I normally don't post trip reports but I thought I would share a recent experience:
We had been working on a plan to do a San Diego Freedivers group boat dive. We did one in Laguna last year which was a ton of fun and this year, we decided to do one local.
We met at the launch ramp early on a Saturday morning and started loading up. With reports of seabass and yellowtail all over the place, our hopes were high. We had nine guys total between the two boats with a mixture of veteran crew and some newer guys. Everyone were competent divers so I took a chance and decided to hit a spot which had been recently producing.
I was a bit nervous about having so many guys in the water together but knowing the area we were going was such a huge and thick bed, I figured we would have a decent shot at fish. We loaded the ice, cranked up the music and set out into the morning light.
Conditions were nice on the way out. The water looked blue and the temp. was about right. The morning looked great. We start cruising the coast and I quickly realize there were very few boats around. I wondered if I had made a mistake because of all the crazy reports in other areas. However, I decided to stick with the plan since conditions were right and the tides were promising.
We get to the spot and park the boats about 100 yards apart. We put up the flags and everyone starts gearing up. I put my crew in the water first hoping they would quickly get on fish and wanting to give the guys who don't get out on boats too often the best shot. I was enjoying the nice morning and dreading putting on the cold wetsuit so I was in no hurry. After giving the guys a head start to disperse, I hop in the water and start cruising the outside edge.
The first thing I noticed, was the bait was EVERYWHERE. I am not sure I have ever seen quite so much bait. The jellies were around, the bait was lively, the calicos were friendly, the sand bass were skittish and the bat rays were doing kamikaze runs. I head into the kelp thinking of staying near the outside where I would have a shot of either whites or yellows. I hadn't seen any large fish yet but I wasn't worried. I was enjoying the day but I hadn't seen any fish and I hadn't heard any hooting or seen any floats deployed so I was pretty sure nobody had shot anything. With 9 divers in the area and most of them in the water longer than myself, I began to get a little worried. This was my spot and it didn't seem like it was going to produce.
Like always happens, I start thinking about shooting some of the 5 lb. calico who were trying to hide at the edge of visibility. They were about 15' away but I figured I knew I could ambush one and at least have fish on the stringer. Then I saw a small barracuda cruising thru and I thought.... at least this is different. I did a few more drops very carefully watching all of the bait fish and bass to make sure I was staying quiet. At this point, the other guys had worked well into the kelp and were halfway through the bed. I was still on the outside edge just a little ways in. I decided to do one last drop before heading back to the boat.
I dropped down and decided to level off pretty shallow. I hit 10' and leveled knowing that I could see down to 30' and to the surface. There was a haze layer down below 25' that limited viz down to the bottom and with the overcast, it was really dark down there. I look around and was cruising straight for a kelp curtain when I realized that there was a WHOLE SCHOOL of large seabass cruising RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. It took me about 1-2 seconds for several thoughts to flash through my mind. First, which one was the largest. Second, the first question was a dumb question because although I could see at least 5 within shooting range and more around them, there was one BIG one literally in front of me about five feet off the tip of my gun. Third, I thought that even if there was a larger fish in the school that I could shoot, with as close as I was to this big seabass, I could never shoot around her to even hit another fish. Fourth, I thought TAKE THE SHOT DUMMY!!! I quickly aimed for a stone shot and my finger twitched on the trigger.
BAM! I nailed her right behind the eyes with a perfect shot. She literally rolled over and did a slow twitch. I grab my bungee and wait for the run if she had any life in her. As I sit on the surface, I realize the fish wasn't going anywhere. Her twitches slowly had her swinging the shooting line around a kelp stalk right at 10'. I put my gun over my shoulder and drop down to grab her by the gills. There was no fight. My shot was perfect and the shaft went almost completely through the head. It was the easiest retrieval I had ever had.
I head back for the boat thinking.... man this is a big fat fish. She was still twitching but not dead so I brain her. In the process, my knife went through and I gashed my knuckle. Stupid move.... I climb on the swim step and look around to see who was in view before swinging the fish quickly over the rail. She slides right on the deck and I retrieve my gear. I radio to the other boat to let them know not to give up hope. There were indeed fish in the area. A whole school in-fact. I put the fish on ice, collect my gear, tell my crew where the fish were sighted and head back out.
The other boat also had one on board so I was confident and went back out. I head right back to where I had seen the fish and spend about 20 minutes looking. About the time I was wondering if the school had moved off and I wasn't going to see any more, I dive down and see a single cruising about 20 feet below. The fish sensed me and started heading deeper. I knew I had good range and a good shot and I knew the fish was a decent size so I took the shot. Again, I nailed the fish.
I grab my float line and head back for the surface. I decided to horse the fish since I knew it was a good shot and we were pretty deep. The fish tied up around 35' and I had another easy retrieval. Swim fish #2 back to the boat and put on ice.
By then, everyone in the group had either seen fish or shot fish. I went back out to the same spot. I quickly realize that there were way too many divers in the area. I head over to the other boat (which had relocated to my magic spot) and hop on to see their catch. I find out that one of the other guys had shot a very large fish and had lost his floatline after it ran too far and too fast.
That was going through my mind when I got back in the water and started heading around the kelp back to my boat. I had a 100' floatline with integrated bungee and kelp carrot so I had never had a problem but the large fish I had shot could have given me quite a fight if I hadn't stoned it. With these thoughts in mind, I am looking around and see two more seabass swimming about 10' right under me. I was outside the kelp and they were just heading in. The first one was HUGE!!!! noticeably larger than the first fish I had shot. Unfortunately, they were rather close and the water was real clear on the edge of the kelp. They had seen me!
I am mentally cursing myself for not getting a shot off immediately and drop in behind the big sucker and her little brother. I quickly realize there was no way to get around and ambush them on the other side of a kelp stalk or any other shot. I had a long (15') tail shot on the big one..... but if I land the fish..... my first limit of seabass AND my largest seabass! Greed got the better of me and I take the shot. Mid-body at a slight angle from the rear. It was not my best shot but I connected. I thought I had enough power and figured it had lodged in the ribs.
The fish took off and the floatline was whizzing past. I grab the line and did the full-body parachute/waterski drag on the line. I was being pulled pretty good but fortunately, the fish had gone right into the kelp and I was bound to tie up. Sure enough, we hit the kelp and stop. I noticed one of the other guys was literally right next to me. Apparently, he had come up right next to me inside the kelp on the surface and he was just about to take a shot on the fish when I took my hail-mary. I ask him to hold my gun and the end of the line while I drop to figure out the situation. I go to drop down and the shaft came loose and I realized the fish was gone.
I was totally bummed and totally exhausted so I decided to just head back to the boat and call it a day. We went back to the landing and I weigh the fish. The small one was right at 40 lb. and the big one was just shy of 60.
Overall, it was a fun and successful day. Almost everyone saw seabass and several ended up on the boats. I will never forget the day and I am proud I could share it with my friends in the San Diego Freedivers.
