Posts by dustyyoungblood

Swell was down last night. Joined spearthebigones for an adventure. Calm seas and nearly full moon allowed for a fun shore dive scavenging some very shallow reef that normally gets pounded by surf. Entered water just before 10pm. Visibility was good, allowing me to spot lobster from the surface in over 8' of water. Saw lobster on my first drop, and continued seeing shorts and barely legal deep hiding bugs for an hour. kicked a hundred yards to some more interesting ledges, and started seeing bigger bugs that were out crawling!!! Yes! Saw a large size Abalone, a horn shark, typical reef fish, a couple cabazon, a brown rockfish, and a TREE FISH( I have never seen one). WOW. Got lucky and made a grab on a fat legal bug. Grabbed a few more that we're just short, and reaching very deep under some ledges produced nothing else.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us[/IMG]

Now, we were on a stretch of reef that is hard to get to, no one was seen on the beach. But, during the second half of this 3 hr dive, I kept hearing some fin splash, and head sized object near me. I was thinking seal, but when I'd shine my light over all I would see was a commercial lob pot buoy. So I convinced myself I was hallucinating and headed in. While taking my fins off, a skindiver with no light on and swim fins is exciting the water just a few yards behind us. It was A CA DFG warden. He explained he was out looking for people poaching the commercial traps! Said they had been getting hit pretty hard, so he was out freediving with no flashlight on, being stealth watching us and checking the commercial traps. It was 1:00am now, he checked our bugs and had a nice chat and walked away. It was a strange feeling knowing he was diving on traps as I past them, just yards from me and I had no idea. And looking for poacher alone, what a tough job!

That is one pissed off fish.

It was just insane to see the catches come out. Ryan, Balta, and Dave Freeman each had freakishly large goats. But Ryan with his massive WSB stole the show. Congrats to all the contestants, and cheers for the good food, big smiles, and family atmosphere.

My 4 year old has a mask and snorkel in the tub every night. It's good fun.

700lb fish charging at 40mph??? Nature is incredible

Welcome! get some fish.

Quote from Hookinfish

Here is a picture of the body board lobster pot we used in Hawaii from an angle.
]

Those rocks look familiar, South Maui?

I have the NHT. it's fine. you can wrap it up out of the way before it's loaded up. I swan through lots of kelp without issue. But be CAREFUL STILL!!! I keep my lobster gauge tied to it on a bungee so I can strength it out to gauge with.

My opener report:

11:30 pm Newport Police writing tickets at little Corona for scuba divers going onto the beach.:(
11:45 pm Park at another spot and hike about a mile in full moon to an empty stretch of beach
12:01 am Two other divers seen in the water. very light boat traffic
12:20 We enter 4 foot surf getting beat up on entry. 18" viz, high surge.
1:30 leave the sea, not even seeing one lobster in nasty conditions. Arrrggh!

Quote from fishingdude

can you guys only lobster at night?

No, they can be seen in daylight. But it takes more looking. I am not much for getting body deep in a crack in the reef or a cave. I'd rather survive. Odds are better at night to find some in the open. No Tickle sticks in Cali!

Quote from Don Paul

I'm afraid of the dark.;)

Cheers, Don

I am terrified. I think that's why it is so enjoyable.
Saw a couple nice bugs 2 1/2 weeks ago out at night.... try to find them again!

This Thread is to share your 2012 CA Lobster opener stories. And if anyone is looking for a dive buddy Friday night, give me a call. I'll be shore diving Orange County and might need another buddy in the party. Its gonna be a good time.
Dustan Baker -714-317-3663

We should start a new thread. Best handle design!!!!
A pinned handle in a pocket has a big advantage.... NO SCREWS!
I was working on this Pinned Aluminum handle receiver, when I finished one and found of that several others had already been making pinned handles.

@Phil, do you get credit as the first to make a pinned handle?

Quote from gerald

Beautiful gun, but that is NOT a properly recessed handle... I would not want to shoot that with 6 bands... Be safe.

? Which one?

The stuff looks like crap, but man you guys are a tough crowd.....
Perhaps he has better stuff and those are prototype photos? Being an Industrial Designer myself, we build lots of crude prototypes to prove out concepts as needed. Judge a book by it's cover I guess.

My favorite things for sale are THE DECALS. That's when I laughed out out SettingSteel SpearGear - Spearguns, Pole Spears, Performance Spear Gear, Slip Tips, Spearfishing Decals, Spearfishing Chartes - 1 Breath 1 Shot 1 Kill

You have done well. nice wood work on the band slots <img src= " height="23" srcset="https://spearfishing.world/forum/images/smilies/emojione/1f606@2x.png 2x"> I'd love to read the design specifications for this. Dimensions, shaft size, and parts list? Makes it much for fun to discuss.

There have been some good circumstances noted in this thread that make good cases for a safety. But I cannot bring myself to want a safety, under any circumstance. A safety is just not safe enough! These trigger block safeties are not much more than a trigger guard that moves. When I enter the water and load my gun, my mind knows it is time to concentrate and be in the best control that I am capable of. If I had a safety to resort to.... well, I think it might make me lazy and careless. I kind of enjoy being on edge while loaded up. It keeps me in control and responsible.

Cool gun. How much programming time invested in getting in cut on that really cool Laguna?

I give up, you set the bar to high. Tremendous beauty !

Cool Dan. And nice photos on the carbon gun.