Nice pic Daniel!
Sorry I should have mentioned that's not my pic. I grabbed that off of one of Dam's videos. I only saw the yellowtail once so I didn't have time to take a picture of them.
Posts by spearstuff
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Here's a little story about my closest yellowtail encounter to date (from this dive).
Jumping in the water I looked to the outboard engine and noted the limited visibility at a murky fifteen to eighteen feet. It was bad, but I've seen worse. So we decided to give it a shot. Alex made a quick b-line for shore, while I stayed out in the deeper water hoping to find some roaming yellowtail.First I took a test dive to clear the air from my wetsuit. After calming my breath at the surface I looked into the murk again and took my second dive. Entering below I pushed through the hazy water. As I sunk deeper in the light quickly faded from grey blue to a dull green. Reaching my neutral buoyancy at around 25ft I found myself surrounded by a cloud of small white string like particles. These floating fragments pushed back my view to a mere twelve feet of limited visibility. Trying not to focus on the particles floating in front of me I looked beyond. What I saw was emptiness. A barren expanse that completely encapsulated me. It felt like I was in my own viewing bubble that the ocean created just for me. Turning my head to the left I saw more of the same. Turning to the right I almost jumped in the water! Around fifteen yellowtail swimming together in a herd were passing in front of me from the right. Just on the edge of visibility each of their bright yellow bodies were beautifully unmistakable. They were each six to eight pounds. This was just what I wanted to see! Slowly but steadily they arched their way around me. As I watched them I held off my shot. Had I a different gun I could have shot them at first sight. Unfortunately my current bands were very old. They could still deliver a hefty punch, but the momentum of the shaft was far too slow for long distance shots. With this in mind I waited for a single yellowtail to wonder in closer. But by the time the yellows reached my left I saw the first fish disappear from my field of view and the rest began to follow suit. I panicked and instantly strummed my rubber bands. I've done this many times in the past and it's never worked for me. But this time it did! Without even changing pace the school did a complete U-turn, swimming back to investigate the noise. This time they approached even closer to me, while still keeping their distance. It was now or never! The yellows were all the same size so I picked the closest one in the middle and fired! Shaft flies, school scatters, and I swim to the surface for air. Looking down, fearing my bands were still too weak, I hopefully starred at the shooting line for movement. Movement that would tell me I had a fish on the line. I waited but alas no movement and no fish.
Normally I get bummed out missing a fish, but today I felt great. The encounter in itself was something that had never happened to me before. It just felt amazing being that close to a school of yellowtail. A new experience is just as exciting as a great fish.
But next time I'll come better prepared. I've got the new bands at home I just need to put a little sit down time into putting them on the gun. Hopefully before the season is over I'll have my first yellowtail in the bag!
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It's been a while since I've dove from a boat so I had a ton of fun! I had forgotten how convenient boat diving was. You can really hit a ton of different places all in the same day. Just exploring the island again and getting to dive someplace new made that trip all worth while. Can't wait to dive the Islands again.
I'll be sure to post a pic of my whitefish later.
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Where are those bass pictures you promised you'd post Alex?
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ive seen a lot of videos (just on youtube) of pretty good viz in PV,, is that more the exception than the norm?
i guess obviously they wouldnt post vids of the crummy daysYep. There's days in Laguna Beach with +35 ft visibility and then there are days with 5ft visibility. It's the same everywhere along the Southern California coastline. Only on the islands can you find the best visibility consistently.
When the visibility is nice people bring out their cameras. So just because there is great vis in the video does not mean that the same area will have great vis when you go there in person.
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I shot him 20 feet below the surface in 200 feet of water over a deep wreck. Lucky to say the least.
Wait so how high did the wreck reach in the water level?
