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Daddy_Jeffy
04-17-2004, 03:04 PM
Went out this morning. Visibility is down due to the rough weather last week. We headed out to a deep bridge span with the hopes of catching some bugs. My dive buddy said someone had caught 55 of them a few years back, and with the water still a bit chilly, we figured we could beat the crowd there before summer

As I descended the anchor line, I swam past a school of AJ's. I didn't pay them much mind, as the lobsters were the real objective. When we got to the bottom (101 ft)I quckly began surveying the spans. Things seemed pretty hopeless. I spotted a big sheepeshead in the bridge structure and swam up for a closer look. When I shined my light I saw those telltale purple marks along the tail of a good sized bulldozer. Bingo. I bagged him and began looking through the rest of the bridge structure. Nothing.

As I swam back to the anchor, I spotted another school of AJ's. I figured why not. I focused on the biggest of the bunch, put my back to the bridge and let fly. I was expecting a battle, but I brained him.

I got back to the boat and asked the guys on board to haul up the fish. I spent the next twenty minutes trying to get my spear tip out of his head. I was using a cable slip tip, and was stupid enough to pull the shaft loose from the tip. I ended up shoving the tip the rest of the way through its head and then forcing it back through the holes to get it out. Bloody mess!

We hit some natural bottom on the next drop and collected some more bugs. I got 2 while my buddy bagged 5. the vis was much lower closer in. We did one more drop on a wreck in 55' of water and could barely see anything.

Not a bad day, though.

PatMyGreen
04-17-2004, 05:05 PM
Nice report, how big were the AJs? We have only seen one or two per school that were for sure legal the last few times out. 'Course that was a bit ago now.

Daddy_Jeffy
04-17-2004, 07:05 PM
The one I shot was over 40 inches, because I had to bend him to get him in the cooler. The one trip I didn't bring a camera, and I spear the biggest fish I have had. Definitely the biggest one of the school. I probably saw a handful of others his size. He will be fish dip tomorrow.

PatMyGreen
04-17-2004, 07:47 PM
You are my hero!

apexpredator
04-18-2004, 08:06 AM
Did they open a special lobster season for you in panama city? My lobster season here in Miami closed the 31st of March along with the rest of the state. Even if this spot was in fed waters or jurisdiction of another state our landing laws make this a "party foul" ....careful what you type could lead to someone knocking on your door. Unless were talking about slippers or something other than spiny lobster.

joel mcqueen
04-18-2004, 08:19 AM
HEY APEX NO SEASON ON SHOVEL NOSE OR BULL DOZER LOBSTER HARD TO FIND BUT TASTEY

apexpredator
04-18-2004, 08:32 AM
"Unless were talking about slippers or something..." From my other post. I know about the slipper lobster sorry to sound nasty in my post but I know folks who have sometimes made honest mistakes when it comes to seasons. Happy Hunting!!

Daddy_Jeffy
04-18-2004, 02:11 PM
I said in my report, I spotted a "Bulldozer". I am tuned in to the slippers. Taste every bit as good as any other species, with no season or bag limit. Also, pretty easy to find in the Panama City area. I bring home at least 1 about 85% of the time. Its pretty much how I get a kitchen pass from the Mrs. She loves the lobster (SLIPPER).

JimB
04-18-2004, 07:32 PM
Apex,
It's super difficult to find a spinney lobster up here in the northern Gulf. I've been diving out of Destin for five years and have only seen three spinneys. One was out of season but the other two came home with me to warm up in a nice pot of water.

Slipper, bulldozer, or rock lobster are a different story. There are lots of them in this area. They are smaller, don't have enough meat in their legs to make it worth breaking them open, season is open all year, no size limit but you can't take them if they have eggs, and they tast about the same as spinney.

RIGREEPER
05-02-2004, 12:27 AM
Wher is a good place to sling some shaft in PCB?