Gag report for last week(3 trips)

clarosa

Just wanted to give a report from our trips last week. Been running out of Hudson amywhere from 30' to 55'. Seems any decent undercut ledge is holding a good amount of Gags. Was a pretty tough bite on our Wed and Fri trips. Wed we started out in 35' and worked on out to 50'. Caught a few in the shallower stuff but most came in the 50' area as the tide let off a little. Friday we started about 40' and tide again was ripping. Lots of shorts in the shallower stuff so we moved to 55' and the tide let off and it was a Gag fest for 45 mins. The bite was just insane!  Got a couple almost to 35". On Sundays trip we had to leave at 04:45 because of the super low tide. Hit a spot out in 45' and were there at sunrise. Bite was slow at first with nothing but shorts but again, once the tide subsided it was nuts! Double and triple headers and done. We messed around with spinners and jigheads for Gags for sport and got some mangos as well. Overall we generally start with frozen dines or boston mackerel, and switch to big live baits. Live baits seem to be the best bet right now. It is still important to start with the dead to get the fish feeding. We try trolling up to every spot and has not been productive. Seems during these new moon or full moon tides the bigger Gags aren't really eating until that tide lets up a little. So if you're on a spot you know has quality fish, wait it out. Until next time, tight lines! Enjoy the pics. 

nofishtoday

Nice eating 
thanks for the report 

bottom feeder

Lot of nice grouper there.

Reel-Lucky

That's it, I'm moving to Pasco. Some serious Rustys in the mix,Nice job Cap'.

terdferguson

What kinds of big live baits?

clarosa

terdferguson said:

What kinds of big live baits?

Pinfish, spot tails, sand perch and pigfish. Blue runners with their tails clipped work well too but I haven't gotten any as we usually use what's in our traps.

grey2112

Saw a ton nice sized ones in 50 feet yesterday diving, and would have gotten more than 1 if the sharks hadn't been so aggressive. Closest I've ever been to getting injured by a shark yesterday in 11 years of diving - had to poke HARD a few times in their snouts to deter them as I was ascending. Good times.

Nitzey

grey2112 said:

Saw a ton nice sized ones in 50 feet yesterday diving, and would have gotten more than 1 if the sharks hadn't been so aggressive. Closest I've ever been to getting injured by a shark yesterday in 11 years of diving - had to poke HARD a few times in their snouts to deter them as I was ascending. Good times.

Could you identify which shark they were?

scootyb

We lost a couple nice gags at the boat a few weeks ago to sharks in 55' off clearwater, its the  first time it ever happened to wife, at first she was
excited seeing it happen in front of her then it hit her that it just grabbed her keeper grouper and she was not a happy camper then, the two I saw I believe were lemon sharks 

clarosa

They are usually either Dusky's or Sandbar's getting the Grouper. Bulls sharks are out there too but not as abundant unless you're on a wreck or artificial. Grey, sounds like you need to feed those sharks some 7.62 rounds if they are coming at you like that! I carry a few powerheads in my sleeve when I spearfish just incase they get too frisky. Not worth losing a limb. Lemon sharks aren't very common offshore out here. 

Kokosing Lover

Lemon sharks offshore are a seasonal thing around here.  When they're here, they're all over the place, but it's only for a month or so and then they scatter.  Not sure if they're aggregating for mating like they do on the east coast, but occasionally (always in the cooler months) we've had lemons stealing fish while fishing multiple sites on the same trip.  Seems like with the lemons, you're more likely to hook them and fight them to the surface compared to the dusky and sandbars.

clarosa

Kokosing Lover said:

Lemon sharks offshore are a seasonal thing around here.  When they're here, they're all over the place, but it's only for a month or so and then they scatter.  Not sure if they're aggregating for mating like they do on the east coast, but occasionally (always in the cooler months) we've had lemons stealing fish while fishing multiple sites on the same trip.  Seems like with the lemons, you're more likely to hook them and fight them to the surface compared to the dusky and sandbars.

I stand corrected by the biologist. He know a lot more about the species out here than I do.  I should say that I have never myself encountered a Lemon out here spearfishing or fishing on the reefs. now down in the keys and on east coast, they are everywhere! You can get 2 or three around your boat with about 10 minutes of chumming. I would say when I am out here off Port Richey to Hudson, like 40% are Sandbars, 30% are Dusky's, 20% Bulls and 10% other(seen Hammerheads, Big spinners, and Blacktips take fish). The Sandies and Dusky's are the most aggressive for me, but Bulls can get a tad fired up too but usually slower and more docile. 

grey2112

Nitzey said:

grey2112 said:

Saw a ton nice sized ones in 50 feet yesterday diving, and would have gotten more than 1 if the sharks hadn't been so aggressive. Closest I've ever been to getting injured by a shark yesterday in 11 years of diving - had to poke HARD a few times in their snouts to deter them as I was ascending. Good times.

