Bad forecast or good fish/ You tell me

Conditions where less than favorable today forecast outa Homestead

2 AM	5 AM	8 AM	11 AM	2 PM	5 PM	8 PM	11 PM
Temperature / Dew Point (°F):
75 / 73	79 / 73	79 / 73	90 / 73	93 / 73	88 / 73	82 / 73	79 / 75
Humidity (%):
96%	83%	85%	59%	52%	64%	75%	88%
Pressure (in):
29.98	29.98	29.99	30.01	29.99	29.95	29.97	30.03
Wind (mph):
0 mph West (270°)	0 mph West (270°)	0 mph West (270°)	8 mph South (190°)	10 mph South (190°)	8 mph SSW (199°)	6 mph SSW (204°)	3 mph SSW (209°)
Conditions:
Clear	Clear	Clear	Thunderstorm	Thunderstorm	Thunderstorm	Thunderstorm	Partly Cloudy

The Marine forecast read as follows:

Forecast as of 4:23 PM EDT on August 20, 2012

Synopsis For Jupiter Inlet To Ocean Reef Fl Out To 60 Nm And For East

Cape Sable To Bonita Beach Fl Out To 60 Nm-

Synopsis

A ridge of high pressure will be located over the South Florida waters through the middle of the week before shifting north during the latter part of the week. The forecast for late this weekend becomes highly dependent on the evolution of a strong tropical wave over the central Atlantic. This wave is being monitored by the National Hurricane Center for likely development into a tropical cyclone. The forecast track of this potential system is in the general direction of the regional waters and should be closely monitored by all marine interests over the coming days.

Gulf Stream Hazards

None. The approximate location of the west wall of the Gulf Stream as of Aug 20, 2012 at 1200 UTC... 7 nautical miles southeast of Fowey Rocks. 9 nautical miles east northeast of Port Everglades. 6 nautical miles northeast of Lake Worth. 6 nautical miles east southeast of Jupiter Inlet. This data courtesy of the naval oceanographic office.

Forecast as of 4:23 PM EDT on August 20, 2012

Biscayne Bay-

Tonight

South southeast winds 10 to 15 knots becoming south southwest 5 to 8 knots this evening. Bay waters a light chop. Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms.

Tuesday

South southeast winds 5 to 10 knots. Bay waters a light chop. Slight chance of showers in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night

South winds 5 to 8 knots. Bay waters smooth. Haze. Slight chance of showers.

Wednesday

Southeast winds 5 to 9 knots. Bay waters a light chop. Haze. Slight chance of showers.

The C-man station's report out on Fowey Rocks graphed:

Fowey Rocks, FL (FWYF1)

Conditions for Monday

« Previous Day

Next Day »

Daily Weekly Monthly

Current Weather/Wave Observations

Air Temperature:	86° F
Wind direction (W Dir):	South (175 - 184 Degrees)
Wind Speed (W Spd):	13.0 kts (15.0 mph)
Wind Gust (W Spd):	14.0 kts (16.1 mph)
Atmospheric Pressure (AP):	29.96 in

So yeah even though forecast called for pretty fair conditions it was blowing hard from a bout 11am till 5'ish...all reports on the radio where consistent with Foweys report, so it was a hoopla of a day-Black grouper, Mango snapper Snapper, Hogfish snapper everywhere..anywhere...everything...anybody any reports????? I'd like to hear them? Ritchie, Juan, Henry, Trevor, Fabian????

Well hopefully someone will chime in, and hopefully that cyclone will move out merrily on it's way so we can go out on another Florida spearfishing charter!

Till next spearfishing report, tight bands, straight shafts, and smooooooooth triggers!

Tone

http://www.settingsteelspeargear.com

The Ghost Falls

Its interesting how sometimes we develop a "relationship" with certain fish, those of you that are reading can perhaps connect - the relationship is both spiritual, respectful,challenging and humbling all at the same time.

For about a year and change I've been spearfishing after a Florida Mutton snapper that I rightfully called "The Ghost". He's a willy guy that has managed to elude me for what seemed an eternity. Not particularly big by Miami standards (or any other for that matter), but quite a trophy for me, and as time passed, more so.

On some Miami Spearfishing Charters I would drop on a patch in 50' of water and do a slow stalk on some fish, and on the end of my downtime, he'd appear outa thin air to show his presence then vanish. Other times he'd come straight in, face me, head on, but just out of range. In low viz deep waters where your stalking is on the bottom....long and slow he'd flash me here, then flash me there, but never a presenting a shot that I felt comfortable with...and then vanishing. Amazing how the Ghost would appear and just as quickly disappear. Seldom was their a time when I shot a fish in his area that the Ghost would show up to tell me" nice shot, shoulda waited I was around for you", of course it was these times he'd be about 10' from me broadside sitting still,lol. How did I know it was the same fish...well he had a distinct blotch on both his sides that seemed as though he had been shot before, and survived...probably tore off using that helicopter spin Muts are famous for...and although subtle out of the water it was very distinct in the water popping as a grey blotch on both sides. I remember once throwing up a sandstorm in 70' waiting for him, till my lungs were bursting and as I was coming up seeing the red tip of his tail right in the sandstorm maybe 5 feet away, but so camo'd that I didn't see him, or even expected him to come in soooooo close. The Ghost was elusive indeed.....

