Well hell. i will start it off. I have been freediving out of hudson every weekend and there are definately grouper to be had. The vis has been top to bottom, errr well, top to bottom in 15 ft or less. Two weeks ago I stoned a 35lb cobia (my first), and took a limit of grouper, the biggest at 16lbs. The shallows are definately worth a look at and the gas bill is real easy on he wallet. Well thats that and I will give a report after this weekends diving.

Cheers, Alvyn

Alvyn,

I live right down the road from you in Beacon Woods East. I hit a few of those spots my self and they have been productive. Give me a shout if you ever need a dive buddy.

- Cordes
813-277-4202

I have been hitting those shallow spots for years, also. Do you think if you keep taking "a limit of grouper" off those shallow spots that the fish will always be there? If ten spearos learn from your thread and start going there taking a limit of grouper do you think the fish will always be there? You know those rockpiles are smaller than say the ones in 27ft. and 35ft. Instead of giving the fish away, and filling the freezer full, why don't you just pick out a nice one, take it, go eat it, and know there are plenty left for your next trip? Broaden your horizons, get better at freediving, go spear deeper water to take your limit of fish. Those shallow spots can't handle too much pressure - there's not many fish on them to begin with. And in all my years of doing this, most of my shark encounters have been in those shallow spots - be careful!

I hear you on the sharks, I have seen a couple mid sized bulls and one BIG ass 12ft Hammer a couple weeks ago. We typically take a couple off the short stuff and then move out to 18ft and so on. The most I have pulled of the really shallow stuff is 3fish,, but I got two in one shot;):D

Well hell. i will start it off. I have been freediving out of hudson every weekend and there are definately grouper to be had. The vis has been top to bottom, errr well, top to bottom in 15 ft or less. Two weeks ago I stoned a 35lb cobia (my first), and took a limit of grouper, the biggest at 16lbs. The shallows are definately worth a look at and the gas bill is real easy on he wallet. Well thats that and I will give a report after this weekends diving.

Cheers, Alvyn


Thanks Alvyn,
The reports from that area seem to be mixed this summer. Some friends of mine are just crushing the fish one week and then hardly anything the next week.

Rich, let me know if you want to try out the shallow stuff! The fish seem to be moving a lot, but not very far.

Rich, let me know if you want to try out the shallow stuff! The fish seem to be moving a lot, but not very far.

Will do! I usually dont start diving up there until the water cools though.
Ive been well offshore the last 10 weekends in a row including a few weekdays.
Diving in 20 feet is going to seem like diving in a bathtub!:D

Rich, It has been really good up here lately. I have had the best luck by finding the smallest rock piles I can find. This weekend was not as productive for grouper, the water was 91 degrees, but we did find plenty of flounder up to 5lbs.

bathtub is right, I think I had sweatbeads inside my mask :eek:

Will do! I usually dont start diving up there until the water cools though.
Ive been well offshore the last 10 weekends in a row including a few weekdays.
Diving in 20 feet is going to seem like diving in a bathtub!:D

Will do! I usually dont start diving up there until the water cools though.
Ive been well offshore the last 10 weekends in a row including a few weekdays.
Diving in 20 feet is going to seem like diving in a bathtub!:D

It was a bit hot and the fish seem to be bunched up. Most rocks are empty but some are loaded! Most of the fish seem to be on the rocks that are fresh water seeps. The water temp is much lower on them.


Alvyn, nice work on the flounder brother. We didn't see any out there. Where you around the normal shallow stuff?

Hey, Gamble, nice to hear someone else talk about sharks around Hudson shallow water. When did you see the hammerhead, that was a large one! I was thinking maybe I'm the only shark magnet in that area. There seems to be some newbies in that area now, and dealing with sharks in shallow water is not the same as in deeper water, that's for sure. Hey, I have taken two keepers with one shot, too, that is great, huh. The 18ft. stuff had no viz last weekend, but 25ft. and beyond was OK, except at the end of the low. Thanks for the reply...

I saw the HH about two weeks ago. I had just thumped a 28" ish fish and he swam right under me and picked him up, shook it off the shaft and swam up to me. I was on top and he roller on his side to give me a look. After he decided I wasn't lunch he just continued to check out the rocks. I followed hum for about 5 min. and decided I was pushing my luck.

Where do you leave out of? Let me know if you ever have an open spot, freedivers don't take up much room and we make great bottom checkers!:D

I have been hitting those shallow spots for years, also. Do you think if you keep taking "a limit of grouper" off those shallow spots that the fish will always be there? If ten spearos learn from your thread and start going there taking a limit of grouper do you think the fish will always be there? You know those rockpiles are smaller than say the ones in 27ft. and 35ft. Instead of giving the fish away, and filling the freezer full, why don't you just pick out a nice one, take it, go eat it, and know there are plenty left for your next trip? Broaden your horizons, get better at freediving, go spear deeper water to take your limit of fish. Those shallow spots can't handle too much pressure - there's not many fish on them to begin with. And in all my years of doing this, most of my shark encounters have been in those shallow spots - be careful!

