072501

Dave's Boat was crushed by the Biddison.

The Moose

 

Dave's Boat

"If the wind wasn't blowing, everything would be all right."

                                                                        DB 2001

We had a great opening day this year hunting for lobster. Mini season always treats me right. Atlantic sunrise. 15 miles offshore. Mark holding the biggest lobster a gulf diver will ever see. The wave graph shows how the seas fell right before opener. A feast for a seahunter. Lobster cooked a la Moose.

We left the inlet the second time at 5:45 AM. We left the inlet the previous evening looking towards a night dive. The seas were really rough, but dying down a bit from the previous day. However, it was not looking to be a good trip out at night so we opted to party in New Smyrna Beach. The party ended at 10 PM when the lights went out and I drifted into slumber. As we headed out I found myself in deep thought about the dives that lay ahead. I didn't want to go to my special spots, but I couldn't help thinking about them. Dave wanted to dive the ledge that Tony told me he was going to dive first thing in the morning. I knew what was going to happen next, and it did. Tony pulled up as we were getting geared up for the dive. He shook his finger (guess which one) and left without saying a word.

Dave and I pulled 24 bugs from that ledge. We made three dives each, and all three were excellent. I went down on one ledge that had more lobster than I could count. I told the other guys that it was barren. I'll dive it on opener, and hope to get my limit on one dive. The vis was around 20' and the bottom temp was 70 F. There were very few mango snapper on the ledges we were on. I still think it is wrong to try and feed a nation on a natural resource, especially one that is mismanaged like the fisheries. 

"If the commercial depletion of the resource doesn't stop, there won't be any fish left for me."

Moose 2001

 

Or you.

 

The Moose

Biddison

Big head and Tom had the best day of everyone. These guys hunt. Big Tony with a big stringer. Tom with a huge lobster. You are the man Tom! Big Head and a couple good reason to have one. You are the man too Tony.!

 

Tony's report.

As my GPS counted down to zero all I could see was THAT boat on the horizon!! I could not believe that I had got "MOOSED" on the first day of mini season.
 
I headed E. to my next spot and dropped the first two divers while I let my blood pressure settle.
 
Mickey managed two nice gags the biggest 30.55 pounds! He forgot his new tail snare so I was sent to retrieve it for him.  I didn't find it because I was busy stringing up three large gags I found hiding in my lobster spots. 
 
Thomas did some exploring on new ground that did not produce. He was starting to get disappointed from the first two dives.  He tried another new spot and managed to find an  11.35 lb bug (bigger than Moose's) and four nice friends to follow.
 
I found a new ledge and tried it myself. I pull an 11.75LB bug (bigger than Moose's) a couple of slippers, and another 20lb grouper.
 
Mickey tried another ledge and found 7 nice bugs with a 5lb average.
 
THANKS MOOSE....I would of never found the new spots with the "big bugs" on them. Brad joined us on the last dives to pull 7 slippers.
 
All weights courtesy of the Fishin Store......

Moose's Reply It is my website.

It sure makes a man feel good to be the one that everyone is compared against.

It makes a man feel bad when some people forget where they get "their" numbers.

We found some new spots too!

Tony is the MAN

 

 

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