Winter cold fronts are the reason I moved from Florida’s Gulf coast to Paradise – Fort Lauderdale Beach! When the northwest winds howl across Florida, the only place in the state with calm water is the first half mile along our beaches, tucked in behind the condo wall. And the average water temperature in Naples was in the high sixties and dropping, at this writing, but in FLB it’s in the middle seventies and stable!
With grouper and hogfish out of season, snappers are good bottom fish for spearos to hunt in winter, so we ran just under a mile north of Port Everglades inlet to an old artificial reef called the Euro Jax. It’s a line of big concrete jax, like the ones in Normandy on D Day, in about 10 to 12 feet of water. Look on Google Earth for the straight, dark line running SW to NE, .25 to .35 nautical miles east of the Jungle Queen dock across from FLB Park.
Mutton snapper are a great fish to eat and spear, because they are smart and fast, making them a real challenge. My favorite way to shoot them is with a freeshaft from a speargun or a Hawaiian sling. Freeshafts are fast and have long range, which is needed for elusive muttons. They rarely give you a second chance, so the key is to act like you don’t see them and take the long shot when it lines up. Sometimes throwing up sand will attract them and if you’re lobstering keep looking side to side because they love lobster and like to come in on divers for a free lunch! Aim for behind the eye, on an angle from above, to exit the opposite front side because they will spin and tear off most shots through soft areas. See the photo, even though a little low, it came in through the gill plate and out the mouth, which he couldn’t shake loose. Mutton’s minimum size went up to 18 inches last year, so learn what that looks like in the water and choose wisely. This guy was 19.5 inches, so he couldn’t swim well towing a 63-inch freeshaft. Bigger muttons will hole up, if not stoned and might require a second shot. Mangrove snappers are easier to shoot, will make good practice and help you get ready for mutton snappers.
Shoot straight!
Capt. Chad Carney
(727) 423-7775
www.floridaskindiver.com
email: chad.carney@yahoo.com