MG trip 9/8-9/11

[diverik]

Went to the middle Grounds with The Mekanic (a.k.a. Webslinger), jfjf, Fireman Kenny and Capt. Larry.

As we were on the ride out I had noticed that it was a full moon. I wondered about the Cubera spawns I had seen on TV, at the full moon I think in Rowatan. So as I gear up on my first or second dive of the trip and I hear Capt. Larry say It looks like a good Mang show! Good is'nt the word for it. As I dropped down and start to make out the bottom in the 70+ foot vis, it's alive with movement. I get to 40 ft off the bottom and a school of thousands of Mangs is swimming up to meet me they were EVERYWHERE!!!!. I shoot the biggest pigs I can see and move on to a GAG I see. I saw some spawning behavior 1st hand for the first time also watched 2 Red Grouper in thier mating dance. Fish were plenty including a couple of personel bests a Gag and Hog the pictures are comming but it'll be a day or 2. I saw 2 Wahoo on scuba I didn't think thaty was common but didn't think I could freeshaft them.

Each day started with great vis 70+ and fell to 30+ by the end of the day bottom temps 79-80 degrees. I wish I was a better storyteller because this trip was so great! Thanks to the guys above a top notch crew of great divers. Im looking forward to next month.

Oh yeah Kenny was down when the Earthquake hit and he said it sounded like a powerhead going off. Maybee he'll lurk in and explain.

I'm thrilled and will be catching up on sleep for days to come. Rick

[GRIM REEFER]

Sweet I wish someone would take me out there
Did you see any Cubera?

[Flafishn]

Cool Rick I was wondering if someone would chime in about the Earthquake.

[sharpshooter]

Did you guys encounter alot of "active" sharks like the Head hunter Team? No mention in the post. Great to hear that you saw all those goes swarming. Looking forward to the pics. Once, in a great while. I've seen gags doing the same thing. Did your vis drop down due to a tide change?

[diverik]

Originally Posted by GRIM REEFER

Sweet I wish someone would take me out there
Did you see any Cubera?

Yes Mekanic and I saw one on our night dive it was about 30 lbs.

[diverik]

Originally Posted by sharpshooter

Did you guys encounter alot of "active" sharks like the Head hunter Team? No mention in the post. Great to hear that you saw all those goes swarming. Looking forward to the pics. Once, in a great while. I've seen gags doing the same thing. Did your vis drop down due to a tide change?

We saw some sharks but not many agressive ones. My personal stratagey is to slip on my ppd swim rite at them and if they don't leave roll em over I used this and never had to let it fly so not bad. Capt. Larry says that the plantlife on the reef has something to do with it I can't remember the whole story but with the spawning going on I would think that may have had something to do with it as well.


P.S. The Chargers killed the Faiders on the same day as my personal best fish, coincidence? I think not!
Rick

[Flafishn]

Rick you need to pray that LT stays healthy!

[diverik]

Originally Posted by Flafishn

Rick you need to pray that LT stays healthy!

Our backup running back could start on any other team but the Chargers!
You saw what Mickael Turner did to Indy last year rite. Plus Rivers is the real deal and by the end of the season we will sit down and I'll listen to your apology for underestimation my team Bobby Rick

[MichaelBaranows]

I don't want to hijack this thread but had an idea jump into my head. I was wondering if the sharks might have been over active cause they were sencing the coming of the earthquake. Cause I have heard that animals can sence quakes.

[Hoghunter]

I was wondering if the sharks might have been over active cause they were sencing the coming of the earthquake.

Interesting thought. Right area. I guess we'll see this weekend, if their mellowed out than that may be your answer.

[nailman]

Great job boys! Looks like i will be heading that way friday night for a little h&l before daybreak and then dive all day saturday. Glad to hear the snapper are in full swing! Hope the gray suits are not to thick.

Was water temp still good with a 1-3mil? Looks like vis was better in the morning also?

[Makanic]

I wore a half ml. skin on every dive, and I don't have any flubber to keep me warm. Water temps. were 76-83

[islandpressure]

Nice Rick!! Sweet stories and congrats on personal bests!!!!!!!!

[jfjf]

It was a good trip, considering it was kinda rainy for most of it. Rick's grouper was bigger than any gag that I've seen in the grounds. I saw only one shark and it showed no interest in me. We also took a scamp that was around 15-17 lbs. I didn't see one legal AJ, but we did run into a school of around 1000 2-3 lb red snappers on a dusk dive (I got one).

[diverik]

I have now posted the Pics in this thread.