Finally, I get to put away the winter wetsuit! Temps were 68 up to 72.

Silent Killer and I went out and had a great time. We took turns doing drops (it is so tempting to both jump in, but...) and gave updated the other guy where the fish were. "Four groupers under the ledge left of the marker!". It would have been better for two divers to work together to round up the fish, but we still came back with coolers full of fish.

We did a couple of drops on a nice ledge about 23 miles out, then back to Big 10 for a couple drops. We ended up taking home grouper, snapper, triggerfish and lobster. A first for me- a got a double- I had dropped a snapper in the sand which got swarmed by triggerfish- when I wanted the big fat grouper to take a close look instead. So I lined up a shot on a big one- and got two on the shaft :thumbup: I am not happy about the number of lionfish- pretty soon it's going to screw up lobstering when you'll be scared to reach under ledges. I hate those illegal immigrants! :cussing:

Seas were a little choppy in the morning, but it ended up being 1-2ft seas on the way home. Vis was 40-50 further out, and about 25 on Big 10.

Thanks for a great day, SilentKiller!

BTW, I know, I know- no pictures, no proof- but we were so busy swapping out tanks and watching bubbles for the other, no time for pretty poses.

Sounds like you had a good trip. What part of Big 10 did you hit? Used to hammer 'em on the northern edge of it. Seemed to be more relief in that area too. The middle part used to get pounded by the perch jerkers, is it still? Anyway, enjoy your seafood buffet and take the time to thoroughly clean those triggers, they are pretty tasty!

Hit the S side of it as we were coming back from a place further out. I need to 'map' it because I've been there 3 times and haven't found the same spot twice. It's an impressive area.

I know people hate triggerfish- the smell (ask SilentKiller) and the cleaning (which is the easiest fish to clean if you have a pair of pliers), but I love the meat.

Any recommendations for other live bottom out that way, Legend?

Unfortunately no. The colleague whom I was going with was, how shall I say, very private about his dive spot #'s and I never pushed the issue. All I know is on the north end. Did see a school of triggers light up a guy too!

Arent the lionfish and unregulated species? Sounds to me like you should take a pole spear and have a slay fest...

Yes indeed, if one is bobbing around in a 4 foot sea on the border line of talking to Ralph (after making an ill advised trip into the cabin that hasn't been cleaned since the previous October and smells worse than a public bathroom after a mid August NASCAR race weekend), fighting off the yawns staring desperately at the horizon in hopes of beating that feeling of complete nauseau that surpasses even a morning after a losing battle with Jose Ceurvo knowing that it is hopeless and only a matter of a few brief moments, the smell of a few triggers being tossed on the deck is a 100% guaranteed, lock of all locks, bet the house that there will be a spearo hanging over the side in violent gullet wrenching spasms with a burning throat from those damned stomach acids and nostrils flaring from the stench of your own bile. But alas, all is not lost, when all is spilled into the mighty sea and nothing but a few miserable moments of the dry heaves remain to signal a weakened soul that it is about to all end. And then the mighty spearo shakes it off, downs a few red stripes and gets his ass back to the bottom where the world is as tranquil as the dark side of the moon.

p.s. Anyone wish to join my class action suit against those fuckers who make Bonine?

Silent, that was the most eloquent description of blowing chunks I've ever read. And I agree, Bonine is worse than useless. Just taking it makes me start to feel queasy.

Yes indeed, if one is bobbing around in a 4 foot sea on the border line of talking to Ralph (after making an ill advised trip into the cabin that hasn't been cleaned since the previous October and smells worse than a public bathroom after a mid August NASCAR race weekend), fighting off the yawns staring desperately at the horizon in hopes of beating that feeling of complete nauseau that surpasses even a morning after a losing battle with Jose Ceurvo knowing that it is hopeless and only a matter of a few brief moments, the smell of a few triggers being tossed on the deck is a 100% guaranteed, lock of all locks, bet the house that there will be a spearo hanging over the side in violent gullet wrenching spasms with a burning throat from those damned stomach acids and nostrils flaring from the stench of your own bile. But alas, all is not lost, when all is spilled into the mighty sea and nothing but a few miserable moments of the dry heaves remain to signal a weakened soul that it is about to all end. And then the mighty spearo shakes it off, downs a few red stripes and gets his ass back to the bottom where the world is as tranquil as the dark side of the moon.

p.s. Anyone wish to join my class action suit against those fuckers who make Bonine?

Burning throat, nausea, flaring nostrils, stench of bile, dry heaves.......sounds more like a description of a bad jenkem hit to me...........:whistle: