I can't say we've ever even thought of anchoring up next to somebody already diving/fishing on a spot. Christ, show some courtesy and give them some space. You're not required to, they don't 'own' that spot, but a little courtesy goes a long way. You don't like it when people do it to you, right. Golden Rule, people!

[Brad B]

Harsh maybe but I tend to call em like I see em.I do like your your new signature Slipknot, at least your not ashamed of what you are.We will just have to agree to disagree on how we treat our fellow divers/fishermen. It would be real interesting to see you, Greyface and 100-days a year all arrive at the same time on some little wreck off Jax. So Greyface, is a fish/dive spot worth spending the next 15 years to life having your cell mate Shaquille tickling your hemmoroids with his spear shaft cause you got pissed off and decided to bust a cap. You "south Georgia" boys may be tough but man ya gotta quit marrying your cousins. After a few generations it has a real negative effect on the rational thought process.

[slipknot]

OH LORDY, I want to , but i'm not. Might I reccomend you to the Divers Corner?;)

[Speargun]

Here's something that I posted a while back on the JUG LINE (http://www.spearboard.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=523) thread.
I went out on a friends boat and we ended up diving the artificial reef out of Crystal River. When we arrived, there was another boat in the area about a half mile away line fishing. We anchored, hoisted the diver down flag and got wet.
There were 4 divers in the water and 2 non divers on the boat. All 4 divers stayed within 100 to 150 feet of our boat while down. After I had drained my tank without finding anything big enough to shoot, I found our anchor line and started my ascent. As I broke the surface, there was a strangers face staring down at me and cussing me for scaring away all of the fish on "his" spot.
Thinking that I had drifted WAY off course I looked around for my boat. I found it. It was about 100 feet directly in front of this other guys boat.
Once I was back on board, the guys that stayed topside said that these other guys had motored over, dropped anchor, and began raising hell about us being in "their" spot. They were told that there were divers down, but these guys didn't care. They just want to bitch about us "stealing" "their" fish.
Had I known at the time what had happened, I think these guys would have "accidentally" lost an anchor.

[junior]

I don't think that the majority of spearfisherman are out to ruin anybody's fishing spot. As a matter of fact, I don't think spearing causes everything to pack up and run to the next county. If anything, is displaces a few wary fish until you are out of their perceived risk area then they go right back to doing what they were doing, or follow you. Keep your enemy right next to you sort of thing.

As spearfisherman, we understand this. I don't want to bash fisherman, but for the most part they don't really understand what happens down at the bottom. Al they know is something tugs on their line and they reel and magically a fish comes out of the ocean;)

As much as a pain in the ass it may be, I think that it is important for spearfisherman to put forth a little extra effort to dispel this perception held by the ignorant among the fisherman who would prefer that we lose our ability to spearfish. But, some people just can't be reasoned with.

It' a shame that our sport suffers because so many people are terrified to get their feet wet and see what is really going on under water. They are missing a lot. But, every now and then I'd love to fire off a flare at some asshole that won't respect the law and keep his distance from a dive flag. From what I understand, these violations are reportable. Whether anything happens or not is another story.

[kitefisherman]

Originally posted by junior
From what I understand, these violations are reportable. Whether anything happens or not is another story.

That pretty much sums it up - at least over where I am

[KJNDIVER]

Originally posted by junior
As a matter of fact, I don't think spearing causes everything to pack up and run to the next county.


I can attest to this personally and you are right. Over here in LA, we dive and fish oil rigs majority of the time. Some buddies that come along dont dive like to fish so they come along. When we get to rig, we tie off to it. While we are down on the bottom, the boys boatside drop their lines in the water. When doin this, I make a mental note of which side of the rig the boat is on so can stay clear of hooks and weights while I am down. But many, many times, I have been on the same side of the rig as the boat, watch my topside buddies drop lines, hook a fish, and when the commotion ensues, it in turn attracts the other fish, and WHAM! I often get a shot at a good fish.

