Indian Pass & Carrabelle — Two Weekends, 65ft Vis, Cooler Full

Trip report · July 2026 · From Tifton, GA · Forgotten Coast

Back-to-back weekends out of Indian Pass and Carrabelle reminded me why the Forgotten Coast beats fighting crowds farther west. Water from 100 to 160 feet opened up with roughly 65 feet of visibility — about as good as Gulf diving gets without living on a boat. We targeted snapper, hogfish, and mangrove snapper, filled the cooler both trips, and stacked lionfish on top — over 15 pounds of lionfish the first weekend, over 35 pounds of lionfish on the next trip — taken on pole spear and stowed in a Zookeeper. Invasive, yes — but also excellent eating. Dolphins showed both trips, and we had a couple of face-to-face moments with big bull sharks that'll stick with you longer than any fish on ice.

This is what a South Georgia spearo's July looks like when the Gulf cooperates.

Gulf trips from Tifton — when the cooler fills, it fills.

Trip snapshot

• Home base: Tifton, GA → ~3.5 hr to Carrabelle / Indian Pass corridor
• Launch areas: Indian Pass (weekend 1) · Carrabelle (weekend 2)
• Depths worked: 100–160 ft
• Visibility: ~65 ft — clear enough to pick shots and read bottom
• Primary targets: Snapper, hogfish, mangrove snapper · lionfish (invasive)
• Lionfish: Over 15 lbs first weekend · over 35 lbs on the next trip (pole spear + Zookeeper)
• Result: Cooler filled both weekends (legal limits — always verify FWC)
• Wildlife: Dolphins throughout · two close bull shark encounters

Indian Pass — weekend one

Indian Pass sits in that sweet zone between Apalachicola influence and open Gulf — you've got access without the chaos of bigger tourist ramps. We ran offshore structure in the 100–130 ft range first day, pushing deeper when the bottom type looked right.

At ~65 ft vis you stop guessing. Hogfish showed on hard bottom transitions. Mangrove snapper held on ledges and relief — the kind of diving where shot placement matters because you're not getting five redo drops at depth.

We also ran a dedicated lionfish push — invasive on the Gulf, no bag limit, and honestly some of the best white meat you'll put on ice after a dive day. First weekend we stacked over 15 pounds of lionfish using a pole spear and a Zookeeper tube so nothing venomous bounced around the boat.

What worked:

• Early boat — Gulf vis often best before afternoon chop
• Depth discipline — 100+ ft demands buddy protocol and surface interval respect
• Pole spear + Zookeeper for lionfish — fast shots, safe storage, no loose spines in the cooler
• Ice plan locked before first drop — July heat doesn't forgive lazy cooler prep

Carrabelle — weekend two

Second weekend we staged out of Carrabelle and pushed the 130–160 ft band when conditions held. Same vis story — roughly 65 feet — which for the Forgotten Coast in midsummer is the green light you wait for.

Snapper and hogfish were the mission again. When mangroves stack on structure at depth, you pick your fish — know aggregate bag rules before you pull the trigger. We filled the cooler again; that's the payoff for watching wind charts all week from Tifton.

On the next trip out of Carrabelle, lionfish numbers jumped — over 35 pounds of lionfish, same setup: pole spear for the shot, Zookeeper for the ride home. You're doing the reef a favor removing an invasive predator, and the fillets are legit — ceviche, fried, blackened — don't sleep on lionfish because it has spines.

Lionfish — invasive, worth the effort

Lionfish are an invasive Atlantic species with no natural predators at depth. FWC encourages removal — no recreational bag limit, no minimum size — and they're very good eating when handled right.

Our setup:

• Pole spear — short, accurate shots in structure and on the drift
• Zookeeper — keeps venomous spines contained; nobody wants a loose lionfish flipping in the boat
• Shears and gloves for cleaning — treat every spine like it's hot

Weekend totals: over 15 pounds of lionfish out of Indian Pass · over 35 pounds of lionfish on the next trip out of Carrabelle. That's conservation and dinner in the same dive.

Verify current rules: FWC lionfish regulations

Species notes (July Gulf)

• Hogfish — on hard bottom when vis opens; head shots, know slot/size rules
• Mangrove snapper — structure piles at depth; fast, smart, worth the dive time
• Snapper (various) — aggregate limits apply — check FWC before you box fish
• Lionfish — invasive; no bag limit; pole spear + Zookeeper; excellent table fare

Full ID reference: Gulf species guide

Always verify current regulations: myfwc.com

Dolphins

Dolphins showed both weekends — curious, loud, the kind of encounters that remind you you're in their office. Standard practice: don't chase, don't feed, keep your flag visible. They're a sign of healthy water and bait in the column.

Bull sharks — face to face

Two encounters with big bulls at depth. Not horror-movie stuff — but close enough that you remember who's actually in charge underwater.

What we did:

• Maintained eye contact, backed toward the boat line without thrashing
• Ended the drop — no hero shots with blood in the water
• Debated the next site before anyone dropped again
• Buddy accounted for the whole time — non-negotiable at 100+ ft anyway

Gulf bulls are part of the game at depth. Respect beats bravado. If you're diving 100–160 ft off Indian Pass or Carrabelle, assume they're there even when you don't see them.

Gear that mattered at 100–160 ft

• Float line and flag — boat traffic plus shark awareness
• Quality dive watch / depth tracking — depth discipline saves lives
• Sharp knife and shears — line, fish, emergencies
• Pole spear — lionfish at depth and in structure
• Zookeeper — safe lionfish storage; spines stay contained
• Two coolers worth of ice for the Tifton drive home
• 3mm–5mm depending on thermocline — July surface warm, depth can surprise you

Gear from this trip (Amazon)

Exact categories that made 65ft vis and 100–160ft drops workable:

• Dive flag & float line kit — non-negotiable with boat lanes and bulls around
• Dive watch / computer — depth discipline at 130–160 ft
• 90 cm speargun — hogfish and snapper at depth
• Dive knife & shears — line, fish, emergencies
• Heavy-duty cooler — Tifton drive home with a full box
• 3mm–5mm wetsuit — thermocline surprises at depth
• Low-volume mask — clear vision for shot placement in 65ft vis
• Lionfish pole spear — short shots on invasive fish
• Zookeeper lionfish container — safe storage, no loose spines
• Saltwater species ID guide — snapper aggregates don't forgive mistakes

Full list: Gulf dive bag from Tifton · Species ID guide

Gear Lab — build this trip's kit

Wirecutter-style stacks that match 100–160 ft Forgotten Coast days:

• Best spearfishing starter kit — gun, mask, fins, float/flag
• Best coolers & ice — July heat + Tifton drive home
• Best UPF fishing shirts — deck sun between drops
• Gear Lab hub · Full inventory

Would I run it again from Tifton?

Both weekends, yes. Indian Pass and Carrabelle are different ramps but the same Gulf when vis hits 65 ft. If you're in South Georgia and sleeping on the Forgotten Coast because Atlanta divers hog the Panhandle headlines — you're leaving fish on the table.

Compare the three towns I rotate: Carrabelle · Steinhatchee · Apalachicola

Also from the Gulf: 84-lb carbo (black grouper) out of Apalachicola — solo 160ft ledge dive · All trip reports

What I'd tell a Tifton diver planning similar depths

1. Don't dive 100–160 ft without a solid buddy and depth training
2. Check FWC snapper aggregates and hogfish rules the night before
3. Have a bull shark protocol — agree with your buddy before you roll
4. Fill ice before dawn — not after the first fish
5. When vis is 65 ft, go — it doesn't last all summer