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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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Old 08-23-2018, 06:42 AM   #1
sharpshooter
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Anybody been to the MG recently?

Now, that the SPO is over. Assumed some of you went there. Heard there's a major thermal in some areas dropping the temp. from 84F. to 72F..
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Old 08-23-2018, 08:08 AM   #2
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?

Pretty fishy....thermo in all areas...usually 84-76 drop. Average viz on bottom. Very very sharky, expect 1-5 per dive. Mostly Bull's.
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Old 08-23-2018, 12:40 PM   #3
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?

Like Dan said hit and miss on fish but sharkiest it has ever been. Thermocline dropped to either 75-72 depending on area and viz was hazy 20-30 on bottom. Blue clear water above thermo. We had multiple bulls on every dive that were very aggressive. Had a couple fish taken right before getting hands on shaft and fish by 7-9ft bulls.
They made it almost impossible to continue shooting fish. If something doesn't change with the crazy influx of sharks it will be impossible to safely shoot fish this time of year.

If you go good luck and be safe. Carry some sort of ppd for protection or your asking for trouble. If u are taking anybody that is not comfortable in water with sharks close up I suggest not going or bringing them. They will freak out or drop their fish. Which is the worst thing to do with a pack of bulls on you.
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Old 08-23-2018, 01:24 PM   #4
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?

It's a perfect storm. Commercial shark fishing almost non existent. Recreational shark fishing and shark tournaments almost non existent. Warming waters due to climate change. Major food groups such as AJ's and ARS very prolific due to decreased TAC's. New Bull shark nurseries being found where none existed before. etc.etc.

Sharks may indeed be in trouble around a lot of the planet but they're doing just fine in the Eastern GOM.

IMHO this is only the beginning of the Bull shark issue, when the increased amount of Bulls get busy making baby bulls, and they repeat the cycle over and over again, the amount of these things could easily double or triple or worse in just the next few years.
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Old 08-23-2018, 03:52 PM   #5
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?

I have a Shark Shield and it worked on my 4 day Dry Tortugas trip. Lots of sharks there too. I also, carry a 30-06 PPD. Thanks for the reports. Zack, how did your team do on the fish?
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Old 08-23-2018, 03:54 PM   #6
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?

"decreased TAC's"?
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Old 08-23-2018, 03:57 PM   #7
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?

Dan, I can remember there being sharks in the 80's diving. Then, with the commerical harvest of sharks jumped up. You could dive a lot in the summer and maybe see one shark. Those two lost and rescued RJ Thompson divers were probably scanning below the surface a lot. Don't know if they had spear guns, shark shield or not.
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Old 08-23-2018, 03:58 PM   #8
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Eibwen View Post
"decreased TAC's"?
Total Allowed Catch
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Old 08-24-2018, 07:26 AM   #9
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?

So you can't harvest them by spearing? Of course who the hell wants to line shaft a bull shark.

http://www.eregulations.com/florida/...twater/sharks/

I'm curious why no one is harvesting commercially. I'm sure their meat could be sold for animal feed, fins sold to Asians and hell, sell their jaws as trinkets. Their jaws appear to be going for $300-800 each depending on size.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...+jaws&_sacat=0

Too much work? No wholesale buyers? One bull might be a thousand dollar fish.
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Old 08-24-2018, 07:53 AM   #10
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?

Two years ago I saw more sharks on one dive than I had seen in the previous 5 years.
It’s like diving a Sharknado film set out there.
I do not see the need for two apex predators.
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Old 08-24-2018, 11:29 AM   #11
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?

Quote:
Originally Posted by CuzzA View Post
So you can't harvest them by spearing? Of course who the hell wants to line shaft a bull shark.

http://www.eregulations.com/florida/...twater/sharks/

I'm curious why no one is harvesting commercially. I'm sure their meat could be sold for animal feed, fins sold to Asians and hell, sell their jaws as trinkets. Their jaws appear to be going for $300-800 each depending on size.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...+jaws&_sacat=0

Too much work? No wholesale buyers? One bull might be a thousand dollar fish.
I was thinking the same thing. Curious why FWC allows spearing for some species and not others. Then again you'd have to get the powerhead in just the right spot. Of course post dive if they are there bringing them to surface and catching one H&L seems easier.
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Old 08-25-2018, 06:22 PM   #12
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?

