John Galt
09-10-2007, 03:47 PM
Went 55 miles out of Galveston to a Nippon Oil rig in GA 416. Rode a charter with Steve Craft of the Crafty Angler ($220 for a 2-tank dive, more than I’d normally be happy to pay but I needed to get wet and we’re running out of weekends). Boat was a 27’ er with twin 200s…Craft was well fitted out for fishing (though 3 tanks would have been a little crowded). He normally runs fishing charters but likes a few scuba trips as a change of pace. Good guy…I’d ride with him again.
Water was 3-4’s, 35-40 vis, sandy green in 100’ of water. Murk layer was probably 85’ and bottom was firm mud.
When we pulled up to the rig, there was a freediver who was getting some nice fish, a “bragger" snapper and either a ling or AJ, couldn’t see which. He said there was a 400# goliath grouper on the bottom, but I didn’t see it. The other members of the party, who were just doing rec dives on the rig on nitrox 100’s, said they saw a 7’ manta.
First dive, I shot a small sheepshead. There were a few around, I lost one when I stupidly failed to close the clip on my stringer. They were close to the bottom near one of the rig legs. I also saw a nice school of either permits or lookdowns inside the rig legs (probably 50’), but I was so low on gas I didn’t have the chance to get one. Quite a few bar jacks and some immature snaps.
Second dive, I saw some pretty interesting things..Steve’s advice was that the “good” fish do not need the protection of the rig legs and can be found 50’ outside the rig. Very valuable piece of insight for me, I’d been crawling around on the rig structure because it was in my comfort zone...was worried about getting blown off in the current (newbie mistake…). And also had the mistaken idea I’d hang out in the structure like a deer hunter in a blind and pick off something good.
On the second dive, I saw two lings (one marginally legal, the other easy 4’), some “shooter” jacks, and a school of 2 dozen red snappers, mostly “shooters” but also with 3-4 “braggers”. I took an average fish for the school, probably 24”. The snappers kept going up and down in the murk layer, and I noticed they were below a school of spadefish..don’t know if that was coincidence or if the spades were hanging out above the snaps to take a wounded fish the snaps took while staying away from predation themselves. If anyone knows, I’d like to learn.
Other lessons learned:
--Gas management is the key. I surfaced from the first dive after deco with 200# of air, only down 30 minutes. I’m sure this was because I was breathing FAST from the excitement and from trying to make headway in the current…if anyone has ideas about how to slow the SAC (besides quit smoking, start running, and lose 30#) I’d love to hear them.
--I was using my new Riffe Competitor 2X. It has a cone-shaped ice pick point compared to the 3-faceted tip on my Sea Hornet. I saw he shaft bounce off a really nice snapper. I think I will grind the tip on a water-cooled grinder like the Sea Hornet tip because I think it will allow the tip to slice through the scales.
--Know your gun..I made two mistakes. First, I was non instinctive on where the safe was. It’s frustrating to miss a shot at a red snapper the size of a Ford Taurus because your safety is on. I think I’m going to write “F” and “S” on the side of the gun so buck fever + Narc’ed does not cost me another nice fish.
--Know your gun #2…Reloading took too long. Although the Riffe’s open muzzle design makes it easier to load than my Sea Hornet (You have to thread the spear through an enclosed muzzle), I may practice sliding the spear in and out of the gun and wrapping up the cable next time I get kinda drunk so I’ll be able to quickly do it with narcosis. I might also do it in the dark to practice doing it without looking away from the fish (my wife will be alarmed to hear me sitting in the dark, drunk, fondling my speargun….)
--Know your gun#3…one thing I’ve done better this season than last is leading. My office is full of bird hunters, and shooting at doves/pheasants/ducks with a shotgun really helps with the fish. I still need some work, though, perhaps sporting clays when it gets too rough for fishing.
Water was 3-4’s, 35-40 vis, sandy green in 100’ of water. Murk layer was probably 85’ and bottom was firm mud.
When we pulled up to the rig, there was a freediver who was getting some nice fish, a “bragger" snapper and either a ling or AJ, couldn’t see which. He said there was a 400# goliath grouper on the bottom, but I didn’t see it. The other members of the party, who were just doing rec dives on the rig on nitrox 100’s, said they saw a 7’ manta.
First dive, I shot a small sheepshead. There were a few around, I lost one when I stupidly failed to close the clip on my stringer. They were close to the bottom near one of the rig legs. I also saw a nice school of either permits or lookdowns inside the rig legs (probably 50’), but I was so low on gas I didn’t have the chance to get one. Quite a few bar jacks and some immature snaps.
Second dive, I saw some pretty interesting things..Steve’s advice was that the “good” fish do not need the protection of the rig legs and can be found 50’ outside the rig. Very valuable piece of insight for me, I’d been crawling around on the rig structure because it was in my comfort zone...was worried about getting blown off in the current (newbie mistake…). And also had the mistaken idea I’d hang out in the structure like a deer hunter in a blind and pick off something good.
On the second dive, I saw two lings (one marginally legal, the other easy 4’), some “shooter” jacks, and a school of 2 dozen red snappers, mostly “shooters” but also with 3-4 “braggers”. I took an average fish for the school, probably 24”. The snappers kept going up and down in the murk layer, and I noticed they were below a school of spadefish..don’t know if that was coincidence or if the spades were hanging out above the snaps to take a wounded fish the snaps took while staying away from predation themselves. If anyone knows, I’d like to learn.
Other lessons learned:
--Gas management is the key. I surfaced from the first dive after deco with 200# of air, only down 30 minutes. I’m sure this was because I was breathing FAST from the excitement and from trying to make headway in the current…if anyone has ideas about how to slow the SAC (besides quit smoking, start running, and lose 30#) I’d love to hear them.
--I was using my new Riffe Competitor 2X. It has a cone-shaped ice pick point compared to the 3-faceted tip on my Sea Hornet. I saw he shaft bounce off a really nice snapper. I think I will grind the tip on a water-cooled grinder like the Sea Hornet tip because I think it will allow the tip to slice through the scales.
--Know your gun..I made two mistakes. First, I was non instinctive on where the safe was. It’s frustrating to miss a shot at a red snapper the size of a Ford Taurus because your safety is on. I think I’m going to write “F” and “S” on the side of the gun so buck fever + Narc’ed does not cost me another nice fish.
--Know your gun #2…Reloading took too long. Although the Riffe’s open muzzle design makes it easier to load than my Sea Hornet (You have to thread the spear through an enclosed muzzle), I may practice sliding the spear in and out of the gun and wrapping up the cable next time I get kinda drunk so I’ll be able to quickly do it with narcosis. I might also do it in the dark to practice doing it without looking away from the fish (my wife will be alarmed to hear me sitting in the dark, drunk, fondling my speargun….)
--Know your gun#3…one thing I’ve done better this season than last is leading. My office is full of bird hunters, and shooting at doves/pheasants/ducks with a shotgun really helps with the fish. I still need some work, though, perhaps sporting clays when it gets too rough for fishing.