Day 3 - Night Dive with Tildens

I had scheduled for Tobi, Olivia, and I to do a night dive today. We needed to be at Isla Bella Resort at 5:45, so we left about 10 minutes prior. It was raining and we weren't too sure if they were going to cancel the dive as the dark sky seemed to stretch far into the distance. However, as we got the dive boat you could see a glimpse of hope up above where the sun rays were streaking through.

What made the dive really nice was that it was just the three of us and the instructor or divemaster. Not sure what Jacob was. We also had Larry on board who was the Captian. He captained the ship on Sunday for our dives as well. Didn't take but about 15 minutes and they got our gear, packed the boat, gave the standard instruction spiel, and we were off.

Water was flat and glassy in comparison to what it was earlier in the day. It made for a really quick ride out. While the guys were getting us anchored on to the bouy, the three us got busy getting our gear on and readying ourselves to jump in the water. Wasn't long and we were all in. It was still light out and our first dive was to be like any other. It was to show the difference when we did our dark dive.

As always, the sea is just such a magical place. The photos never do it justice. I did my best to take some shots, but the battery finally ran out. Plus, I took them with my GoPro. I did not have a case on it and every now and. then around 20-25 foot depth when I took a picture, the button would get stuck from the pressure. So much for being prepared.

After the dive, we came back up to the boat and waited for sunset. We were on the boat for about 30-40 minutes watching the sun go down. It was a beautiful sight with even prettier company. With the sun now fallen we geared back up and headed down. Jacob and Larry got us ammunitioned with some lights and we were off to the races. Luckily, Olivia checked the lights and realized that the divemaster had put in all the batteries backwards in the primary lights. Thanks Ollie!!

No pictures on this dives, but plenty of mental candy. I will not forget some of the scenery. The coral is definitely alive at night. We managed to see all kinds of creatures, including eels, octopus, nurse shark, shrimp, lobsters, massive snook, giant grouper, plenty of hogfish I would have loved to catch, and countless of fish and coral.

Definitely looking for our next night dive.

Day 2 – Adventures in the Afternoon

After the scuba dive, we headed back to the house and settled our equilibrium and bellies a bit. When we arrived, the boys had just gotten back to the house after dropping the boat at the boat ramp. They were getting all the fishing and spearing gear together on the boat. Both LT and Lane headed out for around two hours before coming back. They had caught all kinds of fish.

Later in the day, I headed out with both of the boys we fished until around 7pm. The water had finally laid down and was still. Lane took us around to Crane Point and also to one of the piers where there was a big drop off. Unfortunately, the water was somewhat murky. Lane cast-netted and caught a net full of green backs, glass minnows, and pin fish. Near the end of coming back towards the house, we fished at the entrance of the channel right by Sombrero beach for about an hour or so. All of us caught a handful of fish. I managed to hook into a tarpon only to lose him a little later. Still it was a rush to hook on.

Back at the house the ladies were busy cooking away. They were putting together a boil for about 16 lobster tails the boys had caught earlier. Dinner was amazing and the lobsters were on point. I could eat like this every day. The rest of the evening was relaxing and some fishing. LT almost hooked into a 3-4 foot nurse shark which was circling around our dock hoping to sink its teeth into one of the baby barracudas swimming around.

Day 2 - Scuba Diving - Sombrero Reef

Woke up early this morning to prepare for a scuba dive. Tobi, Olivia, and I signed up with Tilden Scuba center to go out to Sombrero reef for a two tank dive. All of us were up and moving by 7am, including Anna and Aunt Carla. They wished us off around 7:30am and we drove down to Dive Isla Bella resort. The resort was only 1.5 miles from the house, so it was a pretty short drive.

When we got there we were greeted by Lisa, who was our mate on board and our dive instructor. She got us BCD, regulator, and finished getting us put together on board. Our dive only had six of us, so it was a nice small group. We did both our dives on Sombrero Reef. The most magical place in Marathon in my opinion. I however am a bit biased! 

  

Traveling down to Marathon

Headed out the door early Saturday afternoon around 2:30pm. I had planned to leave around 7pm, drive throughout the night, and then arrive down in the keys right as the sun was starting to rise. I did a self-check and realized that I and getting too old to manage to drive throughout the night. So, we decided to kick it out early and stop along the way. We actually managed to get down the road quite a bit. I started driving, with Anna taking the next shift and then finally having Olivia complete the last leg. We all decided to stop in Vero Beach, about 4.5 hours from Marathon.

The hotel, Country Inn and Suites, had one room left. We had tried several other hotels, but they were all booked out. This one would have to do. One king bed and one pull out sofa couch. The sofa couch was horrendous. The kids both slept, or laid on the sofa bed, but got about zero sleep on it. You could literally feel every spring.

We hit the road in the morning around 8:30am with the kids crashing out and finally get some rest, while we managed to may our way down the Florida turnpike. It’s always a beautiful drive down once you pass Homestead and know you have made it to Key Largo. Driving without a care, we stopped in at Lora Lies for some early lunch/breakfast. I was famished, as we the rest of the team.

Check-in was not until 4pm, but we still tried to get in around 2pm. No matter, we all headed around to the back of the house and stretched our leg. Lt and I started to unload the car and get the essentials – fishing rods and bait. Right before we got to the house, we stopped at Captain Hooks and got some frozen shrimp, just to have something. Unloaded and started to throw in some shrimp and wouldn’t you know it, the fish were a biting!!!

