Aspetto Hunting Technique

[WsbHunter]

Hey guys,
I copied this from a post I made to picassoamerica's forum.
http://picassoamerica.com/forum/index.php
Didnt get any reponses there so I thought i'd give you guys a try:

I was wondering if you guys had any personal techniques to your aspetto diving when reef hunting.

I was thinking about where you position yourself....behind a rock, in a crack, on top of a rock, outside the reef in the sand, etc..?

I was also wondering if you guys like to do anything to attract the fish, such as grunting, scratching rocks, throwing sand, etc.
Obviously each fish species will react differently to each method, so i was wondering which fish respond well/not well for each method.

Thanks,
Brandon

[uvjagt]

when you fall down to the bottom do it as quiit as possible, in the fall you should have orientated yourself of the bottom, no swimming when you are on the bottom. You can guide your glide with the fins, no kicking needed. Also look for fish sleeping on the bottom, if you see any bomb dive them and be prepared for a long fast shot.
You should be on the deepest spot, exept for amber jacks(where you should be on the top of the rock) and hide behind a rock or some kelp. Try also to land in the border line of sand/kelp, kelp/rock or some where the bottom changes.

Dont make any noise, small bubbles, mask sniffing, snorkel shaking around, some even take the snorkel of. All movement kept at a minimum and very slow as allways.
If you are experienced you can eksperiment with grounting, throwing sand, knoking the gun at the mask or weight belt.

If you are new concentrate on being silent. When yuo see the fish, don't look at it and silent move the gun towards it or intersept its path, fire at the moment it begins to turn. Don't shoot the small fish that comes first if you want the biggest that come later. And don't die beacuse some big fish appears, just slowly leave the bottom and try again, often the fish will return

[Pekka]

I have been using very standard aspetto style.. no movement place yourself under a rock or kelp or what ever.. but I have been told many times that when bass especially come to you, movement away from the bass like retreating away make them more curious and they will come to take more closer look..
I have yet to master any fancy techniques when fishing I just get lucky and find fish that like to be my dinner every now and then..

Pekka

[Kars]

I'm not a spearfisherman, but I've heard that the mindset is very important. It appears that animals in the sea sense your mindset and stay away.

1) So leave the "angry" "mean" thoughts on the surface, and let the love radiate into the water.

I've also heard that at some diving spots in countries where there is a lot of spearfishing fishes stay away from divers who don't make the regulator and bubble noises.

2) fishing allong/ near a scuba group can help in such a case I think. But come to a understanding with the scubadivers first.


Carlos

[defofthecrown]

On the east coast this technique works well for stripers in dirty water. I try and dive current lines or ony really bad day vis. lines. I'll drift with the current making drops until I hear tautogs grunting and crunching on mussles. This normally indicates a fishy area and I'll drop and hold on the bottom. On bad vis. days I'' crawl over rocks until a patch of clear water is founr, or a good position to silhoute fish against the surface. I'll then wedge my fins and body into a crack to keep from moving and wait...

The stripers are curious and a little noise on descent is okay. if you make any noise after they show up they will take off w/ an audible noise from their tail fin. If you find them w/ good vis. and keep from moving they'll circle you for your whole dive.

Another little trick is to look at the surface of the substrait your on. I'll look at the rocks and small growth and invertibartes for half my dive. This distracts/relaxes me. I'll then slowly look up and normally the fish will have arrived and grown used to you w/out being scared.

[Murat]

Hide your body well behind rock, but you can keep your head and gun visible to the fish to attract it.Definately no sudden movements. Most importantly ignore the fish until the last moment, don't let her to understand that you want it for dinner that way they comes more faster and let you do easier shoot....

[mishu1984]

i try to place myself by the edge of the coral and sand so that that when i shoot my shaft won't hit any coral which has two purposes:
1-i don't damage coral
2- i prolong the life of my speartip

when targeting groupers i combine my aspetto with some bait, usually consisting of some cuttlefish, shrimpheads and other scarps in a small plastic mesh bag that is kept in position with a weight. also tapping my gun with the knife has attracted some curious fish that forfeighted their place in the gene-pool