As I am done with the short MT#0 in the clear water of 50 feet viz or better. This second and third dive needed a bigger gun cause we need it to overcome our murky water distance perception. We wanted to use the Riffe float and 100' bungie on the scuba hunting but since the surface water is so confused, our floats might slow us down and probably will get torn a part by the slamming rocks on the wave. We never like reel and so we take the chance of "come-what-may".
This is a "de-virginized" trip for our #4 Baja, some plywood shooting was all we could do and yet our close by water could not give us enough visibility to test this gun properly.
So we were beyond happy to be back to this favourite rock on the Indian Ocean after more than a year ( me only ). I loaded my gun, 3 of the 5/8 bands on the common wishbone and last one on the custom ordered rest tab. I have tested 3 x 5/8 single handed shot and it was just sweet, I suppose 3.5 is just right cause 4 bands on single hand is quite hard on my wrist. My friends were loading theirs all the way to 4 bands.
I was on my own in the spot where I saw the Spanish Mackerel on the first dive. Then came a trevaly, yellow dots one, rare for me and this one is a good 5 kg size. Have not got this species on this trip, so I took aim in the middle cause I want insurance if I might shoot bad. The shaft entered half way into the fish, I thought it should go entirely till the shooting line...........damn the visibility realy screw up my distance perception. The Ice Pick disengage and it was a short fight. I hit where I aim, a happy guy I was there and then.
Then my prayer seems answered, the Spanish Mackerel I saw on 1st dive appeared from my left, two of them. I took aim at the further one and it was some 7-8 feet above me at about 5 meters, I thought. It was about to flee when I shot it at some distance behind the gill on the lateral line area. The shaft exited just nicely on the other side near the gill around the shoulder. It swam up, I gave a small tug to disengage the Ice Pick as the 8-10kg Spanish took off upwards. Confirm good grip of the Ice Pick and I was having a good ride from this fish. Two minutes into the fight, it got tired so I drill the head with my knife. The fish was so thick, I could not un-do my Ice Pick, it got stuck in the middle of the meat. OK, I'm done on this 2nd dive.
Both fish on my "special floating" stringer. The stuck 3/8 shaft caused both fish to sink to the bottom. So I ascend slowly and play jigging with my fish. To my surprise, giant trevaly came to my fish, first two and then a total of five. I was having the fun of my life playing with such a big "live flasher", then a big dark brown shape appeared lightning fast towards my Spanish.......DAMN, it was a shark, not white or black tip. It must be a bull cause it is so wide at the mouth and gills as I seen from 30 feet above it. It went zig zag for a few seconds and left. I could not see where it went, then my balls shrank...smaller...smaller and smaller. I surfaced immediately. The boat was on the other side of the rock, I could see it but I know it could not spot me. I was waving like crazy. The surface current was much stronger than at 70-90 feet where I was. I kept drifting into the foamy area where the rocks get whacked by the waves. Removed my BCD cause if I still drift into that fatal zone, I can make it out on freedive. BCD in one hand and stringer in the other. I swam on my back so that I could see the rocks. Kept looking for the bull.....I am scared of such shark...too many reading about it.
I think it was less than 5 minutes but felt so long. I got picked up and could laugh on board.
Others were getting big eye jacks and a 10kg Giant Trevaly.
Third dive at 4PM. The water was dark and viz drop to 40 feet or less. I already had 3 species, so I need to look for other species. I kept wondering, how come only today there are so many fishes of all kind. I been to this place for about 5 years but seldom dive this rock cause to me it is very sharky. I saw so many kind of jacks and big snappers, the barracudas are like everywhere u see. Since this is a last dive, I ignore all those fishes and head for the rock where my friend got a doggie last year. My 3 other friends were ahead of me. I look over the deeper waters and shapes started to appear, tuna shape but no yellow hue. Must be doggies I thought. There were so many around and they swam not in school but rather all over. If I got a doggie, it will be my third, so I aim for whatever is closest to me, can't go greedy on something I am not experienced with. My friends saw the shot and they got into position and smart dudes......... they went for bigger ones ( I only knew that when I surfaced ). When I am done stringing my doggie after a short fight, I then waited by a rock at 60 feet waiting for more doggies to come. What a wrong spot, I should have went left into deeper water instead of right to the rocks. The doggies were on the left near a ledge at 80-100 feet.
