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Florida Gulfcoast Spearfishing Post here to discuss regional action or issues about spearing on Florida's Gulfcoast. |
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08-28-2018, 03:36 PM | #16 |
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 40
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?
The quantity of sharks out there is making spearfishing much less fun than it used to be. Am I the only one thinking this?
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08-28-2018, 05:25 PM | #17 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: st. petersburg,fl.
Posts: 2,221
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?
Fish Harvester, thanks for the very "interesting" report. Glad your friends retrieved your gun. Its kind of automatic for me to put my arm thru both bands on my gun with no shafts. Guess, everything happened too fast for you. Some guys put a lead weight on the gun butt or fill the handle with lead shot. What ever works best for the individual.
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08-29-2018, 05:17 AM | #18 |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 14
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?
sharpshooter
I usually put my arm through the band after the last shaft is shot but like a newbie, I let it go without thinking. It was a new gun so I was kind of getting to know it and I think that played a big part. I would rather have it float then sink. I have been spearing since the late 70's early 80's as an early teen/teen which makes the loss of the gun a big time embarrassment. I also had two PPD's with 5.56 rounds on the shoulder of my BC. I doubt they would have gone off without being shot from the gun so I did not even get them out. I have to say that everything happened really fast. My long description took way longer then the actual event. Ill chalk it up to a lesson learned and hopefully get better from it. |
08-29-2018, 09:53 AM | #19 |
The Ocean is Calling
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Jupiter, FL
Posts: 349
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?
FH, I know its a different game over on that coast but with the shark feeding operations and number of aggressive sharks here in Jupiter many of us dont even carry a stringer. Any fish small enough to go in the lobster bag does and anything big gets sent immediately to the surface on a carter float. I am not suggesting you guys change the way you do things over there but carrying a carter float with you to get a fish away from you in a sharky situation seems like a good way to avoid unwanted attention from grey suits. Of course this requires the boat up top to be following close enough to see your float and retrieve it quickly so it might not work for everyone's situation.
Last edited by SEA_ARCHER; 08-29-2018 at 10:43 AM. |
08-29-2018, 03:46 PM | #20 |
Dan MacMahon
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Hudson, Fl
Posts: 1,904
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?
Lift bagging your fish quickly up is certainly a valid option over here as well in some situations. Sometimes lift bagging the entire stringer of fish can help also.
A few suggestions I'd make would be to dive with a buddy as much as possible. Make sure the buddy understands the object is mutual support, not how far he can surface from you on the dive...Don't spend a long time on a spot but keep the dives shorter and hit more spots. Try to avoid long shots that will have a slightly hurt fish banging down the ledge and calling every Bull in the area to a feast. Certainly try to avoid redives on any spot where fish were speared. Use a fresh bullet in your PH on every trip, yes even if the one from last trip looks and feels ok. Your life is worth the $1 for a fresh bullet. If you dive with PH's and get involved in a tense situation, the number one thing is not to panic. Pick out the biggest problem and get a PH into him. Don't try for a perfect kill shot and a possible miss. Just stick it into something meaty and make sure it goes off.
__________________
If you stay in this sport, and really apply yourself , in 10 years you might be the diver you think you are today. Smart people realize they know very little. Stupid people think they know everything. |
08-29-2018, 07:11 PM | #21 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Palm Harbor, FL
Posts: 953
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?
I carry a 4' and 8' SMB. I've thought about sending my fish up with the 4 footer.
I don't know much about Carter bags, but Piranaha Dive MFG over in Lakeland sells 36" bags for around $25. https://www.piranhadivemfg.com/item/...tom-Type-12644 I know there's guys out there that drop their fish the moment they see a shark, as I've heard the stories, and my guess is there's probably quite a few guys doing this so while we don't have shark feeding operations over here, people spearing are feeding them, which may be worse. I haven't had to shoot a shark yet, but I can tell you I've got that PH to shaft tip down pretty quick. |
08-29-2018, 08:27 PM | #22 |
The Ocean is Calling
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Jupiter, FL
Posts: 349
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?
