May 21 and 23 DI

[boomhauer]

We first hit Lanark 630 last tue. A buddy with a sweet cape horn took me and two buddies out to 35-40 ft. After wearing out the grunts and bb, we hit the water. The vis was pretty good early and better late (just able to make out dark spots frOm surface. The fish were scattered, but we wound up with 8 or so nice hogs, 5-6 gags to 26", a couple triggers .....

Thursday we returned late morning to Lanark with my dad. Unfortunately, I have to get used to having xd 50 on hand for new etec. An hour later we had the boat wet. The seas were perfect and knowing the vis was gOod from tue, spirits were high. This trip was also semi old school... My fishfinder was down. We stayed in 35 ft or so all day and were at our first spot in a jiff. We zeroed the gps and caught some grunts so I figured we were close enough. Actually, we hit all four spots we dove without a ff. First spot was scattered and slow, but still managed a 22" snouter. Next spot was a short washed out ledge that produced 3 gags from 24 to 26" from way under ledge. Wished I had my light. After that dive we felt a little better.
Next dive my buddy went down on one of my favorite spots in same depth. It has a nice ledge to 4 ft with sOme caves and look throughs and always produces. His bubbles hardly moved suggesting he hit a nest of good fish. After about 20 min he surfaced and said "this dive is over" . Huh..... I thought you were into fish. "I was " but " there's a big shark down there. I pulled his 3 nice hogs into the boat and joked with him about being chicken and exaggerating sometimes..... Just then a legit 10 ft tiger appears next to the boat.... Which suddenly felt mighty small! We watched for a little while and fed it a grunt before it left..... No backdives here!
Final stop was on way in at a place we caught a few shorts trolling in the fall. I freedive to locate ledge for my buddy. There was a low relief edge near the anchor with a few fish around it so I followed it south. On the next time down I come up on what looked initially like a high part of the ledge, but was actually some type of artificial structure about the size of a car. There were gags in front of it so I came back to the boat so I wouldn't stir them up. My buddy went down and popped two female hogs to 20" (biggest inshore females I've seen) and finished our gag limit caped by a fat 28"er. He went on and on about all the gags still down there.
Overall, it was one of my most memorable days especially since my dad came along. His extra limit didn't hurt either.should have freedove more, but was kind of lazy.

Conditions are great right now..... Get after em!

[Salty Gator]

Nice report. I was considering getting certified soon to start spearfishing w a buddy. Reconsidering now.