Guns n' hoses report.

[Corpsman]

It was my first spear fishing tournament. Heck, it was my first tournament of any sort. I was going to go with my regular dive buddy Paul. The two other regular members of our “dive team” Dave and Chris were as anxious as we were to get started. Dave is the veteran of the group. He is a licensed charter boat captain, and really knows how to fish the gulf. We decide to use my boat, and his numbers. By the rules of the tournament, we were limited to 50 nautical miles from the Pensacola sea buoy. This was no problem, as Dave’s numbers were within that limit… but close. Everyone settled in for the long ride to the first spot. We had agreed that Chris and Dave would drop on the first number. The group had not dived together for a couple of months. Prior to that, we hit the water every chance we had. We dove all winter. This lust for spear fishing had us out on days that we had to watch our step for fear of slipping on the ice that formed on the deck overnight. But with summer comes charter trips for Dave’s boat Boondocks and Chris was acting as Dave’s deckhand. That left many spear fishing trips without the regular group. As we arrive at the first number Dave and Chris suit up. We quickly fell back into our routine. Helping each other with gear, performing last second checks, and off they go. We watch there bubbles as they descend on the first drop of the day. The water was not true “blue water” but it did have a nice sheen of cobalt with seas 2 foot at max, it was looking good. We had decided that if we hit the bottom, and there were no shootable fish, the divers would make a safe assent and save air for another dive. Our two divers surfaced with a report of nothing worth shooting, so our first try was a bust. Paul and I started to suit up. While Chris and Dave were down, we had already rigged our tanks, and prepped most of our gear. “Paul, where are the weights?” Not quite as bad as leaving your mask at home, but we were many miles from shore with no weights. Paul and I are not the thinnest guys, and wearing a 3mil wet suit makes us quite buoyant. The decision was made to go sans wetsuit. We both had compression shorts and tops that we normally wear under our wetsuits. Nothing like two 300 pounders in spandex. Ladies, calm yourselves. We get to the wreck and Paul and I roll off into the gulf. The water is warm and feels great. Paul is sporting his brand new Spearfishing Specialties 54”, and I have the same. We had agreed that Paul takes the first fish. I descend at the same rate as him, but hovering about 10 feet above. We are diving to true private numbers, so these fish are not spooky in the least. A 20lb snapper comes up to say hello and is greeted by the tip of Paul’s hybrid shaft. By the time I reach the bottom, the fish is on the stringer. I pop a small trigger, and we head to the surface.

We get on the boat. High fives all around and we are off to the next spot. Dave and Chris dive, and unfortunately, no winner fish. Dave did kill a really nice black snapper to donate to the fish fry after the tournament. Off to spot #3. 2 miles to go. The boat lurches to a halt. Dave has spotted some structure on the bottom that’s holding lots of fish. We quickly decide to dive the “found spot” now known in my gps as the gun hole, because we found it during the guns and hoses tournament. We make our way to the bottom. Dave has expertly dropped the marker directly on the structure. It appears to be a large half pipe that’s holding lots of fish, but nothing worth shooting. As we were preparing to dive, Dave said that it appeared to be two pieces of structure down there, both holding fish. Paul and I ran out of bottom time as we slowly ascended, We look over to our left at about 75feet. FAD! Someone had put a fish attracting device or “long rope with a piece of Styrofoam” attached to the other structure. We didn’t see it when we were on the bottom, but the viz was better closer to the surface. I consulted my computer, and I had 4 min of bottom time at this depth. We made our way over to the FAD, and saw several large snapper in the 10lb range hanging around the artificial reef on the bottom. I descended a few feet, keeping a watchful eye on my computer and made a Hail Mary shot at a large snapper. I missed, but as he ducked out of the way my spear made contact and I gut shot a small, but legal mangrove. I check the computer again, and it’s time to go. As we make our way to the surface, Paul takes note that a remora is being particularly curious about my BC. It seems I had somehow picked up a hitchhiker in the form of a small blue crab while I was on the bottom. The remora was relentlessly trying to pick him off my backplate. We complete our safety stop and chalked that dive up to finding a great spot for next time. Dave and Chris hit the next spot and unfortunately it was just not holding fish. We start to head closer towards Pensacola. Dave says. “Guys, I have one more spot I want to drop you on.” This is a spot that Dave had shot the male snapper off of several weeks ago. He was in the 20+ range. They have seen the female there one other time, but she had been very spooky. We know there is a big fish there; it’s just a matter of getting her. Paul and I roll off the side. About 20 ft down, I see a large bait ball. We continue our decent. Mr. Snapper comes up to greet us. I line up the shaft on the sweet spot and roll him! There was hardly a flinch as I put him on the stringer. We look over to the structure. It appears to be made out of sheet metal. We make one quick lap around it and Paul takes a peek inside. Wow! Another giant snapper is in there. It seems our big sow had found another boyfriend. I had dispatched him, while she hid the whole time. Paul shoots, and impales the fish. His shaft, powered by two brand new bands shot completely through the fish, and penetrated the sheet metal of the wreck. He is stuck. The shaft won’t pull out. We have no choice, but to go around the wreck and work on it from the other side. I make my way to the original shooting point, as Paul works on the sheet metal to free his shaft. Fortunately, it had hit in an area that he could work loose, and he was able to free it. The big fish violently trashed around in the wreck, worked its way loose, and was gone into the murk. We secure our guns and prepare to make our way to the surface so Chris and Dave can squeeze one more dive in before we have to haul butt to the weigh in. Paul is on one side of the structure and I am on the other. I peek inside and see that wounded, confused, and hurting, the big sow shot back into her home while we were messing with our guns. I lined up on her and squeeze the trigger. The shaft rockets off the gun and slams into the big fish. I pull her out of the wreck and start ripping her gills out to end her long struggle. I go to my knife and slide 4 inches of titanium deep inside her cranium. One twist and she goes limp. I drag her big body out of the wreck and look over to Paul with a huge grin on my face. Then he points out his shaft impaled in the fish as well! We both shot the big sow from opposite sides of the wreck. This was a true team effort fish!
We get her strung, and once again start to the surface. Wait, something is wrong. For some reason I am not getting propulsion. I look down and BOTH of my atomic split fins are gone. I am standing on the bottom in my dive booties. Somewhere in the struggle, I had lost both fins, and did not even feel them come off. We put the 40+lbs of snapper on a lift bag and send it to the surface and begin our buddy assent. Our 3 min safety stop turned into about 20 min worth as we struggled to maintain our buoyancy. This was our first time diving without a wetsuit, and with no fins, and a mandatory stop on our hands it was a real pain. I really felt bad once we made it up because Dave and Chris did not have time to do there final dive. Dave really put us on the fish. The three snapper that Paul and I killed were certainly personal best fish for both of us, and it was one of the best days diving I have ever had. It would not have been possible without Dave’s knowledge and guidance to these killer spots. For that, I will always be thankful, and I hope to be able to make it up to him and Chris some day.

[hornypiranha]

great story and nice snappas!

[dive4food]

Just PM me the numbers to that last spot and I'll go get your fins back for you!

[Nikki]

Beautiful fish

[Boondocks]

Great story Jody, I was there but I still felt myself reading faster and faster. Thanks for the Kudos. I always enjoy diving with you guys!!!