You can read the long story below.

Well I found where Chris (Craasch210) had been hiding for a few months and got him to get out yesterday.  He had talked to Martin (Flynurse) and he would take his boat out as well.  So we got a 4th diver (2 per boat) and off we went at 6am yesterday.

We headed to the far east with hopes of some good Viz.  Marked our first spot and down we go.  The layer of Snot was there, but was not too bad.  Got down to maybe 50-55 feet of viz.  It was a nice change from my other recent dives.  I could see the glimmer of the surface at 60 feet down.  We were only about 10 miles off the coast.  The spot was covered with life, but not a lot of fish worth shooting.  The red snappers were there, but they kept a good distance away out in the sand.  I took a long distance shot at a medium snapper only to miss.  I waited patiently and they just would not come in closer.  Then all of a sudden I see a school of AJ's rocketing right at me.  There must of been 50 of them.  At first I think that they are running from something and that what ever they are running from, I should be running too.  Then they litterally engulf me, bumping into me and everything.  Then I notice this poor little bait fish that just get's swallowed up right at my feet.  This of course all happend in about 5 seconds.  It was amazing to see a school of AJ's feeding.  Right around me like I wasn't even there.  I take advantage of the situation and quickly find the biggest one I can see and pop him right in the head, stone cold, dropped em.  That was the first time I had litterally stoned an AJ dead.  It was nice not having to do the loopty loops with an AJ.

Head back up and our fourth diver Vlado, nice guy, comes up with a stringer full of fish including a Gag, red snapper, and white snappers.  In the box they went. 

Headed to our second spot back west.  The viz had dropped to 30 or so feet here.  Again, the snapper were out in the distance away from the wreck.  I swam out in the sand and just waited and they just would never come in.  Towards the end of the dive I look up and see a lonely Almaco just hanging out.  Line the shot up and got him on the stringer.

Head to our third dive.  Both me and Vlado head down while Chris and Martin get a little more surface interval.  We see lots of life, but nothing really worth shooting.  I am on one side of the wreck and Vlado is on the other.  Next thing I know, Mr. Gray suit comes swimming right by me.  Scared the crap out of me.  He litterally came from right behind me and right past me about 4 feet away.  He was a pretty good sized bull at about 7-8 feet.  But he was as wide as he was long it seemed.  He disapears and I go to let Vlado know.  I find him and give him the ole shark symbol.  Right then, he came swimming right by us.  We spend the next 2-3 minutes keeping this thing away from us.  He would come right up out of poking distance.  Then his buddy showed up and we both gave the "let's get the hell out of there" symbol.  But this was a large debri field and the anchor was dead in the middle of it.  Vlado hands me his gun and he messes with the anchor to try and get it in a good spot.  Right as he is messing with the anchor one of the sharks is coming right at us and I poke him in the nose.  These guys are getting really currious.  We didn't even have any fish on us.  We finally head up only to get the anchor hung.  We head back down and get it out.

Since Chris and Martin had not dove their third dive, we head to a 4th spot.  I had an extra air tank and I dove a 4th dive with them.  Again, no fish to speak of. 

Headed back in after that.  Back at the ramp at 2:30pm.  It's not very often that you can run 30mph in the gulf in a 19 foot boat.  It was a gorgeous day on the water with 1' or less seas.

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Jon

 

 

"You just cant beat the person who never gives up." Babe Ruth

  

Yeah, when I first glanced at him I thought he was a small AJ.  Then I noticed the swooping dorsal fin and the more football shape and realized it was an Almaco.  So on the stringer he went.  There's no telling how many Almacos I have passed up thinking they were small AJ's.  I just recently learned the difference between the two.

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Jon

I told you that i wasn't the shark attractor. its youre boat. the sharks must see it and know there is death down below.

or maybe they just like YOU. whatever it is, i'll still dive with you

i shot you a PM

sounds like Mr. Gray needs to be introduced to Mr. Powerhead