| Seas: 1-2 feet | Winds: 5-10 E/SE | Viz: 35-40 feet | Temp: 85 F |
This past week was Lobster mini season and even though I did not participate, I did have some friends that took their perennial vacation to hunt those highly coveted bugs. According to their accounts, there were a lot less hunters in the water this year. But luckily for those that were willing to take the time to do it, there were plenty of lobsters to be had by all. We had been observing a huge population of lobsters in every nook and cranny we have seen so far this summer. And luckily, those lobsters had not chosen to migrate before the annual two day frenzy.
Come Saturday morning, we had a number of choices for activities to perform. There were boats to be worked on, clean water to search for and new territories to be explored. Luckily for me, we didn't tackle them in that order. We decided that we had waited long enough for the 25 mile trek to American Shoal (a trip that I have never made). I had always heard how wonderful the water and fishing was but had never had the chance to make the trip to find out for myself so I jumped at the chance (we can always work on the boat later).
Se we divided the gas expense and loaded up the boat with all the gear, 8 divers and 1 driver. We got a little bit of a late start so thankfully we were able to make up some lost time because the inland water was only a light chop. Everybody was pretty excited about getting to the first spot and soon enough we were able to see the american shoal tower on the horizon. Before too long, we were jumping in at the first spot.
I was the last diver in the water and by the time I got in, there were plenty of exclamations of jubilation (they were really excited) through snorkels. When I jumped in, I could see why. Although not may of the fish were exceptionally huge, there were tons of them. Fish started flying into the boat from every direction. The only issues that arose were the few barracudas and the one bull shark that frequented the area a few times. I actually tried to get some video of the shark but a camera malfunction created a missed opportunity (albeit a slightly dangerous one).
One other interesting thing is that I now know that my powerhead is perfectly functional. The cudas were starting to get a little too interested in each and every shot we took, so I decided instead of shooting it with the spear, I would test my powerhead for the first time (ever). Although the shot on the cuda was not successful (I had no idea how heavy that powerhead would make the end of my shaft), when it struck the bottom, the concussion was impressive. Every diver within a 50' radius felt the shockwave from that shot. At least I know the rounds stay dry and it didn't misfire (or rupture). Good things to know when you need it. In the end we came home with a very decent catch albeit with only a couple of fish of that monster variety.
