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Old 05-19-2015, 07:06 PM   #1
Cat Tales MHC
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Personal Best Hog Snapper -24.5 Pounds!

Shot my personal best hog snapper today, 24.5 pounds!

35 miles south of Beaufort Inlet, NC in 105 feet of water.

Conditions were excellent, 100 feet of vis, 78 degrees, and light current.

We picked up some nice bugs and grouper too. Even picked off a mahi at the surface!
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Old 05-19-2015, 07:08 PM   #2
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Re: Personal Best Hog Snapper -24.5 Pounds!

17-19 lbs is a big hog, but that is a monster! Congratulations!
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Old 05-19-2015, 07:25 PM   #3
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Re: Personal Best Hog Snapper -24.5 Pounds!

Congrats! Must of got the heart rate going when you saw that underwater.
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Old 05-19-2015, 07:29 PM   #4
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Re: Personal Best Hog Snapper -24.5 Pounds!

Quote:
Originally Posted by diverlb View Post
Congrats! Must of got the heart rate going when you saw that underwater.
He couldn't have been too nervous.


There is the tiniest of marks on the left side, so I would imagine he stoned it, because there is no hole on the other side.
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Old 05-19-2015, 08:41 PM   #5
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Re: Personal Best Hog Snapper -24.5 Pounds!

Actually, I was nervous before I even saw the hog snapper.

A six foot tiger shark had just cruised between me and my buddy. He wasn't a full grown adult, more like a middle adolescent. As I watched the shark go by, I said "Oh shit!" to myself.

I then looked behind me to see if there was another shark with him. There wasn't, but this giant hog snapper was! Then I said "OH SHIT!" to myself again, "How can I kill this giant fish in front of a tiger shark?"

Heart rate definitely pumping now! Narcosis in full command! I will get this giant fish! Tiger shark be damned!

The fish dropped under the ledge and I figured I could kill him without the shark seeing it. I dropped under the ledge. Fish not there. I look around and here comes this giant hog swimming right to me! I actually had to wait for him to turn his head before shooting. He was 5 feet in front of my spear tip!

I placed a solid shot behind his gill plate. I grabbed the spear and thrust the fish below the ledge. I looked over the ledge to see if mister tiger was watching. No sign of him. I grabbed my brand new Kona Kill knife from my leg and jammed it into his brain three times. I definitely did not need this fish to be struggling around! He stopped moving; awesome.

I wave my buddy over to me. He had not seen either the shark, or, me kill the hog snapper. I shout through my reg, "Big Shark!" as I make the fin sign on my head.

We bag the fish. No stringer between us. ( We were bug hunting.) I say "let's get the hell out of here!" as Mister tiger cruises by! The shark doesn't seem to know what exactly is going on. We swim towards the anchor and see the shark in the distance, not headed for us.

Our other buddy joins us at the anchor. He has two grouper on a stringer. They are not dead yet at all. We head up together, slowly. Scanning. Heads on swivels.

An amberjack shoots up from the bottom and nips at the grouper on the stringer. Faster than I can comprehend what happened. If the little AJ could do this, what about the shark?

We make it to the surface without seeing the shark and head to the back of the boat. Buddy with grouper gets on boat. I see Mister Tiger near the surface within the length of the tag line behind the boat. He's moving a bit faster now. I shout to my buddy with the bagged hog, "Get on the boat! The shark is back!"

Mister Tiger turns towards me. I turn to face the shark. I reach forward with UNLOADED spear gun in my hand! He swims straight at me. I am unwavering. The shark peels off 10 feet in front of my spear tip. I faced him off!

Buddy was boarded now and I quickly get aboard behind him. All safe. All aboard. All is now fine.

Mister Tiger circles behind the boat.

Heart rate FINALLY returns to normal.
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Old 05-19-2015, 08:43 PM   #6
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Re: Personal Best Hog Snapper -24.5 Pounds!

HogZilla!
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Old 05-19-2015, 08:55 PM   #7
Cat Tales MHC
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Re: Personal Best Hog Snapper -24.5 Pounds!

You can see in this picture that the spear hit the fish in the left gill plate.

There is no marks on the right side of the fish, so I guess the spear came through under his gill plate.

He was half way up the spear shaft when I hit him. He was not stoned.
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Old 05-19-2015, 10:12 PM   #8
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Re: Personal Best Hog Snapper -24.5 Pounds!

Beauty!
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Old 05-19-2015, 10:50 PM   #9
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Re: Personal Best Hog Snapper -24.5 Pounds!

I take it back then. That shot could definitely result in an exciting dive..


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Old 05-20-2015, 05:33 AM   #10
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Re: Personal Best Hog Snapper -24.5 Pounds!

Fish of a lifetime!!
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Old 05-20-2015, 06:56 AM   #11
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Re: Personal Best Hog Snapper -24.5 Pounds!

Congrats on a nice trophy fish. I heard that hogs grow to about 20-25# in N.C.. Big hogs here in the GOM off Florida west coast are 15-20#. My biggest so far is 22# taken in the Middlegrounds. My heart rate was pumping fast too. But, not as fast as yours. No shark buzzing around. He was mid shaft when I got to him on top of the reef and strung him up. Are you going to have the hog mounted?
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Old 05-20-2015, 08:15 AM   #12
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Re: Personal Best Hog Snapper -24.5 Pounds!

Awesome fish.

I love diving up there. Serious fun shooting big hogs and scamps and wrangling those big bugs.
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Old 05-20-2015, 11:57 AM   #13
Cisconius
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Re: Personal Best Hog Snapper -24.5 Pounds!

Nice Hog !!!
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Old 05-21-2015, 06:33 AM   #14
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Re: Personal Best Hog Snapper -24.5 Pounds!

Good gravy. Congrats dude.
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Old 05-21-2015, 09:58 AM   #15
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Re: Personal Best Hog Snapper -24.5 Pounds!

Nice hog! No mention of that stud lobster either, bugs and hogs just seem to grow a heck of a lot bigger in NC.
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