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popolarbear · 09-07-2011, 02:58 PM,

I think we were averaging 5over for much of the route(75mph?) with the tom tom many areas it will show the speed limit, which i found helpfull being it was posted or noticeable and I was driving Thur many new areas for the first time. I'm sure i avoided at least one speed trap and that made the purchase of the tom tom well worth it. every gas fill up, I wrote the cars millage on the receipt and was able to figure out our running mpg.(i still have them somewere)

my biggest fear was accidentally shooting a Goliath Grouper(protected) by mix up. supposedly some of the many groupers aren't clearly marked. dark markings on light background, light markings on dark background.. then i realized biggest characteristic is that Goliath grouper has tiny dots on the face... i love Goliaths and would never want to harvest one. .. then a local i was with chewed me out for not taking a small Goliath grouper. sure there are lots of them, but not me..

"another 130' drop to the bottom of the Middle Grounds" Ouch! if i understand this isn't the cont shelf your fishing.
I'm curious if they recommend bully sticks over hand nets for the Bug hunting.

also if you've got time, stop in at the divers direct shop in Orlando. it is a humongous dive store.

popolarbear · 09-07-2011, 03:20 PM,

OH, if your line fishing also on the boat. good bait is key. Ive Finlay realized this. live shrimp are hot for many species as is frozen clam.might not be a bad idea to bring a bait bucket/small portable cooler with if your going to do this. might also pick up some frozen mackerels or fish cut bait.. its a good thing I'm not in on this trip, as i would be a pest on a multi day trip. id have several lines out nonstop.

Shooter · 09-07-2011, 03:56 PM,

we line fish at night. We bring frozen mackerel and squid. Some of the best bait is fresh caught bonita,cut off a chunk, and you are fishing. They aren't finicky where we are going. You wouldn't have time to drop a line during the day.......

the best way to tell a jewfish from a regular grouper is to look at the tail. Jewfish have a rounded tail, groupers you can shoot have a square tail. The population has exploded, they should no longer be on the endangered species list. I think they should open it up for limited harvest with a tag. 8)

Shooter · 09-08-2011, 08:14 AM,

I guess if the trip is blown out, Might as well be my namsake :-\
Our trip odds are @ 50 50. I still feel lucky........

Updated at 5:34 p.m. ET] Tropical Storm Nate has formed less than 150 miles from Mexico's coast in the southern Gulf of Mexico, and it could become a hurricane by Friday, the National Hurricane Center said on Wednesday afternoon.

The storm, which formed near the Bay of Campeche, is the 14th named storm of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, and the second to form on Wednesday. Tropical Storm Maria formed Wednesday morning in the open Atlantic Ocean.

Nate, whose center as of 5 p.m. ET was 125 miles west of Campeche, Mexico, has prompted Mexico to issue a tropical storm warning for the country's coast from Chilitepec to Celestun, according to the hurricane center.

Tropical storm conditions are expected within the warning area by Wednesday night, the center said. Already, tropical storm force winds extended up to 105 miles from the center by 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Late Wednesday afternoon, the storm's maximum sustained winds were near 45 mph. The storm is not expected to move much Wednesday and Thursday, but it could head slowly north on Friday, when it could strengthen into a hurricane, according to the hurricane center.

Nate is expected to produce 2 to 4 inches of rain in the Mexican states of Campeche, Tabasco and southern Veracruz, and storm surges may raise water levels up to 3 feet above normal tides in the warning area, the center said.

Maria was about 1,205 miles east of the Caribbean Sea's Leeward Islands late Wednesday afternoon, the hurricane center said. A forecast track shows the storm could be near the Leeward Islands by Saturday afternoon.

[Initial post, 11:25 a.m. ET] A tropical depression in the Atlantic has intensified to form Tropical Storm Maria, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Tropical Storm Maria marks the 13th named storm in the busy 2011 Atlantic hurricane season.

As of 11:00 a.m. the storm was about 1,220 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands and 1,305 miles east of the Lesser Antilles.

The storm has maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kmh). The storm is moving toward the west at 23 mph (37 kmh). The NHC said this same pattern of movement is expected over the next two days.

The hurricane center said there were no watches or warnings associated with Maria in effect at the time.

Terry · 09-08-2011, 08:51 PM,

DAMN, those Nates!

Hope you guys have a good time!
Hoping to enjoy some of your efforts out on the ice this winter.

Shooter · 09-12-2011, 06:52 AM,

All of that good clean living is starting to pay off ;D. the extended forecast looks good, we are a go for the trip!!! We will leave arts house tomorrow as soon as I am finished with an install > Sad

hope to be ready by noon. Load the boat and depart from the hatch at 3 PM on Thursday. Hook and line fish on Thursday night, get at least six drops in on Friday, six drops in on Saturday. Clean fish & fill tanks sun, dive mon tues leave wed.

DetectorGuy · 09-25-2011, 09:15 AM,

Well, we got back a couple days ago and I got all un-packed. I repackaged the fish for the freezer. Here are some photos from the trip. The first one is of me with a stringer of 5 hogs, and 1 red grouper. The second one is of Nate with a stringer of 4 hogs, 1 red grouper, and a gag grouper. The third one is of Art with a stringer of 1 hog, 2 mangos, and 2 amberjacks. The fourth one is of Ben and I holding two 8 pound lobster.

DetectorGuy · 09-25-2011, 09:26 AM,

Here are some more photos from the trip. The first one is of Nate holding some tiger paw sea scallops he found on a wreck called "Miss Sue". The second is of me holding a stringer of 1 almaco jack, 1 hog, and one amberjack. If you look close at the almaco jack you can see the scars where a 6' barracuda attacked it on the end of my spear. The third one is of Art with a very nice hog fish. The fourth one is of catching bonitas for bait.

DetectorGuy · 09-25-2011, 09:33 AM,

Here are some pictures of the boats and tanks. The first one is of the 900 horse power Dark Island Fishing Teams "Go-Fast boat" from the back. The second is of the same boat from the front. The third is of the "Under Pressure" boat. The forth is two days worth of tanks in the back of Arts truck.

DetectorGuy · 09-25-2011, 09:46 AM,

This set of pictures is just fun stuff from the trip. The first is one of me holding the jaw of a 9' bull shark Ben got 2 weeks earlier. The second is of the power heads that keep the sharks from taking your fish from you. The third is a black and white of Art fishing. The fourth is of Nate and Art at the grill.