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Dam is the man!

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.

Bill McIntyre

San Clemente, CA
Staff member
Forum Mentor
Jan 27, 2005
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I had mentioned in yesterday's thread that I'd go out today if I could find a crew. This morning I was surprised to get a call from Christian Webb and Dam Nguyen saying that they were actually turning around on the way to PV to come back and dive with me. I figured they were probably passing on almost a sure thing, but I didn't argue. I just hoped it wouldn't be a complete disappointment.

The conditions were like yesterday, clear blue and beautiful, except that there even millions more sardines. I've never seen so many, and Dam said he got some good underwater video of them.

The second stop was not quite so clear, but doable. I had given up and climbed back in the boat when I heard Dam shout for a knife. I looked out and saw him in the middle of the thickest surface mat of kelp I have ever seen. When I finally crawled over it to him, I asked him how the hell he shot fish in there, and he replied that he shot the fish on the edge, but then it took him in there. Christian joined us, and I think we had a cluster **** of about an hour. I held guns and Dam did all the diving. He said that this deep water and dark spooky bottom was like nothing he had dealt with before, but he sure did a hell of a job with it. I kept trying to offer my Carter float, but he did without.

When we finally got the fish back in the boat, he mentioned that this was his fourth fish in five days. That's when I lunged for his throat, but Christian intervened and calmed me down.

I'll post a couple of photos, but I think Christian got some underwater stuff with Dam's camera, so hopefully Dam will post that as well as tell his side of the story.

Christian and I didn't see a thing.

I saw Dennis May back at the ramp, and he showed me a photo sent by someone with three fish in a boat at PV. At least Dam couldn't have taken any more fish at PV and he didn't have to carry this one up the hill, but I feel bad if Christian missed a chance.

Oops, almost forgot the weight. It was choppy, but the scale was bouncing around 50 pounds.
 

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Very nice! When you say the viz was "doable", what does that mean? Maybe 20 or 30 feet?
 
Very nice! When you say the viz was "doable", what does that mean? Maybe 20 or 30 feet?

In this case, it was probably 20 feet in most places, but that is actually way better than we usually put up with. I'd say around 10 feet is on the inner limits of what is doable for me. Its not fun diving, but you can take some white sea bass if you are very slow and quiet so that you are not spooking them before you can see them.

BTW, Dam isn't registered here, but here is a video he posted on Spearboard. The nice clear conditions with all the bait and barracuda are at that spot that I said was nice. Then he shows following his line through the kelp to his fish at that murkier spot. The visibility down on the bottom under the thick kelp canopy was worse than it was outside the kelp.

[ame=http://vimeo.com/4072824]2009/04/07 Spearfishing off Bill Mac's boat on Vimeo[/ame]
 
Very nice video.

What kind of gun and experience does it take to take a fish like that? I mean, what sort of depths and bottom times do you usually experience?
 
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Very nice video.

What kind of gun and experience does it take to take a fish like that? I mean, what sort of depths and bottom times do you usually experience?

Don't say that I told you, but you can often shoot them from the surface. The depth and bottom time requirements come into play after you shoot them and they wrap up on the bottom in the kelp. It can be very hard to keep a bit fish from getting down there unless you stoned it, and the place where that one was shot is 55 feet deep.

This is a video taken by a 19-year-old a couple of days ago. He carries his Wong Ono gun (63") in one hand and his camera in the other, and films shooting a 55 pounder from the surface. Austin is good though.

http://www.spearfishingmovies.com/
 
Very nice! I admit that I'm jealous and would love to go on a trip like that :D
 
Hey Bill, I just loved that video, certainly gives a great insight to the conditions you guys hunt in.
 
Hey Bill, I just loved that video, certainly gives a great insight to the conditions you guys hunt in.

Glad you liked it. It does give a pretty good idea of what the kelp beds look like.

BTW, while I told BayRay that we can shoot them from the surface now and then, I guess I could have given a more complete answer. Its been my experience that, no matter how deep the water, most white sea bass in kelp beds are in the top 25 feet of water.
 
That's funny that you guys are landing WSB at this time of year. I was actually going to post a thread inquiring if anyone else was experiencing WSB sightings as was the case mid-February at my local OC spot. Rewind to early February.....noticed countless bait-fish with nothing around to consume them. Did however spot 2 grey whales in 2 consecutive days so all was not lost. Mother nature's treats come in many shapes and forms. Fast forward to 2 weeks later.....shorediving approx. 75-100 yards off shore over a predominantly reefy point when all of a sudden, I noticed about 20 ft. out, what at first appeared to be an extremely large rubberlip. Needed reassurance though, so I started in towards the feather-boa that it was lurking around. As I approached, I got the reasurance that I needed. It was in fact WSB at 36-40 in. perhaps 25-35 lb. class. Quickly my mind-set went into stalker mode as I slowly came within 10 ft. range from the surface. Contemplated the shot, second guesed the shot from the surface and became extremely concerned with losing sight of it upon an attempt to descend. What to do, what to do? Opted to follow along and with great sucess of going unnoticed. No sooner that the WSB paused, a second one came darting out of the kelp and joined up with the first. Hearts really pounding now, and the cat and mouse game will have to continue until the right opportuinty presents itself. They slow and hover motionless over a stray lobster trap littered with 5 big bugs (4-6 lbs.). I decide this was the moment of truth, flood my snorkle and begin my descent to about 20 ft. below. As I hit neutral bouyancy, I line up on the larger of the two, although they were relatively the same size, and before I have a chance to get the shot off, a group of 20 more meet up as if there were a convention in town. Still gone unnoticed, I ascend to gather my thoughts and rethink my strategy in hopes of a larger specimen. I spot the bull of the pack centrally positioning himself and descend once again. Double checked the floatline to make sure there are no obstructions, and line up on my target. No sooner that I squeeze the trigger, something spooks them and each individual heads in his own direction highly resembling a sun formation. Shoots......BUMMERZ!!! WTF just happened? Oh well the season is still way ahead of schedule and with 54 degree temps, I never thought I would be fortunate enough to even make a sighting. I am familiar with their late spring and summer presence, but the original intent of my non-posted thread was to see if anyone else was was experiencing white ghost sightings as well OR was this all my imagination in preparation for the upcoming season? I feel extremely lucky to even have had god's blessings upon me. Especially knowing that some search for years with no avail. I have friends that have landed them well into December but that was towards SBI and Ventura but never have I heard of anyone taking them locally with cold temps and 2-3 months early. Looks like I have my answer but I appreciate those that choose to chime in and speak of their own recent experiences. A hui hou
 
The last time I was out in La Jolla, Joel Beam and I had the hair-brain idea to load up our longboards and shore-paddle from Boomers. DAMN that was hell!!! As if the 5mm open cell wasn't enough, once the houses on shore were no longer houses and the closest boat out was on the outer edge of the LJ kelp beds, we knew we were committed to the sport and there was no turning back. Yellows were being caught left and right but no ghosts that day. Instead, that was the day that Doc was eaten by George Washington Smith several miles north in Solana Beach. Viz was really green and milky once we anchored off and the thought of a freak visitor was always present that day although we had no idea this would soon be that case a few minutes up the road. WHEW....that was an eye opener.
 
Easter at Catalina(inside) was always a good bet for the old timers.
 
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