Wildlifer
Old Mossy Horns
I am a few weeks behind on posting this but wanted to recap this years tournament. The structure of the tournament is pelagic, bottom, and inshore divisions (2 different species weighed in each) with winners in each for both scuba and freediving along with an overall and a few other categories like best photo, most lionfish and biggest lobster.
Day one started on Friday the 13th which became very fitting. We were 20 miles into our 50 miles run when we spun the Starboard prop. This pretty much ended any hope of the pelagics and big bottomfish we were after. It just so happened that we were only a few miles from an artificial reef. We geared up and limped over to try and salvage the day. My first dive was on some concrete pipes which produced a nice 7lb sheepshead for my first inshore fish. Halfway though my dive a manta ray showed up and i spent the rest of the dive getting some pictures and video with it. Swimming with a manta has been on my bucket list for a long time and my first experience did not disappoint.
We decided that this was going to be our inshore day so as we limped in we hit a ledge about 10 miles from the beach. I found a few nice 4lb touttogs for my second inshore fish and a surprise 7lb mahi that appeared just before I broke the surface on my ascent.
Day 2, we knew the weather wasn't looking great and after poking our nose out of the inlet decided to call it.
Day 3, the weather was amazing and its a good thing because we still had pelagic and bottomfish to fill all before the earlier 2pm weigh in. We left the dock at 4am for our 50 mile run to the big fish haunts. Were were greeted at sunrise with perfectly clear water, almost top to bottom viz in 130' and smooth seas. First drop produced 2 African pompano for me, the biggest going 22lb and a stud 23lb gag for my dive buddy. In hindsight I should have picked up my gag and scamp here but the Pompano are one of my favorite fish and there was not any shortage of them.
Our second dive was a very small honey hole that has typically produced some nice fish. This time it has a few borderline cobia, red snapper, and average grouper on it. I did get a 13lb gag but that was it. Last dive of the tournament and before we even hit the bottom my dive buddy was greeted by a 18lb hogfish! I never found the my second bottomfish but did pick up some nice bugs, biggest was 7lbs.
Team whitecap finished the tournament with the captain taking first place bottomfish with 41lbs while I got First place inshore and best photo. We had a great weekend and now full freezers to enjoy!
I will post a few pics and some video clips as time allows.
Day one started on Friday the 13th which became very fitting. We were 20 miles into our 50 miles run when we spun the Starboard prop. This pretty much ended any hope of the pelagics and big bottomfish we were after. It just so happened that we were only a few miles from an artificial reef. We geared up and limped over to try and salvage the day. My first dive was on some concrete pipes which produced a nice 7lb sheepshead for my first inshore fish. Halfway though my dive a manta ray showed up and i spent the rest of the dive getting some pictures and video with it. Swimming with a manta has been on my bucket list for a long time and my first experience did not disappoint.
We decided that this was going to be our inshore day so as we limped in we hit a ledge about 10 miles from the beach. I found a few nice 4lb touttogs for my second inshore fish and a surprise 7lb mahi that appeared just before I broke the surface on my ascent.
Day 2, we knew the weather wasn't looking great and after poking our nose out of the inlet decided to call it.
Day 3, the weather was amazing and its a good thing because we still had pelagic and bottomfish to fill all before the earlier 2pm weigh in. We left the dock at 4am for our 50 mile run to the big fish haunts. Were were greeted at sunrise with perfectly clear water, almost top to bottom viz in 130' and smooth seas. First drop produced 2 African pompano for me, the biggest going 22lb and a stud 23lb gag for my dive buddy. In hindsight I should have picked up my gag and scamp here but the Pompano are one of my favorite fish and there was not any shortage of them.
Our second dive was a very small honey hole that has typically produced some nice fish. This time it has a few borderline cobia, red snapper, and average grouper on it. I did get a 13lb gag but that was it. Last dive of the tournament and before we even hit the bottom my dive buddy was greeted by a 18lb hogfish! I never found the my second bottomfish but did pick up some nice bugs, biggest was 7lbs.
Team whitecap finished the tournament with the captain taking first place bottomfish with 41lbs while I got First place inshore and best photo. We had a great weekend and now full freezers to enjoy!
I will post a few pics and some video clips as time allows.
