These other spearing channels have 250k subs.. How is this not on the same level. Dan is at an elite level. (Yes, he doesn't hold his breath) His technique, approach and accuracy is ridiculous. Hats off my man!
Thanks Jake, I appreciate you watching and your comments. I'm enjoying posting the videos and glad most seem to like them! Looking forward to posting some new stuff soon! Best, Dan
Always a treat to watch your videos. I appreciate how you're thinking of your subscribers, even at depth when you're spearfishing and giving explanations or talking into your regulator...love it!
I'm getting certified in the next couple weeks and super excited to get down there and start hunting these videos are a big help I've been watching a lot of dive videos and these are definitely my favorite action packed Hope I see half as many fishes you do keep it up buddy
Hey Kenny, you're right, that would be a great spot to fish. The MG area is famous for lots of big fish and I believe there are still quite a few record fish that have come off of there! Best, Dan
Thanks 208, I appreciate your comments. Trying to show different aspects of MG spearing. Should be back to deeper water and bigger fish soon! Best, Dan
Mr. Dan you have courage and desire to spear fish at great depths, I am stoked to see another video. Hog fish are my favorite to eat,besides Grouper. There were so many different fish. I enjoyed watching the video. God bless you and your team.
Thanks David, it's indeed a fascinating sport. You really never know until you get down there what you're going to experience or see. Hog Fish are def one of my favorite eating fish as well! Best, Dan
Man, it’s like Xmas every time I see a new upload, everything thing going on stops, until I’ve viewed the video, wife fucking hates it when she is talking to me and i start watching. Keep em coming. Thanks Dan!
I just don't think we'll be back to the Mg until next Winter. Fish thin out and Sharks increase exponentially out there during the Summer. I am planning on lots of new videos from deeper water for the next 6 months or so!
Awesome stuff looking forward to the deeper wrecks and small depression holes with under cut ledges and honeycomb. What a great quote “my mental health is on your stringer”
Yes! I didn’t have to yell “get the hogs!” This time!😂 u should get the other guys to wear go pros when they do the clean up dive after you. Thanks for the adventure!
MHAP, I do occasionally grab a copy of one of their dives if they happen to mention something really cool. I actually took those two Hogs a little sooner than I normally would, mostly because of the depth. I knew there wouldn't be a lot of surplus bottom time like there would have been if shallower. Glad you enjoyed! Best, Dan
Thats a really pretty piece of bottom. O e my favorite spots on the east coast is in 130' and has a big swim through in it. As always great video keep up the good work. Looks like a little down time this week...
Hey Jmac, sounds like a great spot. I've always liked those swim through's. There's one on the Wester MG that I def need to get video of sometime. Yeah this weather is brutal in the Gulf right now, hoping we can get out next week! Best, Dan
Dan, I dive with Rob Harding out of Charleston Sc. I’ve watched tons of your videos thank you for adding all the pointers ! Hopefully this year I’ll give rob a run for his money 🤣👍🏼
B31, I'm glad that some of the subscribers suggested doing that. I never had any plans on posting the videos online and would cut the camera off upon surfacing to save memory and battery life. I do enjoy the deck footage as well and it's now SOP on all future dives. Best, Dan
Great video Dan, that gag tried turning that into a mini goat rodeo there for a little bit, ha ha goes that way sometimes but thanks for sharing .... till next time brother stay safe
Thanks Randy, you're right, it was a real Goat rodeo for a few minutes! Funny how those stick in your mind more than stone shots! Thanks for well wishes! Best, Dan
Hey Mark, just what I would have needed at that point! In my almost 50 years of spearing, I've never had a Nurse attack a stringer of fish. I'm sure it happens but has never happened to me! Glad you enjoyed the video, the weather should be laying out pretty soon, looking forward to heading out a little deeper! Best, Dan
Thanks LF, much appreciated. On a similar note, I love just running slowly along on AP and watching the depth finders, you never know when something amazing is going to appear on the screen! Best TV show around imho! Best, Dan
Another great one as always, stay safe and keep up the good work. And nada on the cobia last tuesday, I think the little front pushed them back south of the cape, we worked from Ponce south almost to the cape and nothing.
