# WTB a few private numbers



## myths

dont get out much once a month if lucky but no luck at public numbers, would like to buy a few private numbers so when i go out i can get what im looking for, inshore or offshore. you wouldnt have to worry about your numbers getting over fished in the last year ive been out 5 times. once this year sofar.


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## 24ft fishmaster

I went out to a spot i paid to deploy, last Sunday never seen a boat on it in 7 years till last year ,Sunday there was 5 boats sitting on 2 little coops .Goodluck


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## kanaka

If you're not catching on public numbers, can you be sure you're going to catch on private numbers?
Anyways here's some for sale. http://www.strikelinescharts.com/
Good luck.


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## chaps

"Private numbers" are no guarantee either. I recommend uploading all the public spots and jump around until you find a bite.


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## 192

24ft fishmaster said:


> I went out to a spot i paid to deploy, last Sunday never seen a boat on it in 7 years till last year ,Sunday there was 5 boats sitting on 2 little coops .Goodluck


I can't imagine how that happened. Such a damn shame.


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## stc1993

I wonder? Like finding a needle in a haystack.


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## Flounderpounder

I have a few. BUT... they were given to me under penalty of death if I shared them...sorry. Not ready to die.


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## Burnt Drag

Originally Posted by 24ft fishmaster View Post
I went out to a spot i paid to deploy, last Sunday never seen a boat on it in 7 years till last year ,Sunday there was 5 boats sitting on 2 little coops 

I'll tell you what most likely happened... There is a gentleman (who is really not) who finds people's spots with his side scan towfish, sonar. And he sells the locations for cash. 
His name is known... and I can tell you this, if he tries that in Alabama, he'll likely never be found or heard from again.


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## Play'N Hooky Too

:beer::watching:


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## bigrick

The great what's legal and what's ethical debate is about to commence......


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## Splittine

I find 2-3 new spots everytime I run in the Gulf. Watch your bottom machine and mark the numbers. You'd be amazed what you can find just running from public spot to public spot.


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## bigrick

troll in those big boxes marked on your GPS
(fish havens) . Guarantee you will find some stuff. I've caught more fish on stuff I've found than what I actually went to fish on more than 1 trip.


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## floorman1

That's funny my son and I trolled to the west a few weeks ago till we found a great spot. After fishing for an hour I had a guy literally pull 10 ft off my stearn. So I struck up a conversation. He acted a little pissy cause we were fishing there and told me he paid to have that spot deployed and planned on fishing it today.i told him they were biting pretty good and I wished him luck and shrugged it off as we caught our limit right in front of him. Watching your bottom machine turns private spots into your spots.


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## capt mike

*He's being watched and followed.*

Thats right. I agree with Burnt Drag. :whistling::whistling::whistling::whistling:


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## Ocean Master

I had 4 spots put out 2 years ago and have only checked them. This year we will fish them unless they were stolen and sold.


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## FleaBag

Burnt Drag said:


> Originally Posted by 24ft fishmaster View Post
> I went out to a spot i paid to deploy, last Sunday never seen a boat on it in 7 years till last year ,Sunday there was 5 boats sitting on 2 little coops
> 
> I'll tell you what most likely happened... There is a gentleman (who is really not) who finds people's spots with his side scan towfish, sonar. And he sells the locations for cash.
> His name is known... and I can tell you this, if he tries that in Alabama, he'll likely never be found or heard from again.


Here comes the legal. I don't approve of what he is doing, however burnt drag might want to re phrase his threat or he might find himself needing representation. Just saying.


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## captken

*That's what is wrong with our fishing.*

Give/sell a location? Kinda stupid if you ask me. State/County giving out the location of public sites seems wrong to me. Let people find them on their own. 
The more people fishing a spot, the fewer fish on it. Fish don't stay on a spot as fishing pressure increases, they get caught. They don't move. 

