Need Rig Divers to Help Out Some Florida Crackers

[Dive4Blood]

Planning on setting up a LA rig diving trip the weekend or two after red snapper season opens (April 22-24, April 30-May2). I am planning on booking Capt. Troy Wetzel out of Venice, but wanted to know if there are any other overnight charter alternatives for six divers if the dates fall through.

Are the murk layers in Spring still as brutal as I have been reading in reports lately? AR's as big, plentiful, and unwary when the season opens as I have been told? Let me know what else is typical to shoot during that time of the year, as well as hook-and-lining (tuna?) that can be expected at night after we finish steel slinging. Thanks in advance!!

AJ Suarez

[Graham]

Stick with Troy, he's the best. I don't think there are any guys that run those trips full time. Last year we did hook up with another boat that more or less a "friend of a friend" type of deal, the captain didn't do the overnight dive trip thing normally.

[LSUBigL]

I was supposed to go with Troy and one of his captains got hurt so we couldn't go that weekend, and since we were coordinating six guys' schedules we couldn't make it work again, so I had him send me my deposit back, which he did promptly and I was impressed with that. I know that other charter captains in similar situations could have taken a bit more time in getting the money back, so Troy has my respect in that regard, and if I can work it out I'll take a trip with him next year.

Definitely dive earlier for the snapper. The fisherman and divers jumping on those rigs will push the snapper down deep, sometimes deeper than you may want to go, so the earlier in the year the more plentiful the fish. The river will be higher in the spring from all the rain and snow melting up north, so thick murk layers are common, as are cold temperatures. The other thing is the wind. It's always windier that time of year so it can be a bumpy ride, but then again y'all are used to those long-ass trips to the MG so it should be cake for you.

for the best information, I'd PM Wet Spot, Rock Bottom, and some of the other more experienced guys on this board.

Good luck
Big L