WSB Question but probably pertains to most fish

    I was having a discussion with a dive partner about how I saw a small group of wsb in a particular kelp one day. I was coming up from the bottom directly beneath them unprepared (I had been hunting halibut on the bottom in about 30'). They were just suspended not doing much and by the time I saw them my buoyancy was bringing me up and the necessary movement to get my gun aligned spooked them.


    I assumed that if those fish were in the top four feet of the water column that any others would also be in the same depth so I began to make drops to just below 15 feet and start swimming upside down underneath the canopies to look for more silhouettes.


    My dive partner contends that the fish hunt looking for bait below them so that the approach I was taking was more likely to get me noticed then swimming on the surface looking down.


    I contend that the fish are most likely looking for bait on the same level or sky-lined above them so that the surface swimmer is more likely to get noticed.


    Any thoughts?

    I recently saw a Russian freshwater (Volga river) spearfishing video. One of the divers was demonstrating a technique where he lies on the bottom on his back and shoots up at the silhouettes of the fish. May not apply to WSB, and I can't remember his reasoning, just letting you know that other people do it.

    Seems like a good trick to have in the bag o tricks. Something to try if your normal moves are stale.


    I will be trying this next time I am in a Mack area. Dive, flip and look behind me. Curiousity always kills the Mack. Well, that and my spear shaft:D

    i like to spear fish

    Stephan , Im No WSB expert ,, but IMO hunting them from below is the best way,,, just make sure to suck the air in your mask and dont make any big movments ,,, then you can really get close and even poke them with your gun before you shoot ..I have even been able to touch WSB with my bare hands by aproaching from below ..



    Joe

    [quote='Joe Acevedo','http://spearfishing.world/forums/index.php?thread/&postID=37860#post37860'] ..I have even been able to touch WSB with my bare hands by aproaching from below ..


    Cool,I have never done that, only tickled their tail with the sliptip. I have had them approach to within 1 foot of the tip while I'm laying in the sand. I would really need to know where my divers were before I could pull a steep up shot.


    Cheers, Don

    "Great mother ocean brought forth all life, it is my eternal home'' Don Berry from Blue Water Hunters.


    Spearfishing Store the freediving and spearfishing equipment specialists.

    I've blown two "gimme" shots from the bottom up, I just can't get the angle right. I've also blown shots where the kelp barely hit my slip tip, it's amazing how much a slight difference in angle makes.

    Quote from Joe Acevedo

    Stephan , Im No WSB expert ,, but IMO hunting them from below is the best way,,, just make sure to suck the air in your mask and dont make any big movments ,,, then you can really get close and even poke them with your gun before you shoot ..I have even been able to touch WSB with my bare hands by aproaching from below ..



    Joe


    Funny you say that. After the dive I told another dive buddy that I felt I had a better chance of tickling the belly than shooting it because of all the movement necessary to swing the gun. I was about 2 seconds away from pulling the trigger but I guess that's a long time in C-bass time.

    I think it depends, on some dives I've seen them all over the place as far as depth, and the ones that aren't feeding won't be at the same depth as others. You might have a nice one swim right under you if you're upside down at 15ft, imo it's easier to swim straight and look up and down scanning the horizon...

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