Lesson #1: How to depressurize.

Easiest is hold nose and blow. You can also swallow or move your jaw.

You have to clear on the way down....just squeeze your nose and try to blow air out of your nose . if it doesn't ease the pressure, try again only harder. You can pop an eardrum if you keep going down and letting the pressure build!

I dove Canyon Lake in the 70's just to do it. I had the gear and just wanted to take a dip. Near the dam I found a car submerged in 25 feet of water. A big bass was using the space inside to survey the scene. She didn't seem to mind me looking or so I thought. I never got closer than 20 feet. I turned away and when I turned back she was gone.

PK is pretty clear too, or used to be. Thats where I took my certification dive. They take you down to 30 feet or so. You sit on the bottom and take all your gear off and then the instructor lets you put it all back on. Once done he reaches out and pulls your inflatable vest and you shoot to the surface. Thats how they did it in the 70's anyway.

hmmmmmmm

My brother did a lot of diving down in the lakes near Austin. He also dives a lot of private waters where the visibility is good.
We talk a lot about what he has seen while down there and what the fish were doing (or not doing). One of the places he dove had a platform in about 20' of water where he said there was always a school of bass. He would take a fluke on a short piece of mono (no hook) and would play with the fish and see what they did.
Since he fishes too, he paid close attention to bass and what/how they related to cover and how they schooled up.