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Florida Gulfcoast Spearfishing Post here to discuss regional action or issues about spearing on Florida's Gulfcoast.

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Old 06-22-2015, 05:39 AM   #1561
dkay
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

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I agree with the Gags. One of my top Gag and Mangrove spots seems unaffected by the red tide. We normally like to go west to NW of Anclote.

Do you normally fish off Tarpon? Have you found you need to go south to get the Hogs? I haven't been out spearing but once this year and our spot dynamics have changed greatly.

Dan
Based on what I've seen this year, you can forget about getting any decent hogs NW of Anclote at least inside of 50'. The same spots that we used to find them in good numbers and size last year are only holding small hogs. Hopefully this is a good sign that they are rebounding. We've had better luck from Clearwater and south. Even then it seems like last year was much better for hogs.
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Old 06-22-2015, 10:32 AM   #1562
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

45 fsw off Homosassa, ttb and 30'-40' horizontal, very fishy lots of nice hogs and mangos. Gags everywhere. 30-35 fsw 10' to 15' horizontal vis. Water temp 86 deg.
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Old 06-22-2015, 12:13 PM   #1563
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

Gonna be going over to spanish rocks sunday over in anna maria. will post a report afterwards. any news from that area?
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Old 06-23-2015, 04:48 PM   #1564
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

Went out about 25 miles west of NPR yesterday to 60 feet of water. Water temps around 87 degrees. Some haze but no snot or gumbo. Viz about 35-40 feet vertical and about 40 feet horizontal. Went to 50 feet and similar conditions. Then went to 30 feet and it was a little more hazy and less viz.

On all spots we saw a decent amount of fish, including a LOT of gags, including some monsters. The mangos were big but wary and skittish. Saw lots of hogs that were undersized, and shot a few that were in the 14" range, but got our biggest at the 30 feet spot - a good 19"-20" (two of them.)

Ended the day with flat calm conditions, fish in the cooler, and back early. Dodged rain and storms all day (saw them to the north and south).

Took a new guy out from Orlando, Joel, who I met here and he seemed to have a good time as well.

Looking forward to July for those gags!

PS - no sharks, but saw and video taped a BIG turtle
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Old 06-23-2015, 06:48 PM   #1565
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

Good times! July 1 will be gagorama
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Old 06-24-2015, 10:04 AM   #1566
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

Any reports on Spanish Rocks?
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Old 06-26-2015, 05:44 PM   #1567
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

32- 40 ft very good viz, 25 ft gumbo poor viz. Good fish 32-40 ft . Did not see many scallops by bayport
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Old 06-27-2015, 07:02 PM   #1568
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

Vis was great in 50's off Fort Desoto today. I would say 20+ft horizontal and near top-to-bottom. Mangos were big but still darty.
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Old 06-27-2015, 08:21 PM   #1569
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

6-26 Crystal River Temp 87f seas 2-3 then down to 2ft.

Went with buddy eric on his fountain 32ft wow is that thing fast hit 55 on the way in when it smoothed out a little and cruised at 40 in 2-3fters. Hit around 8 spots from 38 to 55ft picking up a few fish here and there. Ended the day with a nice limit of hogs and couple big mangs and 2 big red grouper. Great day on the water with good friends. Gags are gonna be in trouble in a little while.

viz in 50-55ft hazy ttb and 40plus horizontal
viz in 40ft 20-30ft horizontal
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Old 06-28-2015, 11:37 AM   #1570
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

Saturday, June 27th, West of Egmont Key. Vis nearly T2B in 40-75' with almost equal horizontal vis. Plenty of fish, even managed a small cobia.
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Old 07-01-2015, 10:25 AM   #1571
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

Sunday June 29th, found a BIG ledge(8'-10' in some parts)while trolling in the neighborhood of Veterans Reef in 55'. Two resident goliaths and a couple nurse sharks. Incredible dive for near shore in the the gulf. Haze from surface to about 30' then the viz opens up to about 40'- 45' horizontal on the bottom. Butchbal is correct. The sizable hogs are scarce this year as are the red grouper. Shot one of each. There are some huge mangroves on this ledge so I brought home a few of those. Lots of gags. Some really big. Will be back to check this site out asap.
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Old 07-02-2015, 06:34 AM   #1572
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

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Sunday June 29th, found a BIG ledge(8'-10' in some parts)while trolling in the neighborhood of Veterans Reef in 55'. Two resident goliaths and a couple nurse sharks. Incredible dive for near shore in the the gulf. Haze from surface to about 30' then the viz opens up to about 40'- 45' horizontal on the bottom. Butchbal is correct. The sizable hogs are scarce this year as are the red grouper. Shot one of each. There are some huge mangroves on this ledge so I brought home a few of those. Lots of gags. Some really big. Will be back to check this site out asap.
Sounds like masthead ledge, just north of the Vet.

Anyway, we hit the Vet last night after work. Vis was maybe 8' on the bottom. Temp was like 88 degrees.

Gags were there but I kept missing. Luckily I had TGO cleaning up after me.
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Old 07-02-2015, 06:49 AM   #1573
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

Gag Opener:

West NPR 60 fsw, 50' vis up and down. 85F

An AM thunderstorm kicked us off the first spot further west into Gaggedon zone where multiple engagements occurred. There was that 2-3' nasty close interval chop, had the tabs full down and 26-28 mph was very reasonable. The fish didn't really start to show up until well into the incoming tide (to be expected) and with that change I saw more 20" mangrove snappers than ever. I gave a new spearo my RX48 to free shaft with and I took the Riffe cannon which gave me several hits at 20 - 24 feet out (based on how much line I had off the reel after a hit); with the RX48 I would've limited on hogs and snapper within minutes. One of those days you shoot something and hundreds more show up, even a school of huge Crevalle.

The big gags (36"+) know wtf is going on and there are a fraction of them out there compared to a month ago. Of the few I saw they kept about a 25-30' distance until they realized I was following-- always amazed at how fast they change colors. There are not a lot of gag over 26", assuming the larger ones have gone deep already or they are hiding under the ledges with the hot water temps-- did nail one there.

If you have a rail gun set up for blue water palegics I would definitely bring it as that would definitely get you on target with the 36"+ gags, my three band 44" middy Riffe wasn't enough for those long shots. If you are cool with 24-26" gags and a bazillion hog and snapper then I would free shaft all day.

Two huge nurse sharks, a few dolphin and no bulls-- the bulls are currently in NC eating Hillary supporters.
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Old 07-02-2015, 07:06 AM   #1574
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

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Sounds like masthead ledge, just north of the Vet.

Anyway, we hit the Vet last night after work. Vis was maybe 8' on the bottom. Temp was like 88 degrees.

Gags were there but I kept missing. Luckily I had TGO cleaning up after me.
C
I have always wanted to cull Vets at night. One time the lady and I dropped down under the bow of barge and there must have been 50 gag, one shot two kills kinda setup. From that day forward we always drop in on the port and starboard sides and approach the bow in a flanking maneuver, it worked several times and then it never happened again. Im sure with a red light and short AB Miller would make quick work inside of a barge.
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Old 07-02-2015, 10:19 AM   #1575
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

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I have always wanted to cull Vets at night. One time the lady and I dropped down under the bow of barge and there must have been 50 gag, one shot two kills kinda setup. From that day forward we always drop in on the port and starboard sides and approach the bow in a flanking maneuver, it worked several times and then it never happened again. Im sure with a red light and short AB Miller would make quick work inside of a barge.
We avoided the barges with that vis, I didn't have my shark shield!
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