Worked the weather all week and made the call late Fri to make a go of it Sat for a small window to dive with only weeks remaining in Grouper season. Went through several Capt’s before we found one that would step up to the plate!(a diver,go figure) We could always turn around at any time, but the passion for what we do got a crew together. A fairly new crew member drew the short straw for the starboard side beanbag and realized how cold and wet a cc can be in Dec!He was way under dressed trying to by my Grundens on the spot. He’s ex Airborne, a real trooper and didn’t complain.
Didn’t even have white caps for the ride out and managed 25kts in seas that were a little confused.
First dive was our Freediver and he produced a 12lb grouper and he said the bottom was covered with grouper following him around. His next few dives were with just a camara as he had his gag limit and the Viz was top to bottom. Although the current was ripping on the top once you got to the bottom it was like diving in a fish bowl. Huge schools of Sheeps and clouds of Spades hovered over our heads and many Grouper lazily cruised up in the water column 30’ off the bottom, some of the best diving I have ever had in SC and I didn’t pull the trigger! However we did snare some great Bugs on that dive after they were beat out of their ledge by my partner.
We were very selective with the size today and after the first dive restricted the crew to only groupers over 20lbs. Passed up many good fish with the Fish Police on each dive for our newbie whose trigger finger was twitching on the surface, again a trooper.
On our last dive Realfish01 and I saw more sharks then we have seen all year. Had to poke a curious Tiger Shark in the face to run him off and another larger one cruised around us the entire dive. I must be getting old, while Realfish01 was restringing his gun after we sent up a nice Hogfish a 90+lb Cobia swam by and I wouldn’t try the shot without
My advice is my opinion only. I may have gotten that opinion from something I read while sitting on the toilet. Please keep that in mind when reading my posts, the information may not be correct.
Did the white shark just cruise by or did she make a circle? The one I saw and the others I know of haven’t paid much attention to divers. Hopefully they stay un-interested. Good shooting and grabbing.
sounds like a fun time and seeing a big shark like that would be something else! question for the divers im not scuba certified and dont have a speargun but can dive just holding my breath to about 20-25 feet no problem and have a snorkel and fins from my college swimming days (training devices). would it be possible/productive to hit a shallow reef and stick something smaller (grouper, sheephead, sea bass, …NOT a giant cobia) with say a flounder spear that shallow? remember im on the florida/georgia border so def not after anybody’s spot.
Skinneej, not every time. But life is good when you can tell your crew to only harvest 20LB+ Grouper. Have fished many days when a limit of 24" Gags was a great day!Just a statement on how good the fishery is of SC right now. My son had some friends dive off Fla this week and didn’t see a grouper!
OHN, you could give it a shot. Wintertime visibility is generally better. Get a polespear and have at it. Lots of live bottom in shallow down there as well.
Depends on the water and how sneaky you are. Try it out. Watch out for white sharks, seems they like to hang out on the nearshore reefs in the cooler months, or at least one of them was last year.
sounds like fun i def wanna give it a try if practical. how hard is it to get pole spear close to sea bass, sheephead, …?
Black sea bass are some of the most aggressive fish in the ocean. I've had them try to eat my ears and fingers. I am sure a pole spear is plenty of weapon for them.
sounds like fun i def wanna give it a try if practical. how hard is it to get pole spear close to sea bass, sheephead, …?
Black sea bass are some of the most aggressive fish in the ocean. I've had them try to eat my ears and fingers. I am sure a pole spear is plenty of weapon for them.
ha sounds like dr evils ill tempered sea bass are strong in numbers around the atlantic coast! just gotta get some warm weather, find a way out there, and start swimming.
ha sounds like dr evils ill tempered sea bass are strong in numbers around the atlantic coast! just gotta get some warm weather, find a way out there, and start swimming.
Next it will be sharks with freaking laser beams...
