With this weekend's easterly wind flow, party balloons and love bugs will be blown well out into the gulf, as well as small wrens that often hitch a ride back to land on fishing boats.
The offshore wind creates calm conditions nearshore but offshore waters may be deceivingly rough, so small boats should be cautious. Check the NOAA offshore buoy reports on the VHF radio or on the internet at www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/FLRDMAP.shtml Middle grounds spearfishermen are finding more red snapper than in years past and they're bigger, up to 20 pounds. These are wary and speedy targets, acting more like mutton snapper on a reef, cruising along dropoffs instead of hovering close to large cracks as mangrove or gray snapper generally behave.
The snapper could be a major factor in the second annual Spearboard Open Spearfishing Tournament in New Port Richey starting May 22. Divers will come from all over the southeast, many bringing their catches from areas known for large snappers. Grouper, hogfish, amberjack, cobia, triggerfish and sheepshead are the other categories in the competition, which is open to scuba divers and free divers. See www.spearboardopen.com or call 727 364-5519. Water temperatures are pushing into the low to mid 70s, even out deep, and visibility has cleared up in nearly all depths.
- Chad Carney teaches scuba and spearfishing and runs charters out of St. Petersburg. Call 727 423-7775 or e-mail info@mobilescuba.com