I believe divers screw up spots worse than line fishermen. My reasoning behind this is, I fish an are that is almost always very murky. Most spots hold fish well. In clearer water spear fishing cleans them off.

Lets go back to LORAN A and older paper machines. In 5 years, we could go back to no limits and only real fishermen caught fish every trip.

Off P'cola the Casino rubble reef was not marked but pretty easy to find. Try to find the Russian Freighter without electronics. You'd better have your "ship" together. There are dozens of spots between P'cola and Navarre that I could find on just about any clear day with shoreline ranges and my old Benmar DF.

When I left Ft. Walton, I gave my range book to the dad of one of my students. I had no idea that fishing pressure and electronics would do what they have done.

On the rocky coastline where I live now, there would be lots of "no fishing" days due to fog if electronics were degraded. Betcha more folks would have perfectly calibrated compasses and have a stop watch hung around their neck.

Even without modern electronics, the "Good "ole days" were fantastic. I didn't always come in with a full box but, most of the time I did far better than is possible today. Go back and look at the old posts mentioning "Rusty's Rendevouz." Lord, we had good fishing and good times back then.

I often say this prayer at night: "Thank you God for allowing me to grow old yet still remember the GOOD OLE DAYS."


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## floorman1

*Yep*



Splittine said:


> I find 2-3 new spots everytime I run in the Gulf. Watch your bottom machine and mark the numbers. You'd be amazed what you can find just running from public spot to public spot.


Then your a thief for stealing someone's numbers. I do the same thing troll and find spots to fish. No one has ever given me any numbers besides public stuff. But my waypoint list grows everyday I'm on the water. why people think that is wrong I don't understand. I don't even know what's down there at half the places I fish just shows good marks so we try them.


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## Best Defense

Haters gonna hate ...


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## lastcast

Sounds like the "big boat" to "little boat" threat. Sort of funny.


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## captken

*Finding "private spots. Legitimate or illegitimate?*

If you find somebody's "Private" spot while trolling or just looking, good deal. You got lucky with good equipment.

Running up to someone sitting on a spot and marking it, you are an asshole. One of our local charter captains said, "I have a spot in that area and I wanted to see if you were sitting on it." He hit his save button and went on his way.

Modern Radar with GPS interface has made "stealing numbers" even easier. Night or day, if you are fishing one of your "private numbers" it is in jeopardy if someone less than ethical has the good equipment. Some of the guys who often won or placed real high in the Destin Rodeo get hounded unmercifully. That just ain't right. It affects the captains livelihood and the quality of that day's clients trip.

Yeah, I am one of the guys who advocates "Horse Whipping" as an alternative to prison for lots of crimes. Horse whips are a cheap and effective deterrent to crime. I'm talking about an old fashioned "Flogging" the way they did it on old British Naval vessels.


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## Orion45

captken said:


> ....I believe divers screw up spots worse than line fishermen. My reasoning behind this is, I fish an are that is almost always very murky. Most spots hold fish well. In clearer water spear fishing cleans them off....


Your comment about divers and murky/clear water pretty much tells me you're clueless about spearfishing and its effects on a reef/spot.

Divers, unlike fishermen, can target fish that are in season and are of legal size...just like hunters. Also, divers don't feed undersized/out of season fish to Flipper or throw them back with bulging eyes and/or stomachs protruding through their mouths. Do you have any stats on the mortality rate of released fish?


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## captken

*I'm not clueless but I defer to your diving experience.*

Back when I was diving, there were no size limits so no "throw backs." I haven't had a tank on my back in years but I've been "boat sitter" and seen lots of speared fish "released" because they were too short. Most of the time, the fish were mighty close. With the 24" limit on Gag Grouper, I'm sure there will be lots of throwbacks. A fish that is speard and then strung through the eyes ain't gonna make it.

