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kwalk59
10-24-2011, 02:20 PM
My son Brandon and I met at a friends house around 8:00 am and set out for the African Queen in 2-3 footers and a chilly 39*. We got hooked in 1st try and Ray thought I should tie us in and he would pull the hook. Brandon and I go down and I tie in for the 1st time. The anchor hook up was not ideal and I tied it in the best that I could. I didnt want to move it because there was no where close and the current was ripping. ( 1st time jitters)
It was not long before Brandon shoots a nice sheeps head in only 10 ft of viz. and we put him on the stringer. While hooking the bolt snap to my d-ring the fish shook out of my hand and off he went with my stringer :-( We surface and tell Ray to keep an eye out for that fish.
Ray goes down for his dive and came up empty with no siting of my stringer. Ray decides he doesnt want to make another dive and asked me to pull the hook. I tell Brandon that I will take him up to his stop,give him my gun and go down to pull the hook.
We go down for the second time and Brandon takes the lead again. The viz was so bad that I cant see in front of him. Brandon sees the sheeps head with my stringer and tries to grab him but it swims off,so he shoots him and we get my stringer back. In short order Brandon gets two nice taug and as I was stalking a huge taug I get a tap on my leg. I turn around and all I see is fish!! Big fish! We decide its time to go up and I go up with Brandon to his stop and return down for the anchor. I untie us and carry the anchor a long way to be sure that when I drop it we dont hook up again. I didnt have a lift bag.
All went well and we returned to shore. What a blast we had together, Brandon is still smiling!!! Keith
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27 sailfish
10-24-2011, 05:16 PM
Awesome getting your clip stringer back - that is great luck.
kwalk59
10-25-2011, 07:59 AM
Thanks Skip, we had a great time and Brandon is totally hooked on diving!!
kwalk59
10-26-2011, 08:53 AM
Note to Brandon, Please dont shoot any more black drum!!! He's going to have to eat it by him self. Actually my daughter and he thought it wasnt bad.
drewzim
10-28-2011, 08:06 AM
Was going to ask how that drum was? I'll take that sheepshead any day.
kwalk59
10-28-2011, 01:02 PM
:-) that sheepshead is good stuff!!! He tasted even better knowing that he tried to steal my stringer!
spynet000
10-28-2011, 04:51 PM
Note to Brandon, Please dont shoot any more black drum!!! He's going to have to eat it by him self. Actually my daughter and he thought it wasnt bad.

I know I let two different schools pass on our dives Saturday. I pointed the gun and said to myself "bang!" instead of pulling the trigger for a few reasons:

1. I didn't want to clean it.
2. I don't think they taste that good

I don't blame Brandon for shooting one. That's a great catch on spear to show his buddies. I know when my Dad took me squirrel hunting when I was a kid I had to skin, cook and eat every one I shot. After a while I stopped pulling the trigger so much because I was tired of cleaning them and they didn't taste all that great to me. I love pulling the trigger on those togs though! Nice fish Brandon!
kwalk59
10-28-2011, 08:10 PM
Thats so true. I guess we have all been there at one time or another!!
RickyF
10-30-2011, 02:49 AM
Great job!! What was the water temps?
kwalk59
10-30-2011, 10:58 AM
Thanks Ricky, It was 64* on the bottom.
27 sailfish
10-30-2011, 11:16 AM
Have to beware shooting big fish - unless set up for them.

Been more then one diver lose a gun when the shot did not kill the big fish right off the bat.

Few years ago - off NC - saw a fellow diver aiming on a large 60-70 lb Amberjack ( reef donkey ). Another diver waved him off the shot.

Not sure what the outcome would have been - but most likely not good for the diver.

Worst was diving Winter Quarter shoal about this time 4 years ago. Literally a hundred Rockfish around us - all nice 30 to 40 inchers.

My buddy had me laughing so hard I spit my regulator.

He held up his spear gun like a machine gun and pretended to mow the school down.
kwalk59
10-31-2011, 11:10 AM
I had this same conversation several times with Brandon and just before we went down. One thing we never do is attach the gun to us. At any time we can let go of the gun.It might be an expensive dive but not your last. You tell an 18-20 year old dont shoot anything so big that you cant handle it. He looks at that fish and says to him self I can handle that and he did!! At my age my mind says you can handle that and my body says Oooohh no you cant!!! :-)
spynet000
10-31-2011, 01:42 PM
I had this same conversation several times with Brandon and just before we went down. One thing we never do is attach the gun to us. At any time we can let go of the gun.It might be an expensive dive but not your last. You tell an 18-20 year old don't shoot anything so big that you cant handle it. He looks at that fish and says to him self I can handle that and he did!! At my age my mind says you can handle that and my body says Oooohh no you cant!!! :-)

I have a loop of shock cord attached to the end of my gun that loops around my wrist. If the fish wants my gun it can easily slip off my wrist and has worked out well for me. It's one thing to play with big fish in shallow water but when you're at 70ft or more it's a whole new ballgame.