Even if i dont get shot at a good fish, I sit there and watch em pull fish up one after another waiting for the good shot. It seems that my being around his line, more or less directly beneath the boat, has no affect on his catching fish. Alot of times when I get back in the boat, he will say, "Man, you should see what I caught while yall were down", and I will tell him what he caught and he is always amazed how I know.

Been wanting to spear one of his fish while he is fighting it and then cut it loose and bring topside to him after he tells a big fish tale about the one that got away. Havent grew the balls yet though.

[Ed Walker]

It has been my experience that the guys who like to say "You dont own the water" are usually the problem, wether its a diver or a fisherman. It is used as a justification for a wide variety of instances of poor courtesy.

[slipknot]

Well for your information ED , I'm a diver and a fisherman,and I don't feel like I own the ocean anywhere I go. And I will extend courtesy as I see fit, I don't go out there looking to encroach someones spot,but in certain circumstances,I'm gonna hit it,whether there's someone there or not.Sorry, thats just the way it is.As a fisherman,I've had divers pull up and drop.And as a diver,I've had fishermen troll by right over my head while in deco on the anchor line.
Just the way I do it,nobody's gotta like it. You treat your day on the ocean how you want to,and I'll treat it the way I want to.

[Spearchucker]

Slipknot - I used to think you were alright, but you have truly shown your ass in this thread.

So once in a while, another discourteous asshole horns in on your spot, so in your logic, that makes it alright for you to horn in anywhere you see fit??? What do you do if you get cut off in traffic?

Please don't give me any of that South Georgia tough guy bullshit.

[greyface]

John, I reckon I should of used a couple of smiley faces, on that post. It may be safe to say there is a slightly more aggressive/defensive attitude "up here". :) And, like in most cases, calling someone an asshole, usually draws a response, not guaranteed to be politically correct.:D You SoFla guys may laugh, and think it's bullshit, but Southern Heritage is a REAL big deal in NeFla. Where else would you see a diver down flag with the Stars & Bars underneath? I was just trying to explain the local psyche. Next thing I know, I'm playing butt darts with Shaquille, and screwing my cousin.:D It's easy to be brave, from a safe distance. :rolleyes: Discourteous Captains abound here. Not long ago, while hook & lining, a local 65' headboat damn near dropped it's anchor in our boat. What would you have done?

[Ed Walker]

"I'm gonna hit it,whether there's someone there or not"... "Just the way I do it,nobody's gotta like it". Thanks for proving my point.

[sharpshooter]

If a boat is fishing on a spot i want to dive on, i go up current and kill the motor. I drift by and ask if they plan on fishing there much longer. 99% of the time they are nice and give you a straight answer. I don't mind waiting awhile to dive, if the bottom machine has a good show. If their nasty, i either go somehere else or give them another 15 min. before i dive. I have stuck anchors in a ledge so that they have to cut their own anchor line. I had in my lifetime on the water a few real assholes come motor up and just drop the anchor, even though a dive flag is flying and somebody yelling at them. they end up cutting their anchor line. I dove for awhile with another Nam Vet that used to pack a Ar-15 and he would toss a few beer cans overboard and have target practice when a boat got too close. I've had commerical guys out in the grounds do the same to let ya know you're getting a little too close. I once saw a 16' boat almost get swamped by a head boat driving fast circles around him and yelling on the PA to pull anchor and leave his "spot". The guy in the little boat didn't move, he just reached into a bag and pulled out a flare pistol and told the head boat to leave or his passengers might take a hit if he missed the pilot house. The head boat left swearing. The best one was a friend that would pay out a anti-freeze bottle with steel tuna cable for 150',then drop a jug with a weight. You had 2 jugs floating in the water with tuna cable between them. a boat would drive between the jugs to steal the numbers and get his prop wired up. Most boaters don't carry big wire cuters.So, you never know you or what you might encounter on the water.

