Damn Yankee Spearfishing Tour III

[DetectorGuy]

Tomorrow at 5:00 will work for me. I printed up the 2011 Florida fishing regulations to drool over them, and noticed that with the chartered boat we can take one shark per person or two per boat if they are over 54"  ;D ;D ;D

[popolarbear]

Wow! that sounds like an awsome trip.is this gulf oil rig spearfishing?airlines have a special rate for shipping fresh fish back. i think its something like $0.75 a pound. but you have to declare it ahead of time or they might try to charge you the $4 or whatever the current overcharge is. if i didn't have to work id be tempted to crash this party

[DetectorGuy]

I should let Nate or Art answer this as I have never tried spear fishing before. This won't be spearing on an oil rig but in an area called the Florida Middle Grounds about 90 to 120 miles off shore Southwest of Dark Island, Florida. The structure and fish are supposed to be incredible. We are driving so the coolers will be packed in the back with our dive gear on a 3/4 ton diesel.

[DetectorGuy]

7 days and a wake-up! I think the weather will hold up. Here are a few weather links:




Here is a link to the route there and back. Once at Steinhatchee take a hard right and go 100 miles off shore to the Middle Grounds! ;D




Here is a link to the saltwater fishing regulations.
  Not to show me what I can't shoot, but to open my eyes up to what I can shoot. I was thinking Warsaw Grouper would be off limits, but I guess we can get one per boat. Here is a partial list of what we can get per day:
4 grouper aggregate bag limit per day per diver, which would be a combination of the following: 2 gags grouper over 22", 2 red grouper over 20", 2 black grouper over 22".
1 Greater Amber Jack over 30" per person, per day.
1 Cobia over 33" per person, per day.
10 Dolphin over 20" per person, per day or 60 per boat.
1 Warsaw Grouper per boat.
5 Hogs over 12" per person, per day.
2 King Mackerel over 24" per person, per day.
2 Shark over 54" per person, per day (hook and line only)
5 Mango's over 10" per person, per day.
2 Permit between 11 and 22" per person, per day.

I'm starting to get pretty stoked about this trip!

[Shooter]

  this should get you a little closer. we are looking for seas 2-4'

[popolarbear]

nice! we drove last time. i think it was like 24hrs one way with two drivers rotating, and one stop for sit down meal on the road. interestingly our fuel efficiency changed dramatically and got better as we got farther south and the air temp raised. also we used a tom-tom.Highly recommend. also got to stop at an orange stand on way back.also if memory is right if your using the boats commercial fishing license your rules might be more liberal than for individual.


sounds like a good trip....i wish i was going.hopefully you bring back some nice pics for us to drool over.

[DetectorGuy]

Last night I couldn't sleep or at least until 1:00 AM. I kept trying to count sheep jumping over the fence, but every time I got to number eight or nine, the sheep turned into sharks coming over the coral head to steal my fish. ;D As I was laying there I ran scenarios through my head: What if the viz is this, or the current is that. What if I have a monster gag and a monster amber jack in the same kill box? What if I hook into a fast swimmer? What if I need to lift bag my groceries to the surface to keep them from the tax man? What if the tax man is eating my groceries at the surface when I get there? Lots of things run through my head when I cant sleep. I think I got it bad, and there is only one cure... perforating some fish. What do they call this "ism" I have? Blood lust? Adventure deprivation? Adrenalin deficiency? Empty freezer-itus? Itchy trigger finger?

I have never drove to Florida before, but Nate and Art have a few times. We will take turns driving between the 3 of us (probably in 8 hour shifts or something like that). Its roughly 1,500 miles each way with 960 foot difference in elevation from here to there (plus another 130' drop to the bottom of the Middle Grounds, but that doesn't count). Technically the mileage should be better on the way down. If we drive 64 MPH and get 18 miles to the gallon, it will take 167 gallons for the round trip, at average $3.85 per gallon, it will cost $642 for fuel, divided by 3 divers will be $214 each = Priceless!

Nate mentioned that there are different bag limits for the larger commercial charter versus the same length but leaner "go-fast boat". We will probably take the go-fast boat out for two "day trips" if the weather is inclement when we get there, and take the bigger boat out after that, for the 10 hour trip out, two days on the boat diving and fishing, then the 10 hour boat ride back. If the weather looks like it will be better when we get there than later in the week, we will reverse these plans. If the weather looks bad throughout the whole time we will throw the dice at the wall and let the chips fall where they may. We don't leave for another 6 days and a wake up but in my mind... I'm already gone

[grumpie]

John, if the truck should break down, call me and the HEMI and I will come and get you with a tow strap.

[Shooter]

We will be able to keep 2 daily limits when we go on the overnight charter ;D, we also are allowed fish for consumption when we are out there. If we dont see the taxman when we are diving, I wont be dissapointed.

[Shooter]

a benedryl at night will help with sleeping,    this will help when waking up!