04/22/2009 La Santa Fe - Quick dive

The day started out with flat seas judging by the webcam. By the time Pantoja, Guille, Alan and myself were on the way with the boat the wind picked up and dark clouds formed. This is what it looked like as we anchored at our first spot.

Alan was stoic in the face of the oncoming storm

2-3ft waves formed. We braved the elements and continued diving through the thunderstorm and rain that inevitably caught up with us. Actually I thought I'll be safer in the water than on the boat considering the lightning, and I don't mind diving in the rain. After about an hour the storm passed, the wind subsided and the sea turned to glass.

At some point we saw the coast guard doing maneouvers with the helicopter lowering what looked like a harness. We came closer to see what was going on because we thought it might have been a real situation.

It was a short day because Pantoja had things to do and we were finished by noon. I knew the day was complete when I saw Pantoja was bleeding from a triggerfish bite

The catch.

Something was wrong with Alan

Pantoja with his fish.

Alan posing with fish that aren't his..

And getting what he deserves

Yours truly with MY fish.

The viz was f'n awesome. The kind of blue that makes you happy to be in the water. Later in the day and further south there was more particulate in the water. But on the way back to the inlet from the speeding boat you could clearly see the bottom of the 2nd reef. I was not cold in a 3mm suit as far as temperature.

There was all kinds of fish movement that I would categorize as mid water fish. Mackerels, bonito, lots of triggerfish. I shot at a large mackerel looking thing that could've been a king, but it was a long shot and I hit him in the tail so he tore off. He'll make it, I didn't break anything judging by his escape run. I stopped shooting triggers after 3 but could've taken a lot more. There were muttons around too. Overall I'd say the fish are back.

Quote from av001

ive never missed so many fish in 1 day

That's how felt. I actually hit them but not good enough. Like a nice mutton that came up in the water column on my very first dive then went back down and I had to give chase. I thought it was a mangrove at first because it wasn't on the bottom. I didn't have much air on that first dive and had to take a long shot. I did hit him but it was too high and he tore off. That, the kingfish, a nice mackerel and other misses.

hau, I can't speak for Sergio but for me the triggers are just there. Sometimes they give you a shot and other times they don't. These ones seemed new on the block so to speak and were ignorant. But they learned fast and the last one of the first group I saw I believe got the message after I picked off his 2nd companion. On those first two fish I got, because I wanted a 2nd one for sure, I left the 1st trigger on the shooting line until I shot the next one. But it was just to save time and not to lose track of the rest. Other than that I just put them on the stringer.

To avoid bites the first thing I do is cut across the mouth. I figured out yesterday that I just can't find the kill spot in their heads even if I take my time. These fish are very hardy and just don't die. I decided then that from now on I will kill them by gutting. From the anal hole and up the side of the stomach. Then I string the trigger through the eyes. If the mouth is not cut do not string through the eyes but rather through the gills and out the mouth. I use a stainless steel cable stringer.

Depth on this day was 40-50ft. I gut my fish at the surface. The current takes it away before it ever gets to the bottom. The only thing I've seen this attract is mackerels. Many times the current doesn't permit us to stay over one spot.