[fernandezh]

I was on a boat once where we were diving doing a surface interval while we had divers in the water when a boat pulled up. The captain stood up naked on the bow and waved off the boat. It worked, the sight of a naked man waving at them scared off the other boat.:D

[greyface]

LOL!:p

[junior]

All bad-assin' aside, if ya go looking for trouble, eventually you're gonna find someone bigger, badder and in a worse mood than you who is gonna hand you your ass on a plate, plain and simple. Ain't nobody mean enough to handle every asshole in the world.

But, if an asshole comes knockin'...that's a different story. Ya get what you get if you start shit.

Case in point. I tied up to under a bridge one night and shortly thereafter some of the bridge scum starting chucking catfish at us. Not liking it too much, I decided to move since there was more of them than there was of us. I pulled up to untie at which point the bottles starting flying. Good thing I did not have a gun cause I was a pissed muther****er. Anyway, a few insults and a guy trying to piss down on us finished it off. I had my buddies fill their hands with half-ounce egg sinkers and as I flew under the bridge at about 40mph, we unleashed a hail of lead and sent those dudes scrambling over the railing. I saw a couple of rods dropped into the water and that was that.

Assholes show up everywhere. I just try not start the bull shit. I'll be more than happy to finish it though. Respect is the name of the game wether diving or fishing.

[fernandezh]

Originally posted by junior
All bad-assin' aside, if ya go looking for trouble, eventually you're gonna find someone bigger, badder and in a worse mood than you who is gonna hand you your ass on a plate, plain and simple. Ain't nobody mean enough to handle every asshole in the world.


I don't know about that. . . I'm a pretty big asshole.

[f94gator]

I'll vouch for that. I've met him. :D

[junior]

:D

[100days-a-year]

Did I forget to mention the 400' granny line we use offshore or the 200' one we use inshore.I had Mike on the Sea Love pull up close to me at HG a coupla years ago .We opened the cooler and waved at them .We had a guy still decoing but they stayed 75' away.Headboats don't like seeing you shake big fish at them .Thier clients start asking why they can't find fish like those little boats.

[f94gator]

Southern heritage doesn't give you the right to be an asshole.

[greyface]

Never claimed it did. Just pointing out how it is. Right or wrong. That's all I was trying to say. Not trying to justify or condem anything.:)

[FredT]

When diving a wreck or reef and this shiny new anchor drops on you, you should help the poor slob fisherman out.

Set the thing for him so it doesn't drag off the spot! 3 or 4 turns around a bollard, or a couple times around the rail on a wreck does nicely. You wouldn't want him to go drifting off a reef either, so be sure to pass the line up through a crack in the rock after you tuck the anchor in tightly under the ledge.

Those fishermen are your friend! How may folks want to give you all that nice free lead for your hip weight molding project? A pair of sharp side cutters and a small mesh goodie bag with a lift bag attached are right handy for getting lead off the wreck, and out of the water surrounding it.

Of course if the fisherman get _really_ obnoxious Ma Duce can always handle the problem.

Black polypro trailing lines are also effective deterrants.:rolleyes:

[Screen Name]

That is Freaking brilliant! :D

You are coming to the Spearboard Open arent you?

[FredT]

Originally posted by Screen Name
You are coming to the Spearboard Open arent you?

That'd be an 11 hour drive both ways... Checking guns and gear on a commercial flight seems to be a bit counter productive. The overweight and oversize baggage charges would greatly exceed the ticket price.

It's a happy thought but not practical. My better half is in Sarasota with her folks this week. I may make it down that way in the truck with her in July.

FT

[100days-a-year]

I vote we make FredT an honorary Florida Cracker,do I hear an Amen?;)

[slipknot]

Amen, I'm gonna put him on my Christmas card list.:)

[blue gun]

Fred T. That is my new goal in life. When some fisherman drops an anchor on the dive spot I'm gonna tie the anchor rope off to the wreck and then bring the anchor up and show it to him.:D Then I'm gonna drive off.:eek: And Brad B , WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA....WU..SNIFF.....SNIFF..... .WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA....WAAAAAAAAAAA :cool:

[greyface]

Assholes! All of ya!:D A****inmen!

