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Chronicles of a Blue Water Hunter
- Thread startermiles
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
, There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
Originally posted by island_sands
oh Pablo
*sigh*
so many miles away...
Originally posted by Alison Jameson
Im with Miles all the way -->
Your our hero
La Courbe de tes yeux
La courbe de tes yeux fait le tour de mon coeur,
Un rond de danse et de douceur,
Auréole du temps, berceau nocturne et sûr,
Et si je ne sais plus tout ce que j'ai vécu
C'est que tes yeux ne m'ont pas toujours vu.
Feuilles de jour et mousse de rosée,
Roseaux du vent, sourires parfumés,
Ailes couvrant le monde de lumière,
Bateaux chargés du ciel et de la mer,
Chasseurs des bruits et sources des couleurs,
Parfums éclos d'une couvée d'aurores
Qui gît toujours sur la paille des astres,
Comme le jour dépend de l'innocence
Le monde entier dépend de tes yeux purs
Et tout mon sang coule dans leurs regards.
Paul ELUARD, Capitale de la douleur (1926)
Last edited:
Hiya all
Just another week-end report. After 2 weeks of HUGE seas and gale force winds, the weatherman finally predicted a calm sea with little wind. Left work at 4:00am, picked up crew, drove to Dassen Island (Yzterfontein), which is about 80km's away. Got there, and we couldn't even open the cars doors!!! Gale force winds.........arghhhhh...........one of these fine days i'm going to have a nice long chat to those weathermen!!!!!!:naughty :naughty
Anycase, a couple of phonecalls later, we're off to Cape Point, which is now about 140km's away. Got there, flat sea with a fresh wind.........well looks dive-able. Ran out to Bellows, past all the commercial fishing boats, which were all sitting very quitely. Hmmmmmm, not much action. At Bellows Rock, we found a school of yellowtail kingfish. Jumped in only to be greeted by 2m viz!!!! Needless to say, we stopped diving and rather went to shoot some reef fish in the quiter water of False Bay. Here the viz was 5-7m with 15degrees water. Not great, but good enough. Shot some nice Galgoen though. Realised that all this yellowtail hunting has made me lazy, so i need to brush up on my reef fish skills!!!
To brighten up our day, we had a whale come say hello!!!! Not to clued up as to what type, and by the time i got the digital camera out he had sounded already. Managed to get a bad picture of him. Just look below the birds and you can clearly see his tail as he is busy diving. Now if only i could have a bottom time like that whale.........................
Just another week-end report. After 2 weeks of HUGE seas and gale force winds, the weatherman finally predicted a calm sea with little wind. Left work at 4:00am, picked up crew, drove to Dassen Island (Yzterfontein), which is about 80km's away. Got there, and we couldn't even open the cars doors!!! Gale force winds.........arghhhhh...........one of these fine days i'm going to have a nice long chat to those weathermen!!!!!!:naughty :naughty
Anycase, a couple of phonecalls later, we're off to Cape Point, which is now about 140km's away. Got there, flat sea with a fresh wind.........well looks dive-able. Ran out to Bellows, past all the commercial fishing boats, which were all sitting very quitely. Hmmmmmm, not much action. At Bellows Rock, we found a school of yellowtail kingfish. Jumped in only to be greeted by 2m viz!!!! Needless to say, we stopped diving and rather went to shoot some reef fish in the quiter water of False Bay. Here the viz was 5-7m with 15degrees water. Not great, but good enough. Shot some nice Galgoen though. Realised that all this yellowtail hunting has made me lazy, so i need to brush up on my reef fish skills!!!
To brighten up our day, we had a whale come say hello!!!! Not to clued up as to what type, and by the time i got the digital camera out he had sounded already. Managed to get a bad picture of him. Just look below the birds and you can clearly see his tail as he is busy diving. Now if only i could have a bottom time like that whale.........................
Attachments
Hiya
Took my boat out to Dassen Island. Fairly calm sea with a little wind. Echo sounder was reading a coolllllddddd 12 degrees celcuis at the harbour. Just outside the harbour, water was a dirty brown colour. ZERO viz!!!! Anycase, 15minutes later we are at Dassen Island, greeted by a school of yellowtail kingfish smashing bait on the surface, with birds dive-bombing into this melee!!!! Two other boats were also spearing in the area, but they were occupied by other schools!!!! Jumped in, 15degrees water, about 8m viz, and plenty of fish!!!! Blessed a nice fish with the Rabitech steel, and then went looking for some more action!!! Alas, with such a great start, thing started getting worse. Schools were very skittish, you'd run past the working birds, noting the direction the schools were moving, then jump in ahead of them, swim into the action and spear!! HARD work, and the schools would change direction just before you got to them!!!! One tactic that worked was to have the boat drop us about 50m in front of the school, then if the school turns away, the boat goes around them, chasing them back towards us.
Ended up with a couple of fish, spent an hour or so diving with a baby whale, who seemed to follow the boat where-ever we went!!!!
