Paul & Jeff's Great Fishing Adventure

Paul and I took out the Luhrs on Sunday for some shake down maintenance and spear fishing. After 9 months we finally have all the bugs worked out of the Simrad Auto Pilot. We had to setup the sea settings and fine tune some adjustments, but before we even left the Manatee River we had it sorted out. It works like a dream. Once we clear the end of Anna Maria we just set in the heading and it does the rest. It does 99% of the steering to allow you to focus on other items like crew safety, monitor the radar, verify the vessel is running properly.

The seas weren’t too bad as we headed out to one of our favorite wrecks about 20 miles due West of Passage Key. We arrived at our first site and there was a marine research vessel nearby so out of respect for the captain and crew pressed on to another wreck about two miles further out to a new site called the Sulfur Barge. Paul had recently found these new numbers, so we opted to give it a look.

We were covered in neoprene from head to toe, but it was no match for the water temp that reached the low 50s. It was cold and made every movement that more difficult as we descended onto the new site. The water clarity was not particularly inviting, somewhere between Wendy’s Frosty and Starbuck’s Frappachino (5 feet apart and Paul and I were just shadowy silhouettes to one another). Little matter as we had two loaded guns and if we were gonna be cold then we were not coming home empty handed. Our gauges read roughly 70 feet as we were suddenly surrounded by eye balls the size of golf balls all around us. They are moving fast and track us very closely as they circled. I didn’t think the visibility could get much worse, but where my dive buddy was a few moments prior was now an even thicker cloud of silt preceded only briefly by the very distinct sound of a speargun letting loose all that mechanical energy as the bands are finally relieved of their strain and release the spear to find it’s mark. It is a perfect illustration of the Scott Serbin technique that says hit something early in the dive to get things hopping early.

I dive into the fray and find Paul working hard to hold his own at 83ft, against what I can only see as a frantic tail moving the opposite direction. It is a cool sight as it looks like Paul is going into his best wrestling move as he hugs the fish as if he is going to do some dramatic move off the top rope or body slam the fish onto the sea floor if he doesn’t stop wrapping the braided line attaching the spear to the speargun around him. I guess I should stop pointing out to Paul that the wraps are getting even worse and try to help him actually get this beautiful fish onto the stringer. It is his first Amber Jack (AJ) and is a really nice fish.

We get the fish onto the stringer and Paul sorted out as we finally see the wreck come into view. Given the depth and poor visibility we opt to stay very close and only explore the section of the wreck that is contiguous. It looks like a bait fish convention. Tons of grunts & bait fish fill every nook and cranny. Visibility isn’t any better, it is so dark that it reminds me of a dawn or dusk dive even though it is 11am without a cloud in the sky on a sunny day. The wreck only has a few feed of vertical relief but she is broken up and the imploded panels make great hiding places for bigger game. The grouper season is closed until April 1st and the fish know it. There are some awesome fish on this wreck and they would be easy to hit with an overhead shot. We can tell there is nothing close to the wreck for cover as the fish are reluctant to leave the safety of the structure. Often times Gags will leave a wreck for a hiding place in a nearby rock pile, but they are holding in the wreck so we know to stay on the structure. We see some really nice Gags, monster size Red Grouper and our first really Big Black Grouper.

We need to get back to the anchor and chain that needs to be adjusted to clear the wreck prior to the ascent. We make a quick adjustment and head back to the anchor line for our ascent. The cold and visibility have made the dive a challenge, but at least we aren’t going home empty handed. Plus, I figure the way that the AJ has been head butting Paul in the gut for the last 20 minutes that my dive buddy is ready to head to the surface to warm up and put this one in the fishbox.

We get back on the boat and decide to head back to the site we originally wanted to fish, Gunsmoke. It is a cool wreck that is hard to find even with good GPS numbers. She is about a 60 ft vessel that was allegedly scuttled by her crew as the Coast Guard was closing in on her for transporting illegal foliage. We haven’t had the best luck hunting here in the past but there have been some really big Hog Fish, Gags and Goliath’s here in the pasts. We also figure that given the poor conditions we should stick to wrecks versus risk being separated on a poorly defined ledge or spread out reef. We are chilled starting our second dive despite trying to warm up for the last hour. Paul is the first in the water and I had him the spear guns over the side of the vessel. As I am finishing gearing up I hear Paul call for me from the opposite side. He is unusually serious as he ask me if “I see a fin just off the vessel in the direction of the wreck.” I scan the water for about a minute and don’t see anything but notice a large sport fishing boat that has been trolling within a mile of us and has a number of fisherman in the rear cockpit area. Paul has a knack for finding the Bull Sharks in the Gulf since he learned how to identify them on a dive last summer at docks barge that included six of the finest specimens each pushing 6 – 10 ft. The coast looks clear, but we know in these conditions we won’t see anything until it literally bumps into us. I get on the rest of my gear double quick and do a backward role off the side.