[FredT]

Originally posted by blue gun
then bring the anchor up and show it to him.:D

Not a good option. The beter option is to come back later and collect BOTH the anchor and the rode!

Of course the best is when you get LABEL and PRICE TAG on both the anchor and the SST chain, with a couple hundred feet of 3/4" braided line attached...:D :D :D

Showing it to him may cause HIM to grab the .308 to get it back.

Just waiting until he goes over the horizon after abandoning the anchor and rode and then just hitting the same spot on your way to the dock is a much sweeter revenge, especially if it's a large aluminum Danforth or a Bruce.

BTW Anybody need an anchor? I have a garden of them, and no boat at the present. Most came with chain. :rolleyes: I'm sure some sort of equitable barter could be arranged.

FT

[blue gun]

There is something about driving off with the guy thinking he is still anchored to the wreck but his anchor is in your boat. That cracks me up:D

[100days-a-year]

FredT,local baitshop may sell'em for ya.Split the proceeds.A nice anchor can get a few dollars.I just give away a lot to fishermen I know.A goodwill thing;)

[bluewater]

We were diving a wreck in sw. fla about 40 miles offshore my fishing buddy followed us out in his boat. after anchoring up about 100 feet apart two boats pulled up... both pulled up bettween us leaving about 30 feet between us max. In the closest boat to us we heard a shout....TAKING A **** here! I looked over just as this totaly poor excuse of a person dumped his load off the side of the boat. Later after diving the guy that followed us out hung his anchor in the wreck... "B" being the least nitro loaded of us dove back down .... after we picked him up the plan was to just drift away from the wreck on some cheese bottom fishing picking up some interval time and some groupers also . "B" emphaticly insisted that we haul ass at least out of site of the wreck. Later he suggested that we dont go back within sight of the wreck . After much prodding he confessed to stringing one of the space invaders anchors through the wreck and tying it to the others....

[junior]

:D Funny shit

[slipknot]

My Christmas card list is growing.:D

[slipknot]

I've been thinking about this thread,and allow me to chime in on my worthless $2 again.I don't think that the West coasters have the same kind of compressesd conditions that we have on the East coast.Whereas most of you guy's have the vast Middlegrounds to play in, 80 to 100+ miles out,i'm not sure,and 130ft. We on the NE. FL. EC. Encounter 130ft. at 30-35 mls.Sometimes you can't go anywhere without a boat in the near vicinity.What's the difference in diving within 100yards from a fishing boat, and 30 boats trolling the same party wreck?So 30 boats can criss cross lines all day , but a diving vessel can't approach and dive the outskirts?
Both coasts encounter different conditions and situations,you gotta do ,what you gotta do ,to get the job done.

[junior]

I know what you are saying slipknot. When I was living in the keys and around ft lauderdale, it was even worse. Everything is pretty much just a few miles offshore (3-7 miles), so boats were super dense, especially on the weekends. The reefs are pretty long and large though, so that kept the crowding down a little.

I had a few runs ins down in the keys while trolling and assholes trying to jump in and crowd you out of a weed line. It was mostly the crazy cuban raft monkeys that did not give a shit even if they could read the rules. I've got little patience for that kinda shit.

It's true about the west coast being really spread out, but at the same time, their is a limit to what is decent bottom and everybody seems to know where it's at so we always seem to find people everywhere we go, but fortunately my dive buddy Marcus has been diving the area forever and we've got a lot of choices.

I don't think divers should have to totally avoid any area where guys are already fishing. It ashame they don't get it though and assume that all we are doing is scaring away the fish. That's just untrue.

[greyface]

ASSHOLES!:D

[f94gator]

Slipknot, you give the impression that you will not hesitate to run right up on another boat and jump over 50 ft from their swim platform. And I see no real difference between if a boat is fishing or diving. If a boat is already on the spot, give them some space, simple as that.

