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Headed out about 9 am with Frank Bradfield, his son and Greg. Checked Frank's stone crab traps on the way out and got 6 claws. Wind was howling out the Northwest and it was a little bumpy when got the first spot. Trolled over it and showed nothing and no bites. Second spot, same thing. Third spot same thing. Frank and I thought it was time to get a first hand look.

I let Frank check it out in his drysuit before I went in. He comes back a minute later and says there's a few so in I go.

Dropped right on the ledge and shoot a loan 15 pounder trying to sneak back under the ledge. The next 20 minutes would be spent mostly on my head, with my gun and light under the ledge, and digging grouper out.

There were so many grouper stacked like books under a ledge that nearly every shot Frank an I took ended with more than 1 fish on the spear.

We ended up taking 8 off the spot to 20 pounds. Frank's big fish was actually a fish the my friend Rick had shot and lost on our last trip (Econfina 11-26-2006). The spear shaft that hit the fish low in the back had completely healed up.

Water temp was 56°, and vis was easily 30 feet. No current to speak of.

Here is a pic of the biggest 4.

Nioce....

Some hefty fish.

Chalk wrote:Nioce....

Ditto

Y'all done good.

Cheaters

MudDucker wrote:Cheaters

Atta boy

Nice job, way to stick 'em in cold water

Tom:

Does this, at least partly, show that grouper stay in shallow, even in the winter, but just hide under the ledges and hardly move? And don't eat much and therefore aren't caught much on hook and line?

What does your experience show?

Thanks,

EJ

EddieJoe wrote:Tom:

Does this, at least partly, show that grouper stay in shallow, even in the winter, but just hide under the ledges and hardly move? And don't eat much and therefore aren't caught much on hook and line?

What does your experience show?

Thanks,

EJ

In my opinion that is EXACTLY what it shows. I dove 3 spots from 20-27 feet. There were lots of grouper on every spot. Every one of them was as far back under a ledge as possible. And no I didn't spook them in there. On all 3 spots I never saw a fish until I looked under the ledges.

These fish were cold and lethargic. I can't see any way you could have caught them on hook and line, except with extreme patience. All the fish we got had some kind of critter in their bellies, crabs mostly, so they do eat when it is cold. But how much is anyones guess.

sweet

Nice looking caps.. I mean fish!