Thanks BT ! Cobia hunting can surely be difficult, a good buddy of mine who used to hunt them regularly had this saying "Cobia? There's a lot of places they ain't" That could apply to any fish but is really spot on with Cobia. Hope you find them next trip! Best, Dan
Amazing job with the Gag you make the impossible easy done,, I will start learning scuba after Ramadan,, any advice from you it will make different with me ,, thanks Dan
Hey BB, a couple that watched it at my house thought that was the best part of the video! I guess it's def something you don't see on a normal basis. Best, Dan
Dan....I stumbled onto your channel by accident last year and was instantly hooked after the first video. I then proceeded to go back and watch every episode. I turned two of my fishing buddies on to it as well.We kind of joke that you are Darth Vader with a spear gun. In stead of talking about Middle Grounds 18 I have a few questions I have wanted to ask you for a while. I don't think they are out of line but if you do just tell me to f..k off and I won't be offended. How old are you? How long have you been diving professionally for a living? Have you or a dive buddy ever been in serious life threatening trouble while on a dive.....The bends, equipment failure, run out of air,etc.What's the deepest you have ever dove and where? What you do is difficult and dangerous but you make it look simple and routine and without drama....Stay safe ...Willie T
Thanks for sending this one to me. I can't pickup a speargun hardly any longer forget a TANK ! We didn't have any Go-Pro but stuck a lot of Flounder at Night around the Liberty ships and Commercial Fished Fed. Snapper & King ect. Not so able to do anything now. Be Careful with your BACK MAC...!
Ibb55, sorry to hear that. I've got a couple of buddies with back problems and I know it's brutal. I've toned down the picking up heavy stuff as much as possible. Thanks for the advice and I wish you the best. Dan
Great perseverance Dan. Let’s see a free diver do that! On a side issue ... will you do an old man a favor a hold up a shovel nose lobster on one of these dives? I used to gather quite a few, and the fish houses would buy them. My old saying was... shovel nose are hard to see until you find the first one. Then they are everywhere. 😎
Hey Barry, I def will if I see one. They're pretty common in 60'-100' but I never see them out deeper. Don't know if they're just not there or if I'm just not taking the time to look. I'll try and do just that on a slower dive this Summer. If they're there, I'll def bring one up! Best, Dan
AA, we did just that. Sent down another diver and he got the Gag and some nice AR's. I actually dropped him to the NE about 150' and let the current swing him into those hot spots! Best, Dan
Hey John, the Middle Grounds is a specific big bottom area in the Eastern GOM. It got it's name because it's roughly middle ways between the Panhandle and Tampa. It's a federally protected area called a HAPC (Habitable Area of Particular Concern). Spearing is allowed along with hook and line but no nets or bottom longline gear. Best, Dan
probably one of your best vids. especially when you give a description at the end of what it took to pull that gag out. could you have nudged that nurse to get going outta there?
Hey SY, yeah I did give him a poke to get 'em moving. I've pulled a few fish from his side of the swim thru before but it didn't go that way this time. Glad you enjoyed the video! Best, Dan
Hey MH, I needed to literally a second or two to get my left hand into his gills and just didn't get it. The instant I felt him powering up, I released him completely. If I'd have grabbed the spear it would have pulled out and I probably would have lost him. By leaving the spear in, he wasn't going to run far and would almost certainly rock up. Worked out in the end! Thanks for watching and your comments. Best, Dan
Hey Capt. C, you're right, those fish know every nook and cranny by heart. No hesitation at all on his part, right to the cave he went! I knew I'd get him but I also knew it'd be a tussle. Like you said, I 'll bet they do the exact same thing when hooked as well! Best, Dan
WCFC, yes, I just got a tripod in for a gopro and will soon try a "how to" video. If it goes over ok, I'll do a few of them with one def being on the gun. Thanks for watching, Best, Dan
Hey Joe, we make them our selves. I've been toying with the idea of collaborating with a gun making company and producing a few for sale. Nothing definite yet but it's an interesting idea. Best, Dan
Dan. 2 questions what length and diameter shafts do you prefer? Deepest diving I do is around 130. I’m addicted to the idea of getting in the 200 range where can I get the best training for more technical dives? Great videos. My skills have definitely been fine tuned from watching.
Thanks BC, I only use RA shafts. They're 60" long and 7.5 mm in diameter. I don't personally know any extended range instructors. My suggestion would be ask for other divers opinions on a spearfishing site. If that fails, I'd visit a few dive shops in your area and tell them exactly what you're wanting to do. They should be able to match you with an appropriate instructor. Best, Dan
Always entertaining, though I get anxious for you when you shoot one and it runs in the bushes. I know that time is money especially for divers. Stay safe!
