The Steelslingers Chronicles: Middlegrounds October 11-13 - Spearboard.com - The World's Largest Spearfishing Diving Boating Social Media Forum

Dive4Blood · 10-14-2002, 10:04 AM

What a life! Onboard the Jolly Rogers 2 heading to the Middlegrounds in flat calm seas for a second weekend in a row of world class spearfishing, I have to pinch myself to make sure it's all real. Besides Capt. Jim Zurbrick and myself, the crew consists of FS Forum and Spearboard member Mad Dog Bite and his South Florida posse. Here's the Reader's Digest version.

The Diving- The vis has not improved from last weekend with 40' being the best we got all weekend, but fortunately the currents played little factor. The hot hands on Saturday belonged to team two, Paul and Brett (who only uses a polespear!), professional tropical fish collectors who put down their slurp-guns this weekend and brought up massive stringers. There were no zero dives Saturday with the average stringer consisting of 7-10 fish, mainly gags, mangos, and red grouper. We were in the northern Middlegrounds( mid 800's), and worked our way south 10 miles by the end of the trip. Sunday we made tears well up in the eyes of the fish as we pummeled them with renewed vigor. The further south we worked the more hogs we got, and by the end of the trip almost everyone had gotten at least one "blacksnouter" hog that the MG is famous for. Top fish speared: Hog-19#, Grouper-c.20-25#, Mango-c.7-9#, AJ- 30ish pounds.

The Fishing- Quality mango bites both nights, not fast and furious, but steady with a larger average sizes than last week. Good amount of gags including one 15-17# I put "over the rail and into the pail" Friday night. What I will remember about this trip is the kingfish bite Saturday night. You couldn't leave a flat line out more than ten minutes without getting slammed. I've gotten to laugh, you have these SKA types with their quarter million dollar Fountains, their heavy starched Columbia shirts, and high tech fishing "teams", and here we are catching 30 pound kings on dead threadfin herring flatlined on medium spinning rods! I also bonused out with a 25# blackfin tuna that laid a major ass whipping on my 4 100'+ dive, no sleep having body.

The Gas- Dinner Friday consisted of baked beans, coleslaw, and hot dogs. Dinner Saturday night consisted of black beans and yellow rice with chicken and salad. Spinkle in a few post dive beers, and you can just imagine the epic "off-gassing" that occured.

Another great trip with around a 110-1200 pound box of fish Sunday night. Sounds like Mad Dog and crew are already planning a late Nov. early Dec. trip. On the shelf for a couple weekends to heal up, next trip is Nov. 1-3. I have ONE spot open that I have emailed a few people on. Whoever ponies up first will join Reef Raider, Dabull Trouble, Brad B, and Seastalker for the next episode of the Steelslinger Chronicles. Standing by.

richhermes · 10-14-2002, 10:31 AM

"over the rail and into the pail"
"off-gassing"

Another brilliantly illustrated commentary from our Spearboard Scribe, D4B!!

One thing to watch out for! The dreaded off-gassing gunnel hunch combo. Not bad for the huncher, but the second hand gas will kill an elephant!

Steel Shootin' · 10-14-2002, 11:21 AM

Thanks for another great report. I knew you guys were loving the flat seas.

richhermes · 10-14-2002, 12:57 PM

Looks like we have another uninformed asshole.

http://floridasportsman.zeroforum.co...hread?id=15470

Steel Shootin' · 10-14-2002, 06:08 PM

Here is a photo from D4B, showing an awesome hog he got on this last trip to the Middle Grounds:

johnhermes · 10-14-2002, 06:15 PM

Photoshop! ****ING PHOTOSHOP!!!! I can't see his hand - doctored picture CHEATER! CHEATER! CHEATER! CHEATER! CHEATER!

201proguide · 10-14-2002, 08:09 PM

holy shit that is a huge hog. i cant wait untill i get my nitrox so i can get out to the grounds and (hopefully) shoot one just like that. nice fish!!

dive4food · 10-15-2002, 12:53 PM

How many pounds of fillets do you get off a hog that size?

I think I need one of them blacksnouted monsters.

Reef Raider · 10-15-2002, 01:18 PM

The males produce about 40 o/o of thier body wt. The girls do a little better but most that I have seen get no bigger than 12-14 lb then they turn to males. That fish should feed 4 people.