Anna and Olivia headed to the store and grabbed all kinds of drinks. While they were out, I tried the door again at 3pm and it seems that the lock had been lifted. I put the rest of the stuff in the house and headed back to the dock to continue fishing. LT got out the snorkel, fins, mask, and a pole spear and went to try his luck. Luck gotten! He is the master of the water and as I like to call him these days – “Little Psosidien”!

Lane, Toby, and Aunt Carla got here around 6:30pm. We were all glad to see everyone and were happy they finally made it down. After some unloading, Lane was right at it with LT and the fishing was on. They relaxed for a bit before we all finally headed out to Key Fisheries for some dinner. Dinner was okay, but not overwhelming. After the meal, we all headed back to the hacienda and pretty much took it easy the remainder of the night.

Day 7 - Black Friday

When we caught fish throughout the week we asked most of them if there was going to be any great opportunity to catch a shit ton real easy somewhere on Black Friday – we got no answers! Crystal River is a small community and I doubt there were going to be any long lines at any store. LT however, thought different and said this is the day that old people look forward to. Luckily, we Schiffers boys were not going shopping.

We hung around the house a bit this morning. Headed to the Publix for some nail clippers and beer and then off on the kayaks. To the bait spot and cast netted for about 30 minutes until I felt we had enough bait fish for the morning and then met LT out in the bay. LT was cast netting as well by Buccaneer Island as I came up to him. We fished in the area for some time. As I was approaching the northern end a guide standing on the roof of a passing pontoon boat yelled out to me that there was a school of reds around the bend. Within seconds thereafter, the school rushed by me churning the water. LT and I tried to catch one but had no success.

We headed in the main shipping channel and LT starting throwing hard baits for Ladyfish. He was killing it! He graciously gave me a lure and we were both off to the races. I don’t recall the count of ladyfish we caught, but it was plentiful! The whole time we were fishing for them, we were hoping to latch on to a jack or maybe even a mackerel, but our Black Friday wish did not come true. We did however have a blast reeling in the ladies!!! Stayed out in the channel for several hours before finally coming in around 2pm.

I wanted to clean the kayaks and have some of the other gear have an opportunity to dry off before putting the stuff in the car. Plans were that we were starting to head back tomorrow and wanted to get the kayaks on the roof of the car before 5pm or so. The no-see-ums will eat you alive once the sun sets and I did not want to be messing with the kayaks then. Bug spray is a savor here and I need lots of it. Those little gnats tore me up this trip. The arms and legs have hundreds of bites to show the battle scars.

Car pretty much packed and we headed to Sellers Seafood around 4:30pm. The place was busy already, but not fully booked so we got a table right away. Anna and LT had some mudbugs, we also ordered snow crab legs and fried gator ribs. All the food was good as usual. Sellers is landmark restaurant here in Crystal Rivers and the place is always hopping. Before leaving we got a couple of cheesecake slices to go. LT and I ate ours the moment we got home. Anna was saving hers for breakfast. Not sure it will make it that long.

After getting home, LT and I fished out on the dock for about an hour with the remaining bait fish. We had a ball. Didn’t catch anything but catfish, but that was okay. Ended up watching about an hour or two of Netflix and then headed to bed.

Day 6 - Anna's finally in the Kayak

Today start like all the others – 30 minutes of wake and then onto the water. LT headed straight out and went fishing on artificial. I however, went to catch some bait. It must have been an hour or so that I was in the cove, because it seemed to take forever to catch those little elusive little bastards. The wind was blowing and moving the water a bit. Standing on the kayak, steering, trying to paddle where they were at and then cast netting was a bit of a challenge in the wind. I was only getting one or two on each cast. Finally was able to get a few casts that got a good amount of bait fish.

Headed into the bay and met up with LT. We fished out in the open water for about an hour or two and then headed in to see Mama. Anna had not been out on a kayak yet as her back has been hurting her. Today would be the day though. She eventually made it out in the kayak around 3pm. She pedaled out in the water with me for about 1.5 hours. I fished a little while she kayaked.

Since it was Thanksgiving Day there weren’t too many places open for dinner. I tried calling a few to see if they were open, but had no luck getting anyone on the phone. Anna managed to find the Planation which is right around the corner. They were having a Thanksgiving buffet which we ended up going to. Food was okay. Nothing special but it was nice for Anna not having to cook anything.

We came home back to our place and finished the night with some TV.

Day 5 - Water like Glass

Woke up this morning and Jill and Eric had already left. We think they took off around 5:30am. I never heard them leave. We all had a massive amount of sleep last night. I think each of us got a least a full twelve hours. Not sure when that happened last. I will scratch it up to water and sun sapping the life-force out of us.

 LT and I headed out on the kayaks a little before 8am. We fished some new spots we hadn’t before for about two hours. Cast netted for some bait and then headed back out to the main bay. It wasn’t long after arriving in the bay when all of a sudden a pair of dolphins rushed a school of jacks. It was an awesome sight to watch them feed. We were literally only about 50 feet away. We did see them rush jacks a few more times in the distance around the bay. Saw some huge tarpons roll in front of our kayaks, along with one juvenile alligator.

On the way back from one of the newer areas we went to, we passed the only welcome center I have ever seen on the water. A floating pontoon boat with all the information on manatees and the Crystal River area. I thought about going on board, but headed down the river instead.

Of course, we were constantly around or near a passing manatee. Even if you didn’t see them, you could hear there snort as they broke the water to catch a breath. Most of the bay is very shallow especially during low tide and if the water is very clear you can see the bottom. I would estimate in most places the depth is no greater than four to six feet.

Caught some jacks and snook, as well as a needless amount of catfish today. Stayed out on the water until 5pm. Came in and showered and pretty much called it a day. The house was down by 8pm.