Cornwall 2009

[Padaxes]

I feel a spear coming on...... south coast conditions might be promising....

I struck out last time had a really frustrating time with a shoal of bass, hundreds of the damn things stayed with me for about half an hour and wouldnt come quite close enough no matter what I did :/

 

[Kernowsniper]

Managed to get in today on the south coast.. Took the boat out with a mate.. 1st dive of the year.. beautiful sun but vis not as good as I'd hoped.. loadsa jellies everywhere and pretty chilly still?? However managed to get one pretty average sized bass.. I just had him for dinner.. damn I forgot how good they taste fresh!!

Been wearing those "Docs pro plugs" (vented) and really not sure they're stopping the water getting in.. but so far no probs pressurizing with them.. however my ear has been a bit sore this evening.. reckon i did get some water in there.

Anyways.. Looks like a few good days of sun and flat seas ahead.. anyone know where the vis has been a bit better.. I'd say today was 5m tops.. loads of plankton :head

Laterzz Jim

 

[Lazuli]

Hey all. Well done on the bass Jim.
Went for a dull south coast dive today. Like Kernowsniper says, there was quite a bit of plankton. Sod all fish wise, only some monster wrasse which flirted with my need for a good target! Left em though. Loads of powerboats, jetskis etc around so I felt sketched out given what happened to Tong. I reckon they spooked all the fish into deeper water leaving only a few pollack on the reefs. No flatties either.

So few fish I had a hard time convincing myself I was in the sea! Going to try Lizard at the crack tomorrow am to avoid the water chavs.

Laz

 

[Huw]

Got in today on the southcoast, felt awesome at first and saw a flounder/plaice pretty much straight off the bat but left him as he was a little bit too small.

Bumped into a biiiig mullet a little later but couldnt quite get the gun onto him in time.

Saw NO bass for the entire 4 hr dive... I worked the shallow string beds, worked around the rocky areas, tried aspettos up to 6m, then pushed further out and started to dive as deep as i've ever really been which was around 12m. Still noooo bass anywhere which was suprising as i'd seen loads last week and had managed to shoot a few in just an hour of being in the water.

Eventually drew in a shoal of mullet around 10m and took one of the largest. Then dropped down in 12m of water on top of a strange looking piece of weed which i looked at for a while untill realising that it was a topknot (i think?!?)... not a huge fish my any means, but i remembered eating one once and loving it, so i bagged him too... first one i've ever seen spearing which was nice.


Bit of a strange dive really, slightly dissapointed on the bass front, but its also always nice to get something a little different. Vis was 8m+ and fullll of jellyfish. Hope everyone is enjoying the weather as much as me!

Cheers,

Huw.

 

[crazywind009]

Hi all,
Went in today with my good lady for an epic snorkelling / freediving mission. No spearguns as we were looking for crabs and just enjoying the underwater world. Needless to say we saw loads of decent mullet and Bass, plus two cuttlefish who were doing some kind of courtship ritual. After three hours we bagged a brown crab and a monster 6LB Spider Crab. Well chuffed.

Just finished eating the monster. Had to knock on a few doors asking for an industrial sized panrofl. After extracting the meat (of which there was loads!) we made a Thai noodle dish with half of it. I have to say that it was the tastiest thing we have ever had out of the sea. Amazing.

God bless the spider crab :friday

Hi lazuli i personali prefer spider crab sweet meat yum yum

 

[Huw]

My topknot weighed pretty much smack on a pound after being gutted... just checked the UK spearo records and it looks like mine had beaten it!!!!! Records been there since 1959 too so i'm a little puzzled I was just about to cook it, but i've shoved it in the freezer just incase theres a possibility of registering it or anything.:head

Any thoughts? Anyone ever see them out spearing?? this is the first i've ever come accross in the water...

Cheers,

Huw.

 

[Old Man Dave]

There's a recent post or two on topnots here http://forums.deeperblue.com/dorset/81473-dorset-spearing-2009-a-77.html and the next page.

As mentioned there I've had the odd one but never bettered the 1lb mark.

The spearo records had a change of rules in the late 60's early 70's. There is now a minimum size. People were claiming records for very small fish eg smelt. The anglers have a separate section for "mini" records but spearo's just banned anything under a minimum size. It might be 500 grms but I could be wrong and it may be smaller. If it is 500gms your topnot is too small and the existing record is from the pre rule change era.

Worth checking though.

Dave.

 

[Huw]

Cheers Dave, Nice one.

No worries really about claiming a record or anything really especially as this is about as unexciting as a record breaking fish could ever possibly be rofl !!! I was just curious really incase I was onto something interesting. I've enjoyed eating a couple that i've caught on the rods, but as I say, it was the first i've ever seen in the water and fancied adding it to my stringer.

Probably best not to talk about it if people consider them too small to shoot i guess... sorry if anyone thinks I should of left it

Cheers,
Huw.

