05

Saturday we left the inlet around 8 am. Thomas and I had a new diver on board so the plan was to stay in 70' of water, and pray for good vis. The weather was great and the seas were very calm on the ride out.

Thomas made the first dive. I was nervous when the bubbles stayed close to the jug, and didn't move far during the first couple of minutes. I though the vis was bad, and he was on his way back to give the news. When they started moving around the structure I was excited. He surface with a smile, a nice gag grouper, and stories of 30' vis.

Jeff and I made our dive in the same depth. If was one of my favorite PI sites. The vis was great all the way down. I started to make out the structure 30' off the bottom. We made our way around the culverts looking at the fish, and admiring the sealife. On his first openwater dive he was very relaxed with the nurse sharks on the bottom, and the cudas all the way to the surface.

We headed North for the last dives. Jeff and I dove a large wreck covered with bait. I managed a nice mago at the bottom only to watch a large grouper swim away as I was putting dinner in the bag. Jeff was very excited to see all the fish and emptyed the tank quick. We started up and a Large stingray swam by with a small cobia that fit perfect in the cooler.

At our first stop we decided to drift baits for some early morning action. On my first drift I found myself hooked up with a good fish. When Don gaffed the 9lb red snapper for me we all new it was going to be a good day. The next couple of drifts produce many small red snapper, then Thomas got nailed!! After a short battle the hook pelled free, and we suited up.

The vis was great! 40' in 90' of water. Donald and I hit the bottom, and started to work the reef. I was heading east on a mission. I found they grouper close to his cave and hit him with a good shot. As I got close to him he came of the bottom and started swimming. I grabbed the shaft only to have him shake off. I followed him reloading the gun in haste to fire a second shot, only to have it hit the previous wound and fall out. My shaft went into the sand, but I could see Donald in the distance. I swam making a much noise as possible to get his attention. The fish went under a rock and when Donald came on the other side I pushed my gun under the ledge, and he was their for the shot. Thinking it was over I tracked back hoping to find my spear shaft. I was lucky, and reloaded my gun to collect the red snapper that was admiring the shaft in the sand.

On the boat I told the story to Thomas. Donald surfaced and had the beast. He handed the bag, and asked why did I leave when the fish came off his shaft! I was amazed to hear that he came off His shaft, and had to be shoot again before he was bagged. After hearing my story on the boat we laughed in disbelief. As Tom took the fish out of the bag he started laughing also. By the large tear in his lip we all agread that this was a 3 man grouper!!

The rest of the day went alot better. Thomas spotted a tiger shark swimming the surface. Donald and weren't sad to miss the site considering we were on the bottom at the time.