It was one of those picture perfect days that screams "Go spearin'!!!" not having any clients booked for a spear fishing charter in our Florida waters- I listened and headed out....for some reason I just knew this day was gonna be epic....so off I went from Matheson Hammock to go spear fish. My first area was a shallow patch that always held fish and served as my warm-up... the area was very muttony with the sand/grass and a few patches intertwined, but further north than where the Ghost usually hangs. My first drop produced a nice hog fish snapper spearfishing in about 15' as I was stringing him up to my weightbelt, low and behold in the distance what appeared to be the Ghost, popped up and dodged behind a big coral head. Since I never saw him clear it, I figured he was still behind it so I took a lung full dropped and stalked the 50 so feet straight towards the coral head keeping it lined up perfect with my body so as to use it as cover, as I approached it I decided to come over the top, part of my was saying he's long gone, the other part was saying "surprise gotcha bud". As I cleared over with the sun on my back....I can't figure who was more surprised him or me- The Ghost was just sitting there right below me facing away from the coral head, at about 12', predator mode kicked in fast and before he could pick it up with his lateral line, I pulled the trigger on my Halfbreed speargun a 1 band 90cm speargun that is the ticket in waters where quick fish demand quick shots-POOF shaft went right through the top of his head...STONED! I hauled up for air keeping an eye on the Ghost as he laid motionless. on the sand..but

That was short lived...before you could say hi'five, the Ghost came back to life, I immediately dropped, as I struggled to tackle him, the shaft, the line and anything else I could grab, he tore off with half his head missing and swam as though he was headed to the Bahamas. My heart sank...knowing sure well this majestic fish was lost to the sea.

I returned back to the boat broken as in my heart I felt we had both lost. After a bit of "mind rerouting" I decided to move over a few 100 yards to another patch area that dropped from 15' to 40', hoping maybe the Ghost was around as that's the vicinity he headed towards. As I approached the drop off I noticed the water around the drop off was all murky in an area, this registered as a shark lookng for"something" so I followed the trail down to 40, sure enough it was a nurse shark that was determined to go inside a hole 1x1 wide...I lid up as I hoped my mut the Ghost would be in just that hole. I poked the nurse and went up for air...went back down looked in the hole-The Ghost was mine...as he laid within motionless

Till next spearfishing report, tight bands, straight shafts, and smooooooooth triggers
Tone

