Ponce Report 11/2

[Shooter Dan]

Good shooting on Sunday. Viz was 40'+ in 100'. Left from Ponce Inlet and hit a deep spot and then the 100' ledges. Seastalker had the hot hand bagging a 25# gag on two of his 4 dives. Merk and I both were swarmed by cobia on different dives. Non were taken, but good experience was had.

Next time I will win the battle!

The goes were doing their thing and wedging themselves way back under the cuts. On one shot under the ledge when I worked out the shaft, I had 3 goes in the 5 lb range.

No Bugs were seen and the way the goes were acting, It would seem that the commercial divers have really put some pressure on this area. The water temp was still warm and the viz was great. My intro to diving this area was a bitter cold themocline and stealthy shooting with 12' viz.

The fronts should start soon and the viz and temp are sure to drop.

[good news]

Shooter-

Sounds like we were in the same area this weekend, might have even seen your boat. First dive in 100' and I moseyed up on a fat lobster. I have the lob pinned with my left hand and up swims a nice hog. Decision time. I managed to pick up my gun with the free hand and pulled the trigger. I lob, 1 hog. Sometimes everything works. Most of the time it all goes to shit and I lose. We made two more dives in the 100' range and managed to get a 30# cabrilla grouper (needed a book to ID it) 45# cobia, assorted mangos and triggers, and two more lobster. We headed into a nearshore wreck and got another grouper in the 25# range and two AJ's. Vis was great offshore, went to hell inside. Great day on the water. I don't know about the commercial boys, but I have seen alot of divers out in that depth along the reef lately.

[Merk]

I was an interesting day on the water......

Besides loosing a spear on a 10lb go hidding for cover deep under a ledge, being swarmed by 40lb+ cobia with no back up spear and being escorted to the boat by two curious dolphin looking for a couple of free goes it was one of the most memorable dives I've had in a while.

As for top water action..... we ran across a full size floating freezer holding dolphin, 3 thick weed lines full of garbage and pocks of birds busting bait while following a bonita feeding frenzy.

Nothing like returning home after a great day of shoot'en with a cooler full of fish with the sun falling from the sky and still miles from home. Ohhhhh Yhaaaaaa

Seastalker & Shooter Dan it was great hunting with you.