# Avocet and Kingry Barge 7-10-08



## Florabama (Oct 19, 2007)

<SPAN class=postbody>The holy-Spear-it's Thursday charter got cancelled, so Kevin put together a three tank trip to go sling some steel (and some tickle sticks







) Kevin, Kevin's friend George, MBT's own Jerry West, myself and the infamous Clay-doh, left the dock about 8 a.m. (after a quick starter rebuild). 

Seas were 1 to 2 but choppy as we headed out to the Avocet. I was iching to try my new Spearfishing Specialties' 52 with quick reload. We hit the water at the Av and broke into fairly clear water at about 20 fsw. There were tons of small bait fish all over the wreck and a couple of small sharks swimming with them, but not many shooting size fish that we could get close to. Jerry bagged a legal scamp and George got a nice flounder. 

I wandered down under the bow looking for something to shoot. My light was out (I forgot batteries) so I layed down under the bow in the sand to let my eyes adjust. When my eyes adjusted to the low light, I saw a shovel nose lobster sitting right where the bow goes into the sand -- just out of reach. 

I tried to use my speargun as a tickle stick and sweep him out. When I swept him out, three nice shovel nose came out with him. That's when I noticed the shovel nose were lined up under the bow. There were at least a dozen lined up one after the other. 
I couldn't get them out with my gun -- they would just jump over it and flip back out of reach, so I went to get Kevin. Everyone was already on the surface, so I cussed my bad luck. 

On the surface, I talked Kevin into making a second dive on the Av. Kevin had his trusty little "aluminum can picker-upper-tool" that he uses to pick up cans on the side of the road when he's not using it to snag shovel nose. After a nice surface interval, we went back down. I held the bag and Kev reached in with his "can grabber" and we put 10 shovel nose in the bag. There were 5 or 6 that we didn't take because they had eggs. 

We moved to the Kingry Barge and found some legal snapper. I shot two and a nice sheephead. Kev got a couple more and Jerry bagged a nice one. Clay got it all on his famous helmet cam. 

The viz was not bad on any or our dives once we broke through the whale snot. 40 - 50 on the Av and 20 - 30 on the Kingry. 

All in all a great day. I think Clay's going to post the video when he gets it ready.


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## Telum Pisces (Sep 27, 2007)

Thanks for the report. Can't wait for the pics and video.


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## wrightackle (Oct 29, 2007)

Great info in this report! Those are some nice looking fish. I always am amazed at the shovelnose that you throw up on the cleaning table at Daybreak. I can't imagine how good those guys must be to eat. Thanks for the report on the Kingry. Haven't fished there much this year but it was always a great spot in the past.


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## Sniper Spear-It (Jan 16, 2008)

Nice shooting guys. I havent dove the kingry yet. My last trip to the avocet there was alot of baitfish as well bu not that many snapper aj or grouper. sure wish i had looked under the bow. but i dont carry a granny picker. Im gonna have to get one for that purpose. how were the cuda. they were very thick in that snot layer, kinda creepy having them all around you coming in and out of vision during the entire safety stop.

NIce report


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## flyingfishr (Oct 3, 2007)

Great job snagging those shovelnose. I can't wait to find a mess of those things and bring em home, finally one of my dive trips will payoff! Got a few nice snappers and grouper there too. Thanks for the in depth report with pics.


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## Brandy (Sep 28, 2007)

Looks like I missed a great trip, Work...........


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## Stressless (Oct 2, 2007)

Work seems to be in the way a bunch lately.



Great report and if CVlay gets teh right software there should be some good vid's coming out.



:mmmbeer

Stresless


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## GrouperNinja (Oct 30, 2007)

Nice snapper.

