Guests
Kitefisherman, Bucket One, Bubblejunkie, Catfish, and LineShafter. Thanks to Bubblejunkie the "mothershucker" who came through with another half bushel of oysters for our raw mollusk dining pleasure.

Sea Conditions
Friday and Saturday were about as bluebird of days as you can get in February with FLAT calm seas, sunny skies, and above average air temps. Sunday was the stark contrast. We awoke to 3'-5' footers in a bone chilling wind so cold that the sun said screw this, and never peeked once through the heavy cloud cover.

Water temps ranged from 59*-65*, vis in the MG was 15'-30' with alot of particulate in the water, and current was moderate at best.

Slay Report
Sounds like our trip was par for the course based on the numerous reports we got from other MG divers this weekend. Grouper which are generally thick in the Middle Grounds during this time of year where they transition between inshore and the deeper spawning areas were not present in the anticipated numbers. The fact that a number of the grouper that we harvested inshore in 80'-100' had roe in them which was also noticed by some of the area comm hook and liners leads us to believe that they have not made it out to the MG yet, and that the spawn will take place later than the normal late Feb-early March.

We did get into our limits of big mangos to 8#, and amberjack to 40#. Hogs were scattered although a couple spots produced big time for us. Red snapper were everywhere inshore, but are off limits until late April. Regardless, we plugged the first fish box, and had a stack started in the second so no complaints here.

On the last dive of the trip a group of 6-8 very large spotted bottlenose dolphins buzzed us repeatedly within touching distance during our descent down the marker jug line. Their echolocation rattled through me like I was playing a Snoop Dogg CD with the bass turned to 10. To think what I experienced as a normal part of busines, and that people line up to pay hundreds of dollars to have a few minutes of "dolphin encounter" at marine parks makes me forget all the rough seas, cold water, late nights, early morning and no sleep involved in playing in the steelslinging game. Standing by.....

AJ Suarez