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spear fishing in pembrokeshire
- Thread starterpembroke
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
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Lo
I feel like I have achieved abit of a milestone today as I think I may have graduated from newb class!? (maybe not...)
I arrived at my first chosen spot(chosen because of the recent weather) at 8.30 after a 6am start. The sea had fairly decent vis but there was a huge swell. As it was only my second time fishing alone, I did not feel confident getting in due to being so exposed with 1 sea/land access point for about 1km in either direction so I decided to give it a miss and instead go on a reconaissance of the nearby coast. 5 hours later, after pretty much driving along the whole coast of the county, I made it to a spot which I had success at a few weeks ago and decided to have a look. I had not even given 1 chance that this spot would have any form of vis due to where it is but low and behold, tucked in behind a headland, I could make out the distinct green sheen of possible vis! I entered the water at around 3pm this afternoon and felt comfortable enough with my breathing to get up to my normal breath-holds in 4-5metres of water. An hour or so later, I had a pb bass on my dive hunter that was circa 5lb in weight and was happy enough with myself/day that I decided to call time.
Until next time...(Manchester>Cardiff>Pembrokeshire>Cardiff>Manchester in 2 days is funnnnnn and SOO cheap...)
I feel like I have achieved abit of a milestone today as I think I may have graduated from newb class!? (maybe not...)
I arrived at my first chosen spot(chosen because of the recent weather) at 8.30 after a 6am start. The sea had fairly decent vis but there was a huge swell. As it was only my second time fishing alone, I did not feel confident getting in due to being so exposed with 1 sea/land access point for about 1km in either direction so I decided to give it a miss and instead go on a reconaissance of the nearby coast. 5 hours later, after pretty much driving along the whole coast of the county, I made it to a spot which I had success at a few weeks ago and decided to have a look. I had not even given 1 chance that this spot would have any form of vis due to where it is but low and behold, tucked in behind a headland, I could make out the distinct green sheen of possible vis! I entered the water at around 3pm this afternoon and felt comfortable enough with my breathing to get up to my normal breath-holds in 4-5metres of water. An hour or so later, I had a pb bass on my dive hunter that was circa 5lb in weight and was happy enough with myself/day that I decided to call time.
Until next time...(Manchester>Cardiff>Pembrokeshire>Cardiff>Manchester in 2 days is funnnnnn and SOO cheap...)
Lo
Thanks guys! Sadly no Foxfish, I dropped my camera in the sea 2 days after I got it for my birthday! I think I wrote about the incident when I caught a pb pollock in Cornwall at the latter end of May this year and could not photo it. There were only 3-4 pictures on the memory card which was retrieved and they were of my brothers face...lovely.
Thanks guys! Sadly no Foxfish, I dropped my camera in the sea 2 days after I got it for my birthday! I think I wrote about the incident when I caught a pb pollock in Cornwall at the latter end of May this year and could not photo it. There were only 3-4 pictures on the memory card which was retrieved and they were of my brothers face...lovely.
Mate, my face is damn sexy so don't be complaining!!!!! Were the photo's of the night I ended spewing my guts up after a heavy night in a small local pub down in the depths of cornwall then trying to blow up the air bed in a small tent?
Need to get my arse in gear and get some dive time soon don't i....can't be having my little bro beating me! Rep for your PB mate.
Cheers for the offer Dave, I took my gear down Gower but like I thought very bad viz there. Good to hear you had some success further west.
Alex
Had a crackin dive with my brother (Daffyd) last thursday on one of our favourite spots in prembrokeshire. Got to the beach nice and early, vis was amazing - could see alot of reef deep below the surface from the top of the clifs on the walk over! I managed to bag an ok bass, a very good mullet and an even nicer lobster while daf shot a very decent bass, and ok mullet, a lobster and quite possibly one of the biggest edible crabs I've ever seen - and damn it tasted good to!
We were in the water for a good 4-5 hours before dragging ourselves (and haul) up the beach cliffs and back home! Sadly only the one dive for us on this beautiful weekend for spearing as we had to then head down to newquay for a stag do! How inconvienient of our sisters fella to arrange his stag on one of the best weekends of the summer??!!!?
We were in the water for a good 4-5 hours before dragging ourselves (and haul) up the beach cliffs and back home! Sadly only the one dive for us on this beautiful weekend for spearing as we had to then head down to newquay for a stag do! How inconvienient of our sisters fella to arrange his stag on one of the best weekends of the summer??!!!?
Any tips on how to catch lobsters while spearing?
I don't really look out for them, assume you tend to find them in holes, but do you just reach in and grab them- or do those claws move quick and get used in anger?
Alex
I don't really look out for them, assume you tend to find them in holes, but do you just reach in and grab them- or do those claws move quick and get used in anger?
Alex
Winky and I had a cracking weekend...maybe he will put up some of the photos...lazy b******¬!
All fish were over 40cm (I have a mark notched on my gun barrel indicating a distance of 40cm. A paranoia of shooting an undersized fish made me do it to give a perspective of sizes whilst underwater)
The lobsters had carapace sizes of 11 and 13cm's. The crab had a shell width of 19cm.
Hey Alex, look for shellfish in any and all holes in rocks you can find. One of the best lobster/crab places we know is where there are lots of boulders of all sizes toppled on top of each other which create many possible hiding places for shellfish and especially lobster! Lobsters tend to live in holes which have two entrances so they can make a quick escape if they can't fight off the intruder. Trying to coax a lobster out of its hole is is one of my favourite fishing experiences as it is always a proper duel. A good method to fo get a lobster out is to position yourself next to its bolt hole and slowly insert your unloaded spear into the main entrance. The lobster will start to back away from the spear and when there is enough of its meaty rear out of the hole make a swift grab for it. It is all about confidence as once you have one they are fairly easy to pick off, just make sure you grab itand keep your forearms behind its claws as it should not be able to reach back and nip you (Winky has a mark on his arm where his lobster latched on (through a 5mm suite) and I had to rescue him!). ANother technique I use is to locate a lobster and use my drop weight as a lure. I unclip my float line from my weights belt and drop it outside its hole and sometimes the lobstercome to investigate what is disturbing its slumber.
