Any deep water divers or fishermen?

[likefish]

I am looking for deep water dive sites 100' - 200'

I have been out of Johns pass and Desoto diving before and have quite a few wrecks, rockpiles and pipeline numbers in the area but all of my spots stop at about 100'.

Are there any fishermen or divers interested in sharing some deep water spots West of Desoto/Clearwater? I have yet to find a Gulf of Mexico Black grouper and its on my to-do list this year!! I have dove the middlegrounds but don't like the long drive to get there.

Willing to trade accurate #'s for a trip offshore and or frags!

I run a 21' angler with a 100gal fuel tank. My range is about 60 miles out (ill push it a bit if needed).

Give me a shout!

Chris

 

[luisagos]

I would be very surpise if you got any good numbers from people that has them.


Old Captains with good numbers, if they ever give them out, they would sell them for up to 40k.


I have a spot that is around 40 miles SW from Anna Maira , the depth is around 800 ft.

 

[CrazyEyes]

Its definitely one of those things people don't share often.

 

[CuzzA]

Navionics+ and a GoPro is how I've found some nice rocky bottom and ledges loaded with life for fishing.

 

[St Pete John]

Justin?? That you?

"Deep water" in less than 60 miles is tough around here but doable, will have to be a due west or SW course though and your not gonna see 200'. Carbo love the far out stuff so i'm not saying you wont find one but the farther you go the better your chances are. I shot a black grouper 10 miles off of clearwater once but the second closest carbo to shore I've ever seen was in 145 feet due west of sarasota. Really have to go out to 150+ before you start seeing them consistently.

Looking for natural bottom or artificial or both?

Have you dove the Mexican pride? It's right in your area and well known, like 130 feet to the sand and 90ish to the deck. Stacked with lionfish, jewfish, cudas, snapper and some shootable grouper, fun dive but lots of traffic because it is a public number and you wont see a black grouper, Id bet the farm on it. If carbo is you goal what you need is an elbow trip, looking at like 85 miles off of egmont and depths around 180+/-. Mater of fact i'm heading there this weekend for the st pete open spearing tournament, looking for carbo and giant hogfish.

I have a ton of numbers and am always looking for dive buds so if you guys wanna trade some numbers i would be interested.

 

[St Pete John]

I would be very surpise if you got any good numbers from people that has them.


Old Captains with good numbers, if they ever give them out, they would sell them for up to 40k.


I have a spot that is around 40 miles SW from Anna Maira , the depth is around 800 ft.

If you're 800 ft from the sand 40 miles off of anna maria your are either sitting on the deepest spring in the gulf or 700 feet in the air. The bottom just doesn't work like that around here.

 

[luisagos]

If you're 800 ft from the sand 40 miles off of anna maria your are either sitting on the deepest spring in the gulf or 700 feet in the air. The bottom just doesn't work like that around here.

Use to be boat watcher for my dive friends.

Yes your correct about the spring, its in 105 ft, and the bottom goes around 800 ft.
That is the only place I have caught yellow Tail this far north from the keys.

You need to fight the Amber Jacks, giant groupers, cudas from stealing it.

You do not hit bottom off that spot, you have to park the boat just from it.

I use International 30wt reels, with 120# carbon line, that spot would break my line like it was 5#, they would drag my boat over the spring and snap it.

I took a ham and egger once to that spot, told him do not use your grandfather pole, he did not listen. 10 minutes later, that pole bent so much, it broke every eyelet on the pole. Sounded like a shot gun going off.
He stop fishing that day and never came back with us., haha.


And about the Springs, there is a lot of them in the Gulf, there is one in the middle grounds, 200ft of water. Talk about giant hog fish, and blacks.

 

[likefish]

Justin?? That you?

"Deep water" in less than 60 miles is tough around here but doable, will have to be a due west or SW course though and your not gonna see 200'. Carbo love the far out stuff so i'm not saying you wont find one but the farther you go the better your chances are. I shot a black grouper 10 miles off of clearwater once but the second closest carbo to shore I've ever seen was in 145 feet due west of sarasota. Really have to go out to 150+ before you start seeing them consistently.

Looking for natural bottom or artificial or both?

Have you dove the Mexican pride? It's right in your area and well known, like 130 feet to the sand and 90ish to the deck. Stacked with lionfish, jewfish, cudas, snapper and some shootable grouper, fun dive but lots of traffic because it is a public number and you wont see a black grouper, Id bet the farm on it. If carbo is you goal what you need is an elbow trip, looking at like 85 miles off of egmont and depths around 180+/-. Mater of fact i'm heading there this weekend for the st pete open spearing tournament, looking for carbo and giant hogfish.

I have a ton of numbers and am always looking for dive buds so if you guys wanna trade some numbers i would be interested.

Not Justin.... Chris here from Howey in the Hills. I know a few spearos in your area from the clubs and tournaments and dove with a few of them.

Yup ive dove the pride several times. Pulled some nice AJ and Cobia off of it. I have shot the SPO a few times but work prevented me this year. I prefer to dive the natural bottom. It just makes for prettier dives when going deep.

Carbos are my goal! I have dove some random bait shows on the GPS on other boats in the 150+ stuff and pulled some nice scamps / reds and gags in the past but never on my boat.

Ill PM a text # if you ever need a shooter or wanna join us for a deep water run! I quit at 200' as im not willing to spend the $$ to go helitrox.