The murky water I fish, fishing is less than 30 feet deep so we don't see bulging eyes. I've used circle hooks for Grouper bottom fishing 100% of the time for close to 65 years. I doubt if more than 2 or 3 in 100 die because of hook injury. I've had fish tear off a spear that may or may not die. I've caught many grouper with obvious spear wounds that were completely healed and sure didn't seem to impair their ability to feed themselves much.

Let's just say that there are more fish on the murky spots than on the clear water spots at least here. Divers shy from these spots because, feeling for fish and then shooting between your fingers is a little iffy. Honestly, my speargun has hit bottom before I could see bottom more than once. 2-3 foot viz don't get it for spear fishing.

Top to bottom viz in 20 feet is a rarity here but it does happen. Those days make free diving lots of fun.


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## Orion45

captken said:


> Back when I was diving, there were no size limits so no "throw backs." I haven't had a tank on my back in years but I've been "boat sitter" and seen lots of speared fish "released" because they were too short. Most of the time, the fish were mighty close. With the 24" limit on Gag Grouper, I'm sure there will be lots of throwbacks. A fish that is speard and then strung through the eyes ain't gonna make it.


It happens. The trick is to shoot only what you're sure will be legal when you surface. I have absolutely no problems surfacing without shooting a fish. 

I've also seen a lot of dead keeper snapper thrown back just because larger ones were caught later during the trip.

When I had my boat, once the fish went into the box, it stayed there...regardless of the larger one that was caught later. That one got released. 



captken said:


> The murky water I fish, fishing is less than 30 feet deep so we don't see bulging eyes. I've used circle hooks for Grouper bottom fishing 100% of the time for close to 65 years. I doubt if more than 2 or 3 in 100 die because of hook injury. I've had fish tear off a spear that may or may not die. I've caught many grouper with obvious spear wounds that were completely healed and sure didn't seem to impair their ability to feed themselves much.


Unless you try to spear a monster grouper that can break the shaft (usually at the point where the barb is pinned through the shaft) fish get off the spear for two reasons:

One, you shot from too far and the spear was not able to pierce the body or two, you gut shot it.

A gut shot results either because the diver is inexperienced or he rushed the shot.

On the other side of the coin, I've seen a lot of fishermen venting the fish by puncturing the stomach sticking out of tits mouth.

Neither is desirable. I just mentioned the latter to show that both fishermen and divers can act inappropriately.



captken said:


> Let's just say that there are more fish on the murky spots than on the clear water spots at least here. Divers shy from these spots because, feeling for fish and then shooting between your fingers is a little iffy. Honestly, my speargun has hit bottom before I could see bottom more than once. 2-3 foot viz don't get it for spear fishing.


Fish congregate on a reef or wreck...regardless of the visibility. The number of fish on a spot is inversely proportional to the number of people fishing that location...regardless whether they are line or spear fishermen.

I wouldn't classify 2-3' vis as murky..That's pretty much pea soup. :yes:


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## 2RC's II

Burnt Drag said:


> Originally Posted by 24ft fishmaster View Post
> I went out to a spot i paid to deploy, last Sunday never seen a boat on it in 7 years till last year ,Sunday there was 5 boats sitting on 2 little coops
> 
> I'll tell you what most likely happened... There is a gentleman (who is really not) who finds people's spots with his side scan towfish, sonar. And he sells the locations for cash.
> His name is known... and I can tell you this, if he tries that in Alabama, he'll likely never be found or heard from again.


Couple a things u don't put in writing because when you put it in writing it's there to refer back to forever. Just saying.


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## MrFish

Did anyone sell the OP some reef coordinates or just lecture him?


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## Burnt Drag

2RC's II said:


> Couple a things u don't put in writing because when you put it in writing it's there to refer back to forever. Just saying.


I don't fish, dock, or live in Alabama, I'm referring to the guys that have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for reefs and deployment of that some jack wagon comes along and steals so that he can enrich himself. :whistling:


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## kingfish501

Burnt Drag said:


> I don't fish, dock, or live in Alabama, I'm referring to the guys that have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for reefs and deployment of that some jack wagon comes along and steals so that he can enrich himself. :whistling:


Show me the deed to the water and bottom and I'll never find and fish your reef. HOWEVER, unless you own or leased that section of seabed, it doesn't matter if you spent 50 million deploying a reef...once it hits PUBLIC bottom, it is a public reef.

