Hunter Scenario

bigscoop

Gold Member
Jun 4, 2010
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Wherever there be treasure!
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Older blue Excal with full mods, Equinox 800.
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All Treasure Hunting
Here you go, a real hunter scenario I’m mauling over. How would you attack this situation?

This is coastal, east coast of Florida where there is always current and surf to be dealt with. At present it is the monthly high tide cycle so there is more water volume on the move even at low tide. The wind is out of the east, northeast, which only adds to the problem. But here's the positive, because of the extra water volume and change in current flow the sand is moving and I’ve located a few deep cuts just before the typical low waterline, however, these deep cuts won’t be there for long and the conditions have created a very deep uneven bottom that is pocketed with holes. When I say deep I mean chin deep with the extra push of water. I was in them yesterday without a machine just to check them out and though the current and surf is going to make it difficult to hunt there isn’t enough current and surf at low tide to pose a serious danger. These are not rips, just deep cuts that have been formed in the past several days.

Decisions, decisions. I’m probably only going to get one or two very short hunting opportunities before these start to fill back in, so, and because of the uneven bottom and constant buoyancy issues, would you go with the large coil for maximum coverage, or would you go with the small coil for better control and maneuverability over the uneven bottom? A tight, controlled hunting pattern probably isn’t going to be possible but a larger coil is probably going to be a real pain over the uneven bottom. Decisions, decisions. How would you attack these cuts? As soon as this extra water volume starts to slack off these cuts will fill right back in so it’s either hunt them now or forget about them. I plan on hitting them Thursday and Friday at low tide.

PS: No weight belt.
 

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Go with your gut feeling !!! , im thinking bigger coil cause of time factor, but then again haste makes waste, but time and tide wait for no man, I feel your pain
 

now that you mentioned it here - lurkers will be charging to beach looking for those spots
so there wiil be plenty of coverage
Good Luck
 

now that you mentioned it here - lurkers will be charging to beach looking for those spots
so there wiil be plenty of coverage
Good Luck

Possible, but I doubt it. Hard to find and really rough to hunt. In all my time hunting this section of east coast I've only seen a few other guys attempting to fight the surf and current and they didn't stay at it very long. I can't say I blame them, sometimes I don't stay out there very long either. :laughing7: Come to think of it, it's only very seldom that I ever see another hunter beyond the breakers or waterline even during the calmer low tides of summer.
 

Sounds like some honey holes out there!! Coils it's a toss up I would try spring suit with 10 to15 lbs on belt! A mask and snorkel might do the trick!
Let us know how you!!

SnT
 

No visibility. Too much sand stirred up. But the coil thing has always been an issue. With the small coil I can crank it up and run really hot because it's still very easy to control even in the rougher stuff, but it obviously lacks coverage. The bigger coils has more coverage but they create a lot more drag and it's much hard to control them and they usually have to be used with reduced settings. Just not a perfect setup for it I guess given the small amount of time these cuts can be hunted, the surf and current, and the unevenness of the bottom. I might take both and use the big coil starting out, can always go to the smaller one if I have to. :dontknow:
 

Sounds like some honey holes out there!! Coils it's a toss up I would try spring suit with 10 to15 lbs on belt! A mask and snorkel might do the trick!
Let us know how you!!

SnT

I hope. But I've gotten in them many times before and found nothing worth the effort. The problem is that the sand is very soft and deep, even mushy under your feet a lot of the time. But it is nice when you can find those firm bottoms because they usually produce. Time will tell. These little cuts will be showing up here and there all winter long but it's a, "here today - gone tomorrow" thing most of the time.
 

Couldn't get into the deeper section today, just too much current, but did hunt the edges to about belly deep. No keepers today but did like the fact that I was starting to hit a few heavies and crustys. Just too much wind churning things up to permit going deeper so maybe I can get in there on Friday?
 

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hey scoop!!!! i know the type of hole and bottom your talking about! i have had the 10 inch coil in those and you have to keep the coil above the "mini vallys" in the hole. with the 8 inch coil you can run the coil through and along the Vally.........does that make any sense?? i plan on hitting some of these very hard if current and waves will allow. next few days will bring 7-10 foot waves and ne/nne winds. be careful!

chuck.
 

hey scoop!!!! i know the type of hole and bottom your talking about! i have had the 10 inch coil in those and you have to keep the coil above the "mini vallys" in the hole. with the 8 inch coil you can run the coil through and along the Vally.........does that make any sense?? i plan on hitting some of these very hard if current and waves will allow. next few days will bring 7-10 foot waves and ne/nne winds. be careful!

chuck.

Yep. I used the 10.5 today and it was just too much drag in the current, shoulder is really feeling it. Taking the Excal with the 8" next trip. Ran into that stiff stuff today and couldn't get out where I wanted to be. Like you say I doubt it will be any better next few days but we'll see. I sure hate to miss these deep cuts but it's not worth drowning over either. I mean that water was really ripping through there today.
 

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