 

[Old Man Dave]

Small flatfish are the best eating fish in the sea IMHO.

There was another discussion recently on conservation and size of fish. The Americans are big into slot sizes. They have a minimum and a maximum and you can only kill fish for the table if they are between the two sizes. Sizes are measured in inches length not by weight to make it quick and easy to check, well if your angling anyway. Not so easy to check a fishes size when spearing other than spearing it first.

The slot size is meant to ensure that all fish have bred at least once but the big fish which are the super breeders are not killed. Sounds good and seems sense but never seen the evidence.

I mainly eat small fish and sometimes am in a dilema about killing the big ones.

Dave.

 

[Padaxes]

Had a fantastic dive on the north coast this morning , lovely conditions and lots of fish took home a decent mullet (3lb). Then saw how perfect the south coast was and got in again this evening. Was expecting all time conditions and was horrified to find the visibility really low and didnt see a single proper fish! Bah! Being greedy see!

 

[Trelawney]

Small flatfish are the best eating fish in the sea IMHO.

There was another discussion recently on conservation and size of fish. The Americans are big into slot sizes. They have a minimum and a maximum and you can only kill fish for the table if they are between the two sizes. Sizes are measured in inches length not by weight to make it quick and easy to check, well if your angling anyway. Not so easy to check a fishes size when spearing other than spearing it first.

The slot size is meant to ensure that all fish have bred at least once but the big fish which are the super breeders are not killed. Sounds good and seems sense but never seen the evidence.

I mainly eat small fish and sometimes am in a dilema about killing the big ones.

Dave.

I'm getting a bit like that at the moment. I'd rather have a few 1-2lb flatfish over a big bass any day. You just can't beat a well cooked fillet of dover sole and a cold bottle of Tusker lager:friday

 

[Lazuli]

This Sucks...

Injured Bass

Tag-line is "2 guys were spearfishing here, left this injured bass".

Thoughts of such things are making my shots far more hesitant these days.

 

[Pav]

I take on a bundle of extra work and the viz clears :head

Still managing to get in after work for short spears. Mullet yesterday, and 2 Bass today. Nothing special, around 3lb.

A few small fish buzzing around, but not in massive numbers.

I've been diving a new spot with big ledges and caves. Really fun terrain, lots of gaps to ambush from.

Slow start for me on the Bass front, and been reading your posts with envy! Still I'm on the board now and it looks like the next week will be flat

 

[Kernowsniper]

Dived a new spot with a friend on the north coast today, great terrain.. loads of ledges.. drop offs and overhangs (are we diving the same area Pav?) and the best vis I've ever seen round here.. probably 10-15m at best! A really good dive.. not loads of fish about.. but so much potential and some stunning underwater scenery. I came accross a few bass and mullet but nothing of any real baggable size so left them to fight another day

Good times.. just my ear would stop hurting??

I can pressurize fine now with vented or blue tack plugs but in but since I got water in through the vented polugs the other day I have had pain in my ear again.. especially the 1st time I put alchohol drops in? hmm.. sounds like that infection is still there.. any advice anyone??

 

[Pav]

the worse thing I ever did was put that swim solution in my ears! Caused me real grief.

What vented plugs you got? I still have not sorted this.

I am doing ok this year re. infections (touch wood). I always wear plugs surfing and do everything to avoid any sand getting in my ears when diving (I think sand / grit is part the problem as it scrathes the skin, and then gives infections a place to start. My doc was always comenting on how much sand was in them. The doc was against the swim solutions, but advised me to put warm olive oil in my ears and plug with cotton wool when I go to bed. The oil floats the sand out.).

 

[SurfnSpear]

This Sucks...

Injured Bass

Tag-line is "2 guys were spearfishing here, left this injured bass".

Thoughts of such things are making my shots far more hesitant these days.

Mmmm....That does not look like a bass of the kind we are used too. Also there are many ways that fish could of picked up that injury....not sure that it leaves me with any hesitation in the context of any appropriate and spearable fish I might see?

 

[UK Spearo]

if anyone can help me with me broken torch question, please see this link:

http://forums.deeperblue.com/europe-mediterranean/83332-broke-my-torch-ggrrrr-any-help.html

Thanks
Clive.

 

[UK Spearo]

if anyone knows of a second hand 30, 35 or 40hp longshaft out board for sale please pm me, I'm in the market for one. Thanks

 

[Old Man Dave]

Check out spidermans story http://forums.deeperblue.com/devon/81472-south-devon-report-2009-a-98.html#post772666 . There but for the grace of God go we all. Last week Tong was run down by a speedboat and now a helicopter rescue. Think I'll stay in the bays.

Dave.

 

[Padaxes]

Had a nice dive on the north coast again today, loads of mullet about! Missed some beuties, first one from being a bad aim, 2nd one cos my dam rigging on my gabbianno tangled again, ive missed 3 good fish now cos of that.

Ended up with 2 decent mullet which are going in the oven now