So i'll fill in a couple details for a trip report on this one...
Left with Dalton, Bryan, and Anna on Friday morning heading out to the Chevron. We left the marina channel and never backed the throttles down all the way out to the Chevron!! It was slick as glass out there the whole day. Air temps were high 50's to low 60's and it felt good in the sun. Anyway, I dropped down on the rig to tie in since we decided to make both dives there. SHOULDA TOOK THE GUN DOWN FOR THE TIE IN. Fish were all over it. Going down, the haze layer was really bad till about 80ish feet, then the viz opened up to about 35-40 ft. below that. Temps on the surface were about 58-59 degrees and it was about 64-65 at depth. This was my first dive out there on the Chevron rig and it was pretty cool. I didn't see the 70 ft. section of the rig (surface current put me right on top of the 100ft. SE corner of the structure) so I just tied in there.
First dive went back down with shooting a nice AJ in mind, as Bryan and Anna are both excellent divers. Got down, shot one just behind the gill plate, thought I stoned him, then the damn thing wrapped up around the leg of the rig and was able to get off the shaft as the wingtip on one side hadn't fully deployed. I was PISSED. It was a good fish. Came up empty handed with my Suunto screaming at me after the 100' tie in. (Dalton or Josh - insert comment on worthlessness of Sunntos here.)
Second dive went down after Bryan and Anna had been in a few minutes, just planning on taking a couple practice shots for fun. Saw a school of Spadefish on steroids and decided to shoot the biggest one I could find. Stoned him, brought him home and ate him for dinner. Pretty good, still like trigger better though. At one point down there, i thought i was gonna have to knife my way out of a school of 'ENDANGERED' RED SNAPPER THAT WERE SURROUNDING ME ON ALL SIDES!!! Bryan and Anna were looking for bugs and didn't see any, but they did tell me afterwards they saw my AJ bleeding out on the bottom with his head bitten off. (Even more annoying). Anna also pole-speared a couple good sized Spades too. All in all it was a great day in the Gulf. Dalton had some great rotisserie chicken for us on the way home.
I'm interested to hear how the trip to the YDT's went on Sunday that was planned also... hopefully i can get out next weekend again if the weather holds up for a trip!!
-Wilson
Fly Navy, Dive Pensacola, Go VOLS!!
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