 

[likefish]

I would be very surpise if you got any good numbers from people that has them.


Old Captains with good numbers, if they ever give them out, they would sell them for up to 40k.


I have a spot that is around 40 miles SW from Anna Maira , the depth is around 800 ft.

Thanks for the input.

Fishermen and divers move on to new hobbies. Some people sell their boats, some folks health changes. It never hurts to ask people.

I have meet some great folks and had some kick *** adventures with people I have met with simple posts on forums in the past. Commercial and recreational spearfishing in the Florida Middle Grounds, North and South Carolina, Flroida Panhandle and all up and down the E Coast of Florida.

The cool thing about forums is it brings people together with a shared interest. As a reef-geek and an avid spearfisherman, reaching out here makes sense.

Let me know if your buddy ever finds a buyer for those $40K GPS numbers. There better be naked chicks with bags of gold hiding at every one of those spots.

Any gold or naked chicks at that 800' spot of yours? Send me the # and ill confirm it for ya! Thanks

 

[likefish]

Its definitely one of those things people don't share often.

Yup! but always looking.

Navionics+ and a GoPro is how I've found some nice rocky bottom and ledges loaded with life for fishing.

Navionics has been a great tool for me in the past and ive built a pretty nice library of #'s but its been tough past 100' for me to find new stuff . Its a long drive out if you don't have a destination. I know of some guys who troll all day and hope to spot something on there bottom machine. Might be my tactic if I cant find a few #'s to get started.

Thanks for the input!

 

[Reefpilot11]

800ft hole 40 miles offshore? That seems pretty far fetched! My dad has a 32ft rampage sports fish and would love to take a trip to the middle grounds.

 

[luisagos]

I have a spot 30 miles offshore (bayport), its so small even with the GPS not so easy to find.

I have to throw the buoy when gps says that I am on it.
Then I spend like 5 minutes going around the buoy just to pinpoint it.
Its looks like a 3 ft ledge on the recorder, but its a slanted cave going inside the ground. Does not show any fish.

You can not find any small fish on this spot.
Only thing you catch is Blacks, and they are mostly keepers, biggest record size for that spot was a 53 inch.

I use live squirrel fish, they are about 8 inch long. Its only 32 ft deep, so the fish hits are super violence, you better hang on for dear life, drag must be set to max, or you lose them to the cave.

 

[luisagos]

800ft hole 40 miles offshore? That seems pretty far fetched! My dad has a 32ft rampage sports fish and would love to take a trip to the middle grounds.

Just because you do not have that number, doesn't mean it does not exist.

If you ever see a Florida Scientific Research boat in the area, might want to take a peek at it.

 

[Reefpilot11]

Just because you do not have that number, doesn't mean it does not exist.

If you ever see a Florida Scientific Research boat in the area, might want to take a peek at it.

Oh trust me I wasn't doubting you that's just really crazy geography for our area. Really makes you wonder what it's like deep down there.

 

[luisagos]

Oh trust me I wasn't doubting you that's just really crazy geography for our area. Really makes you wonder what it's like deep down there.

What's weird, there is nothing in that area, my next spots are like 3 miles away.

I have search way too much and never found anything.

 

[Reefpilot11]

Man that is very weird lol

 

[likefish]

I have a spot 30 miles offshore (bayport), its so small even with the GPS not so easy to find.

I have to throw the buoy when gps says that I am on it.
Then I spend like 5 minutes going around the buoy just to pinpoint it.
Its looks like a 3 ft ledge on the recorder, but its a slanted cave going inside the ground. Does not show any fish.

You can not find any small fish on this spot.
Only thing you catch is Blacks, and they are mostly keepers, biggest record size for that spot was a 53 inch.

I use live squirrel fish, they are about 8 inch long. Its only 32 ft deep, so the fish hits are super violence, you better hang on for dear life, drag must be set to max, or you lose them to the cave.

I do most of my diving out of Bayport. Lots of bottom out there but have yet to find your spring! If you want to know what it looks like give me a ride and it get it on go-pro it for you.

Most of the gulf springs I have seen do hold fish above them. Seems odd this one does not show on the bottom machine.

I don't have a real job so im ready to go whenever you are. My boat or yours!

 

[luisagos]

I do most of my diving out of Bayport. Lots of bottom out there but have yet to find your spring! If you want to know what it looks like give me a ride and it get it on go-pro it for you.

Most of the gulf springs I have seen do hold fish above them. Seems odd this one does not show on the bottom machine.

I don't have a real job so im ready to go whenever you are. My boat or yours!

This spot is not the spring.

I know how they look like, because of my dive fiends.

 

[likefish]

This spot is not the spring.

I know how they look like, because of my dive fiends.

Your input has been intriguing and very helpful.

Thank you for continuing your most helpful posts.

Warmest wishes! Chris :wavehand: :love1:

 

[luisagos]

You may not like the answers, but no one is going to give them up easily.


People that share their GPS numbers normally have crappy spots, why?
Because everyone has them.

Anyone here that knows the game, will tell you we do not go to the same spot every weekend. Maybe every 6 weeks or more depending on the spot, if you go out every weekend.

We do not want to burn out the spots. You fish for a few hours and you hunt for a few hours.
Some of these spots cost thousands of dollars in fuel to find them.
We are not about to give them to Ham and Eggers.



BTW, not calling you a Ham and Egger.