Carter's are not your typical SMB. They cost double that. I think I paid $54 for each of mine. They are very high quality and have a self venting valve. You can fill them as much as you want and they fill to max capacity and self vent as they shoot to the surface. Build quality is much better than any SMB I have ever seen. You can mouth inflate but I use a power inflater for ease and speed (In really fishy areas i carry up to 5 bags on a dive). You can use a brass clip on each one if you want to send fish up individually (clip to a gill raker), or you can use a mono stringer to send up miltiple fish at a time. Floats also work great when you get your limit of bugs on a dive and want to send your lobster bag to the top and continue spearfishing unencumbered by the bag. Of note is a carter float can take the place of your small SMB Not bright orange but yellow or fluorescent green with a reflective strip on the top. I haven't seen them in fluorescent orange but they might be available.
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08-30-2018, 04:41 AM | #23 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Palm Harbor, FL
Posts: 953
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?
That Carter bag sounds nice, still pretty pricey though, especially if you're going to buy several. The Hog ones are built the same way for half the price.
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08-30-2018, 06:07 AM | #24 |
The Ocean is Calling
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Jupiter, FL
Posts: 349
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?
I'll have to check out the hog bag. Thanks for the recommendation. Not sure if the 36 in would be enough but I see they make a 45 and a 72. Carter also makes a 72 and a 96 but they are $$$ if you are buying several. It only money right?? Most pieces of gear you have to evaluate cost based on how usefull each item is, how long it will last, etc. You also have to factor in space taken up on your rig and real life utility. Thats why most guys setups are all different. I have dove with commercial guys that go down with hardly anything like a ninja and guys that go down with tons of gear like an army ranger. Both guys produce.
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08-30-2018, 07:51 AM | #25 |
gangsta' speargun pioneer
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Fort Pierce, FL
Age: 67
Posts: 1,189
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?
Here's 48" w/dump valve for $24.95: https://www.leisurepro.com/p-blrdbs/...arker-buoy-smb
And the 60" version for $36.95: https://www.leisurepro.com/p-blrdbs6...reef-6183m-smb Both come with a POS plastic clip, cut it off, add your own clip and you're good to go. Just a couple more options ...
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When you're arguing with a fool, make sure he isn't doing the same thing. Fishing is like sex, you don't have to be good at it to enjoy it. |
08-30-2018, 09:45 PM | #26 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Crystal river
Posts: 21
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?
Went to the grounds last week Friday n satyrday Dove a huge reck jn 130 ft all brocken down metal going every direction, full of mangs n grouper. 3 goliaths n 15 to 18 sharks on the way back to boat, buddy n I hit 80 ft n hes out of air. We blow my computers stop n go th 26 ft or abouts, We empty mine . sharks all around, we did lunge at close sharks. But Yes more sharks than in many years past. Computer errored out, I didn't have a problem.
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08-31-2018, 06:35 AM | #27 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: st. petersburg,fl.
Posts: 2,221
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?
Quote:
Last edited by sharpshooter; 08-31-2018 at 11:18 AM. |
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09-01-2018, 08:47 AM | #28 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: West Coast FL
Posts: 604
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?
Fish Harvester,
Thank you for posting the story. Appreciated, as well is the meaningful replies from Dan and everyone else. Glad you got your gun back and kept your fish. Appreciate you sharing your honest account of your emotional experience which in my opinion can only come from Spearfishing experience, training, self awareness and statistical awareness. |
09-18-2018, 12:51 PM | #29 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Panama City, FL
Posts: 193
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?
Reading through all this, and see the talk of lift bags for the fish. For the last few months I have been using small lift bags from a company called "Toothless Life" They have a lift bag system with up to 6 bags and an inflator hose that makes it super easy to send fish up. The whole package doesn't take up a lot of room, or seem to get in the way while diving. If you do a lot of live boating, you might look into them.
Stephen |
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