Let’s all keep south Florida in our prayers during the long recovery after Hurricane Irma.
The water is in the mid- to upper-80s all the way through the water column. Red Snapper season is over but FWC did open up trigger fish for a few selected weekends, Oct 7-8, 14-15, and there are plenty of them out there. The hardest part is to decide which one to shoot. I was out there on the opening weekend and found a lot of them about 4 miles out, very high in the water column, but most of them were just long enough to harvest. The size limit is 14” to the fork, so be careful not to shot the small ones. October is traditionally the best month for water clarity. With clearer water, you need to be more stealthy than normal because like you, the fish can see further as well. A couple of tricks I use is to stay high and shoot them from above, the other is not to look the fish in the eye. For some reason, this scares most fish. One thing you can do is use tinted lens in your mask. This year there has been a heavy green layer in the middle of the water column, so hopefully it will clear up this October as it has in the past.
This month’s safety tip is about using a reference line. In clear, deep water you should use a reference line; this could be an anchor or buoy line. The line will help you control your descent and ascent rate especially if you are not yet very good with buoyancy control. It also helps you from getting vertigo because it gives you something to focus on and to keep you upright in the water when you can’t see the bottom or the surface.
So, get out there and enjoy some warm and clear water with friends and family. As always PLAN YOUR DIVE AND DIVE YOUR PLAN.
Thanks for reading.
CAPT. JAMES TEW
Kitchen Pass Dive & Fishing Charters
850-896-6476