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Something bout to happen?!?!

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Silver King said:
But they never renamed Jewfish Creek, or Jewfish Creek Bridge in the Keys, but then again, its not that far from Ocean Reef Club, and in my early Captain days, some of the older captains said they remember when the fuel dock was one of the last places to have an actual sign: "No Mexicans or Jews Allowed." Two different older guys told me they remember that sign.
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That’s history right there. That’s before my time. Just like the whole “colored water fountain” thing in the south.

I wonder if grouper that big tastes good. I know it’s a completely off-topic question, but there’s just something about fish that big that skeeves me out, like other big fish that are wormy.
 
OriginalCanesCanesCanes said:
That’s history right there. That’s before my time. Just like the whole “colored water fountain” thing in the south.

I wonder if grouper that big tastes good. I know it’s a completely off-topic question, but there’s just something about fish that big that skeeves me out, like other big fish that are wormy.
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They taste somewhat like a grouper, similar meat but the big ones a bit tougher. The big ones tend to get wormy (The old crackers said just another form of protein). When I was a kid, we'd catch them off the Boca Grande Phosphate dock and you'd get .5 cents a pound for the whole fish from the fish houses (100-400lb fish). It was marketable because bang-stickers wiped them out in the 80s and 90s, which is why they put the ban on catching them. When all that happened in the press, it got noticed and the name change followed.
 
Silver King said:
They taste somewhat like a grouper, similar meat but the big ones a bit tougher. The big ones tend to get wormy (The old crackers said just another form of protein). When I was a kid, we'd catch them off the Boca Grande Phosphate dock and you'd get .5 cents a pound for the whole fish from the fish houses (100-400lb fish). It was marketable because bang-stickers wiped them out in the 80s and 90s, which is why they put the ban on catching them. When all that happened in the press, it got noticed and the name change followed.
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I didn’t know they were getting bangsticked

Also, I can’t eat wormy fish. The thought makes me want to hurl. Plus isn’t there ciguatera to eorry about?
 
There's a solid chance that there is a solid chance.
There's a fluid chance that the chance will vaporize.
 
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OriginalCanesCanesCanes said:
I didn’t know they were getting bangsticked

Also, I can’t eat wormy fish. The thought makes me want to hurl. Plus isn’t there ciguatera to eorry about?
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I think fish houses steaked them up and sold them to restaurants as grouper - I never heard of many ciguatera cases on the Gulf Coast, we don't have many coral reefs left off shore. Here's one that was caught at the marker where the channel turns from Charlotte Harbor into the Peace River off Punta Gorda. Old J.B. Bradshaw was a **** of a man, a fisherman till the end; 20 years after this photo, they found his boat circling out in the harbor, he'd had a heart attack and fell overboard. Went out with his Topsiders on.

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They are on lots of structure like artificial reefs made from: old concrete bridges, sunk ships, boats, school-buses or RR box cars. And under bridges or piers. A diver got killed by one under the skyway. Here's why they used bang sticks (and these are realitivley small ones - I stone crag dive and looked up once as I was twisting off claws and there was a 400+pounder looking at me about 5-feet away fortunately there was a set of pilings from an RR trusses between is or he was coming for the crab in my hand.):
 
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Silver King said:
I think fish houses steaked them up and sold them to restaurants as grouper - I never heard of many ciguatera cases on the Gulf Coast, we don't have many coral reefs left off shore. Here's one that was caught at the marker where the channel turns from Charlotte Harbor into the Peace River off Punta Gorda. Old J.B. Bradshaw was a **** of a man, a fisherman till the end; 20 years after this photo, they found his boat circling out in the harbor, he'd had a heart attack and fell overboard. Went out with his Topsiders on.

View attachment 80533

They are on lots of structure like artificial reefs made from: old concrete bridges, sunk ships, boats, school-buses or RR box cars. And under bridges or piers. A diver got killed by one under the skyway. Here's why they used bang sticks (and these are realitivley small ones - I stone crag dive and looked up once as I was twisting off claws and there was a 400+pounder looking at me about 5-feet away fortunately there was a set of pilings from an RR trusses between is or he was coming for the crab in my hand.):
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How did the diver get killed? Did he get tangled up with him and drown or something?
 