Three solutions...bid against oil and gas companies for a lease. Don't deploy anymore reefs. Deploy with the knowledge that as soon as that reef is dropped, it is no longer your private property.

See how easy that is?


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## 2RC's II

Burnt Drag said:


> I don't fish, dock, or live in Alabama, I'm referring to the guys that have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for reefs and deployment of that some jack wagon comes along and steals so that he can enrich himself. :whistling:


Well if someone paid "hundreds of thousands of dollars" to sink a spot in the gulf and I am quoting you on the amount then they r frickin out of their mind! Stock Market would be a better investment. RU for real!


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## markw4321

Sounds like some of ya"ll wouldn't think anything about 
climbing up in an empty deer stand and hunting it like it was your own.


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## sealark

Go find the spots, Pay for spots, Run on someone wave and take the numbers, spend the money and buy the latest equipment. It's all legal. All the old time rules are long gone due to the number of people involved in the industry commercial and recreational. Commercial is the only one completely regulated and controlled. Plus there is NO Commercial reef fishing in Florida waters.


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## kingfish501

markw4321 said:


> Sounds like some of ya"ll wouldn't think anything about
> climbing up in an empty deer stand and hunting it like it was your own.


Want to tell me how to tell your private piece of junk on the public bottom from any other pile of junk? So, mark...answer this. Can you go the Ferdinand Park, in downtown Pensacola, have a gazebo built...ON PUBLIC PROPERTY...and think it now belongs to you, personally?


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## markw4321

Show me where I stated that I or anybody else owned a deployed reef. I don't believe that is true.


What I do not personally like is someone that sells numbers to privately deployed reefs, in particular the selling of numbers in the approved reefing area. but I get it what I like or dislike doesn't mean squat.


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## FleaBag

what about the legality of hooking up and dragging said reef a few hundred yards in any direction? two private chicken cages chained together cant be that hard to move. I don't dive so it wouldn't have been me or hooking up to any county deployed public reef and drag it around in the legal dumping area. Food for thought and let the debate continue.


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## sealark

Chicken coups usually fall apart trying to move them. A pyramid is too heavy without floating it first. Why there are so many out there now. And if the law catches you you could be sighted for not having a permit.


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## FleaBag

Sounds like you speak from experience and I agree with all the above. Permit would be a big deal but what about salvage rights of the "private" spots deployed in non approved dumping areas. this debate is all hypothetical of course but as to the dude that sells them, is that legal based on the fact that either everybody owns them or nobody does? It would be like someone selling hunting spots on the Eglin Res made up of stands that were stolen out there to people who haven't a clue as to finding there own spot.


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## Deeplines

2RC's II said:


> Well if someone paid "hundreds of thousands of dollars" to sink a spot in the gulf and I am quoting you on the amount then they r frickin out of their mind! Stock Market would be a better investment. RU for real!


 
He said GUYS. That could mean 1,000 guys paid $200 apiece. That would be HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of dollars. Now if those same 1,000 guys only spent $199 then you could call him out and be correct because it would only be one HUNDRED THOUSAND. If the cheap bastards had all just spent $1 more apiece......:shifty::thumbup::whistling::laughing::blink::boxing::jester:


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## aqua-holic

FleaBag said:


> what about the legality of hooking up and dragging said reef a few hundred yards in any direction? two private chicken cages chained together cant be that hard to move. I don't dive so it wouldn't have been me or hooking up to any county deployed public reef and drag it around in the legal dumping area. Food for thought and let the debate continue.[/
> 
> I tried to move the Massachusetts with my anchor - it didn't work well - the next day it was still easy to find.


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