Hope it helps!
All fish were over 40cm (I have a mark notched on my gun barrel indicating a distance of 40cm. A paranoia of shooting an undersized fish made me do it to give a perspective of sizes whilst underwater)
The lobsters had carapace sizes of 11 and 13cm's. The crab had a shell width of 19cm.
Any tips on how to catch lobsters while spearing?
I don't really look out for them, assume you tend to find them in holes, but do you just reach in and grab them- or do those claws move quick and get used in anger?
Alex
Hey Alex, look for shellfish in any and all holes in rocks you can find. One of the best lobster/crab places we know is where there are lots of boulders of all sizes toppled on top of each other which create many possible hiding places for shellfish and especially lobster! Lobsters tend to live in holes which have two entrances so they can make a quick escape if they can't fight off the intruder. Trying to coax a lobster out of its hole is is one of my favourite fishing experiences as it is always a proper duel. A good method to fo get a lobster out is to position yourself next to its bolt hole and slowly insert your unloaded spear into the main entrance. The lobster will start to back away from the spear and when there is enough of its meaty rear out of the hole make a swift grab for it. It is all about confidence as once you have one they are fairly easy to pick off, just make sure you grab itand keep your forearms behind its claws as it should not be able to reach back and nip you (Winky has a mark on his arm where his lobster latched on (through a 5mm suite) and I had to rescue him!). ANother technique I use is to locate a lobster and use my drop weight as a lure. I unclip my float line from my weights belt and drop it outside its hole and sometimes the lobstercome to investigate what is disturbing its slumber.
Hope it helps!
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Cheers for the advice on Lobsters Dafydd - I will let you know how I get on if I ever come across one.
I went down to swanage yesterday and caught a mullet - it was a nice size but belly shot meant it was thrashing about trying to get off, so tried to kill it quick with my knife, managed to slice the back of my hand.
I went to the A&E there to get it sorted out - one of the medics said they had a spearo in the day before who'd shot himself in the calf - I felt better hearing that!
So with that track record think I will be careful when reaching for those big old claws rofl
I went down to swanage yesterday and caught a mullet - it was a nice size but belly shot meant it was thrashing about trying to get off, so tried to kill it quick with my knife, managed to slice the back of my hand.
I went to the A&E there to get it sorted out - one of the medics said they had a spearo in the day before who'd shot himself in the calf - I felt better hearing that!
So with that track record think I will be careful when reaching for those big old claws rofl
Not many sheltered places with these westerlies mate. I will try an get in next week if the weather sorts itself out!?
The weather has been shocking. I got in at Cym-y-Eglwys cos it was the only flat bit of sea I could find in 2 weeks!!!. The vis looked promising but once again I experienced that phenomenom unique to north pembrokeshire were the viz can be 4m verticaly, ie; you see the bottom from the surface but when you are on the bottom you can bearly see the end of your gun!!! and there woz a few seals around too so all I saw were small nervous pollack. I hope september will be better.
I tried texting you today with a picture to get you through the first day back mate but sadly my new phone does not have its picture messaging setup yet sadly rofl
I went in on saturday evening. perfect calmness, cracking viz and lots of fish including some Bass. However I failed to hit any of them as they wouldn't come close enough. obviously they recognize me. good job Ive ordered a new wetsuit to confuse them! there were plenty of big enough pollack about who were dumb enough to come into range but I let them be as i have a freezer full of them. i got out in the dark and empty handed. It was great to get back in again and see good conditions. My next spearo trip will be Oct 4th and everyones invited.
I bought a sit on kayak this summer after seeing Tecdaves and dafeedrees blow up toy!!! What a great spearo platform. Last weekend I went on a Sit on Kayak safety/technique course and learnt lots. I thoughly recommend it, especialy if your like me and tend to go for miles away from civilisation, for hours, on your own. I did it with www.mikemayberrykayaking.co.uk in fishguard.
Also....
www.bristolchanneldiving.co.uk in cardiff have a new online shop with a big spearfishing section They have all the cressi range and are stocking the new Mares stuff as it comes in.
I bought a sit on kayak this summer after seeing Tecdaves and dafeedrees blow up toy!!! What a great spearo platform. Last weekend I went on a Sit on Kayak safety/technique course and learnt lots. I thoughly recommend it, especialy if your like me and tend to go for miles away from civilisation, for hours, on your own. I did it with www.mikemayberrykayaking.co.uk in fishguard.
Also....
www.bristolchanneldiving.co.uk in cardiff have a new online shop with a big spearfishing section They have all the cressi range and are stocking the new Mares stuff as it comes in.
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Hi
I'm going out for the first time tomorrow can anyone recommend any good sites for newbie's (South Pembrokeshire or Gower).I was thinking along the lines of Freshwater East .
Is there anything I should be aware of at this location? Will I see much?
Had a search on the forum but cant find in info on what is the preferred method of connecting the buoy line to the diver.
Thanks Chris
I'm going out for the first time tomorrow can anyone recommend any good sites for newbie's (South Pembrokeshire or Gower).I was thinking along the lines of Freshwater East .
Is there anything I should be aware of at this location? Will I see much?
Had a search on the forum but cant find in info on what is the preferred method of connecting the buoy line to the diver.
Thanks Chris
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