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Old 05-04-2020, 07:56 PM   #3421
Dbrown
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

Made it out Sunday out of Clearwater pass. Bumpier than we thought. Go out to 95 feet for a few dives. Got our limit of mangroves snapper. picked up half dozen hogs. Couldn't get into the big amberjack. Saw some AJ's, but nothing to impress. Heard today they were out deeper. Had a mango (well, more than one) shake a shaft and I saw a hole smoking up, so I reached in to grab him and I did, and pulled him out only for him to slip out of my hands. Fig'd she went back in to same spot so reached in again completely blind and got the slipper lobster. I'll take the trade and dumb luck! Came in shallower and got the big lion.

Viz in 95' was 60 feet. Temp on bottom 69. Temp change at 80'. Viz in 75' at end of day at 4:30 pm was a hazy 30' vertically. Temp about 75. Stayed in skin and hood all day and was fine with that, but bit chilly by end of day. Jr stayed up with the Cpt and caught a few nice ARS. Catch, photo and release on those till next month.
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Old 05-06-2020, 07:12 AM   #3422
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

5/5 out of tarpon springs -

Rj Thompson wreck 76* was almost ttb! You could see the stringers of the boat in the lowest portion of the wreck. Seen and took 1 keeper AJ (36”) and an anchor! Seen 3 permit once but nothing after that... A bull shark kept hitting the flasher and got fiesty with a diver. we headed back in to some ledges

45’ ledges 1pm - hazy 35’ of viz - no fish

35 ‘ ledges 2pm - ttb hazy some mangos

28’ ledge 3pm - 15’ of viz the whole ecosystem was alive!! Hogs mangos gags Spanish Mack triggers sheep’s permit! Hard shooting because of current and viz... we gave up and went in
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Old 05-06-2020, 09:19 AM   #3423
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

Anyone launch out of bay pines last weekend. Was it packed.Thinking of going out sat.
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Old 05-06-2020, 03:49 PM   #3424
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

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Anyone launch out of bay pines last weekend. Was it packed.Thinking of going out sat.
All the boat ramps have been crazy between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm. You can avoid some of it by leaving super early and returning after 7:00. On Sunday we launched at 6:15 and hauled out at 7:00 at Belaire ramp and had no problem
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Old 05-07-2020, 07:53 AM   #3425
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

Thank you .
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Old 05-09-2020, 06:21 PM   #3426
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

Got out yesterday to do some scouting. Never seem to find enough divers down with the idea as many care more about filling the cooler vs. finding new spots. Me and Seal Rock (Rich) hit a few spots in 25-30 feet in choppy conditions and found some new spots and crossed some others off. I did end up with a surprise 36" cobia on a wreck in 25 feet. Skinny guy, but my first cobia in almost 3 years.
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Old 05-09-2020, 07:12 PM   #3427
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

Here's a picture
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Old 05-10-2020, 06:46 AM   #3428
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

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Originally Posted by grey2112 View Post
Got out yesterday to do some scouting. Never seem to find enough divers down with the idea as many care more about filling the cooler vs. finding new spots. Me and Seal Rock (Rich) hit a few spots in 25-30 feet in choppy conditions and found some new spots and crossed some others off. I did end up with a surprise 36" cobia on a wreck in 25 feet. Skinny guy, but my first cobia in almost 3 years.
We thought about going yesterday to the same area that you went but the WNW wind direction made me think otherwise and we cancelled. Sounds like it was bumpy and I made the right call. How was the vis?
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Old 05-10-2020, 07:13 AM   #3429
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

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We thought about going yesterday to the same area that you went but the WNW wind direction made me think otherwise and we cancelled. Sounds like it was bumpy and I made the right call. How was the vis?
Yeah, WNW wind sucks. You made the right call.

