# Private reefs? Interested in purchasing a few



## Bryson13 (Apr 22, 2008)

Hey guys,

I'm interested in purchasing or having a few reefs deployed. Within 15 or so miles from the Pass. Any ideas on who to contact? Thanks.


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## stauty trout (Jul 19, 2012)

There is a guy in Orange Beach, AL that has been doing it for years. He makes artificial pyramid reefs that are supposed to be some of the best, but I've never fished on any. We always dropped chicken coops and they work great. His website is http://www.reefmaker.net/


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## Instant Karma (Oct 9, 2007)

The voice of experience here.

David at the Reefmaker will do a good job for you. If you put them close in like that 2 things are going to happen. 1. You will draw fish but others will find your spot and wear it out. 2. First big storm, goodbye reef, it will get moved and you will likely not find it.

Good Luck.


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## swander (Dec 1, 2007)

Here is a video of a couple that were deployed in 2007 and are 7 miles out.


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## SnapperSlapper (Feb 13, 2009)

Private reefs are a waste of money. All the snapper you want are at the Liberty Ships and the Bridge Rubble. Why people want to run more than 12 miles offshore to catch a snapper is beyond me.


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## capt mike (Oct 3, 2007)

*Private reefs*

I sell chicken coops and have for 16 years. As far as the notion of the public reefs always having great fish on them, I guess my idea of great fish in staggering numbers is different than Snapper Slapper. The public reefs getting hammered and the fish quality going to *** in a hand basket has sold thousands of reefs for me in the past!! All those fishermen and women can't be wrong!!


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## SouthAlabamaSlayer (Oct 13, 2011)

capt mike said:


> I sell chicken coops and have for 16 years. As far as the notion of the public reefs always having great fish on them, I guess my idea of great fish in staggering numbers is different than Snapper Slapper. The public reefs getting hammered and the fish quality going to *** in a hand basket has sold thousands of reefs for me in the past!! All those fishermen and women can't be wrong!!


What do you charge for something of this nature?


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## capt mike (Oct 3, 2007)

*reefs*

Swander
Maybe those pyramids were to close in to shore but I am surprised there aren't hundreds of fish on it. The growth on the reef looks great something is wrong those snapper were small and the population of the reef looked bad. Maybe somebody found it and cleaned it off as evidenced by the beer can laying on the bottom close to the reef.:001_huh:


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## swander (Dec 1, 2007)

capt mike said:


> Swander
> Maybe those pyramids were to close in to shore but I am surprised there aren't hundreds of fish on it. The growth on the reef looks great something is wrong those snapper were small and the population of the reef looked bad. Maybe somebody found it and cleaned it off as evidenced by the beer can laying on the bottom close to the reef.:001_huh:


Capt. Mike. That is a public reef that gets hit alot. My son and his friend had just dove it before me and shot 4 ARS all around 20 lbs. there were two more pyrs within 100 ft. and there were huge schools of snapper swimming from pry to pry. you just had to sit and wait. They would come in like ducks on a pond!! My intent was to show a pry in close that has been there for almost 10 years. If I could afford it, I would have some deployed in a heart beat. Here is another site off of Pensacola. Public site. Just a couple years old.





More of the same(public)! Check out the quallity fish at the very end of video!


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## capt mike (Oct 3, 2007)

*reefs*

I must say my first instinct in the first video was why waste the air to shoot small fish like that but even more important the volume of fish versus the sizable amount of structure. On private coops the amount of fish is usually not in the hundreds but a thousand at and circling the reef. Therefore theres no need to cover the ground that you had to cover to find eligible fish. I wish I knew how to post pictures or video as over the years I have both. I don't dive myself but have many customers and friends that do. If you go to u tube The Emerald Coast Reef Association (ECRA Destin) have been customers of mine for years and they have video of coop reefs posted and on their website in the photo section I have pics that they put on there of the masses of fish on my personal reefs and some really big snapper grouper and triggers that inhabit them. As far as the second video again the fish volume isn't there and the 2 fish you shot are good fish but they were few and far between. I am not trying to boast or offend you but would love to let you ease over on one of my 50-60 foot reefs as you roll out you will be surrounded by hundreds of fish and not all snapper. I catch lots of Cobia on these reefs which I add to stuff that I have learned in my 16-17 years of reef building brings other species that feed and live there.I have had friends try to video in shallow (50) water and the fish were so thick that they obscured the light making filming impossible. The other thing is how often and how much you take off these reefs its like farming you pick it but don't kill it.