Commercial fisherman friend of mine went out to the mg last week and said that it was almost a wasted trip. Too many sharks and had more productive numbers in closer.
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Old 08-28-2018, 12:02 PM   #13
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?

I was out in the Southern Grounds on the 18th of Aug and had an encounter.

It is kind of embarrassing. I was diving with a new gun for the first time and was not 100% used to it. It was 125 ft. The boat was mostly a fishing trip and I dove when the bite died to see what I could shoot. I got in and began my decent. Fish everywhere. I passed the AJ's and did not take a shot due to not really knowing how the quick attach ring worked on the line. I then passed a large school of Almaco Jack. I hit the thermocline at about 70 ft and the visibility went down some with particulate in the water. I looked down and saw big Mangos that were in the with the Jacks heading to the bottom. I figured I would shoot some Mangos and followed. I looked left and saw a 30" gag near the bottom behind a bigger gag. I dropped down slow and as he turned took the shot. I did not stone him but it was a good first shot with an unfamiliar gun. I then reloaded and started after the second gag. He swam around a corner so I went back to the one I shot in that was in the sand making a cloud. I ascended up about 15 foot with the gag and put it on my stringer that was attached to my BC. I place the shaft on the side of the gun and notice the first gag came back to have a look. I come back down and stick the 32" gag with a shaft. He goes to the sand. I reload and this is were amateur hour started. I descend to the fish and could not get a good look at it due to the kicked up sand so shoot another shaft into him. I then descent to the fish and "place the gun to my right and behind" as I reach for the fish..... I know better.... I string the fish, remove one of the shafts, and reach back for the gun..... as I notice the gun is gone.... floated to the surface.... I see a 10 ft bull shark hauling ass towards my all lit up. I don't want to exaggerate so am using the 10 ft length as a conservative number. At this point, I realize the gun is gone, I have two almost dead but kicking fish attached to my BC, a spear in one fish, and one in my right hand. Kind of like sitting on the toilet with a round of ammunition in your hand with the gun in your night stand as an intruder kicks down the bathroom door.... Things happened fast after that. The Bull was about 10 -15ft away with pectoral fins down nose kind of down and circling me in a very aggressive fashion. I did not want to take my eyes off of him and kept facing him. I decided to be the aggressor as I had not other options so lunged at him with the spear in my hand. He increased his distance to maybe 15- 20ft away but had not changed his attitude. I decided I needed to get the fish off my bc as I did not want a liver laceration and bleed out so I reached down and undid my stringer. The fish were on but would fall off if I slid the stringer off of my bc so I grabbed the fish by the gills and pulled them off the stringer with my left hand. I did not want to drop the fish as I figured the shark would get more fired up and come after me. I look up and he was now really close in circling and lit up to the max. With the fish in my left and the spear in my right I again lung at him. This time his is so close that I make contact. A strange thing happened. It was like a switch was flipped in his brain. His posture changed and he just swam off looking for more food in a search style mode. Almost as if he was confused, irritated, or annoyed by the situation and went to look for easier pickings. He did not act scarred of my in any way and did not run away but kind of just swam away. I then made a normal ascent keeping an eye below/at my dive computer all while holding two gags in my left hand and a spear in my right. I made it back to the boat with 2000psi in the tank so it all happened very fast. You never know how you are going to react when this happens. I'm not trying to boast but I had no fear. I should have but I felt no fear. I was more upset that I let the gun go and hoping that they got it up top. I also wonder if me staying "calm" with no fear helped the situation. I know better then to turn my back to him or try and swim away from him. Anyway, I may just invest in a shark shield for future dives but we will see.....
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Old 08-28-2018, 12:18 PM   #14
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?

Did your friend up top see and retrieve your gun? Takes some stones do a deep dive like that solo but I keep saying it is a wayyyy better idea to hand carry a stringer once you have fish on it. If something sneaks up behind you (goliath, shark) and grabs a fish/stringer/you/a hose/etc it could turn deadly pretty quickly. If the situation dictates I want to be able to put distance between myself and the fish at a moments notice.

Glad you made it out fine and thanks for sharing your story & making it out with the fish!
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Old 08-28-2018, 12:54 PM   #15
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Re: Anybody been to the MG recently?

The bubble watchers saw the gun come up and were joking that there was an arm attached not knowing the real story going on below. I have had encounters with a Jew Fish with my arm clamped in his mouth up to the shoulder. I had to beat that bastard in the eye to make him let go.....
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