Not bad for a winter spearing trip. Thankfully summer is around the corner and we should be able to shoot some decent Yellowtail Kingfish!!!
Regards
miles
Took my boat out to Dassen Island. Fairly calm sea with a little wind. Echo sounder was reading a coolllllddddd 12 degrees celcuis at the harbour. Just outside the harbour, water was a dirty brown colour. ZERO viz!!!! Anycase, 15minutes later we are at Dassen Island, greeted by a school of yellowtail kingfish smashing bait on the surface, with birds dive-bombing into this melee!!!! Two other boats were also spearing in the area, but they were occupied by other schools!!!! Jumped in, 15degrees water, about 8m viz, and plenty of fish!!!! Blessed a nice fish with the Rabitech steel, and then went looking for some more action!!! Alas, with such a great start, thing started getting worse. Schools were very skittish, you'd run past the working birds, noting the direction the schools were moving, then jump in ahead of them, swim into the action and spear!! HARD work, and the schools would change direction just before you got to them!!!! One tactic that worked was to have the boat drop us about 50m in front of the school, then if the school turns away, the boat goes around them, chasing them back towards us.
Ended up with a couple of fish, spent an hour or so diving with a baby whale, who seemed to follow the boat where-ever we went!!!!
Not bad for a winter spearing trip. Thankfully summer is around the corner and we should be able to shoot some decent Yellowtail Kingfish!!!
Regards
miles
Attachments
Hiya
The weatherman predicted a 6-10m swell in the deep with 40knot winds and lots of rain. Water was a cold 11 degrees in False Bay and there was a HUGE swell running all down the coast.
Did what anybody else would do..........went fishing!!!!! Sea wasn't too bad, water was a warm 16degrees and dirty brown, from the sediment stirred up by the howling wind. Was raining AND had some hail as well!!!! OUCH!!!
Regards
miles
The weatherman predicted a 6-10m swell in the deep with 40knot winds and lots of rain. Water was a cold 11 degrees in False Bay and there was a HUGE swell running all down the coast.
Did what anybody else would do..........went fishing!!!!! Sea wasn't too bad, water was a warm 16degrees and dirty brown, from the sediment stirred up by the howling wind. Was raining AND had some hail as well!!!! OUCH!!!
Regards
miles
Attachments
Nice Kob Miles ! Are those Red Stump quite big cause they make the Romans look tiny.Where did you get the fish ? Was it around Seal Island ? Also are those Elf in there or Maasbankers.Wish I had the knowledge you do for the fishing spots cause my freezers been empty for a while now with the bad conditions lately !
Are those Red Stump quite big cause they make the Romans look tiny.Where did you get the fish ? Was it around Seal Island ? Also are those Elf in there or Maasbankers.Wish I had the knowledge you do for the fishing spots cause my freezers been empty for a while now with the bad conditions lately !
Hiya
Spring has finally arrived, only to bring some unseasonal (read crappy !!!!) weather. The week-end looked good for our first juant to the deep. After months of cold water, big seas, small yellowtail kingfish, a good dive was sorely lacking!!!! Re-check the weather on Friday and it looked like a good day on Sunday. Boat was packed, guns double checked, knots re-tied,etc,etc
Sunday morning, after pulling a 36hour shift (agian no sleep!!:waterwork :waterwork ) we left for the sea. At the slip, wing was HOWLING 24knots South East!!!! (that wing is affectionately known as THE CAPE DOCTOR!!, and only knows two strengths, no wind or PLENTY wind!!!) Not a good start. Kitted up anyways and had breakfast whilst waiting for the sun to rise so that we could see what the water was like.
Sun rise, wind had dropped to 19 knots and i made the call.....................its off to the deep we go!!!! Crew started to mumble something about their skipper being insane. (i'm used to that!!!!) Anycase, the 40nm trip started off rather bumpily!!! After about 10nm the sea flattened and the wind subsided enough to give a pleasant ride out. At this point, the water was a chilly 13degrees. About 2 hours later we finally find the warm, blue 18degrees water. Plenty of life, bait being chased, birds dive bombing, small albacore (longfin) and skipjack jumping out of the water!!!!!!!!!!!
We run a bit further and i pick up a school of fish on the echo, guys scambling to put their kit on whilst Girlfriend is handling the boat. She immediately throws some chum into the water.
I jump in and start to unwind my bungie from my float. Whilst busy a 90-100kg YF tuna swims around me eating the chum!!!!! Scores of BIG tuna are feeding just a bit lower down!!!!!!! AWESOME sight!!!!
So now i've got the 3x16's my 58" mid handled woodie loaded. Fish are extremely fast and i end up missing that 90-100kg fish!!!!!!!!!!!Arghhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! Oh well, at least i saw them!!!! My buddy is using my 63" Mid handled wooden, and also finally manages to load the 4x16's. By now the fish has gone down...................
