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© St. Petersburg Times, published February 23, 2002
If you can find a decent day to get offshore in these windy, final days of February, you should run into a lot of 10- to 15-pound gag groupers on the ledges in 70 to 100 feet.
The colder water temperatures have slowed fish. But the wind-tossed seas have reduced visibility, making it harder to spot the fish before they spot you.
In that case, instead of a normal, fast-loading free-shaft system, I prefer a more cumbersome but more secure system. This way, I won't shoot a fish and lose sight of it when it starts to run. Not only does this ensure I get my spear back, I collect what I shoot and don't leave wounded game. Spiny lobster also are still around. I caught a 101/4-pound and 7.1-pound spiny lobster in 48 feet just south of the shipping channel. There's more out there. Take a flashlight and look in every nook and cranny.
Remember, dive smart and dive safe.
-- Bill Hardman teaches scuba, spearfishing and free diving through Aquatic Obsessions Scuba in St. Petersburg. Call (727) 344-3483.