Silver King said:
I think fish houses steaked them up and sold them to restaurants as grouper - I never heard of many ciguatera cases on the Gulf Coast, we don't have many coral reefs left off shore. Here's one that was caught at the marker where the channel turns from Charlotte Harbor into the Peace River off Punta Gorda. Old J.B. Bradshaw was a **** of a man, a fisherman till the end; 20 years after this photo, they found his boat circling out in the harbor, he'd had a heart attack and fell overboard. Went out with his Topsiders on.

View attachment 80533

They are on lots of structure like artificial reefs made from: old concrete bridges, sunk ships, boats, school-buses or RR box cars. And under bridges or piers. A diver got killed by one under the skyway. Here's why they used bang sticks (and these are realitivley small ones - I stone crag dive and looked up once as I was twisting off claws and there was a 400+pounder looking at me about 5-feet away fortunately there was a set of pilings from an RR trusses between is or he was coming for the crab in my hand.):
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Wow. What did the one in the picture weigh? Last time I was in the keys was 1982. As we drove down US1, there was a fishing boat marina I believe on the lower side of Islamarada. One of the fishing boats had a monster Jewfish hanging next to the docks and I had to stop and take a look. 600 lbs or so! Jewfish is how I remember them.

Spent a lot of time in the Keys in my late teens and early 20's. During a full moon, the shrimp would run in the channels. We took a 5 gallon bucket, drilled small holes in it, attached about 100 ft of rope to the handle, and threw it in the channel - usually under one of the old bridges. Pull the bucket up full of shrimp. We would boil and eat as much as we could stand and take the rest to Key West and sell it for gas and beer money. Skeeters were like helicopters!
 
OriginalCanesCanesCanes said:
How did the diver get killed? Did he get tangled up with him and drown or something?
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As I recall the dive website it was mentioned on, he was spearfishing and wearing a fish hoop he was trailing fish off of. When his buddy found him, the fish had him by the waste (where the fish were hanging) and his regulator was loose - they think he panicked and drowned - you're not going to get away from a big one if he grabs you. I also remember reading that in Florida youre more likely to get attacked by a Goliath than a shark.

423Hurricane said:
During a full moon, the shrimp would run in the channels. We took a 5 gallon bucket, drilled small holes in it, attached about 100 ft of rope to the handle, and threw it in the channel - usually under one of the old bridges. Pull the bucket up full of shrimp!
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That's pretty cool, we used to do that on the Phosphate Dock and bridges of Boca Grande, same with Blue Crabs when I was in my 20s too.

The one in that picture was 750lbs I think the old caption said. There was one under the Oil Dock in Boca Grande Pass that was estimated at 1200lbs.
 
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Silver King said:
As I recall the dive website it was mentioned on, he was spearfishing and wearing a fish hoop he was trailing fish off of. When his buddy found him, the fish had him by the waste (where the fish were hanging) and his regulator was loose - they think he panicked and drowned - you're not going to get away from a big one if he grabs you. I also remember reading that in Florida youre more likely to get attacked by a Goliath than a shark.



That's pretty cool, we used to do that on the Phosphate Dock and bridges of Boca Grande, same with Blue Crabs when I was in my 20s too.

The one in that picture was 750lbs I think the old caption said. There was one under the Oil Dock in Boca Grande Pass that was estimated at 1200lbs.
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Wow! That's amazing. Most of the diving I did was around the channels around mangrove islands. We'd spearfish yellow tail and mangrove snapper by the dozens. We'd also dive the boat channels dug out from the islands for lobster. Had to wrestle them out of their holes. Or get on the flats and chase them down. LOL A friend of mine's father owned a house on Ram Rod Key so we went as often as possible.
 
423Hurricane said:
Wow! That's amazing. Most of the diving I did was around the channels around mangrove islands. We'd spearfish yellow tail and mangrove snapper by the dozens. We'd also dive the boat channels dug out from the islands for lobster. Had to wrestle them out of their holes. Or get on the flats and chase them down. LOL A friend of mine's father owned a house on Ram Rod Key so we went as often as possible.
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I dive for Stone Crabs here - lots of reaching in holes under railroad tressel to pull them out, but we don't have many Moray Eels here, and Lion fish only started showing up inshore about 3 years ago.
 