And don't hand me this west coast/east coast bullshit. I've done a lot of diving in the Keys, which obviously get very busy, and never had a problem. If you feel it necessary to anchor someone's ass, don't blame it on the environment and the conditions.

[slipknot]

O.K. , maybe 60ft. Gunga gulunga! C'mon, lighten up. Can't we all just get along, and agree to disagree? That's what made this board the wonderful entity it is today.
Much love to my fellow bottom dwellers,one and all!

[slipknot]

I've been waiting to use this,absolutely not directed to anyone in particular. Wanted to photoshop it , but don't know how.:D :D :D :D :D

[greyface]

Courtesy works both ways. Comparing NeFl to the Keys is bullshit, as well. It gets congested there, sure, but there's a plethera of spots to choose from. NOT so up here; unless you know how to read those fancy schnancy hard to read/find charts that only a very few board members even know about. There's ALOT of sand up here, and unless you've been on the water a LONG time, or are pals with a VERY experienced fisherman, you just don't have that many #'s to choose from.:)

[f94gator]

Jesus H Christ, the whole point is show a little courtesy to your fellow boaters, that's all. Apparently that point is being missed.
And I apologize for not understanding the conditions in NE Fla. Apparently it's common practice to share spots and throw egg sinkers at each other. :rolleyes:

[Steel Shootin']

Back when I used to mainly fish, it was almost always inshore for years. I had an Action Craft set up. As anyone who does a lot of inshore fishing will tell you, anywhere from the Pasco-Hernando line and south has become ridiculous as far as fishing pressure, boats, and lack of courtesy.

This is due to a few reasons:

1. General large increase in population over the years, with resulting increase in boaters;

2. The increase in popularity of inshore fishing and boats designed to float in water less than 1'; and

3. The increase in fishing guides, including part timers.

This hodge podge has created bad blood between recreational guys and commercial guys, not to mention commercial guys vs. commercial guys. Keep in mind guides are under pressure to produce, and to some that means courtesy be damned. This is probably more true of the newbie guide who is trying to build a reputation as a producer. Of course, many recreational guys are the same way.

Anyway, one day I said "screw it." I love to fish, but this is no longer fun. If it's not some a-hole pulling up on me, then it's a jet ski or an air boat buzzing by. The lack of courtesy starts from the minute you start chumming for sardines. People will see them popping on the surface and come over and throw a net on bait you've been chumming for 30 minutes.

Anyway, that's what started me on offshore fishing. Interestingly, as manufacturers build more and more "go fast twin outboards" with 300 gallon tanks, you are starting to hear more stories of confrontation offshore.

Personally, I give more like 500 ft to boats if they are there. I do not want them to think that I am encroaching on them. I would rather error on the side of being overly courteous. I've had people say "we've got plenty of room." Yeah, but we got 25 spots within three miles of here. Let's relax and enjoy ourselves.

Now, if someone comes up on me, and especially does something that could endanger me or a buddy, that's when the gloves are off. I will tell you that being courteous can still go a long way. For example, starting a conversation with, "Hey asshole, what the F**k do you think you're doing?" will only result in a bad situation. If couresy does not result in a quick remedy, then the gloves would come off in order to protect the boat and divers. If no one was in danger, and someone had pulled up on us and refused to leave, I would personally probably just leave myself. I would then tell everyone I know what a jerk this boat was. His reputation would catch up to him. But me, do I really need all this adrenaline pumping through me when I'm about to dive? Not worth it.

[f94gator]

Very well put, Scott.

[FredT]

In the open Gulf the numbers game applies. There are lists of published numbers, one of the best for the GOM being the snags list published by Texas A&M under a Sea Grant. Others are published by various artificial reef groups.

Any "public" number is fair game for use by anyone anywhere in the Gulf, given a bit of courtesy.

A "private" number is one with structure created by YOU (FAD, Lobbie condo, pile of toilets or Concrete blocks, etc.) or a SMALL natural honey hole created by collapse of a hard bottom discoverd by chance or purpose and not on any published list. ANY attempt to "steal" a private number is bad VERY bad form. This is not a reason to sink the offending vessel, but it's close. Those who attempt it are in the same class as slob hunters who shoot anything that moves, and those fishing with explosives.