Water is still really cold and the visibility is still terrible despite the sun being almost directly overhead. I meet up with Paul at the anchor line and we band up as we descend towards the wreck. I only have the anchor line and a pair of black ScubaPro fins as visual references during the slow descent towards the bottom. Paul wasn’t convinced I was on top of this illusive wreck based on what we saw on the sonar, but I really hoped I was given the difficulty of the diving conditions. A sand dive would not be fun today! We are on a steady pace toward the bottom. We know we are making progress given the markers on the anchor rode that were put in place to help us tell how much scope was out. Finally we get to within 90 feet of the anchor and still don’t see anything. All of a sudden Paul stops almost in mid fin kick. I think his spear gun was the only thing that kept him from hitting his head on the wreck. We have dove this wreck many times in great visibility and know it well, but I don’t recognize exactly where we have landed on the vessel. Paul peels right and we head up the port side towards the wheel house. We have seen some big fish in the cargo holds and wheel house. Unlike the previous site there are not many fish. Unlike every other previous dive on Gunsmoke there are no Goliath Groupers with their entourage of bait fish, or Barracudas. Most of the fish that are normally resident in the warmer months are gone. Only a few very big and healthy Atlantic Spade Fish, smaller scamp and assortment of small fish huddle in the wheel house and super structure. We get our bearings and begin to scour the wreck checking the “normal” hiding places we have scored good fish in the past without any luck. The wreck is a challenging dive today given the conditions and the amount of nets and monofilament that cover the wreck is like invisible, snag-inducing tensile on a well decorated Christmas tree. There is some wreckage off the starboard side of the wreck that I suspect is collapsed super structure or stabilization gear that fell to the sea floor when the vessel was sunk. It isn’t going to hold any fish but Paul and I know it is a reliable visual reference that will lead us back to the wreck if we follow it out into the sand nearby. Paul is on point as we follow the trail of rusty metal out into what seems to be a fog bank covering an empty sand bottom. Suddenly the rhythm of bubbles and regulator inhalations is disrupted by Paul’s now signature little girl squeal that normally means “big fish.” I can see he has settled onto his knees and has either started to pray or is tracking something heading towards me from the gloom. I match his pan from left to right as I begin to see the eyes and silhouettes of some quick moving targets. It is amazing how well camouflaged things are down here. I am now shoulder to shoulder with Paul and I know it is my turn to put my first AJ on the stringer. They are moving fast and all appear to be about the same size. Just like on the Discovery Channel they move as a school in a hypnotic group making it difficult to lock into a single target. I am matching my movements to the school and want to make sure I take my shot while Paul is directly behind me to make sure we are both safe. I draw up my gun and lock out my elbows as I refine my aim to make sure my shot will hit it’s mark. That familiar tension runs down my arms as the power of my gun is unleashed on the fleeing AJ. It is a good shot and the calm tension of the stalking is disrupted by the mayhem that can only be brought on by a big fish on the end of a spear 70ft below the surface. Paul is right there with me and I see him put his loaded gun down in the sand next to the wreckage, one more thing to consider as the silt begins to fly and we begin to retrieve the steel cable that attaches my spear to the end of my gun. I know it is a good size fish by the effort it is taking to subdue it. The fish has decided to make a run for a piece of metal stickup up from the sea floor. Paul and I are in hot pursuit. It is a good shot and the AJ has put a lot of blood in the water. Sure hope Paul’s fin sighting was in his mind and not in the water. I finally get the stringer unclipped from my right hip and open it up as we begin to get a handle on the fish. I get it through the mouth and through the gills. Many fish are lost right about now, so I rush to get the stringer closed so we can extract the spear. We get the fish squared away and begin swimming back in the direction of silt cloud we hope puts us back on the wreckage trail that will lead us back to Gunsmoke.

We find the rusty wreckage trail and take a few moments to locate Paul’s gun before heading back to the steel hulled vessel sitting just outside our visual range. Paul and I have had enough in the cold and darkness for this Sunday in March that greeted us with 39 degrees Fahrenheit at the dock. We find the anchor line crossing the wreck and begin our slow ascent to the surface. It is complex and cold with the fish still very much alive and now head butting me as I inch my way slowly up the line. My spear gun in one hand is still a flurry chaos of wire, gun and spear as I haven’t taken the time to reload it. We finally hit the 20 ft mark and begin our safety stop. It is always more nerve racking with bleeding fish on the stringer and visibility still a pretty pathetic 5 feet. It is brighter now but we still cannot see the boat we know is very close given the markings on the anchor line. We break the surface and see the sport fisher now closer was as we get out of the rolling seas and pull the fish on board.

For the first time in the last 6 months we decide not to make another dive even though we have tanks and daylight on our side. We remove the layers of wet suits and hoods. Paul opts for the dry clothes in the cabin, I decide to rinse we some fresh water prior to the 90 minute ride. I think the water in the fresh water tanks was just a few degrees above freezing, but with a head covered with shampoo there is no turning back. A wicked headache quickly follows the chilly water.

We get changed as the sport fishing boat closes the gag between us. It is a all of 50ft long with multiple decks. There is a lone captain on the fly bridge with four passengers fishing off the stern. We switch the VHF to Channel 68 and start to discuss the conditions and fishing throughout the day. He explained he was on his way back toward port from an overnight trip beyond the Mexican Pride (about 15 miles due west). The night before he had to call the Coast Guard to airlift a passenger off the boat with a collapsed lung. Scary stuff in any circumstance, but to be that far off the coast in the dark with a serious medical emergency will test any captain and crew. That orange and white helicopter from air station St. Petersburg must have seemed like an angel from above for everyone involved. The captain said the rescue swimmer and helo crew was outstanding and very responsive. You train for these things, but hope you never have to make the call or have it happen on you watch. We bid the captain good luck with the remainder of his trip and wished his passenger a speedy recovery as we came up on plane and headed for Anna Maria.

Paul opted to man the galley as we headed in the 17 miles or so to Bean Point. He is getting more creative in the galley and has moved beyond the microwave to include some skillet items. Brats and Cheesy Potatoes from a local restaurant are a special treat on this trip. We normally have ham & cheese sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies to keep us going. It was a good trip. Joy and Angie made steaks and salads as we cleaned the scuba gear and washed the salt off the Luhrs. Good times and good friends capped off a great weekend. Lola, Paul & Angies’ Bulldog loves to inspect and lick the fish whenever we turn our backs for even a second. Her head it through the fence in the back yard as she attempts yet another sneak attack on the two AJs in the cooler.