Hey Jimmy, yeah I knew the Cave was there and I knew he'd almost certainty run for it. Was hoping to stone him, and if that didn't happen, was hoping to hurt him bad enough for me to put shaft #2 into him before he made the cave. And if neither of those two actions happened, I knew I'd have to root him out! Thanks for the well wishes! Best, Dan
60SD, they really were. The MG has always been famous for producing big HogFish! Funny story, back in 1979, my buddy Gary and I made our first trip to the MG. We were anchor diving and only one of us could dive at a time because of a regulator malfunction. (only had 2 regs total on the boat). Gary went down and 10 minutes later swam up to the boat and I could see his reel was deployed. I held the gun as he got into the boat and I was yelling "what did you shoot"? He replied that he'd shot a Hog. I was soooooo disappointed as we speared Hogs all the time in shallow water , usually 2-3 pounder's. We started pulling in the 100' of reel line and a 21# Hog hit the Surface. You could have knocked me over with a feather. We'd never seen anything like it! That was 42 years ago and still seems like yesterday. Best, Dan
@@danmacmahon3973 wow that’s huge! I’ve only been to the middle grounds twice but it was by far the best spear fishing I’ve ever done. Can’t wait to get out there again!
@@danmacmahon3973 I am in the Deepwater mafia Spearfishing club and they had a guy turn one on and jump in behind a shrimp boat and the sharks took off. Some wear them and most don’t but the results have been really good. Thanks for the great vids.
hey Tom, lol, I agree with that guy! I knew that it was highly unlikely that I'd stone that fish but it was the only Gag I'd seen at that point so I took the shot he gave me. I also knew I was in for 5 minutes of grief when he powered into that swim through cave. I won in the end though! Thanks for making me laugh this morning! Best, Dan
KTG, there's a couple of reasons, the MG has about 600 Sq. miles of area, there's literally 1000's of spots, so no need to "clean" any one spot off. Fish attract fish and leaving fish behind helps the spot. Also, I try to avoid back diving a spot whenever possible as it exponentially increases the chance of a bad shark encounter. Great question, Best, Dan
What is the cost of your dive fills as Helium was expensive when I was getting wet... my blue water 100mtr dives were 12ltr x2 10/50 a 12ltr bail out mix 10ltr @ 40% and10ltr @80% Stay safe...
TEH, it's very expensive. 20 years ago I could get a bottle for $60, it's well over $200 today (if you can get it). I fill my own tanks and a very rough guide is $1 for every percent of HE. A single HP120 with a 30% HE content would cost the boat $30. That includes the O2 and the expense of filling the tank. Expensive but cheap compared to paying a shop to do it. Best, Dan
Jazzy, we use it during the colder months to warm up sea water for the wetsuits. We also use it for warming up cans of soup etc., just toss in a can an hour before lunch and voila! It's also great for getting hot water for a LionFish sting! Best, Dan
Hey MW, yeah if there had been a few closer/easier Gags there, I'd have passed on that shot. Was pretty sure it would be time consuming but being as he was the only Gag there, I just had to do it! Best, Dan
Hey Mike, I just really like free shafting. We do PH AJ's but do well with bottom fish with free shafts. I just never had any desire to PH everything. Best, Dan
Dan too bad that gag gave you so much trouble. If you had another couple minutes you could have popped the other gag. Did someone get him later. Great video brother I enjoyed it
Hey David, you're right, I thought about trying for the second one for a second but I would have probably put myself 15 minutes in if all went right. I did put another diver in and he did indeed get the Gag and a couple of nice Ar's. Glad you enjoyed the video! Best, Dan
Notice all of the extinct red snapper swimming around but I know you guys have a few more over on your side I guess that's why you get three weeks and we get three days mind you you can't fish the ledge because they are all you catch
Excelentes capturas lo que no me parece correcto es poner el animal en el engancha peces sin antes quitarle la vida para evitar su sufrimiento, eso se llama respeto por la vida aunque sea caza la idea es hacer sufrir lo menos posible al animal 👍🏼
Hey Todd, lol, well, maybe. Even if it went perfectly, It would have put me 10 minutes in. And if less than perfectly, it could have got really ugly, really quickly. I really dislike going heavily into deco and chasing the computer the rest of the day. It worked out pretty well, the next guy up got him and a few more fish to go with him. Best, Dan
RR, All training agencies teach that you should always dive with a buddy and there's many good reasons for that. I would always advise people to dive with a buddy and not solo dive. That being said, I do dive solo quite a bit , but I'm well aware of the increased risk and choose to accept them. Again, my advice is to always buddy dive, the life that's saved may well be your own! Best, Dan
