BHB on Undercurrent
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MaxE
Contributor
I guess I need to add context. My question was related to the sentiment if you don't live here you should mind your own business. Tourism is Floridia's #1 industry, so the opinions of those who don't live in an area very much do matter. It is also naive to think that only local interests are being considered in any matter
Tourists don't fish at the BHB, it is an extremely high crime area despite there being a PBSO substation in the park. They also rarely go to that beach, it is mostly locals except for the divers and snorkelers. There have been several cases where people have had to go to the ER to have hooks or lures removed because of these fisherman. There have also been several over the years that have needed stitches and a few BCD's ruined from being hooked. I have personally been hooked a few times also but with no physical damage to myself that I couldn't treat, although I did get one cut that probably should have gotten stitches but I hate going to the ER. The fisherman in that area understand that the divers are preventing them from getting fish, that is why they intentionally try to hook the divers. I constantly pick up debris when I am diving there, it sometimes gets to the point where I can't carry anymore safely! One time I actually found a fishing pole with a Penn reel in great condition and a pack of brand new sawzall blades, my wife cleaned up the reel and we used it last time we went fishing. I have a bucket of lead weights that I also need to turn in for money at some point.
MaxE
Contributor
Why not call the tourist info centers and or travel office for the city and county and ask if it is safe to dive at the bridge, that you heard fishermen are trying to catch divers and hurt them, or should you just go to the keys where it is safer? If they get enough calls and think it may hurt people wanting to visit you can bet they will pressure the local government to do something. As they say money talks, get them on your side
Catito
Contributor
Last fall I planned my dive trip from Oregon to Jupiter/WPB specifically around the tide tables so I could dive the BHB as much as possible. This was my first time to BHB. My first dive was a boat night dive and there were about 8 in the group. As we were going to the area of the menacing fishermen, I felt a tug and a resistance to my flag. Some drunken a***hole fisherman had hooked my flag and was tugging it pretty hard, forcing me to come to the surface. At that time, I didn't know what was happening, but I thought perhaps I got into some entanglement with other divers' flag lines. When I surfaced, I looked up to see the fisherman laughing. It was the fellow divers who then told me that this is what they do to divers. If I had known of this danger ahead of time, I would have been more prepared to respond appropriately in self defense. This was an intentional assault to try to harm me and I was pissed. I've never heard of such behavior towards divers.
IMO, we have the right to defend ourselves from dangerous assaults such as this, and we should fight back. In that moment, I would have grabbed his line and yanked on it and perhaps he would have fallen into the water. He deserved it. Or maybe even cut the line. Perhaps if you respond more aggressively if this happens to you, they may get the message and stop messing with the divers. Perhaps you could have one of your buddies as a lookout topside on the bridge and confront the morons doing it in the act, film it, call the cops, whatever it takes.
I feel bad for you locals who have to put up with this. I'm a diver who brings tourism dollars to Florida, so I'll drop an e-mail to the councilwoman.
IMO, we have the right to defend ourselves from dangerous assaults such as this, and we should fight back. In that moment, I would have grabbed his line and yanked on it and perhaps he would have fallen into the water. He deserved it. Or maybe even cut the line. Perhaps if you respond more aggressively if this happens to you, they may get the message and stop messing with the divers. Perhaps you could have one of your buddies as a lookout topside on the bridge and confront the morons doing it in the act, film it, call the cops, whatever it takes.
I feel bad for you locals who have to put up with this. I'm a diver who brings tourism dollars to Florida, so I'll drop an e-mail to the councilwoman.
In my local area the vast majority of jetty/bridge/rockwall fishermen are of low socio economic backgrounds (hence the littering and anti social behaviour, beer bottles and bongs can be found on the bottom).
Sounds like BHB fishermen may be similar individuals.
We had one individual throwing large rocks off the break wall at divers because they were scaring off the fish.
Can’t reason with crack heads/meth addicts
Sounds like BHB fishermen may be similar individuals.
We had one individual throwing large rocks off the break wall at divers because they were scaring off the fish.
Can’t reason with crack heads/meth addicts
If you ever night dive Black Rock at Kaanapali on Maui, you might see rocks sinking past you on their way to the bottom.
I have no idea where those rocks came from. Maybe next time I should ask the locals fishing.
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