Silver King said:
I dive for Stone Crabs here - lots of reaching in holes under railroad tressel to pull them out, but we don't have many Moray Eels here, and Lion fish only started showing up inshore about 3 years ago.
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Used to dive for stone crabs in season as well. Tricky little critters! Speaking of Moray's, I was once in a hole up to my armpit in one of the boat channels after a larger lobster when about 20 feet away from me, a very large Moray decided it was time to go for a swim. He slithered out of his hole to the tune of about 4 feet and I froze like a statue! Luckily, it wasn't in the mood for a human that day. And I still got my lobster!

Have you eaten lion fish? From what I've heard, it's tasty prepared properly.
 
423Hurricane said:
Used to dive for stone crabs in season as well. Tricky little critters! Speaking of Moray's, I was once in a hole up to my armpit in one of the boat channels after a larger lobster when about 20 feet away from me, a very large Moray decided it was time to go for a swim. He slithered out of his hole to the tune of about 4 feet and I froze like a statue! Luckily, it wasn't in the mood for a human that day. And I still got my lobster!

Have you eaten lion fish? From what I've heard, it's tasty prepared properly.
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No I hear its good. I was in Mexico lobstering once and there was a ledge about 15 feet deep, I was free diving and using an illegal wire coat hanger with a hook wired around the end, a Mexican Mechanic suggested. He was working on the engine on the Hatters I was on (also gave me some Spanish lessons so I could hit on the cute little señorita working the dock masters office).

This ledge was full of them - I was getting two at a time, putting them in the bag then diving again. All of a sudden the lobsters had moved further back under the ledge. I went down to investigate and there was about a 7-foot Moray open and closing its mouth about 18 inches form my mask. Fortunately he just acted indifferent, and I slowly backed away and left the other lobsters alone. I got 36 in 45 minutes, never came close to that again. I saw another one about 100 yards form that spot that was the biggest Moray I'd ever seen, an electric green.
 
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That's a big one! The eel that is. Never heard of anyone getting bitten by one, but I'd rather not take my chances. My Uncle hooked one about 5 feet long under Haulover bridge once and that was the meanest fight I've ever seen.

I was certified for several years. Only way you get air but I can count on one hand how many times I used my tanks. Preferred free diving by far. Just me a mask, snorkel, and fins, a good bag and my 2 band, 12" spear gun.
 
Silver King said:
As I recall the dive website it was mentioned on, he was spearfishing and wearing a fish hoop he was trailing fish off of. When his buddy found him, the fish had him by the waste (where the fish were hanging) and his regulator was loose - they think he panicked and drowned - you're not going to get away from a big one if he grabs you. I also remember reading that in Florida youre more likely to get attacked by a Goliath than a shark.



That's pretty cool, we used to do that on the Phosphate Dock and bridges of Boca Grande, same with Blue Crabs when I was in my 20s too.

The one in that picture was 750lbs I think the old caption said. There was one under the Oil Dock in Boca Grande Pass that was estimated at 1200lbs.
Click to expand...

Death by grouper. That’s all kinds of fūcked up.
 
423Hurricane said:
Wow. What did the one in the picture weigh? Last time I was in the keys was 1982. As we drove down US1, there was a fishing boat marina I believe on the lower side of Islamarada. One of the fishing boats had a monster Jewfish hanging next to the docks and I had to stop and take a look. 600 lbs or so! Jewfish is how I remember them.

Spent a lot of time in the Keys in my late teens and early 20's. During a full moon, the shrimp would run in the channels. We took a 5 gallon bucket, drilled small holes in it, attached about 100 ft of rope to the handle, and threw it in the channel - usually under one of the old bridges. Pull the bucket up full of shrimp. We would boil and eat as much as we could stand and take the rest to Key West and sell it for gas and beer money. Skeeters were like helicopters!
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Probably talking about Bud N Mary’s. Used to go out from there every time me and the boys made it down to the Keys to fish.
 
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CaneDog66 said:
Probably talking about Bud N Mary’s. Used to go out from there every time me and the boys made it down to the Keys to fish.
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Yep. That's it! Been a lot of years since I've been by there and couldn't remember the name but as soon as you mentioned it, came right back. Thanks!
 
Silver King said:
Kinda lost track, what was " 'bout to happen!?!" before we turned this into a Florida Sportsman segment or U Marine Biology Page talking about Jewfish/Goliath Grouper/Moray Eels/Shrimpin'/ Lion fish/Stone Crabs/Lobster/Spearfishing?
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Had to go back and re-read the entire thread! We can blame @1mg of Epi for getting us sidetracked as he was the one that first mentioned *** fish!
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