Around the rigs the rules change. A rig is a "published" number since the location is a matter of record with MMS and are published on chopper navigation charts. There is also normally only ONE location on the rig that is safe to tie up due to currents, wind and wave action. He who gets that spot first owns it until he decides to leave. OTOH there are thousands of rigs in the gulf. If there is someone on "your" rig simply run another mile or two to another cluster and come back when the "interlopers" depart. Some rigs produce lots of fish at certain times of the year, some don't, and the reason is NOT obvious either above or below water. As a result most boats move around quite a bit. It's considered kosher to stand off and wait for the previous boat to clear. It's also kosher to drop divers on the up current side of the rig and pick them up well down current if there is another boat in the "sweet spot," provided the divers work another side of the structure. This tactic works well since fish will often hold just upcurrent of the rig. The hook and line folks are stuck fishing downcurrent by the realities of tying off to it. BTW a service boat trumps everyone! If he wants in, get out of the way as quickly as possible. All runs are looooong to the first rig, so boats with limited range tend to cluster those. Get out another 10 to 50 miles and the choices open right up as you exceede the range of whalers and other lake and bay boats

SE FL coast has a lot of good reef lines, and the few large honey holes are often published. I have a buddy that literally "wrote the book" for diving an fishing locations off the coast from north of PB Sebastion inlet to Dania. He publishes about 80 spots in each of 2 books, but he has a tackle box with another 900 great small locations. I gave him some of those based on a "do not publish outside the circle" agreement. When going to FAU in the early 70s those locations were my grocery stores and I spent over a thousand hours underwater "discovering" them. All regularly still produce fish and bugs, and are off the "normal" dive locations and drift dive routes by at least 1.5X normal visiblity. Some are simply an isolated low profile hollow rock in a sand flat, others are undercuts in isolated hard bottom that ALWAYS seem to have bugs. If I'm being "watched" we go to the published sites, and will move off a private one in a hurry JIC some asshole starts a number stealing run.

I believe the best investment in finding your own sweet spots is dragging a side scan sonar rig during your SI. The high resolution commercial ones (Klein or equal) are right expen$ive. A recording or display type fish finder can be attached to a home made "fish" for a lot less money! Simply create a phased array of "standard" 'ducers in PVC pipe fish and hang on a long transmit cable. It may be necessary to reduce the size of the tuning capacitor in the electronics unit since the paralelled 'ducers will increase the cap value of the 'ducer by N times the normal, with N being the number of ducers in your array. The system will need to be tuned back into resonance for peak performance. You'll see a lot of desolate bottom, but will occasionally pick up "interesting" sites.

Another crew I know of operating off Lauderdale flew a proton mag for a while. They recorded their hits and are systematically diving on each one. Some are intersting and hold easily gathered bugs, at least one was a WWII torpedo. They should finish hitting all the spots on their generated list in about 2015. They collect enough anchors to have an ongoing agreement to supply several marinas in the area with "used" anchors, and pay a large percentage of the boat fuel and maintenance with that recovered iron.

FT

[fernandezh]

Originally posted by FredT
In the open Gulf the numbers game applies. . FT
FredT,
Good post, unfortunately not everybody feels the same way you do.
Hector

[blue gun]

I got deleted? For that? I just post in good fun. I guess I'm not in the WEST coast click:confused:
I mean, what if you go 12 different places and someone is on every one of them (happens). Do you just go home?
It's like an elevator, when it gets crowded you just scoot over. No big deal.
Did I really get deleted for not being in agreement with gator?

[Steel Shootin']

Originally posted by blue gun
I got deleted? For that? I just post in good fun. I guess I'm not in the WEST coast click:confused:
I mean, what if you go 12 different places and someone is on every one of them (happens). Do you just go home?
It's like an elevator, when it gets crowded you just scoot over. No big deal.
Did I really get deleted for not being in agreement with gator?

