Bradenton,fl area

[stoneshot]

Hey everyone,


Recently moved down from the Panhadle area a few months ago, alot different down here. I am still learning were I can dive and where I can't. I freedive and blow bubbles so my oppurtunities are open. I like to shore dive, but down here it is a little hard finding places where I can shore dive & spearfish. I usually freedive when I hunt so I just shore dive when I can, I use a 5 foot custom made dive platform shaped more like a small jetski than a boogie board. I typically dive around 250 and 400 yards from shore so I am well away from the 100 yards public beach reg.
After 20 years of painting I am retireing due to surgeries on both arms, so my buddy and I are starting a small spearfishing supplies business here in Bradenton. I think I will still do a little painting here and there. Things are a little bumpy right now, but by the end of the year things should be in full swing.
If anyone has any recommendations on where to spearfish from shore around here I would love to here them. I took a look at satillite images of the area, it looks as if Coquina beach area has some inshore patch reefs and maybe grass flats. I typically go atfter mangrove,sheepies,spanish macks,hogsfish, and the like. I have hit aj,grouper,cobia etc. in the past though. That was in the Panhandle though, I haven't has time to even grace the waters here yet, been in the shop building prototypes etc. also the redtide had been really terrible here.

Well, sorry for the long post, been lurking here for a long time, I usually stay over on Spearboard.com.(Titaniumdiver).

Happy hunting,

 

[murphdivers286]

Welcome to the board. I might be giving you a PM later about spearguns. If you need anything, just give me a PM. I will try to help you along as much as I can.

 

[scubajoe]

Welcome to the board!

Joe

 

[stoneshot]

Thank you for the warm welcome!

Like I said I have been lurking around here for awhile but never joined. I will look into the B2B group.

Murph, you are more than welcome to pm me about spearguns. Do you spearfish Murph?

 

[Li'l38]

Thank you for the warm welcome!

Like I said I have been lurking around here for awhile but never joined.

Well.....what took ya so long? Welcome to SB! There's a bunch of SBers from your area. Almost always a dive happening somewhere near you. Check out the links that Laurens gave you. Feel free to 'dive-in' on a thread. (post that you want to come along) ScubaBoard divers are the friendliest folks you'll ever meet. Good luck with your shop/ new business!

 

[DandyDon]

I got a good chuckle from your experience listed in your profile. Maybe you could put that in your signature...? :laugh:
:bandit_2: don

A few suggestions I do like to offer every new member. First, it's good to keep your Profile with location and Dive Info with number of dives up to date so other members can address any questions appropriately; edit these as possibly needed from your UserCP above or the Quick Links above.

And don't be shy about posting. Click Forums above, tour the long list of choices, and jump in anywhere you're qualified. PM me with any questions, and I'll try to find a pretty good answer.

 

[stoneshot]

Thanks again for the welcome, DandyDon, yeah that was I pretty funny story, my wife makes me tell it often too! For a more in depth look at the rest of the storey :

http://spearboard.com/showthread.php?t=15295&highlight=amberjack

Yeah, I think this is the longest amount of time I have been dry, just been to busy lately. I would love to hook with some folks around here soon though!

 

[ReefGuy]

you'll see a couple of people from spearboard over here: Wayward Son, Scott Zeagle, and Biggsy come to mind. I read spearboard regularly, but don't post a lot there.

I don't know any shore spearfishing around here, but there a lot of spots close inshore.

 

[stoneshot]

Reefguy,

I noticed that, I think Chad Carney post over here also. I have noticed quite a few possible inshore reefs up and down the coast between Tampa & Venice. Looking at the sattellite images some look accessible from the shore but others are quite aways out there. I deputy told my wife that spearfishing is allowed from the beach most areas as long as you adhere to the 100 yard from public swimming reg. , but somehow that just sounds too simple. In the Santa Rosa beach area in the panhandle, you could go off the beach just about anywhere. FWC officers hardly ever came around the beaches. The only time I ever had a problem was once I was diving around and old pier near Camp Helen state park. The pier was no longer attached to land after Ivan, I was about 250 yards offshore when two rangers waved me in. I was thinking they had seen a shark. Once I made them swim to shore they proceeded to tell me that I was in possesion of a weapon in a state park. Now, I don't know where the park boundry was but as far as every other reg. I was well within the lines. I argued with them about waveing me in and that until they waved me in I was within the regs. No fine, but that one really burnt me up. The FWC really needs to set forth guide lines rather than being so vague.

 

[ReefGuy]

Yeah, Chad Carney does post here as well. I've been nervous about spearfishing from shore, because the law is so vague. What is a Public Beach? It's officer interpretation, and my luck, I'd get a cranky one.

There's a few reefs around Venice that I've seen some fish on. I dropped right on 4 cobes on Tremblay reef (30', about 2 miles out), which also had lots of snapper and a few gags.