Could you identify which shark they were?

Lemon and either reef or sandbar.

grey2112

clarosa said:

They are usually either Dusky's or Sandbar's getting the Grouper. Bulls sharks are out there too but not as abundant unless you're on a wreck or artificial. Grey, sounds like you need to feed those sharks some 7.62 rounds if they are coming at you like that! I carry a few powerheads in my sleeve when I spearfish just incase they get too frisky. Not worth losing a limb. Lemon sharks aren't very common offshore out here. 

I'm one of those weirdos that likes sharks and just can't bring myself to PH one. But I am starting to waver a little after this last experience - LOL

clarosa

grey2112 said:

clarosa said:

They are usually either Dusky's or Sandbar's getting the Grouper. Bulls sharks are out there too but not as abundant unless you're on a wreck or artificial. Grey, sounds like you need to feed those sharks some 7.62 rounds if they are coming at you like that! I carry a few powerheads in my sleeve when I spearfish just incase they get too frisky. Not worth losing a limb. Lemon sharks aren't very common offshore out here. 

I'm one of those weirdos that likes sharks and just can't bring myself to PH one. But I am starting to waver a little after this last experience - LOL

haha, I used to be one of those...but it's like fighting, I will avoid it to the max but if someone is trying to hurt me I will do what I have to do to protect myself. If it's going to be me, or the shark, I can guarantee it's going to be the shark. Too many times have I been followed all the way up being charged at multiple times by dusky's and sandies. The spear tip poke just doesn't work and I have gotten awfully close a few times to geting bit. Partly the reason I don't spearfish as much anymore and am very careful with whom I dive with. The sharks have just gotten thick out there that it's tough to fish or spear anymore. 

grey2112

clarosa said:

grey2112 said:

clarosa said:

They are usually either Dusky's or Sandbar's getting the Grouper. Bulls sharks are out there too but not as abundant unless you're on a wreck or artificial. Grey, sounds like you need to feed those sharks some 7.62 rounds if they are coming at you like that! I carry a few powerheads in my sleeve when I spearfish just incase they get too frisky. Not worth losing a limb. Lemon sharks aren't very common offshore out here. 

I'm one of those weirdos that likes sharks and just can't bring myself to PH one. But I am starting to waver a little after this last experience - LOL

haha, I used to be one of those...but it's like fighting, I will avoid it to the max but if someone is trying to hurt me I will do what I have to do to protect myself. If it's going to be me, or the shark, I can guarantee it's going to be the shark. Too many times have I been followed all the way up being charged at multiple times by dusky's and sandies. The spear tip poke just doesn't work and I have gotten awfully close a few times to geting bit. Partly the reason I don't spearfish as much anymore and am very careful with whom I dive with. The sharks have just gotten thick out there that it's tough to fish or spear anymore. 

Understandable. Thing that pisses me off about PHs is that every time I HAVE used one in those situations the **** thing never went off. Don't know if it was dull spear tip, unsealed round (though I seal them all), etc. Maybe I should consider an actual bang stick style one.

clarosa

grey2112 said:

clarosa said:

grey2112 said:

clarosa said:

They are usually either Dusky's or Sandbar's getting the Grouper. Bulls sharks are out there too but not as abundant unless you're on a wreck or artificial. Grey, sounds like you need to feed those sharks some 7.62 rounds if they are coming at you like that! I carry a few powerheads in my sleeve when I spearfish just incase they get too frisky. Not worth losing a limb. Lemon sharks aren't very common offshore out here. 

I'm one of those weirdos that likes sharks and just can't bring myself to PH one. But I am starting to waver a little after this last experience - LOL

haha, I used to be one of those...but it's like fighting, I will avoid it to the max but if someone is trying to hurt me I will do what I have to do to protect myself. If it's going to be me, or the shark, I can guarantee it's going to be the shark. Too many times have I been followed all the way up being charged at multiple times by dusky's and sandies. The spear tip poke just doesn't work and I have gotten awfully close a few times to geting bit. Partly the reason I don't spearfish as much anymore and am very careful with whom I dive with. The sharks have just gotten thick out there that it's tough to fish or spear anymore. 

Understandable. Thing that pisses me off about PHs is that every time I HAVE used one in those situations the **** thing never went off. Don't know if it was dull spear tip, unsealed round (though I seal them all), etc. Maybe I should consider an actual bang stick style one.

The round helps as well as using a centered spear tip. .762 rounds have bigger primers on them so even if the spear doesn't hit dead straight, the round will fire. Sealing them really well helps too. I make sure I put a new round in it every trip.