# Dive Video: Jor Patti Barge



## WhackUmStackUm (Jan 31, 2010)

I took my kids out to the new Joe Patti Reef today. Here is what it looks like on the bottom.


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## sharkrider (Dec 14, 2009)

Nice video. Good to see the a lot of small fish. That means soon there will be some big ones too. Time to get my gear wet, been dry too long.


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## DaveS (Aug 5, 2013)

Very, Very nice video. May I ask what was up with all the plaques? Sponsors?

Dave


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## Lexcore (May 5, 2012)

DaveS said:


> Very, Very nice video. May I ask what was up with all the plaques? Sponsors?
> 
> Dave


 More like things to get your line tangle up in when fishing that wreck! :yes: Fishing are going run around them and there goes a lot of tackle and money :yes: so be ready to loose some tackle when the fish show up. all that stuff is pretty but will make a angler very upset when fishing Joe Patty art covered wreck! :whistling:


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## DaveS (Aug 5, 2013)

Lexcore said:


> More like things to get your line tangle up in when fishing that wreck! :yes: Fishing are going run around them and there goes a lot of tackle and money :yes: so be ready to loose some tackle when the fish show up. all that stuff is pretty but will make a angler very upset when fishing Joe Patty art covered wreck! :whistling:


That's exactly what I thought when I seen that!

Dave


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## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

Lexcore said:


> More like things to get your line tangle up in when fishing that wreck! :yes: Fishing are going run around them and there goes a lot of tackle and money :yes: so be ready to loose some tackle when the fish show up. all that stuff is pretty but will make a angler very upset when fishing Joe Patty art covered wreck! :whistling:


I believe the barge is more of a dive site for recreational divers. Shallow and safe.


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## Telum Pisces (Sep 27, 2007)

Ocean Master said:


> I believe the barge is more of a dive site for recreational divers. Shallow and safe.


Yes, they didn't put all the signs on there for fishermen. It's something to look at underwater. This area lacks in good shallow water sites to dive. There are plenty of other public fishing sites that are better suited for fishing. This thing will definately snag some tackle. So I would advise that divers make sure that their knives are sharp to cut the mono off them while down there.


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## Lexcore (May 5, 2012)

Telum Pisces said:


> Yes, they didn't put all the signs on there for fishermen. It's something to look at underwater. This area lacks in good shallow water sites to dive. There are plenty of other public fishing sites that are better suited for fishing. This thing will definately snag some tackle. So I would advise that divers make sure that their knives are sharp to cut the mono off them while down there.


True That Telum Pisces True that! :thumbsup:


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## flappininthebreeze (Jul 13, 2009)

*Patti reef*



Lexcore said:


> More like things to get your line tangle up in when fishing that wreck! :yes: Fishing are going run around them and there goes a lot of tackle and money :yes: so be ready to loose some tackle when the fish show up. all that stuff is pretty but will make a angler very upset when fishing Joe Patty art covered wreck! :whistling:


This reef has such clearly defined edges, it should be a piece of cake to work the fringes of the site. That's where the keeper fish will be anyway. If you work the fringe, 10-20 feet offsite, you will avoid entanglement, and catch better fish. The real trick is going to be not losing an anchor, for most folks, who will run up on the published numbers and drop the hook. It's going to be sad to see the artwork get wrecked by careless anchoring. Just my $0.02.


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## flappininthebreeze (Jul 13, 2009)

*Patti Reef*



WhackUmStackUm said:


> I took my kids out to the new Joe Patti Reef today. Here is what it looks like on the bottom.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sel9dyV9QEQ


Nice work, WhackUm. I think those large deck holes are gonna surprise someone soon, when they drop in and find a big Goliath grouper under there. Fun stuff.:thumbup:


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## HaoleByTheSea (Oct 24, 2012)

Yup, that is the same green water I dove in the weekend before last... dis haole no mo on da aina (translated from pidgin to "I'm not in Hawaii no more"). Thanks WhackUm!


