Cornwall 2007!

[sargatlarge]

Hello spearos!
I'm new to spearfishing, but I spend loads of time in Cornwall bodyboarding at weekends and holidays, so I got a gun and thought I'd give it a try! I was at Crantock last weekend (bank hol), but visibility was awful. I'm pretty confident in the water for surfing and bodyboarding, and I've got a decent mask, snorkel, fins and a bumbag I'll be using for a weight belt if I need it!
Could someone tell me what conditions are best, second best and doable for north and south coast cornwall? Some good beginner spots where I have a good chance of catching something would be nice too! I'll be there next week from about monday - thursday.
Also, are there any illegal places to do it? I've heard that some fishermen can be right ar$£holes to spearos.

 

[SurfnSpear]

Hi, Crantock is not especially fruitful at the best of times unless you get right out and about the extreme headland and The Goose island. However, you are going to have to watch yourself at certain parts of the tide. The estuary itself is not to bad but that channel off the headland can be treacherous. You certainly need to contact Spearo Dave or one of the other shops for a proper weightbelt and not a bumbag as that is a little basic. Do you have a float? I would take a read of the tips given on the BSA and Spearguns by Spearo uk ltd finest supplier of speargun, monofins, speargun and freediving equipment as its more important you don't just shoot every fish you come across as fisheries officers are around. I would suggest you try the other side of Little Fistral ie immediately to the right of the toilet block in the car park as a place to find your way (The old lifeboat slipway). Other than that go to the South Coast around St. Austell.

cheers

 

[badlander]

Dived maenporth after work today,vis was pretty bad to start but found one area that ranged from 1-5 meters.Saw a couple of mullet swim over head but they didn't tempt my trigger finger.Crept down a gully and just at the end of my breath hold i noticed a bass just at the edge of the vis but he clocked me and had it away.Worked pretty hard after that sighting but no joy....a bit dissapointing really.
Gonna have to find some new spots,mine seem a little devoid of bass.

 

[nickever]

Also dived maenporth on saturday. Vis was shocking. Only saw a couple mullet. Bit disapointing - long drive from st ives! Seems that every time we try a new spot we either have poor vis or no show on the fish! Usually spear in the same spot round Mounts Bay area and always get the bass but decided this year to try a few new hunting grounds - to no avail so far! Still early days yet. Looking to get down sennen way when we have a bit of fine weather and clear vis, any recommendations?

 

[dave]

May is always frustrating in Cornwall, summer feels like it has started, and the bass are about, but not in any great numbers yet. Some years I dont get my first decent bass until June.
Took the boat out for a quickie on the south coast last night, viz was about 10-15ft with quite a lot of plankton. no bass seen at all, but I had 3 nice pollack off a wreck, biggest was just under 10lb. I also saw my first basking shark of the year

cheers
dave
Spearguns by Spearo uk ltd finest supplier of speargun, monofins, speargun and freediving equipment

 

[SurfnSpear]

Nice Dave...

 

[tecdave]

Had my first spear in Cornwall at the weekend,
Was staying in Bude but due to the epic waves and wind I went for a drive down to Hemmick beach by Mevagissey. Once out of the bay the viz was a good 5-7m but totaly fishless apart from wrasse and bull huss!! really good deeper reefs (10m+ at low water) with plenty of current but no bait seen all day? Got one Mullet of about 3lb but as dave said no bass! looked really good terain and would love to get back down that way this year at some point but am back in Sunny Cardiff in the office longing for friday to come!! post holiday come down is not good!!

Dave

 

[sargatlarge]

Do most people here hunt in fairly shallow water? Also, is hunting from the bottom loads better than the surface or is it best in between? I've seen videos on youtube of hunting ridiculously sized fish in such clear water- probably in South Africa or somewhere equally as dangerous, but obviously it's completely different in Cornwall. I hope there's good vis next week when I'm down.

 

[Old Man Dave]

Nice fish Dave. What depth are you working. never seen pollack that size under 50 foot myself.

Dave

 

[Spaniard]

Do most people here hunt in fairly shallow water? Also, is hunting from the bottom loads better than the surface or is it best in between? I've seen videos on youtube of hunting ridiculously sized fish in such clear water- probably in South Africa or somewhere equally as dangerous, but obviously it's completely different in Cornwall. I hope there's good vis next week when I'm down.

There is a thread here somewhere which gives lots of good advice for newbies; i'm sure someone will post the link, I think Miles was the author. In the UK it is very rare to hunt from the surface, we simply do not have the viz. Most bass-obsessed spearos will use aspetto/agachon, that is to hide in available cover and 'ambush' the fish or wait for them to come into you. Silence and efficiency of movement are key. Practice shallow then try a little deeper. In the UK you don't have to hunt deep to catch big fish; plenty to be had in the first 30ft. Good luck.

 

[SurfnSpear]

Nice fish Dave. What depth are you working. never seen pollack that size under 50 foot myself.

Dave

I quite like Pollack if they are a nice fillet...this one was taken in mid summer at Lulworth Cove right near the rocks by Rowan...but Daves really are proper job. 'ere!

 

[jimy286]

Oh thats intresting.....Spearo Dave is using a pneumatic not rubber.

Nice fish tho Dave and Serfnspear....Is it me or did surf and spear say he lives round the bournemout area?

 

[SurfnSpear]

I live up in Berkshire to be exact....earning the money to pay for all the petrol I waste driving back and forth from in-laws in Newquay all the time and searching Dorset....:head rofl my brother lives in Bournemouth though.
P.S. That is my buddy Rowan who shot the Pollack not me...

 

[jimy286]

I live in christchurch...so if your ever at your brothers and want a spear or fishing sesh giv me a yell on the christchurh page.

 

[dave]

Nice fish Dave. What depth are you working. never seen pollack that size under 50 foot myself.

Dave

59ft according to the D3. Its a very broken wreck that almost always has some decent pollack on it. There was a huge shoal of 4-5lb fish at one end, and the big boys at the other, but no bass, which is what I was actually looking for!
I have shot bigger fish in less than 40ft, but only at very specific spots
cheers
dave
Spearguns by Spearo uk ltd finest supplier of speargun, monofins, speargun and freediving equipment

 

[Robbo66]

59ft according to the D3. Its a very broken wreck that almost always has some decent pollack on it. There was a huge shoal of 4-5lb fish at one end, and the big boys at the other, but no bass, which is what I was actually looking for!
I have shot bigger fish in less than 40ft, but only at very specific spots
cheers
dave
Spearguns by Spearo uk ltd finest supplier of speargun, monofins, speargun and freediving equipment

That's a good free dive.......

 

[Spiderman]

59ft according to the D3. Its a very broken wreck that almost always has some decent pollack on it.

All I need now is a gun that will enable me to shoot things 30ft below me

 

[jimy286]

I think the Japanese sell one with good range....but you may find it hard to convince green piece that ur shooting pollack,.

 

[Huw]

I think the Japanese sell one with good range....but you may find it hard to convince green piece that ur shooting pollack,.

rofl rofl rofl

Me and pete dived yesterday... two nic mullet about 3lbs. About it... also tried looking for some lobbys when the tide was low... nothing
I dont think i can have been looking in the right places though!

btw... nice pollack Dave

Huw

 

[badlander]

Dived trevellas last night,didn't really want to but the flower lady came round for the wedding so i had my marching orders.....vis was 0-1.5 meters,couple of feet of swell and getting dark...lovely stuff....decided to call it a day and unloaded my gun so i could body surf in and saw a bass straight away,wouldn#t have had a chance though!.......
Going to try the south coast tonight.....conditions look just about perfect.