First of all, I didn't delete you, and I have no idea who did.

If I went to 12 straight spots that had people on them, I guess I'd be wondering who stole my book and gave copies to their friends.

[f94gator]

I didn't delete you either.
Besides, the pic of slipknot flicking everyone off is still up, and that one was asking for it, so I don't know what happened!

[Steel Shootin']

I just went back through the thread, and I still see your same posts that I saw this AM when I read the thread for the first time. Which post are you saying was deleted. :confused:

[1bumknee]

Man its gettin ugly around here.

Blue Gun's post gettin deleted, Slipknot using a pink snorkle.

Ugly!!! Just plain UGLY!!

[blue gun]

Well cool then, I just didn't want to get deleted for something so stupid.

Scott I do have books and books of numbers but some of the published numbers produce the most fish. I learned that on a commercial spear boat SURESHOT and the AMANDA RENEE. Your books must be better than mine.

Scott I chimed in right after slipknot but it is very possible I have done something wrong.

Enough about me:D :D :D :D

[blue gun]

Hey 1bum is that a picture of you scaring a little kid with a big fish?:D :D :D :D

[f94gator]

Man, I just think you like stirring up trouble!! :D


(Note the smiley to indicate a humorous comment)

[blue gun]

I was just thinking about G-Man and how I miss reading all you guys bashing that ignorant piece of chit. That was fun! Scott can we have G-Bag for a day or two. We can get out some good venting on his tab.
BTW: I see I am a senior member now? Does that mean big member, old member, spanish member?:D :D :D

[junior]

I never had the pleasure of reading any of G-mans stuff. Sounds like he was quite the shithead:D

[Steel Shootin']

Originally posted by blue gun

BTW: I see I am a senior member now? Does that mean big member, old member, spanish member?:D :D :D It means you're one step closer to joining our click. Only requirement now is taking a dump from the back of the boat. :D

[dlock]

sick basturds
(note that I didn't use a smiley)

[dlock]

:D

[dlock]

Originally posted by f94gator
I didn't delete you either.
Besides, the pic of slipknot flicking everyone off is still up, and that one was asking for it, so I don't know what happened!
that is a pic of the "commodiackilla", Slip aint no pink snorkle wearin' Califunion!!!!

[slipknot]

Originally posted by f94gator
I didn't delete you either.
Besides, the pic of slipknot flicking everyone off is still up, and that one was asking for it, so I don't know what happened!

Askin' for it ? C'mon dude,I put up the mighty" COMMODIAKILLA" to break some of the tension.As I mentioned,NOT DIRECTED AT ANYONE IN PARTICULAR !,It's just funny as shit to me, and I will be using it in future threads.I just love that cute pink snorkel.:D :D :D

[junior]

Commodiackilla snagged that pink snorkel from some dude that got all gnarly up in his dive spot:D

[f94gator]

Well, you're right, that IS one cute snorkel...

[dlock]

did we scare the Califunions away...haven't heard shit from them lately!! It don't hardly pay to **** with the "Locker Room"!! I think the "toilet snorkler" pic did it...that pic was so damn funny!

[junior]

I think them califunions is stickin' to the califunia section. I believe they may think us to be a bunch a rednecks:D

[greyface]

I wonder what would give them that idea!?:confused: :D

[bluewater]

When running far offshore to dive and finding anyone fishing or diving on the spot that I want to dive I will always ask them politely how long they are planning to stay there. If they answer longer than I am willing to wait. I have probley asked 20 to 30 boats only one did not invite in to the spot immediatly. He said that if i anchored up then more would come. I think it would be an act of a truly foolish person to just jump in and dive on top of someone fishing or diving a spot hmmmmm jump out of my boat loaded with thousands of dollars worth of gear spend 30 or so minutes blowing bubbles around some very pissed off people alone with your stuff. Not to mention the possibillity of getting your anchor line cut off and having to try to chase your boat down.