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## Matt09 (Jun 6, 2008)

SnapperSlapper said:


> Private reefs are a waste of money. All the snapper you want are at the Liberty Ships and the Bridge Rubble. Why people want to run more than 12 miles offshore to catch a snapper is beyond me.


:no:
If you like big fish, then private reefs are not a waste of money. I couldnt even buy a snapper of bridge rubble this year btw. Those spots were hammered, and always are every snapper season.


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## tbyrd212 (Jul 29, 2012)

*Private reefs well woryh the money*

Private reefs are well worth the cash if you like to catch bigger fish than your buddy!!!!!!!!! Here is a few pics of some trips this year from me and a friends boats. All off private reefs between 8-15 miles off the beach..


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## capt mike (Oct 3, 2007)

*Reefs*

Thanks Matt!
Just got back off a great trip where in 270 feet of water (coops 4) with fads I caught Gags to 35 pounds,scamp to 17 pounds,Amberjack (released) to 40 pounds and the bonus fish was a 35 pound Bigeye tuna. Since I was running the boat I have no pics but we all had a great day. Any reef that has a fad above it will surprise you with the different species that it holds. We vented and thru back triggers to 8 pounds- don't know if they made it but my product works. Nuff said!! Graet day on the water!!:yes::yes::yes:


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## SouthAlabamaSlayer (Oct 13, 2011)

capt mike, how much do these coops cost?


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## Wharf Rat (Sep 27, 2007)

capt mike - stop bragging long enough to share with us how we can use your services for deploying these reefs??


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## capt mike (Oct 3, 2007)

*coop reefs*

Reefs consist of 2 coops welded together deployed with permit paid for Total $650.00. Fads are $100 each.
You can contact me at [email protected]


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## waterninja (Jul 31, 2012)

As far as reefs moving, I built some for myself and deployed them via the legal permit process. They were only the min weight I think it was #150lbs. I put those down back in 2007 and they are still there. They are in 110' of water. I was out of town for a couple of years so I don't know if we had some tuff storms or not, but I was happy to see them still there on my sonar when I came back. I welded a rebar harness on the top so if I ever thought they were comprimised, I could easily hook up and move them a little. I used a pontoon barge to transport most of them, but some of them I just droped of my 20' center console. I built a wood platform on the front and back to protect the boat.

I have made many dives on different public florida specials. They do hold good fish, but not like stuff that has light pressure.


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## ryanbr (Oct 10, 2007)

All right Mike, enough excuses!!!!! In the digital camera age it's a sin not to document those fish, if nothing else for your customers. At least before you clean em. And as for private reefs.............they are where most fish are caught. The only problem is that the amount of open area to dump ought to be flip-flopped with the area that's off limits. Private reefs are everywhere with almost no negative impacts!!!!!!!!! As for the guy who thinks private reefs are a waste. Many public reefs do hold fish and are worth all the effort the county has made to put them out. But you haven't experienced anything until you're down on a small private reef that has literally hundreds of fish looking at you from several feet away, coming to you, curious about what you are. And you dont have to swim your but off to shoot fish. You just sit on the bottom and pick off what you want. Awesome!!!!


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## Bryson13 (Apr 22, 2008)

I talked with Mike last night for about an hour. Great guy. I got lots of information from him and he answered every question I had. I was up front about what I want. Just some reefs to take my kids, friends and family to. If someone finds one then they find one. I'll put another out if I have to. I'm going to have him put 3 out for me w/FADs & I'm looking forward to taking my boys out to them next year.


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## swander (Dec 1, 2007)

Bryson13 said:


> I talked with Mike last night for about an hour. Great guy. I got lots of information from him and he answered every question I had. I was up front about what I want. Just some reefs to take my kids, friends and family to. If someone finds one then they find one. I'll put another out if I have to. I'm going to have him put 3 out for me w/FADs & I'm looking forward to taking my boys out to them next year.



Good for you!! Great decision! You will have great times and create many good memories with family and friends!! :thumbup:


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## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

capt mike said:


> Reefs consist of 2 coops welded together deployed with permit paid for Total $650.00. Fads are $100 each.
> You can contact me at [email protected]


 
You have no interest in selling just the coops to me, not welded together?


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