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I had my Boss (yes, it was during work hours) spot me at the mouth of the cave, which you assumed right, was only at 32ft deep. After securing the bug I used one hand to move backward by using the ceiling as hand holds... Wasn't the most responsible thing I've done in diving, but it worked. Like I said, I practiced a few dives before I actually grabbed it... He wasn't going anywhere. To be honest, he didn't put up much of a fight. I think he was well past his prime.
Damn I was jealous after seeing that lobster, but after hearing how you caught it I don't know if I'd have gone in for that bug. Though I can see how it'd be practically impossible to pass up on that sized bug. That's a once in a lifetime find!
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i think doing that is not good for the karma. the fish's and yours too.
ha ha! You've got to be kidding <img src= " class="smiley" srcset="https://spearfishing.world/forum/images/smilies/emojione/1f606@2x.png 2x" height="23" width="23" loading="eager" data-tooltip="biggrin" aria-label="biggrin">
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Don't want to get into a polemic here, but I've heard many different opinions. Carps are good eating or you shoot them for fun? How do you cook them?
They're edible but I just shoot them for fun.
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wow I never thought about collecting lead out of the ocean. That's amazing Mike! And what a great video too. Makes me want to go on a lead hunting mission myself.
But man you really hit the motherload in that one spot! You're a frickan lead prick.
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2 hours for one halibut. Reminds me why I never look for those fish
They're tough to find. -
Ah dang it! I was hoping it would take you a little longer to find this thread Alex. But where's that record catch from Fish Lake? That fish needs to be posted up here!
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I dare someone to beat this record!
Opaleye
4.5 lbs
July 1st 2007
Also love to see someone beating this one.
Sargo
3.3 lbs
May 26, 2008
But here's some more PB fish that I'm sure someone out there can beat.
Barred Sand Bass
5 lbs
February 9, 2009
Calico Bass
5lbs
October 1, 2009
Carp
18.9 lbs
October 2009
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is that a koi in there???:@
i assume not, but it is a funky looking fish for sure
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Could having a speargun with the premise of spearfishing and lobstering at the same time be a problem?
This comes from the Department of Fish and Game website. http://www.dfg.ca.gov/QandA/2008/20080918.asp
Can I pick up lobsters while spearfishing?Question: If I am spear fishing during the day and I see a lobster, can I pick it up or will DFG think I’m using my spear gun when I’m really not? (Robert C.)
Answer: Lobsters may only be taken by hand or in baited hoop nets and it is illegal to use or possess any hooked devices while diving or attempting to dive for crustaceans. Given this, if your spear has floppers on the tip when folded out, it is a hooked device and is illegal. Though you may intend to use your spear only for spearing fish and not as a tool to help persuade a shy lobster to come out of the safety of its cozy cave or crevice, you should do your spear fishing and lobster diving on separate dives. When you do dive for lobsters, don’t forget to carry a measuring gauge, too.
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spearstuff, why did it have to be done at night?
Because diving at night was the only legal way to do it. Californian's aren't allowed to use sticks to poke lobster out of their holes. So for those of us not endowed with long arms it leaves us stuck having to dive at night when the lobsters exit their holes to feed.
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u were alone at night in cali waters,?,, ur a beast.
Well I couldn't just bring a friend along. That spot had to stay secret until finally caught that big old bug.
On a side note I asked one of my friends if he'd ever caught a big bug. He told me about a time when he was diving this reef and happened across the most massive bug he'd ever seen just sitting where the sand met the reef. He immediately dove straight for it. The bug didn't even move and he snatched it right up. And that's when the bug crumbled to pieces! It was just the molt of a giant bug. My friend was so disappointed because he thought he had a record lobster in his grasp. I asked him where he was diving and he told me which reef it was on. Now I hadn't told him where I caught this bug before, so after he said which reef there was no doubt in my mind. I'd caught the exact same lobster. It's a small world after all, especially when it comes to big bugs.
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Hey Miguel nice seeing you here. It's been a while but I hope we can go diving sometime. I'll be sure to give you a call next time I make a trip up your way.