Dude, How do you know I take a limit every week? I flattered you think Im that good, but I am not. Do you have any idea how many shallow spots there are between hudson and bayport? I normally find two to three new numbers EVERY weekend out there. I have been diving these areas for a few years and I know what to leave behing for another day :D:D.

As far as getting better, I do go out to the 35 ft stuff, I just see no need to, when I can rape and pillage all your spots :D

It was a bit hot and the fish seem to be bunched up. Most rocks are empty but some are loaded! Most of the fish seem to be on the rocks that are fresh water seeps. The water temp is much lower on them.


Alvyn, nice work on the flounder brother. We didn't see any out there. Where you around the normal shallow stuff?

We were a few miles north of the normal shallow stuff

Got it, thx.

[QUOTE=Gamble;1722]It was a bit hot and the fish seem to be bunched up. Most rocks are empty but some are loaded! Most of the fish seem to be on the rocks that are fresh water seeps. The water temp is much lower on them.


Gamble, Thats funny that you mention the fresh water seeps.. This weekend , on certain rock piles, I could feel nice temperature drops. I was thinking it could be springs. but never gave it much thought. Now I know.

I have also noticed that the piles are either loaded up, or barren.

[QUOTE=Gamble;1722]It was a bit hot and the fish seem to be bunched up. Most rocks are empty but some are loaded! Most of the fish seem to be on the rocks that are fresh water seeps. The water temp is much lower on them.


Gamble, Thats funny that you mention the fresh water seeps.. This weekend , on certain rock piles, I could feel nice temperature drops. I was thinking it could be springs. but never gave it much thought. Now I know.

I have also noticed that the piles are either loaded up, or barren.

You can also tell because the water seems to have a weird wave to it. As the fresh asnd salt mix it looks a little weird. We hit 3-4 piles before we found the fish.

Yea, we hit five piles then searched for a few new ones. With the water clarity this good, it sure makes it easy to find new spots.

You are right, Gamble, freedivers don't take up much room. Freediving is all we do, anymore, so you would be welcome with us! The taxman gave you the evil eye alright, they are so ugly when you have a grouper on you, right? When they just fastpass you they are beautiful! I took a 30 in. grouper in 20ft. on Sun., then he came off on the way up, got loose, swam away. I go down on everyrock looking for him to be holed up. My girlfriend screams at me, I haulass to her, she is looking at my grouper upside down, five foot underwater! I get my grouper in the boat, while a dolphin swims within three foot of my girlfriend's fins. Think it was coming for my floating grouper? Anyway, we could have taken five like that, only took one...

Alvin, dude, you can laugh and joke about raping my spots, but they are not my spots, they are your spots, too. Think about it! In ten years I've watched those spots go from loads of fish to what you see today. In ten more years, you will be saying what I'm saying today. Don't take them for granted, they won't always be there. I remember when I never saw another spearfishermen in these areas, ever!

Alvin, dude, the viz sucks right now, you can't see ten foot horizontal - and there are sharks in that murky water right now!

Holpoker, I think your wrong about over fishing the shallow water grouper. The fact is that these fish move a lot more than most people think. I would think that with your experience you would agree with me on this. I've seen them stacked up like crazy one week and gone weeks later. Some years are really good in shallow, Some aren't. My point is that I think these are the same fish that out deeper at other times.

Alvin, dude, you can laugh and joke about raping my spots, but they are not my spots, they are your spots, too. Think about it! In ten years I've watched those spots go from loads of fish to what you see today. In ten more years, you will be saying what I'm saying today. Don't take them for granted, they won't always be there. I remember when I never saw another spearfishermen in these areas, ever!

Dude , I have been living up here for seven years now. I think I know how to manage our rockpiles without cleaning them out. You catch a report about limits of grouper in hudson and your flippin out, relax dude, its not as if I pinpointing a location for all. Yes, I took a limit, off of about seven different spots, fed my family when they came in town. I have personally only seen one other boat around that freeedives and that was Gamble. So duuude, chill out,
and leave your condecending attitude elsewhere :cool:.

If you must further discuss this PM me and I will give you my #.

Cheers Alvyn

Alvin, dude, the viz sucks right now, you can't see ten foot horizontal - and there are sharks in that murky water right now!

Oh all right, The vis sucks ass, there are no fish, and the sharks are thick as a bulls lug.:D

[QUOTE=Alvyn;1795]Oh all right, The vis sucks ass, there are no fish, and the sharks are thick as a bulls lug.:D[/QUOTe

:eek::)