Team Mobile Diver - the reunion trip Dec 1, 2007

[keezdiver]

Steve calls me up on his migration south. he was coming home from the extended hiatus with FEMA and he wanted to know if jess and myself would like to partake in some miami spearing over the weekend. my reaction was something to the effect of "does a pig want to wallow in mud?"

so saturday morning we drove up to the mainland, loaded down for battle. geared up the boat and launched before noon. it was choppy on the trip out, but nothing too big for the cat. jess lounged comfortably on the bow in steves new EasyRider chairs.

first drop was on the bluefire, moderate current and less than ideal vis. we got to the wreck and the only two grouper on it made a bee-line for the reef. no use chasing them into the current. we surfaced shortly having only burned about 1000 pounds of air.

then steve decided to help out some young guys on a nice boat. they had their anchor stuck in the reef. so he volunteered my services to retreive it. i jumped in and did two quick bounces to 55ft to get the anchor...and then the line loose from the rocks. first time down there was a healthy mutton swimming around...figures...no gun! turns out...the boat was manned by a fellow SB member. glad we could be of service HurricaneBK

after burning 200lbs doing that...yes 2-0-0....much to steve's amazement....jess and i jumped in to burn the rest of the tanks on a small wreck. with the poor vis we never found the wreck but we slowly drifted over some small low relief patches of rock.
as i drifted over one, i noticed something, but moved my eyes to the next patch. then it processed...hey that was a grouper head! i looked back and sure enough...i swam up to him, about 10ft over the top of the rock and when he stuck his head out i pulled the trigger. the fish turned the rock pile into a cloud of silt...kicking my ass like a redheaded stepchild. he managed to get off the end of the shaft even though i was trying to pin him down. by the time i realized it i was lost in the silt. i rose up and was reloading frantically looking for the fish knowing jess was over me...although she hadn't seen it with the silt.
then i look over, and 10ft away i see a tail under a rock...then a head...and a fin...HOLY CRAP! i finish reloading extend and put a 2nd shot through the head of the wounded fish. it wasn't untill i dragged him out that i realized the size.

on the boat it weighed 19lbs....not bad for 63ft off miami...in the most unlikely area. i think i'm glad we didn't find the wreck.

ended up dropping steve once on a ledge/wreck and he came up empty. then we relaxed on the boat, watchd the sunset and had a few beers....waiting for a nite dive on another wreck.

jess and i hit the wreck first. covered about 2/3 of it without anything to shoot at. jess got eye to eye with a barracuda the size of a telephone pole. steve dropped on the same wreck after us and covered it all, with nothing to show for it.

motored back home and had a well earned nite of sleep.

THANKS again steve....looking forward to the next 2 months!

Pic 1 is the grouper from miami
Pic 2 is steve checking the water depth
pic 3 is the miami fish (left) and one from thurs nite in the keys (right)
Pic 4 are the 2 side by side in a 100qt cooler...nice cooler of fish!!

[sharpshooter]

Is Steve going to be down there in the Keys for Xmas week?

[keezdiver]

not sure of exact dates...but i know he mentioned you cashing in your "free trip"

maybe you can plan it for when i'm in town...i come in sunday the 30th.

[HurricaneBK]

thanks again for the help and nice catch. I was about to return the anchor to where i found it before you guys showed up lol.

[SpearMax]

What a team for a re-union!

That is a real nice pair in the cooler!

[Md Spear]

Steve does know his home turf!!!! Now ,If we can just get him to go diving

[kitespearo]

how big is that cat...it looks huge

[kitespearo]

how big is that cat...it looks huge

[Mobile Diver]

Originally Posted by sharpshooter

Is Steve going to be down there in the Keys for Xmas week?

Give me a call or PM Jose; we'll set it up.

[Mobile Diver]

Originally Posted by HurricaneBK

thanks again for the help and nice catch. I was about to return the anchor to where i found it before you guys showed up lol.

You are quite welcome.

[Mobile Diver]

Originally Posted by kitespearo

how big is that cat...it looks huge

Glacier Bay 26'.

[Mobile Diver]

Many thanks to Jeff & Jess for coming up for my first trip at home. Jeff, you make me sick: find fish where there aren't any & use damn near no air while you do it.

[Mobile Diver]

Originally Posted by Md Spear

Steve does know his home turf!!!! Now ,If we can just get him to go diving

I'll go, I'll go! See ya in January, if not sooner!

[keezdiver]

what....you mean a 15min dive in 124ft on 1000# of air isn't normal?

or two bonces to 55ft pulling up an anchor on #200 isn't either?

or doing a 20min drift in 63ft and shooting a 20lb black grouper on another #1000 is out of the ordinary?


here i thought i was just getting my money's worth out of one 80cf tank

[Mobile Diver]

Originally Posted by keezdiver

what....you mean a 15min dive in 124ft on 1000# of air isn't normal?

or two bonces to 55ft pulling up an anchor on #200 isn't either?

or doing a 20min drift in 63ft and shooting a 20lb black grouper on another #1000 is out of the ordinary?


here i thought i was just getting my money's worth out of one 80cf tank

Smart ass!