Blue Water Open

[Mark Laboccetta]

You can lift it but nature can still drop it

a nice boat took a hit, another one a hundred feet away sunk completely and many were upside down or fre floating in the inlet.

 

[Mark Laboccetta]

Hurricane prone or not

Hatteras rules!

 

[Mark Laboccetta]

Hatteras Leviathan, a protector of Sailors

Hatteras Light, the black and white goliath of the OBX, warning sailors rain or shine, for as long as I can remember

 

[Mark Laboccetta]

Let the games begin! (not Athens)

Manny is on a mission to spear a 50lb fish with a pole spear. Yes, quite a primitive quest you say.

As I type this the trees are going sideways and so is the rain, the windows are also bowing. This one is called Hurricane Charlie. (should I be online right now? hmm..)

 

[Mark Laboccetta]

Fish Burglar on the job

Here he is living up to his name. His nickname is the "Fish Burglar" We still haven't figured out why he does this to his hair before he goes spearfishing. It works I guess.

 

[Mark Laboccetta]

When the dust settled

Fish burgler burgled, Manny "mano a mano'ed" the AJ and David impressed us once again of what he's capable of doing with half the horse power of any other human being.

With the occasion of Manny's presence we watched him handfeed an 8ft Sandbar Shark (wild) with a freshly speared bonito. Sure Manny, go right ahead I promise I won't stop you...

 

[Mark Laboccetta]

Bill Ernst

17 Time USA National Team Champion with cobia

 

[Mark Laboccetta]

Eat up boys&gals, tomorrow we go diving!

Barbecue courtesy of Hatteras Landing Marina

 

[Mark Laboccetta]

Red sky at night

Sailor's delight

 

[Mark Laboccetta]

ALL FISH BEWARE

read fine print

 

[Mark Laboccetta]

Congratulations Dave Eggleton

A 50lb AJ, nice fish!

 

[Mark Laboccetta]

Satisfaction is a big fish

Man of the year

 

[Mark Laboccetta]

Manny! I think you bent your hand spear

on the fish in the back of the boat

 

[Mark Laboccetta]

Manny your fish is bleading all over my suit!?

but if you want I'll hold half of it

 

[Mark Laboccetta]

They don't look like they're having fun

right...

 

[Screen Name]

So What Did You Guys Do Last Weekend?

I went freediving in the Omer Bluewater Open off Hatteras.

I shot fish at 75 feet deep, my best ever. Not like a real freediver, but still my personal best.

I dove numerous wrecks that were torpedoed by the Germans in WWII, and learned the history of every one.

I dove with big schools of big African Pomano. Once I got two with one shot.

I learned some new stalking methods.

I almost got my first Wahoo, but he was smarter than me. This time.

I shot my biggest freedive fish to date, a 38 lb Jack, rolled him over. The only shot I missed was on a Cuda, and I really didn't want to mess with him since they arent in the tourney.

I saw a big shark jump out of the water right behind the boat as I hopped in with my weight belt full of chum.

I had a big Manta Ray circling me as I untangled an African Pompano from my marker buoy.

I swam around in a weedline. Never have done that before. It was beautiful with all the strange baitfish that hang out there. I would have loved to see even a 10 lb Dolphin.

I got to see GR Tarr disappear into the abyss like he had tanks on. "Wait here, I'll bring the fish up to you".

I got to see Nole Karcher's thumb which became wrapped in his shooting line when he shot the tournament record 63 lb Yellowfin Tuna. He is lucky he didn't buy the farm on that one.

I got 15th overall.........I was real happy with that being that I'm not a real freediver. Yet, like the 5th through 20th placers, I could have been 4th with just one more fish! That woulda been a shocker!

I met some really awesome people. Matt and Denise Turner from Spearfishinggear.com. Guy Nesbitt. Richard Gage and Steven Rodger from Key West. Great divers, great people. Manny Puig........yes the famous shark rider guy. No Meghan though. Phillipe Vigili from Canada, great freediver on our boat. Russ the photographer. Kurt Bickel, editor of Spearfishing Mag and former motorcycle racer like myself and GR Tarr. Bill Ernst and Bonnie Row from California. Plus, I got to hang out with my bro's GR Tarr, Jerry Guerra, David Shelton, and Nole and Dane Karcher and Mark Labocetta.

So, what did you guys do last weekend?

 

[Mark Laboccetta]

blue water. blue opium

better than the drug

 

[Screen Name]

GR Got a Sweet 38 lb Pompano...........

 

[Mark Laboccetta]

Rookie of the Year

John Maguire, first weekend blue water hunting looking good.

 

[Mark Laboccetta]

30 of the finest BWHunters in the country

These boys from Florida set the new standard. They raised the bar one notch.

Nole Karcher, this year's winner, shot a 73lb AJ, a 63lb Yellowfin tuna, a 35lb cobia and an African pompano. Dive buddy Steve Rogers shot a wahoo, yellowfin tuna, an African Pompano and an amberjack. All in just two days of diving since friday (the first day) was canceled do to weather.