headed out aboard realfish01s boat with my best diving buddy from fla, pepe, zack and his kid. we put the hurt on them today, started out in 100’ with a few doz. pins. pulled a sharpnose to the boat and a mahi came with him. hooked up on a jig and then caught a king on another jig which had followed the shark up. we caught beliners and nice bsb’s the size we would normally see in the winter, big knotheads,but the grouper bite was off. we donned our fish killing gear and hit the bottom. the gags were allover the bottom, most were holed up which makes it easy! we quickley killed our limit of gags all goog ones. snagged a 8lb lobster in the process. tons of red snapper on the frist ledge and at times it was hard to see through the bait fish. went a little farther east for our second dive and hooked up with the miss emily and they were on good bottom covered up with grouper. we headed back down through huge schools of beliners. again the gags were everywere with some nice scamps too. we were looking for larger scamps to finish our limit when a school of cobia comes by and the smallest was around 35 lbs! I had a great head shot but it took me and my dive partner 15 min to subdue him, pepe stabbing him in the head while I put a bear hug on him! got him on a stringer and sent him to the surface. after some high fiveing and some fist pumping we shot some more scamps and headed to the top. saw a 12lb or so gag rocket out from under a ledge and snag a beliner 10’ off the bottom, that fish was a blur! awesome dives with 30/40’ viz and the temp is still 74deg out that deep. when we got in the boat we got the bad news the cobia bent the stringer as they lifted it over the rail and it was lost! bad thing was my buddy passed up a shot at a 50# cobia to help me. we had a great day and our buddy boat the nassau gold also had gag limits and lobster. we split up a pile of fish and had a ball. eric had the fish of the day with a 18lb gag. my guest killed a meat buck still hunting with me fri morning and i killed one sun morn, sendi
Not to be confrontational, but as a point of advice, you guys might want to save your “special” spots for a weekday or they won’t be so special anymore. The one ledge that we saw you guys on used to be fairly unknown and we saw 4 boats on it this past weekend. It’s okay to let a spot rest once in a while!
When we did our 2nd dive we knew that we would probably end up chasing the grouper your way and it looks like you ended up dropping right on top of them. When we were heading back to our anchor, I saw someone on your boat hook up on a double of fat Vermillion right behind us. It’s always cool to be able to watch someone catch fish when you are right next to the fish.
14’ Pamlico 140 Angler w/ rudder
Kayak, SCUBA, or both.
quote:We didn't fish next to any other boats, unless you are talking to Phin.
Originally posted by JordanOnaYakWhen we did our 2nd dive we knew that we would probably end up chasing the grouper your way and it looks like you ended up dropping right on top of them. When we were heading back to our anchor, I saw someone on your boat hook up on a double of fat Vermillion right behind us. It’s always cool to be able to watch someone catch fish when you are right next to the fish.
14’ Pamlico 140 Angler w/ rudder
Kayak, SCUBA, or both.
If you were on the same boat as Ed, then the 2nd spot that you stopped was about 50 yards from the MissEmily. We were talking to you guys on the radio.
14’ Pamlico 140 Angler w/ rudder
Kayak, SCUBA, or both.
sounds like an awesome day underwater bugcatcher
it was a great day fishbarrels. skinniej, the only boat we saw on our frist dive was a sporty (Relentless) which offered to move once they saw we were diving.(very courteous) we said they were ok and they said they were steady into the bsb’s and beliners but no grouper! the bottom was covered with grouper but they were rocked up because of the full blue moon! we shot our limit within a stones throw of them. we could not catch any either, even fishing with pins. everybody calls the black banks diff. spots and we were 25miles north of were we normally go, we hadn’t been on any fish there sence the turnover in sept. our second dive was in 100’ 9mi. north of that and the only boat we saw there was the miss emily which told us the grouper were there and to go down their anchor line. besides, not to be a smartass, but a spot ain’t been fished untill I’ve fished it, no matter how many boats are there! and if we dive behind hook and liners we will always surpass their catch as you well know! great weekend and will go as often a we can before the clousure
If it got any better I couldn’t stand it.
quote:What closure are you referring to that would interfere with you shooting gags? I never said black banks. That was Phin. You guys were closer to the gardens, no?
Originally posted by Bug Catcherand if we dive behind hook and liners we will always surpass their catch as you well know! great weekend and will go as often a we can before the clousure
If it got any better I couldn’t stand it.
September was only two months ago. Just remember, if you are diving a spot 6-10 times a year and someone else is diving that spot 6-10 times a year, and somebody else is diving that spot 6-10 times a year, that is a LOT of pressure on that spot. It’s not just about what you take, but also how much presence you have there (would you run a pack of dogs through your favorite still hunting plot every other month?). Fish aren’t stupid. Look at how they react on a back dive. The figure things out very quickly. Anyway, I’m talking from experience. I’ve seen a lot of primo spots which were once covered with fish eventually turn into a ghost town because of too much pressure from fishermen and divers. We only dive our best spots 1-2 times a year and never on the weekend, because there is always someone willing to jack your favorite spot. Once they do, they share it with a buddy or two who shares it with a buddy or two. Anyway, I am not trying to single you out. Consider this a public service announcement. It’s better to have a little foresight than to learn from hindsight.
