The winner of the first annual Ulusub Bluewater OPEN has been decided. This was an informal contest run in the Northeast this year. The rules were. South Carolina and North. Contest begins May 15 and runs through October 15. Best Bluewater Spearfishing Capture wins a new gun. Truth be told. I wanted that gun badly for myself and did my best to try to win it. Until last year there really was no Bluewater Spearfishing in the North East. This year there were several incredible captures to be considered and it was not an easy decision to select the winner. Chris Rowbottom's Epic Wahoo entry was hard to beat. Very few Wahoo have ever been speared north of North Carolina. Chris nailed a 93lb RI State All Tackle Record. The fish was Huge, and Chris R is such a good guy and great member of the NE Spearfishing community that I figured that would clinch it. I tried to catch up with a few nice Wahoo catches, some really Big Bull Mahi, a few decent YFT/Big Eye, my dive buddy Dave Holdsworth from MVI landed some beauty YFT and several Big Eye over 100lbs, a great effort, but there was still no disputing that Chris Rowbottom's Wahoo was the most outstanding Bluewater Spearfishing capture leaving from Rhode Island Shores this past season. Meanwhile our Southern brethren out of Montauk, NY had been giving it a go. Peter Correale may have landed the most, and biggest Yellowfin and Big Eye Tuna. He's a great diver with heaps of experience. He also put that gun down for a while and took up shooting behind the lens and captured some incredible images. Patrick Wetzel is a class guy, oldtime Offshore draggerman and he got a nice Slob. Tony Lonesleeve Dooley came back to his roots, is a great diver and put some good meat on the deck and took some great photos. Rob Navratil came very close to a Polespear WR with this Mahi. Lance Snead with a nice 130lb Big Eye. There were others, some haven't shared their adventures and may have taken the purse. But.. there was one guy who could challenge Chris Rowbottom's wahoo, and that was Chris Miller. Chris started off the season earlier than anyone. He was born under the docks in Mtk. He's a commercial fisherman and spearfisherman to the bone, and the Bluewater Spirit runs strong in him. He fed fat YFT and Big Eye Tuna Steel all summer. It was the combination of several fantastic Yellowfin and Big Eye tuna captures, and Chris' Bluewater Spirit and sharing which added up to the win. Congrats Chris.
Ulusub Bluewater OPEN
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Nice post and amazing fish/pics. Congratz Chris.
Who is in the first pic?
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It didn't suck.
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That is Patrick Wetzel. Great guy. Big Surfer from Montauk.
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Thanks for posting Patrick's pic first, it made my day
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Those are some serious fish! Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks for posting Patrick's pic first, it made my day
I have that same wetsuit but I don't get fish like that.:laughing:
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It's a good feeling Dan. I love to see photos and videos of guys using equipment I've made whether it's Wetsuits, Reels, or Guns. I think all of those fish above except maybe one were taken with Ulusub Guns I made with my own hands. It wasn't one of the rules of the competition, but it turned out that way.
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Congratulations to the winner!
Congratulations to opening a new epic bluewater spearfing territory! Who woulda thunk!!??
How about a summer Caribbean competition for a free gun?? I got some Tune to take pictures of and some dolphin fish and some wahoo to!! I want another Ulusub damit!! :laughing: :thumbsup2::thumbsup2::thumbsup2::thumbsup2: -
Congratulations to opening a new epic bluewater spearfing territory!
That's what this was really about George. All of these guys grew up diving our butts off inshore in bad vis and green water. We all grew up exposed to Offshore fishing. We all dreamed of the diving the Blue out there 100 miles offshore. Years ago, a few guys first started to put their toes in the water out there shooting some Mahi Mahi. What happened up here during the past two years was guys bringing back the knowledge and experience they gained from other places and applying this to our area. A combination of Bluewater Spearfishing with Offshore Fishing. The idea is that if you are a place where there is good Offshore fishing for species like Wahoo or Tuna, that you also have a good Offshore Bluewater Spearfishery.
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Congratulations to opening a new epic bluewater spearfing territory!
That's what this was really about George. All of these guys grew up diving our butts off inshore in bad vis and green water. We all grew up exposed to Offshore fishing. We all dreamed of the diving the Blue out there 100 miles offshore. Years ago, a few guys first started to put their toes in the water out there shooting some Mahi Mahi. What happened up here during the past two years was guys bringing back the knowledge and experience they gained from other places and applying this to our area. A combination of Bluewater Spearfishing with Offshore Fishing. The idea is that if you are a place where there is good Offshore fishing for species like Wahoo or Tuna, that you also have a good Offshore Bluewater Spearfishery.
That's what we do here, exactly that. -
Best blue water post I've seen, I got chills thinking of the early offshore beginnings, and what off shore harvesting has evolved into on both coasts and the world.:thumbsup2:
A big congrats to the fine divers, and safe diving to all.All the best, Don
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Nice thread. Thanks!
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Nice captures congrat's!:thumbsup2:
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