Calling in Grouper.......

[ben g]

hello all, i'm brand new here and just having a look at the site this arvo. looks good, lots of info.
i'm in oz on the gbr. have found we can call up most pelagics and predators by taking snorkle out and making a farting sound through your lips. think vibrations in water are like wounded fish. this works very well to attract the likes of trevelly, spanish macks,have had tuna come up, coral trout, barracuda but the sharks love it to. most things will turn up for a look, wen they work out they can't eat you there usuly off. ah, very good for getting green jobfish in close to.

ben

 

[settingsteel]

hello all, i'm brand new here and just having a look at the site this arvo. looks good, lots of info.
i'm in oz on the gbr. have found we can call up most pelagics and predators by taking snorkle out and making a farting sound through your lips. think vibrations in water are like wounded fish. this works very well to attract the likes of trevelly, spanish macks,have had tuna come up, coral trout, barracuda but the sharks love it to. most things will turn up for a look, wen they work out they can't eat you there usuly off. ah, very good for getting green jobfish in close to.

ben

great tip man welcome aboard the DB banwagon:friday

 

[jtkwest]

Maybe,....... the commotion helps I know.....a few days ago my friend shot a 62 #Black Grouper that was hanging down deep and came up and over the reef edge as soon as I shot a chub and had it spinning around on the cable....
Curiosity got the better of him and that was it.
Bones

you have a cable on your pole spear? why shoot a chub? bait? if so, seems like it worked, . your buddy took a 62# fish on a spear? what kind of tip you got on that sucker? 44 magnum?

 

[Wasted Seaman]

Niel good to see some fellow Bermuda divers here. I think I saw Dru here somewhere to. I'll give you my first post on this site. Nice Wally's on Wound Up by the way. But back to the Blacks.
I don't think that the Blacks do the same thing as the Goliaths with the body thumping but they definitely have a bass drum of a tail slap. I think that the larger ones (over 70) don't feel as threatened as the smaller ones and will approach out of curiosity. You can play hide and seek with larger Black Groupers. I had a big one (about 110) come and look for me every time I went out of its field of view. As long as I didn't act threatening it would approach me. Unfortunately it was on South shore outside the limits of where we law abiding divers can spear but it was an education in grouper behavior.
Meanwhile here's another nice Bermuda Black from last year. Sorry no pics from this year as I usually don't have someone to take the photo. I'm working on that.

 

[settingsteel]

DAMN...that Blacks a toad...after I pull up my pants, and jaw...I'm getting a ticket over to Bermuda...and a pole spear from Ray...What she way WS? Congrats that a trophy anywhere in the world WTG:friday...oh and welcome to DB...with a drumroll pic!

 

[Wasted Seaman]

SettingSteel, Thanks. Fish was 73lb if I recall correctly. Looks bigger in the pic.
Maybe my scale needs calibrating!

 

[settingsteel]

SettingSteel, Thanks. Fish was 73lb if I recall correctly. Looks bigger in the pic.
Maybe my scale needs calibrating!

I'd sure like to hear the story...if not an inconvenience...if anything, Cliff Notes, ala report

 

[Wasted Seaman]

I'd sure like to hear the story...if not an inconvenience...if anything, Cliff Notes, ala report

Well, I was out for a lobster dive. Gorgeous sunny day 100' vis. I was circling a favourite reef in a small cluster of reefs and I spotted 2 Black G's hovering under an overhang on one of the other reefs. I saw them and they never noticed me which is a bonus. I only had my 6' fiberglass pole with me but I did have a decent JBL slip tip on the boat so I swam back to the boat and changed to that tip. I then took the long road around the back side of the reef I saw them on and came over the top and slowly peeked over the edge of the overhang in question. As I did, the smaller of the 2 fish saw me and slowly made his way out into the sand, keeping a safe distance. I continued to inch my way over the edge until I saw the lips of the bigger one. So now I am positioned lying over the top of the fish with about a 3' thick overhang between me and the fish and I'm only about 10' or 12' underwater.
The fish still hasn't seen me yet as I cocked the spear and eased it over the edge to line up my shot. I was able to place the tip about a foot from his head for a perfect kill shot. No fuss. Just a Jaw flex and it was all over. He never knew what hit him.
You can see the tip in the photo. It lodged in the skull cavity. I had to split the head with a cleaver to retrieve it.
I do prefer to take the time to get a kill shot with fish of this size as they can and will break equipment if you don't hit them right.
My ratio has been pretty good with the last 3 out of 5 being brain shots. I have passed up on quite a few shots to do that, but I would rather see the fish swim away healthy for another day than risk it getting off and dying somewhere other than in the boat. The thrill is still there y'know? Just being that close to something that big even when you don't smack it.

 

[settingsteel]

WOW:martial WS thanks for sharing very well executed...BTW I did notice the ST...

I do prefer to take the time to get a kill shot with fish of this size as they can and will break equipment if you don't hit them right.... but I would rather see the fish swim away healthy for another day than risk it getting off and dying somewhere other than in the boat. The thrill is still there y'know? Just being that close to something that big even when you don't smack it.

I agree with you 100%...and IMHO fish that size if not tormented will generally stick around for many moons...I learned how to spearfish with a pole, and must say it really does help you to hone in on your hunting skills, and shot placement...it also teaches one...to SLOOOWWW down and repress the predator mode which is essential to close in on a kill....CONGRATS and thanks for the read:friday

 

[blaiz]

Wasted Seaman,

beautiful fish, and a great story. Impressive feat taking a fish like that with a pole spear. I agree that there is no better way to learn how to dive. You have to be close, and your shot has to hit home.

I know this isnt aplicable for thoughs of you hunting with pole spears but for settingsteele and jtkwest do you guys ever try "strumming" your bands? It works very well for uku(jobbies) and Ulua(GT) here in hawaii. I think its the vibrations which mimick a dying fish or something along thoughs lines. Also dusting with sand or suit is key. Everything around will come in if they see a cloud of dust.

We grunt here too brings in Ulua, and uku like a charm.

 

[settingsteel]

"strumming" your bands?

no can do...I shoot a farter..interesting nonetheless!

Also dusting with sand or suit is key. Everything around will come in if they see a cloud of dust.

YEP works especially well with Muttons here...not just a little a storm of it brings in from quite some distance.

 

[blaiz]

by farter do you mean pneumatic? Ive always wanted to try one. are they loaded with air or CO2?

 

[jtkwest]

I know this isnt aplicable for thoughs of you hunting with pole spears but for settingsteele and jtkwest do you guys ever try "strumming" your bands? It works very well for uku(jobbies) and Ulua(GT) here in hawaii. I think its the vibrations which mimick a dying fish or something along thoughs lines. Also dusting with sand or suit is key. Everything around will come in if they see a cloud of dust. i have heard that"about dust" havent tried yet. i think the cudas and sharks know the sound of bands twanging,"accustomed to spearos" and will come to c if they can rob you. but i never heard of using it for target fish. will try it though. thanks

 

[settingsteel]

by farter do you mean pneumatic? Ive always wanted to try one. are they loaded with air or CO2?

Air... do a search on Pneumatics here quite a bit of 411....and controversy:blackeye