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10-14-2002, 10:04 AM	#1
Dive4Blood The Wizard Of HOD Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Gulf of Mexico Age: 46 Posts: 2,488	The Steelslinger Chronicles: Middlegrounds October 11-13 What a life! Onboard the Jolly Rogers 2 heading to the Middlegrounds in flat calm seas for a second weekend in a row of world class spearfishing, I have to pinch myself to make sure it's all real. Besides Capt. Jim Zurbrick and myself, the crew consists of FS Forum and Spearboard member Mad Dog Bite and his South Florida posse. Here's the Reader's Digest version. The Diving- The vis has not improved from last weekend with 40' being the best we got all weekend, but fortunately the currents played little factor. The hot hands on Saturday belonged to team two, Paul and Brett (who only uses a polespear!), professional tropical fish collectors who put down their slurp-guns this weekend and brought up massive stringers. There were no zero dives Saturday with the average stringer consisting of 7-10 fish, mainly gags, mangos, and red grouper. We were in the northern Middlegrounds( mid 800's), and worked our way south 10 miles by the end of the trip. Sunday we made tears well up in the eyes of the fish as we pummeled them with renewed vigor. The further south we worked the more hogs we got, and by the end of the trip almost everyone had gotten at least one "blacksnouter" hog that the MG is famous for. Top fish speared: Hog-19#, Grouper-c.20-25#, Mango-c.7-9#, AJ- 30ish pounds. The Fishing- Quality mango bites both nights, not fast and furious, but steady with a larger average sizes than last week. Good amount of gags including one 15-17# I put "over the rail and into the pail" Friday night. What I will remember about this trip is the kingfish bite Saturday night. You couldn't leave a flat line out more than ten minutes without getting slammed. I've gotten to laugh, you have these SKA types with their quarter million dollar Fountains, their heavy starched Columbia shirts, and high tech fishing "teams", and here we are catching 30 pound kings on dead threadfin herring flatlined on medium spinning rods! I also bonused out with a 25# blackfin tuna that laid a major ass whipping on my 4 100'+ dive, no sleep having body. The Gas- Dinner Friday consisted of baked beans, coleslaw, and hot dogs. Dinner Saturday night consisted of black beans and yellow rice with chicken and salad. Spinkle in a few post dive beers, and you can just imagine the epic "off-gassing" that occured. Another great trip with around a 110-1200 pound box of fish Sunday night. Sounds like Mad Dog and crew are already planning a late Nov. early Dec. trip. On the shelf for a couple weekends to heal up, next trip is Nov. 1-3. I have ONE spot open that I have emailed a few people on. Whoever ponies up first will join Reef Raider, Dabull Trouble, Brad B, and Seastalker for the next episode of the Steelslinger Chronicles. Standing by. Last edited by Dive4Blood; 10-14-2002 at 10:26 AM.

10-14-2002, 06:15 PM	#6
johnhermes Registered User Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Tampa, Florida Age: 44 Posts: 369	**ing PHOTOSHOP!!!! Photoshop! **ING PHOTOSHOP!!!! I can't see his hand - doctored picture CHEATER! CHEATER! CHEATER! CHEATER! CHEATER! __________________ "All right, brain, I don't like you and you don't like me - so let's just do this and I'll get back to killing you with beer." --Homer Simpson

10-14-2002, 08:09 PM	#7
201proguide Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Bradenton, Fl/Jax Beach, Fl Posts: 466	holy shit that is a huge hog. i cant wait untill i get my nitrox so i can get out to the grounds and (hopefully) shoot one just like that. nice fish!! Last edited by 201proguide; 10-14-2002 at 08:11 PM.

10-15-2002, 01:18 PM	#9
Reef Raider Free Shafter Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Land O Lakes Posts: 1,043	The males produce about 40 o/o of thier body wt. The girls do a little better but most that I have seen get no bigger than 12-14 lb then they turn to males. That fish should feed 4 people. __________________ Raider

10-14-2002, 10:31 AM	#2
richhermes Nappy Headed Ho Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Z-Hills, FL Age: 46 Posts: 5,416	"over the rail and into the pail" "off-gassing" Another brilliantly illustrated commentary from our Spearboard Scribe, D4B!! One thing to watch out for! The dreaded off-gassing gunnel hunch combo. Not bad for the huncher, but the second hand gas will kill an elephant!

10-14-2002, 11:21 AM	#3
Steel Shootin' Registered User Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 6,836	Thanks for another great report. I knew you guys were loving the flat seas.

10-14-2002, 12:57 PM	#4
richhermes Nappy Headed Ho Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Z-Hills, FL Age: 46 Posts: 5,416	Looks like we have another uninformed asshole. http://floridasportsman.zeroforum.co...hread?id=15470

10-14-2002, 06:08 PM	#5
Steel Shootin' Registered User Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 6,836	Here is a photo from D4B, showing an awesome hog he got on this last trip to the Middle Grounds:

10-15-2002, 12:53 PM	#8
dive4food Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: BPK Posts: 497	How many pounds of fillets do you get off a hog that size? I think I need one of them blacksnouted monsters.

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