Good Weekend (First Fish)

[jplvr]

Last weeks chronicles are detailed here:

http://www.spearboard.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9467

This week, it didn't look good for me since there wasn't room on the boat. Someone backed out at the last second and I had to make a last second trip to Mobile.

Not much time for details, but we didn't get a picture of my first fish... shot a Jack Crevalle (?sp) and realized that my fish identification skills need a little fine tuning. I kind of thought he looked like an amberjack, so I shot him anyway. Oh well, lesson learned.

Shot my first AJ on the 3rd dive. After that Jack Crevalle on the first dive, I think I was more than prepared for this one. It might have helped that I hit him right behind the eye instead of through the gills like the first fish. :cool: They estimated him around 30lbs. I don't know, but I know there was plenty of meat on him. :D

It's 8:00 am in this pic and I'm an ugly mo fo anyway. :o

http://pluto.imagemagician.com/images/jplvr/Fish/BrettxsxAJ.jpg

Most of the catch... Isaac, my buddy pictured. Sean is the guy with the boat and after my AJ on the left, the rest are all his... AJ and African Pompano both coming on the same dive:

http://pluto.imagemagician.com/images/jplvr/Fish/BrettxIsaac2.jpg

I should've had a bigger AJ, but forgot to turn off the stupid safety. By the time he cleared the bottom skirt of the leg of the rig, he was moving away from me. Had a perfect shot at around 1-2ft.

[biggsy]

Nothing wrong with that AJ...congrats on your first! That is a nice looking AP as well. Glad things worked out a little better this weekend! :)

[PatMyGreen]

I see several good dinners pictured pictured above, enjoy!

[KJNDIVER]

Congrats on the first fish. I just hope it is the first of many. I guess its an understatement that you have now got the fever, so to speak.:D

[jplvr]

Thanks guys. I'm not disappointed in that AJ... not at all. I was just pissed that I missed out on the larger one later.

We were diving on the rigs for the most part. Not as scary as I thought they might be. 1st dive was where I shot the Jack Crevalle. Vis was great until we got to the bottom which was crap. I'm kind of glad I shot that fish. Damn thing went nuts when I shot it (low through the gills) and tried to wrap me up in the rig a couple of times. Pretty good experience thinking back on it.

2nd dive was on the air left after the first dive looking for trigger at around 30'.

3rd dive I took the AJ at around 60' of 120'. Got a much better shot on him than I did on the Crevalle (you can kind of make out the hole just behing the eye) and he rolled right over before "waking back up." Came straight up since after the Crevalle, I figured out that I'd just be burning air trying to get a fish off at depth right now. Had to scare off a Cuda that was trailing me. :D

4th dive was where I saw the larger AJ. Swam right by me and was probably 1-2' away from the end of the spear when I figured out that the safety was on. I won't say that I'll never make that mistake again, but I highly doubt it. Also glanced a shot off the nose of an African Pomano on the way back up on this dive. I'd love to have a do-over on that one.


Pat, I was thinking about taking a Cuda if I had a shot, but I was told not to bring one back on board... probably because of the clean-up. :D

One meal in the books. Just fried up some of the smaller pieces. BTW, I never thought about cooking the "ribs," but they make one hell of an appetizer... AP especially.

Yes, I'm hooked. Already thinking about my next trip.