Spring has finally arrived, only to bring some unseasonal (read crappy !!!!) weather. The week-end looked good for our first juant to the deep. After months of cold water, big seas, small yellowtail kingfish, a good dive was sorely lacking!!!! Re-check the weather on Friday and it looked like a good day on Sunday. Boat was packed, guns double checked, knots re-tied,etc,etc
Sunday morning, after pulling a 36hour shift (agian no sleep!!:waterwork :waterwork ) we left for the sea. At the slip, wing was HOWLING 24knots South East!!!! (that wing is affectionately known as THE CAPE DOCTOR!!, and only knows two strengths, no wind or PLENTY wind!!!) Not a good start. Kitted up anyways and had breakfast whilst waiting for the sun to rise so that we could see what the water was like.
Sun rise, wind had dropped to 19 knots and i made the call.....................its off to the deep we go!!!! Crew started to mumble something about their skipper being insane. (i'm used to that!!!!) Anycase, the 40nm trip started off rather bumpily!!! After about 10nm the sea flattened and the wind subsided enough to give a pleasant ride out. At this point, the water was a chilly 13degrees. About 2 hours later we finally find the warm, blue 18degrees water. Plenty of life, bait being chased, birds dive bombing, small albacore (longfin) and skipjack jumping out of the water!!!!!!!!!!!
We run a bit further and i pick up a school of fish on the echo, guys scambling to put their kit on whilst Girlfriend is handling the boat. She immediately throws some chum into the water.
I jump in and start to unwind my bungie from my float. Whilst busy a 90-100kg YF tuna swims around me eating the chum!!!!! Scores of BIG tuna are feeding just a bit lower down!!!!!!! AWESOME sight!!!!
So now i've got the 3x16's my 58" mid handled woodie loaded. Fish are extremely fast and i end up missing that 90-100kg fish!!!!!!!!!!!Arghhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! Oh well, at least i saw them!!!! My buddy is using my 63" Mid handled wooden, and also finally manages to load the 4x16's. By now the fish has gone down...................
We drift a little longer and again they rise to the chum!!!!! These brutes are so big that they aren't scared of a diver!! I aim......and let her rip!!!!!!!!! Slip tip deploys and the fish decides to try and bury its head in the sand 400m below us!!!!!!!!!! "FISH ON!!!!!" i screamed to the boat. GF now collects my gun and the fight can start. Fish takes all the bungie (25m) and stretchs it out to about 60-65m, then starts towing me around whilst a hang onto the boogie board!!!!!! AWESOME!!!!!!!
10 minutes of this pass, then 20minutes, then a half an hour!!!!! My arms are paining, back is complaning, hands are cramping and still no sight of the fish!!!!!! About 40 minutes later, i see him. Glowing silver, with those two HUGE sickle fins that are shining like gold!!!!!!!!! My buddy now passes me my 115cm Rabitech with omer pelagic reel. I load, dive down and place a second shot through the gills, out by the opposite gill plate. BIG MISTAKE...............fish now dives again and 20 minutes later i've got it next to the boat. Buddy gaffs the fish, whilst other buddy puts another gaff into the tail. I take my knife out........as i brain the fish, i give way, knowing that in its death throes, YF Tuna become very violent. Fish rips off both gaffs and HEAD BUTTS me twice in the face!!!!!! 5 minutes later i've got the fish back in control, still with my OMER flat hunt knife sticking out of its head!!! Two gaffs in again and into the boat she comes!!!!!
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The rest of the day is a blurr of non-stop action and adrenaline. Bent spears, both 7mm and 8mm, are the only casualties of the day!!!!!!
Final tally:
Miles 74kg's and 55kg's
Maruis 72kg's
Henni 82Kg's
Not bad for our first Tuna trip for the season!!
Regards
miles
10 minutes of this pass, then 20minutes, then a half an hour!!!!! My arms are paining, back is complaning, hands are cramping and still no sight of the fish!!!!!! About 40 minutes later, i see him. Glowing silver, with those two HUGE sickle fins that are shining like gold!!!!!!!!! My buddy now passes me my 115cm Rabitech with omer pelagic reel. I load, dive down and place a second shot through the gills, out by the opposite gill plate. BIG MISTAKE...............fish now dives again and 20 minutes later i've got it next to the boat. Buddy gaffs the fish, whilst other buddy puts another gaff into the tail. I take my knife out........as i brain the fish, i give way, knowing that in its death throes, YF Tuna become very violent. Fish rips off both gaffs and HEAD BUTTS me twice in the face!!!!!! 5 minutes later i've got the fish back in control, still with my OMER flat hunt knife sticking out of its head!!! Two gaffs in again and into the boat she comes!!!!!
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The rest of the day is a blurr of non-stop action and adrenaline. Bent spears, both 7mm and 8mm, are the only casualties of the day!!!!!!
Final tally:
Miles 74kg's and 55kg's
Maruis 72kg's
Henni 82Kg's
Not bad for our first Tuna trip for the season!!
Regards
miles
