An exciting day LONG LONG STORY

[mumszie]

Today was an exciting day! I took my new White’s Surf PI out for the first time. I was excited! I didn’t expect to find much and I didn’t. So if you are waiting to see if I found gold or silver…. I didn’t. It took me a long time to get used to my CZ-20 when I first bought it and now it is my favorite machine so I knew that getting used to this new machine was going to take me some time. I left my camera in the car because I figured I’d be too busy to take pictures anyway. MISTAKE! I started hunting and within five minutes I got my first hit. A nickel. Alllllrightttt. Not bad. I kept going and then got a fright…. A big shadow moving up beside me…. Ok relax it was just Big Boy. Now I am not afraid of these guys but when you see a shadow move up beside you it is a momentary scare. He wanted to see what I was up to and he had brought three friends with him. The friends just wanted to look and then glide on about their business but Big Boy wanted to be real friendly this morning. Sometimes he just comes and takes a look and then heads on about his business but other times he gets real nosey and even playful.

Darn, I should have brought my camera in the water with me! I was sure that by the time I made my way back to the car and tried to get back in the water Big Boy would have moved on. So I just let it go for this time and kept trying to learn my new machine. I would get a hit and that stupid Big Boy would hover right over the top of it so I couldn’t move my coil or get my scoop to the target!

He did this over and over several times! Well Big Boy, two can play this game. I moved on but he just followed me like a puppy. He would nudge the shaft of my machine, then he would nudge my hip. He came up to my chest and took a good look…. Nothing exciting there - so he moved on. LOL

Well…. What the hey! I decided to go get my camera. I wasn’t finding anything anyway and was really just testing what the machine would do so I went back to the car and got the camera. I got back in the water and figured Big Boy was long gone. I had brought some coins with me to practice with and I also brought a hoop earring and a stud earring. I started playing with the coins. I would throw them in the water watching where they went and then go find them. No problem there. I was able to find them pretty easy. So I figured let me try the coins and throw in the earrings too. Just as I threw them in here comes Big Boy, nudging my hip, rolling over.

He made me lose my concentration and I didn’t see where the last couple coins went or either of the earrings but I figured no big deal – I could find them. Big Boy just wasn’t having that!

Every time I would try to start hunting he would glide in front of me and just hover. Then I got another hit but this turned out to be a pulltab. I didn’t throw that in! I ended up finding all the coins I threw out and I found the hoop earring but the stud earring…. Well that is still out there. I went over and over the area where I threw it but I never did find it. I don’t know if the machine just didn’t pick it up. (It was a very small stud shaped like a heart) It wasn’t a “good” metal just junk and I just didn’t find it. NBD maybe I’ll find it next time or some other MD’er will.

I also had a pretty good sized fish swim fairly close to me and wouldn’t you know it by the time I could get my camera ready - it had moved on where there were a whole school of them but too far away for me to get a picture. The stupid fish wouldn’t stay put for me to take a picture! They were nice sized fish but I don’t know what kind they were. That was the first time I’ve seen fish that size at this place. I know they are there but I never see them. I only see the tiny little bait fish. Any fisherman would have been happy to catch one of these guys.

Well this new machine is going to take some getting used to. Guess what it does when you let go of the shaft to take a picture?

Yep, it floats right to the top.

I saw a new MD’er hunting the dry sand and I said hello to him. Other than that my day was uneventful. My total finds…. 1 nickel and 1 pulltab and a thoroughly enjoyable morning. How I love this hobby! Sorry my pictures weren't better. I will try to do better in the future.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Mumszie!!!! What a wonderful story and pics! Incredible! Thank you for going back for the camera - Wow! Great post

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

Great great going, mumszie, yep, a self-induced heart-attack! Those sidlers a little slow though!

I hate seeing the gash marks on there backs, knowing, they've seen too much man-made crap.
Gotta tell ya, we had one, would come to the docks at Poppa Joes, in the Keys, I got pictures of me feeding it fresh water, from the hose. They said he came in, everyday, for his water. 8)
Oh yeah, don't rub their bellies, don't want frisky sea cow, or is that dolphins?

Oh I forgot to say, sock full of sand, to drown your water cat with, stop that floating mess.

 

[JP]

I've had a couple of them come up to me while I was hunting in the early morning. They scare one at first because one only sees a shadow, but what a wonderful experience when you get to see one up so close in the wild.

They've really taken a liking to you

Thanks for posting the pictures.

 

[gold nuggets]

Loved the story Mumszie and the pictures were great!
You will learn the new machine quickly and do well
with it I'm sure. Thanks for sharing your adventure
with us. Gold Nuggets

 

[cntrydncr1]

love those manatees!! nice story mumszie. good luck with the new machine!

 

[finderzzs]

You go Mums, ya can't ind what isn't there. Really love the pics of Big Boy.

 

[Chi Town Bruce]

Thanks for the photos!
That was some spin.

 

[seeker41]

AWESOME pics!!!!!!!!!! love your pets

 

[captaindoug]

thanks for the pics and the story, two years into m/d but rather new here, read about you a few weeks ago, travel once or twice a week past spring hill to and from Homosassa, each time I get near brooksville and see the sign for Spring Hill I say, I know someone there/

 

[willie d]

I had my first encounter with a manatee a few weeks ago. It wasn't as close as yours but still cool to see in the wild.

Thanks for sharing.

Congrats on the new machine.

 

[UncleTom]

I think Big Boy is in love!

 

[Felinepeachy]

Oh how lucky you are! What a great story

 

[Lorrain.]

Terrific post, Mumszie

I never saw a creature like that...would have really scared me.

Keep up the good hunting.

Lorraine

 

[bootybay]

thats so cute, looks like you got yourself a new water hunting buddy...LOL..pictures were GREAT.. thank heavens you weren't in the kayak.

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Great post!!! Thanks for sharing

 

[Can Slaw]

What a fun hunt!! Thanks for getting your camera and sharing this event.

Chuck

 

[birdman]

Fantastic story and pictures! I saw manatees for the first time 2 months ago on the way back from Disney. We stopped at a state park and watched them for an hour or so. Wonderful creatures.

 

[FloridaBill]

Mums submit that story to Whites and you may win a $100.00 in gear from them. Its a great story and it not always the $3,000.00 rings that make it.

If you need the contact info let me know

 

[mumszie]

Nah they are not going to want my story. I don't write very well and my pictures are very good either. But thanks for the vote of confidence!