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ROCK BOTTOM
05-11-2004, 10:47 AM
We did a little diving Saturday and Sunday out of Venice, Louisiana this past weekend. Saturday was a beautiful day on the ocean with the seas not getting over 1 foot, making for a fast ride out to the rigs on the east side of the river. Three other Hell Divers and myself shot some nice gag and scamp grouper, red snapper and amberjack at the first few stops, but lost some nice cobia, before moving back in to the shallow rigs for some stringer busting, fish slaying. After shooting some of the bigger fish in the deeper water, we headed in shallow and picked up a nice 11# mangrove and an 8# 11oz sheepshead in the shallows. I loaded up the stringer with a nice mixed bag of sheepshead, gag grouper, red and mangrove snapper, redfish and even a tasty 3# pompano. All in all it was a good day on the water. Some of the pictures are a bit off as my buddy is somewhat techno-challenged.

Sunday, the wife and kids on board, was a little slower shooting with 1-2 foot seas. Trying to teach the wife to shoot is not an easy thing. She poked holes in an amberjack and a cobia and scared the shit out of a few grouper. She was experiencing “buck fever” and wasn’t getting close enough to the fish for a decent shot. She did stone a nice trigger fish but was sorely disappointed with her day on the water (good thing too because now she wants me to take her again next weekend.) I shot a few grouper and amberjack but didn’t set the world on fire with my fish killing abilities. We went back to the shallows for some more stringer filling action but I broke my muzzle on the fourth shot. I think my wife and I both need some new guns (hers is about 7 inches too short.) No pictures from day 2.

I was nice to meet some of the guys off of the Spearboard. I am glad that your second day on the water was better than their first day. I am looking forward to the pictures. I know I will see some of those guys again and again and it probably will be fairly soon, too. There will be some serious competition for the Spearboard Open for sure. Pray for good weather.

Zz

ROCK BOTTOM
05-11-2004, 10:49 AM
GROUPER

ROCK BOTTOM
05-11-2004, 10:50 AM
SCAMP, GAG AND RED SNAPPER

ROCK BOTTOM
05-11-2004, 10:51 AM
POLYPROPYLENE ROPE OF DEATH

ROCK BOTTOM
05-11-2004, 10:57 AM
ANOTHER GROUPER

biggsy
05-11-2004, 11:56 AM
Very nice fish...looks like some huge holes you put in those fish. What kinds of tips do you guys use? Does it affect the quality of the filet?

Cool report and pics...you can see some of the rigs in the background.

ROCK BOTTOM
05-11-2004, 12:41 PM
Most of the fish in the pictures were shot with JBL detachable tips. The mangrove snapper had to be operated on to remove the tip, hence the .44 Magnum sized exit wound. And hell yes, it affects the quality of the filets.

Zz

Slay Ride
05-11-2004, 12:56 PM
Good going RB. Nice Red! Congrats. Les

PatMyGreen
05-11-2004, 03:53 PM
Do you guys ever put too much fish in the boat and sink, because it seems like that would be a serious problem you might be facing!

ROCK BOTTOM
05-11-2004, 06:32 PM
PMG,

Too much is never enough! No really, we always try to maximize our legal take, particularly with fuel costs going up. With speardiving at the rigs, you rarely limit out on more than one specie on any single trip. We do carry two 162 qt. boxes full of ice and my boat has one box across the transom that is 9'x3'x1' and the bow deck box is 3'x3'x5'. I have yet to fill them both but I am not done trying yet.

If you really want to know, you just gotta go. If you are interested, Troy Wetzel, who took out the guys from Florida this past weekend, is open Thursday and Friday of the Hell DIvers Rodeo. PM me if you are interested.

Zz

LASeaCat
05-13-2004, 05:38 AM
Yes! Some Hell Divers do shoot small fish! Those holes don't look that big when the fish aren't small!! (Rock Bottom getting angry and starting to sweat!) Aside from that Mangrove, the aquarium folks will be angry! (Probably calling me as he reads this!)

Now maybe he will take me up on the bet for the Spearboard!!:p

Chad Carney
05-13-2004, 11:17 AM
Hooaahhhhh!

Now the trash talking is coming on strong!

Chad

Southern Cross
05-13-2004, 04:13 PM
Too much fish????????

We tried to sink the Contender one night with Yellowfins.
Brought home 19. Most of them between 40# and 100#.
Released another 7 cause we were out of Ice.

7 fishermen and 19 Tuna on the ride in was a heavy load.
Burned some serious fuel, 225 Gallons for the trip.
105 miles each way.

Had 2 Blackfins and a Wahoo too.

ROCK BOTTOM
05-13-2004, 05:15 PM
Roger that Andy,

We filled up the deck box with 23 wahoo last spring and decided that we had too much that day. Too much fun that is. We put 17 in the boat in three hours and had 18 more strikes with only six fish in the boat for the rest of the day. And for you guys from out of town, I was trolling circles around a group of rigs that routinely produce big AJ and Grouper. As a matter of fact, in December of last year we shot our limit of AJs and an additional two Almacos per person after a morning of tuna chunking. Only in Louisiana, for sure!

Have you bought your ticket to the Rodeo yet?

Zz