Vis was good! Only suffered a little when outgoing tide started. But we could see the wreck from the boat 30 feet up.
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Old 05-10-2020, 07:47 PM   #3430
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

Headed of Clearwater pass Saturday 5/9. A little rough heading out at 8:30 but calmed down in a few hours. Despite the front coming thrown Wednesday night/Thursday, viz was top to bottom in 45’. We shot our fish, headed home, another great day on the water...
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Old 05-22-2020, 05:23 PM   #3431
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

Any reports over the last 2 weeks?
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Old 05-23-2020, 05:46 AM   #3432
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

We left Bunces Pass on Friday and planned on a 38 mile run to the west. Wind forecast was 6 knots from the SSE. However, 8 miles out the winds were an easy 15 knots and a solid 2 to 4 ft seas with the tops blowing off. We decided to exercise caution and head back to shore. Hope the rest of the Memorial Day weekend is better. However, Monday is looking iffy as Windfinder is predicting 16 knots from the SSE.
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Old 05-23-2020, 07:47 PM   #3433
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

Headed out for hook and line with a little diving out of Fort DeSoto at 7am today. Worked ledges on both sides of the ditch. Everything south of the channel in 50-60’ was full of snot with red tide from top to bottom. Very little life on the ledges. A few small gags, small mangroves and grunts. Viz was about 15’.

Northwest of the channel in 65-70’, viz was about 50’ vertical. Less snot...red tide was only floating on the surface. Saw a few nice gags, lots of small ones and all AJ’s were just short of limit. Shot some nice hogs, big Spanish Mackerel and some other miscellaneous reef fish. Temp was 76 degrees at all spots had thermocline in the deeper depths.

Another nice day on the water.
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Old 05-24-2020, 08:50 AM   #3434
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

Dove 5/17/20 out of Bunces pass in St Pete. Tried to dive a wreck for AJ, but a 6:50 departure time from the ramp was not early enough. 4 boats on it. Figured all the wrecks would be same, so headed in to 90' spots and dove them. Viz was about 60' in some spots. No Gumbo. Temp is 73 under thermocline at 70' or so. Slow day. Got my limit of mangos, most of them on a ledge in 85'. 2 hogs, 2 lion, one black, one pesky shark.

Dove 5/23/20 out of Clearwater pass. Ran SW and hit shallow spot in 28'. Lot of particulate. 10' viz. temp 78 all day. Moved to 35' and viz cleared. All small fish. Nice dive. Lot of species of fish. Moved to 40 to 45 ' and the gumbo was so thick, it was the worst I've seen. One spot was a 15' solid carpet of it. Ran NW deeper to 65'. Hard bottom area. Viz was 30'. Still gumbo on the bottom. My buddy dropped his stringer in it and couldn't recover it. Fish are staying still and hiding in the gumbo. Some will swim above it. It's a mess. Shot 2 hogs. Had a frisky shark follow me up. Think they are hungry and frustrated. Surprised this fella was as amped up as it was. Came in to 50 to a ledge. Picked up 3 hogs and a porgy there. Nice dive. Still some gumbo.

Slow day fish wise, but very little sea in the afternoon, so comfortable diving temps, good viz. Just have to find fish and avoid the gumbo.
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Old 05-30-2020, 08:18 PM   #3435
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Re: Current Vis - Tampa Bay Region (Homosassa to Sarasota)

Out of St Pete Bunces pass 5/30/2020. Hit some wrecks to fish for AJ in 90-100'. No luck. Hooked this shark on first drop down. Can't believe it stayed buckled up. Took about 20 minutes to get it up. 60# leader and line. 5/0 hook. Could see it on the bottom from the boat. Made the call to run another 20 miles deeper. Hit a ledge in 140'. It was teeming with AJ. First drop, AJ in boat. Next drop, AJ pulled hook off. Next drop, 2nd AJ in boat so done with them fishing in 5 minutes or so. I geared up and dropped down. Lot of life. Big AJ swimming up at me, shark, Cuda, then ARS, big mangos. Get to bottom and lot of fish. Picked off a few mangos. Big Goliath and little one were interested and not skittish. Nabbed a true black (only my second) and headed up to avoid the deco. Colder deep. Thermocline at 100'. 72 down there. 85 on top. We could see AJ swimming along ledge from boat. No gumbo..

Did a shallower dive in 80' and packed with gumbo so headed home. We were focused on AJ before they close tomorrow. Going for gags Monday.

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