MichaelBaranows
Contributor
Made my first rig dive this last weekend.We headed out of the Matagorda Jetties to flat seas until we were about 20 kt out and started running around a few small storms clouds. We fished most of the morning but didn't caught much. I didn't care much cause I was looking forward to diving. So around noon we found a stand pipe that was free of boats to we decides to go for it.
1st Dive: Stand pipe in about 110' water. (my depth finding is going nuts so I am not sure of the depth) Both me and dad were a little nerves but that didn't last long. Dad took a heading from the boat to the rig so once we descended down the line we would be able to get to the SP. It took us a few minutes to get dad underwater cause he was underweighted. We descended to 20' and then made out way to the SP. I started noticing Cuda 6 total. The viz. was 40'-50' and fish everywhere. A dozen or so nice AJs and several dozen school AJs. We made our way around the SP doing a slow descent to about 60' and saw hundreds to snapper both Red and Mutton (I think). I am going to have to work on my fish ID. We saw another Cuda that looked like his nose had been cut off. He keep swimming back and forth in front of us and never took his eye off us. We ascended to about 25' and then made out swim out to the boat and made our safety stop. All and all I have to say it was a great 1st dive.
2nd Dive: Decided we would start running back in and looking of empty rigs to make our 2nd dive. Most rigs were occupied and by the time we found a rig we were in green water so we knew the viz. would not be near at nice as the first rig. As I was suiting I notice a Ling swim by the boat. Once again took a compass heading and than flipped off into the water descended down the descent line and made way to the Rig. Viz was only about 10' but there was plenty of fish. With the Viz crappy we only went down to about 25' and followed some Horizontal brace around the rig being escorted by 4 Ling (one was about 4' long) and hundreds of spade fish. Most of the time the Ling swam between me and dad. There were a few snapper but most of them were on the small side. We keep this dive short cause of the low viz and it would already be 700 before we would get home.
We were stopped by the game warden just inside the jetties and after openning the fish box and show life vest we were on our way. But the other boat that was stopped wasn't so lucky. There were about dozen undersized snapper laying on the deck and the warden was writing tickets. Now I have truely lived my dream of diving and look forward to the next diving adventure.
1st Dive: Stand pipe in about 110' water. (my depth finding is going nuts so I am not sure of the depth) Both me and dad were a little nerves but that didn't last long. Dad took a heading from the boat to the rig so once we descended down the line we would be able to get to the SP. It took us a few minutes to get dad underwater cause he was underweighted. We descended to 20' and then made out way to the SP. I started noticing Cuda 6 total. The viz. was 40'-50' and fish everywhere. A dozen or so nice AJs and several dozen school AJs. We made our way around the SP doing a slow descent to about 60' and saw hundreds to snapper both Red and Mutton (I think). I am going to have to work on my fish ID. We saw another Cuda that looked like his nose had been cut off. He keep swimming back and forth in front of us and never took his eye off us. We ascended to about 25' and then made out swim out to the boat and made our safety stop. All and all I have to say it was a great 1st dive.
2nd Dive: Decided we would start running back in and looking of empty rigs to make our 2nd dive. Most rigs were occupied and by the time we found a rig we were in green water so we knew the viz. would not be near at nice as the first rig. As I was suiting I notice a Ling swim by the boat. Once again took a compass heading and than flipped off into the water descended down the descent line and made way to the Rig. Viz was only about 10' but there was plenty of fish. With the Viz crappy we only went down to about 25' and followed some Horizontal brace around the rig being escorted by 4 Ling (one was about 4' long) and hundreds of spade fish. Most of the time the Ling swam between me and dad. There were a few snapper but most of them were on the small side. We keep this dive short cause of the low viz and it would already be 700 before we would get home.
We were stopped by the game warden just inside the jetties and after openning the fish box and show life vest we were on our way. But the other boat that was stopped wasn't so lucky. There were about dozen undersized snapper laying on the deck and the warden was writing tickets. Now I have truely lived my dream of diving and look forward to the next diving adventure.