Anyway, your comment about always surpasing hook and liners just means that you guys don’t know how to fish! 
Also, who were the divers out there calling the commercial boat on the VHF in the same area?
PS, I am not saying this because you got a limit. Congrats on that. I’m saying this because I’m pretty sure that I know where you fished and I’m pretty sure that I have seen you guys on the same exact spot a few times already this year.
quote:
Originally posted by Bug Catcherwe shot our limit within a stones throw of them. we could not catch any either, even fishing with pins.
and if we dive behind hook and liners we will always surpass their catch as you well know!
</font id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”>It is very refreshing to finally see an honest diver on this forum.
I agree with skinnee about frequency of hitting spots- diving or fishing. I’ve seen it myself. I try not to hit a spot more than once a year now, which isn’t too hard since I don’t go too often anymore.
P.S. the reason why all the grouper were holed up is probably because someone broke one off when fighting with rod and reel. That is what they do in shallow water… when one breaks off the bite shuts down for at least 45 minutes. I usually just move to another reef a little ways away.
(but don’t listen to me- I am just a bottom fisherman and don’t dive myself- what could I know)
www.JoinRFA.org
Luke 8:22-25
I never try to pit my wits against some of the pros on this site, but where we dove on sat was 23 mi north of were we normally go. these were #s that were provided by zack, which he got from sells, which miss emily got from sells which explaines why our #s were over miss emilys anchor! I don’t know it all skinneej, but sometimes they just don’t bite, because of the full moon or because somebody couldn’t get one to the boat. I saw a lot of posts this weekend and most FISHERMAN didn’t have much luck on the grouper even though they were there as we saw them. we passed up many shots at good grouper waiting on that trophy to round out our limit. Also I would never comment on anybodys hook and line abilities as a fisherman until I have fished with him! Consider this a public service announcement! Ed.
(the closure Jan 1/March 31 on grouper)
If it got any better I couldn’t stand it.
quote:
Originally posted by Bug Catcherthese were #s that were provided by zack, which he got from sells, which miss emily got from sells which explaines why our #s were over miss emilys anchor!
</font id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”>I think you just made my point for me… You guys know how to wear a rut in a piece of ledge!!! Again, it’s perfectly okay to let a spot rest once in a while. Your #1 priority shouldn’t be to “get yours before the closure”… You guys are well on your way to ruining what used to be a great spot to dive. Now, it looks like the Charleston Harbor Christmas parade of boats out there!I only commented on your ability to fish after you did. You said, “and if we dive behind hook and liners we will always surpass their catch as you well know”. I was only pointing out that statement is false if you actually know how to fish. I’m sorry to point this out, but statements like that are completely ignorant and harmful to our sport. There are many people out there that believe this because they are looking for someone to blame for declining fish populations and you paint a pretty easy target for them. What good does a statement like that do for diving? Nothing. It only harms it for the purpose of your gloating. You guys need to wise up a bit. Divers are a minority and it would be much more intelligent for you to stay under the radar.
give it up Bugs…Skineej lives for the argument…oughto be a plaintiffs attorney
crnawolfman, it’s windy and cold outside, nothing else to do! As long as i stay within the limits (which we don’t get everytime) I really don’t care what they think! they have a right to think and say what they like,and like my father before me and my sons after me we have made sacrifices so they can! We went yesterday but I can’t say what we caught, how many, depth or temp so we can be PC! but we spent the day with great friends in our great outdoors, sharing time with friends is what it’s all about. Who will they argue with when everybody gets tired of the bs and no longer posts? Who will share the info with the next gen?
If it got any better I couldn’t stand it.
That’s some pretty profound advice from skinnee there. It’s illustative of why we all sit around with pregnant anticipation to hear his next lesson on life.
Bugcatcher,
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.
skinneej allways has to put his 5 cents in. bug catcher thanks for the report. fish or dive wherever and whenever you want. Go shoot some more! you have done nothing wrong other than making a little baby upset that you were in one of his spots.
Go get um bug don’t get scared now that some people just have to complain beccause they have no one to talk to. Sitting down here in Brazil sucking up the sun. Should be back the middle of December hopefully we can hook up and catch some. Have you sold your boat yet?
Congrats on the fish.
Just remember, before you start giving me lessons on how you are “doing nothing wrong”, and your lessons on sharing and freedom of speech, you wouldn’t have even had that spot if we didn’t do all of the hard work finding it for you. We spent extra time, fuel, and money and actually did the homework and the numbers were shared with you by someone that was on our boat when we found it. Since you aren’t willing to do any of that for yourself since you are in such a hurry to get your limit, all I am asking you is to not kill the goose in the name of getting as many golden eggs as you can, and in the name of “gotta get my limit”. Go fish somewhere else once in a while. You don’t need to point your bow at the “go to” spot every trip offshore in fear of not getting your limit. I know it might hurt your “limit getter” reputation on CF.com, but that’s okay, there is still that part you mention about having a great trip with good company you can enjoy.
It’s not a complex messsage. I’m just asking you to respect the resource and don’t over-hunt it. After all, you didn’t even put in any work to find the spot but suddenly you feel the need to be there every weekend and tell the people that actually did do the work to piss off. Any sportsman knows what hunting pressure does. It’s fishing, not rocket science!!!