WSB

on down...

Well, Perry and I went out in late August and found some quality fish. We went with the hopes of finding some yellowtail, but I only spotted one all day long. Well before I ever spotted the yellow at the first spot Perry told me that he just missed a WSB in a school of 3. I couldn't believe it. The current was wrong, water was cold and dirty and I was just getting out when he told me this. I hopped back in and not 10 minutes later saw his float inflated. What a dick I think to myself as Perry is renound for doing this sort of thing. He took the fish out of a school of fish all about the same size. I dove hard and the current bacame very strong and after 2 solid diving hours at this spot we were exausted and all I saw was a nice grade yellow that wasn't stopping. We went to another spot and gave that one a rest for a while. After an hour headed back to the spot where Perry got his fish and I decided to no longer hunt for the yellows and to go deep into the thickest part of the bed and do a wide circle. At this point we were both pretty tired, but got the will to slide back in. Deep in the bed the current had died and was almost nonexistent. I left the bait on the outside of the bed and dove with schools of calicos by the dozens. I finally got into my groove and felt like I was hunting seabass again. I was quiet, relaxed and just barely moving through the dark kelp as the sun was falling. I felt the fish around my become comfortable and there was no tension between us. Large calicos and sargo cruised up to check my out and followed my through the bed. Completly day dreaming I noticed the shape of a White to my right moving away slightly and don't think it noticed me. Right as I was squeezing the trigger it moved in front of a wide kelp stalk and seemed to pause. It blended perfectly with the kelp in the low vis and low light. I knew where I was aiming before and tried to hold it where I knew the fish was and let the shaft loose into the murk. No pause whatsoever. Line went screaming off my reel! It wasn't slowing down a bit and I didn't want to put too much pressure on the fish when the reel locked up!! Yanking me through the thick matted surface kelp and flooding my mask and snorkel! I scrambled and finally got the line free and the run continued. I attached my float to my gun and pursued the fish. It went almost in a straight line for a long ways and then straight to the 65ft bottom. By the time I got to where it dove deep I was exausted and didn't feel any kicking. I made a single dive to 40ft and didn't see my fish and decided to yell for Perry who was a good clip away. As he made his way over I started lifting my line and to my suprise pulled the fish straight up from the bottom and completly free of ANY kelp! I noticed the shot wasn't that great but the sliptip did it's job and thanks again Mori for a quality product! Mine was we guessed around 45-46 lbs and Perry's slightly less gurthy fish to be about 42ish. Both fish had roe in them and were healthy WSB. We called it a day and headed home. Right when I thought I wasn't gonna get any more seabass this year and especially a quality fish like this I did. Glad to stock the freezer for the winter.

Quote from spearstuff

I hope you got some video of that action.

I wish, but I left the camera on the boat. It is tough enough to carry my gun and camera mounted around without current, but as hard as it was rippin and the lack of gamefish I never bothered putting it on. Once the current died the viz wasn't that good and I was over filming. I really got serious and dove hard for the seabass and glad I did.:D

Quote from Miguel

How was the water temp?

Very strange. Felt nice on the surface when I got in and I swear the thermocline hit me like at iceburg at about 3 ft!!!:@ I thought for sure with the current going the wrong way and the cold water with shitty viz we were in for a less than good dive. Right when we got in the current switched and the water seemed to warm with the thermocline dropping to about 30 ft. I dove from 60ft to 15ft with the water never feeling as cold as it did when I first got in. I didn't have my dive computer so I don't really know the temps, but I would say 57 at first and up to 63 or 64 if I had to guess. REALLY strange day. I felt the presence of the fish even though I only saw one. Really odd how I felt it, but I felt like they were near me a few times before I saw and shot it. :crazy: I know, crazy, but I sure as hell felt it.