Jan 04 Key West report

[Md Spear]

Am here in KW w/ 30 Scarab CC for 30 days for R&R.

02/04 Ran 14 miles west to sea mount called the Bar @ end of SW channel . Vis 60 Waves 3'. Dove 2 tanks ,speared a few 15-18 '' hogs . saw jew fish 1000s of small grays etc. Water temp 75.6'F. Good 1st trip. blue water is on the Bar

03/04 Dove same area. Shot [1] 18' black grouper , limit on hogs', 3 bugs . Waves @3' , some 4s

04/04 waves on Bar in blue water to 8'. wimped out

mon 05 went 24 miles W to CB bouy , green water till 1 mile from bouy then all blue. dove in 26' inside reef . Still 3-4' rolling ocean swells & were not out side the reef line. Speared 12' black, took 5 bugs. Went W near Cosgrove Light 2nd dive, poor vis but got our limit on hogs right under Scarab.

Tue 05 10 mph winds, but poor vis. lots of current. Did drift dive on Bar offshore of K marker. 6 bugs.
2nd dive inside reef 2 miles W of K marker 28' deep better vis of 30'. 10 bugs. 3 hogs. 4 men diving

wed & th 20 + knot wind , pussied out. Calling for 10 mph winds tomorrow Been too busy and beat @ end of day to film. Will try to get some pix on soon

[mushkee]

you shot a 10 and 18 inch black grouper??
you know black grouper have a min. size requirement of 24 inchs right...

[keyspearfisher]

This is the symbol for inches ( " ) This is the symbol for feet ( ' ) This is the one for pounds ( # ). So he shot a ten and eighteen foot Black. I need to go spearing with this guy. You must need alot of band to penetrate, or a powerhead.

[normanhghntr]

Hey Brian, i was at the bar the other day, and the biggest black i saw was only around 8'(thats foot in your mouth)for the guy from maryland, i like to use my custom 220'' harpoon gun for any black over 10' and cover the tip with fishing regulation sheet from the fmp!!!!You best start believing in ghost stories, your in one!!

[keyspearfisher]

How much would an eight foot Black weigh? 300-400 pounds I would guess conservatively. The largest Grouper I have ever seen was maybe six and a half to seven feet long and I looked like coral structure laying on the sand. It was a Jewfish of .course

[Md Spear]

Excuse me

[18' grouper] was for 18 lb grouper Just too tired after boating and diving to be perfect .

[normanhghntr]

Hey MD spear, were just busting your chops!! glad your having a great time here in the keys!! the water in really warm for this time of year , not to many cold fronts yet, but if your here today what a difference!!

[keyspearfisher]

Today was a bitch. 18' boat in 5'seas not a good combo. Got out, had fun, and made it back alive with fish in the cooler. Can't ask for much more.

[fishkilla]

how's the vis been brian?

[keyspearfisher]

The vis was 4 feet off of American Shoal. 40 foot vis up by Marathon. Herds of hogs moving through like biblical locusts.

[normanhghntr]

Fishkilla, Brian, we were on the outer bar wed and fri, just the other side of sand key, water temp was 72 blue green water with 20 or so foot of vis, 80 foot of vis in the blue water outside of western dry rocks 74 water temp. the current was sooo strong!! and the pmows we everywhere!! bunched up in the weed lines like little armys, bad news for freediving!!

[from the sea]

man-o-wars are all over the place this time of year really sux for freediving so does 5 foot seas keept me from killing any thing this weekend