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## DAWGONIT (Jan 16, 2009)

thanks for sharing in the underwater view!


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## spinfactor (Sep 22, 2013)

would be nice if Mr. Pattie could create another close in to shore or other companies would follow his lead and help the local economy. God only knows so many of them have taken from the community. 

Thanks Mr. Pattie!!!


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

That Barge was sitting in Bayou Chico for years rusting away. Thank the reef committee for removing it and making a reef out of it. AS for more you got acres of it within a quarter mile of that Patti Barge. Thanks to Robert Turpin.


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## Firefishvideo (Jul 1, 2010)

sealark said:


> That Barge was sitting in Bayou Chico for years rusting away. Thank the reef committee for removing it and making a reef out of it. AS for more you got acres of it within a quarter mile of that Patti Barge. Thanks to Robert Turpin.


Yes, we do have quite a few reef modules near there now. I dove a few of them about a month ago....and they were supporting a nice population of small trigger and snapper. I was glad to see that the lionfish had not set up residence there yet.

As for the Joe Patti reef ....it was good to get the support from the reef committee. 
The actual work was done by the Patti shipyard. The Patti family footed some huge bills for the prep....including weeks of labor by a large crew. Also donated by the Patti family was the tons of 1/2 inch thick stainless material for the artwork.
I know that this project cost them many times what they thought it would due to some unforeseen problems......but they pushed through and gave pensacola a great gift.
FyI ...the reef committee actually tried to block the deployment of this reef at one point. I'm glad they were able to find common ground.....Alabama wanted to buy it to put down in their waters......but the Patti family wanted it here.
I believe that the money from the plaques that were sold was donated to the reef committee as well.


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

Thanks Firefish, I didn't know that about Patti I had surveyed that barge for Runyan's shipyard many years ago to remove it. It was in bad shape then I can imagine what it took to float it. I would also guess that the barge HAD to be removed but not sure about that and don't really care. It has already gotten some nice fish on it I dove it 3 day ago and it will be an anchor and line hanger. Did you see the two massive anchors from the barge on it?


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## Firefishvideo (Jul 1, 2010)

sealark said:


> Thanks Firefish, I didn't know that about Patti I had surveyed that barge for Runyan's shipyard many years ago to remove it. It was in bad shape then I can imagine what it took to float it. I would also guess that the barge HAD to be removed but not sure about that and don't really care. It has already gotten some nice fish on it I dove it 3 day ago and it will be an anchor and line hanger. Did you see the two massive anchors from the barge on it?


I haven't been on it since the sink day....need to get back over there to shoot some video of life on it:thumbsup:

When they started prepping the barge at Patti Shipyard they had it floating with a few trash pumps running. They ran into real problems when they put it in the mud at Joe Patti Seafood's dock. Evidently there was an old piling still there that no-one knew about.....and it stuck through the hull.
Long story short.....they couldn't keep it floating after that - so they had to order a special pond liner that they put under the entire hull. It took 10 guys...10 hours...a crane + 4 boats to do it. It floated fine after that - piling and all!
They had to remove the tarp at the reef site...thankfully the current helped out. The upstream edge was dropped into the water.....and the whole thing was spit out the other side.
The whole process was pretty nerve wracking and no-one knew if the reef would ever make it to its intended spot until it did.
I know that Frank Patti had a local media company doing a documentary on it....hope it comes out - it has the potential to be pretty entertaining!


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

There's no way that was the barge I surveyed years ago. It was in worse condition than that one. The one I surveyed is probably still there as a small pile of rust chunks. With this cold snap I will guess maybe a grouper(east end) and some small AJs.


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## spinfactor (Sep 22, 2013)

Should be some fish on it now huh? Anyone looked lately?


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## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

Still to early no bait a week ago. with this water close to 70 it wont be long. But don't count on catching a lot of fish on it as it gets dove almost every day the weather is doable to get out to it with charters or just divers.


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