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Sunday
The big party is next
weekend, and the menu calls for lobster and snapper. We
will be meeting on my ranch, with live music and a
bonfire. Camping is allowed for those who want to stay.
We headed out Sunday
looking for a few lobster. I was at a disadvantage.
I broke my shaft on a big
snapper during the last outing, and had not replaced it.
I had to borrow a gun. Andy shoots the same gun as I do,
but he freeshafts while I like to use the tether.
Shooting a gun that is not yours is like driving a
friends car. Sure, you can do it, but it feels a bit
awkward at first. I took a couple close shots with no
problem, both head shots.
Then I saw the mammoth.
This was a mean gag, he
charged from his cave to face off. As I lined up for the
shot, he charged at me passing just over my right
shoulder. I swing around to line up again and the gag
swims to the top of the reef. Nice broadside, but twenty
feet away. I let the shaft fly and miss. The gag follows
the shaft and turned around facing me while sitting next
to the shaft laying in the sand. At this point the fish
turns white and black, like a Holstein cow. The color
blotches seem to be moving around also, like a
flickering neon light. He flairs his gills and continues
to stare me down. It is now that I see that the grouper
is as long as the shaft, and fat.
He didn't wait around for
me to reload.
The vis was awesome,
nearly 80 ft. The water was warm too. The bugs were
pretty well picked over, but we managed a few. Tony
put a couple whoppers in the cooler, one weighing over
ten pounds. Also, if you can believe this, Dave actually
put something in the cooler. Billy went home with the
big skunk award.
I put a few fat snappers
in the box also, and will be eating well next week. I'll
try to get the guys to type a report, we all need to
hear how to keep from donating shafts to the limestone.
:)
moose@seahunters.com
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