http://www.settingsteelspeargear.com

2011 Spearfishing Nationals- and the winners are.....

Individual

Lazaro Caberera 30- fish 117.28- lbs 147.28 pointst
Longfins 2

Harolf Dean 27- 120.07- 147.07
Miami Freedivers 1

Miguel Guinovart 23- 108.23- 131.18
Miami Freedivers 1

Osmany Cuellar 27- 104.11- 131.11
Miami Freedivers 2

Michelle Lechuga24- 103.25- 127.25
Miami Freedivers 2

Julian Cruz 21- 82.22- 103.22
Longfins 1

Sergey Lopez 26- 75.16- 101.16
Longfins 3

Erick Salado 17- 83.08- 100.08
Longfins 3

Alex Bristo l7- 74.2 87.18
Longfins 1

Vladimir Baguer 21- 64.17- 85.17
Miami Freedivers 2

Pablo Rojo 17- 64.16- 81.16
Miami Freedivers 3

Julio Nunez 13- 66.2- 79.2
Longfins 2

Eric Fazzi 17- 59.24- 76.24
MDC

Leo Ramos 15- 56.2- 71.2
MDC

Andrew Geist 14- 55.23- 69.23
Palm Beach Underwater

Scott Turgeon 15- 53.02- 68.02
Palm Beach Underwater

Frank Fornaris 10- 59.25- 67.16
Miami Freedivers 3

Tony Miranda 13- 53.08- 66.08
Longfins 1

Dennis Haussler 12- 49.12- 61.12
Longfins 3

Jose Santeiro 17- 39.1- 56.1
Miami Freedivers 1

Santiago Alvarez 10- 43.1- 53.1
South Florida Freedivers 1

Keaka Ching 8- 40.1- 48.1
Extreme Divers

Rosibel Molina 10- 37.2- 47.2
Miami Freedivers mixed 1

Roberto Ramos 12- 35.11- 47.11
Longfins 2

Adel Sotolongo 11- 35.09- 46.09
Miami Freedivers mixed 1

Matt Brueckner 8- 35.2- 43.2
FSDA 2

Luis Perera 11- 30.22- 41.22
MDC

Manuel Menendez 7- 34.03- 41.03
South Florida Freedivers 3

George Gonzalez 7- 33.21- 40.21
Extreme Divers

Manny Dobal 8- 30.1- 38.1
South Florida Freedivers 2

Manny Diaz 5- 42.05- 36.04
South Florida Freedivers 1

Joe Fernandez 9- 24.09- 33.09
South Florida Freedivers 2

Pablo Edo 7- 24.15- 31.15
Miami Freedivers 3

Jon-Michael Degidio 2- 22.06- 24.06
Palm Beach Team 3

Bill Ernst 7- 13.09- 20.09
GLACD mixed 1

Ed Walker 4- 15.03- 19.03
FSDA 2

Alexander Morato 5- 13.2- 18.2
SFF mixed Team 1

Octavio Soler 4- 12.22- 16.22
South Florida Freedivers 1

Amanda Ernst 4- 7.17- 11.17
GLACD mixed 1

Pedro Querejeta 4- 5.14- 9.14
South Florida Freedivers 3

Paige Latterner 2- 7.02- 9.02
SFF mixed Team 2

Carlos Armstrong 2- 6.15- 8.15
South Florida Freedivers 2

Larry Trespalacios 2- 6.07- 8.07
Extreme Divers

Carl Starling 1- 6.1- 7.1
SFF mixed Team 2

Fabricio Bueno 2- 5.05- 7.05
Palm Beach Underwater

Steve Schrader 1- 6.02- 7.02
Palm Beach Team 3

Robert Little 1- 4.1- 5.1
Palm Beach Team 3

Gaincarlo Fernandez 1- 4.07- 5.07
SFF mixed Team 1

Manny Chica 2- 3.01- 5.01
South Florida Freedivers 3

George Lyn 2- 2.22-4.22
Palm Beach Team 2

William Carpenella 1- 3.06- 4.06
Palm Beach Team 2

Blake Gaylord 2- 2.06- 4.06
FSDA 2



Mens teamsMiami Freedivers 272 fish- 271.53 lbs 343.53 pointsMiami Freedivers
Miami Freedivers 167- 267.4- 334.35
Miami Freedivers
Longfins 255- 218.59- 273.59
Longfins
Longfins 355- 207.36- 262.36
Longfins
Longfins 151- 209.59- 256.48
Longfins
MDC 43- 145.66- 188.66
Midwest Dive Council
Miami Freedivers 34- 147.5- 179.47
Miami Freedivers
Palm Beach Underwater 31- 113.3- 144.3
Palm Beach Underwater Hockey
South Florida Freedivers 19- 97.37- 105.36
South Florida Freedivers
Extreme Divers- 17- 79.38- 96.38
Extreme Divers Council
South Florida Freedivers 19- 60.34- 79.34
South Florida Freedivers
FSDA 14- 52.29- 66.29
Saint Petersburg Underwater Club
South Florida Freedivers 13- 42.18- 55.18
South Florida Freedivers
Palm Beach Team 14- 32.18- 36.18
Palm Beach
Palm Beach Team 3- 5.28- 8.28

Till next spearfishing report, tight bands, straight shafts, and smooooooooth triggers!

Tone

http://www.settingsteelspeargear.com/

2011 Spearfishing Nationals update.

Quick update on the Spearfishing Nationals, this year held in Tavanier Key http://www.thefloridakeys.com/tavernier/ weather seemed to hold out, and conditions were good, word of mouth is viz was hazey to gin clear, BUT fish were scarce. I hope to drive down manana, http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=long%20key%20florida weather permitting (its blowing hard outside now). Score thus far for the Nationals has Miami Freedivers 37 total fish 138.22 lbs totaling 175.22 points, followed by the Broward Longfins 27 fish totaling 101.13 lbs and 128.13 points, and running in third is Miami Freedivers 27 fish totaling 97.03 lbs and fetching 124.03points.

Individual competitors ranking in this years 2011 Spearfishing Nationals:
Lazaro Caberera 14 fish 63.14lbs 77.14pts
Longfins 2

Osmany Cuellar 12 54.01 lbs, 66.01pts
Miami Freedivers 2

Harolf Dean 12 fish 52 lbs, 64pts
Miami Freedivers 1

(photos courtesy of http://www.scubasworld.com/photos/ , check them out too great gear, prices and CS)

this has probably changed as of this writing though, you can follow it here http://www.spearfishingnationals.com/results/live/ another helpful link http://www.underwater-society.org/. Stay tuned....

Till next spearfishing report, tight bands, straight shafts, and smooooooooth triggers!

Tone

http://www.settingsteelspeargear.com/