Somebody tell clay pic's aint going to place on the 20th is he takin a shooter?oke


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## BADBOY69 (Oct 3, 2007)

Man,I have not laughed as much or as hard in a long time! Anyone who knows Clay can attest to the fact that it ain't ever boring if he's divin'! And every time I have shot fish w/ Big Rich(aka 'FloraBama') and Kevin there has been dinner produced! Clay got vid and some pics of the haul and I have memories and images that will take YEARS of mental counseling to help me cope mentally!:doh Word of advice...never ask Clay where the anchor line is! :banghead


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## Florabama (Oct 19, 2007)

> *BADBOY69 (7/12/2008)*Man,I have not laughed as much or as hard in a long time! Anyone who knows Clay can attest to the fact that it ain't ever boring if he's divin'! And every time I have shot fish w/ Big Rich(aka 'FloraBama') and Kevin there has been dinner produced! Clay got vid and some pics of the haul and I have memories and images that will take YEARS of mental counseling to help me cope mentally!:doh Word of advice...never ask Clay where the anchor line is! :banghead


Yeah, I knewClay's wastough, but I really didn't think he would tell me to go @%#$%% just for asking him if he knew where the anchor wasoke


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## BADBOY69 (Oct 3, 2007)

'Florabama' failed to include his "find" at the jetties...he was freediving in about 14' and caught a big 'un with his hands!:letsdrink (Don't think we got a pic of that one!)


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## Florabama (Oct 19, 2007)

> *BADBOY69 (7/13/2008)*'Florabama' failed to include his "find" at the jetties...he was freediving in about 14' and caught a big 'un with his hands!:letsdrink (Don't think we got a pic of that one!)


Actually, it waskind of undersized. Ishould havethrown it backoke


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## Clay-Doh (Oct 2, 2007)

Man I had a great time with all you guys! Heres pictures of the fish cooler....










I think the total was 7 snapper, 1 porgy, 1 flounder, and 1 sheepshead?

And heres the lobsters, all pretty and such!










I think there was 12 lobster too!

Kevin, Holy Spear-It, is as usual, a great captain, and well, Big Rich and Badboy Jerry, Well man, thats just trouble waitin to happen! I didnt get anything, I couldnt see a lobster to save my life, and just didnt see any of the big ones come in close enough.

I had a great shot at a 10 pound or so snapper, that Jerry had went down in the hull and scared up for me....hee hee...as I rasied my gun to take a shot, (and you can see all this clear as day in the video,), I see some movement to the left a lil, and there is a 6 foot or so shark swimming directly for MY snapper! :banghead So I decided not to take a shot, just to have to fight a shark for it...Got some real good footage of a smaller, maybe 4 foot or so, shark swimming around close. I fswam towards him to get some better footage with the helmet cam, and he made him self shown a couple more times during the dive, and both sharks appeared again on the second dive.

I got video on the kingry, but the viz was so bad there, plus all the dirt gettin stirred up, that is is dark and green looking, and grainy as hell.

With the tournament comming up this weekend, I doubt I will be working on the video, but I will eventually get it posted!

Had a ball with you guys man! Sorry for givin you hell underwater Rich!!!! But dont ask me where the anchor is when YOU& been scorin a bunch of lobster!!!! :moon Hee hee.

Oh yeah, more play with the powerhead. It didnt go very well. No, nobody or noboat hurt...just we looked like a bunch of der-da-der's with it!! :letsdrink:letsdrink

I laughed all day long, and guys, Linda says thank you VERY much for the lobsters and fish!!!!! Get that mental image out yer head!!!!

Had a great time guys!!


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## holy Spear-it (Oct 4, 2007)

I had one heck of a time with you guys. The morning started out a little rough but ended well. I laughed all day long. We have to do that again soon.


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## Florabama (Oct 19, 2007)

Thanks for the pics, Clay. I had a blast. Let's do it again soon. Between now and then, I'm gonna find the SOB thathacksawed Kevin's key, so it broke when I touched it:doh


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## Clay-Doh (Oct 2, 2007)

I am definately lookin foward to the next go-around with you guys on Holy Spear-It! Maybe I'll shoot some fish this time too!:doh


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