When I surfaced, others were already on the boat. My catch was 3rd biggest or second smallest :waterwork. One of my friend who helped me undo my doggie did not get anything. The other two got a handsome one and the biggest doggie guy had a second shot of another smaller doggie while his +-30kg doggie was on his stringer and still swimming around pulling him. The two bigger doggies guy were lucky that they had the strength and a good enough shot to make the doggie less violent. With no reel and no float a 66 lbs and 51 lbs doggies are sure not fun to play with.
It was only the first day of the dive, last Friday that was. Our two 100 liters coolbox and the boat 100 quart cockpit freezer was already full. We decided to head home cause we have no more storage capacity for the fishes which are only about 12 of them.
Went to meet up with another group, my friends and told them where the party is. That Saturday morning we left home for the 125 miles journey home. The other group went over to the rock, by Sunday night they called me up. Divers on that group, 3 with a 124Cm #2 Riffe, 1 Riffe Hawaiian and 2 JBL. The rest 2 are non hunters. They did 3 dives, boated 7 doggies ( still waiting for the photos ), lost 2 to a few bulls. Not that the shark ate them but my friend simply tug the fish off his spearhead cause 3 bull were trying to "molest" his doggies. He left the fish
One photographer even managed to photo a swimming doggie....I'm waiting to see such photo.
One spectacular event was a lucky guy who shot his #2 Riffe with 4 bands and Ice Pick on 8mm shaft. The doggies came close to him about 3 meters, one from left the other from the right. Lucky Son of a Bitch.......... he shot both doggies. The closer one supposedly like 8kg was totaly penetrated, the shaft then hit the other doggie, said to be +- 12kg on a fatal zone. It died on the spot without the Ice Pick even exiting on the other side. The alive doggie got stuck and could not run cause it could not whip its tail, hampered by the other bigger doggie on the same shaft. I got snappers and grouper this way but never Tuna... :head. I am waiting for his photo to see realy how big this two KEBAB are...
It seems the other group was luckier than us, in three dives all of them have the doggies playing around. I check on the internet , and it mentioned October till January is their spawning season for the Indian Ocean. Many of the tuna carry eggs when we clean them.
My question to you fishery knowledgeable hunters. If the doggies come to this rock in such numbers when they are spawning, do you think it is wrong that we take a few ? By next month the west moonsoon will kick in and that rock will be off limits unless I am made of titanium and have 9 lives.How how how ???
Well, I am planing to go back in 2 weeks. Will take U/W video this time.... a must. I wonder who will be handling the camera underwater
Guess which is me on the top photo. I am holding a +- 8kg Doggie. Tell me if I am not conservative in my weight estimation.....
Spanish Mackerel photo soon...........
IYA
The spearo who is scared of sharks..........
This is a "de-virginized" trip for our #4 Baja, some plywood shooting was all we could do and yet our close by water could not give us enough visibility to test this gun properly.
So we were beyond happy to be back to this favourite rock on the Indian Ocean after more than a year ( me only ). I loaded my gun, 3 of the 5/8 bands on the common wishbone and last one on the custom ordered rest tab. I have tested 3 x 5/8 single handed shot and it was just sweet, I suppose 3.5 is just right cause 4 bands on single hand is quite hard on my wrist. My friends were loading theirs all the way to 4 bands.
I was on my own in the spot where I saw the Spanish Mackerel on the first dive. Then came a trevaly, yellow dots one, rare for me and this one is a good 5 kg size. Have not got this species on this trip, so I took aim in the middle cause I want insurance if I might shoot bad. The shaft entered half way into the fish, I thought it should go entirely till the shooting line...........damn the visibility realy screw up my distance perception. The Ice Pick disengage and it was a short fight. I hit where I aim, a happy guy I was there and then.
Then my prayer seems answered, the Spanish Mackerel I saw on 1st dive appeared from my left, two of them. I took aim at the further one and it was some 7-8 feet above me at about 5 meters, I thought. It was about to flee when I shot it at some distance behind the gill on the lateral line area. The shaft exited just nicely on the other side near the gill around the shoulder. It swam up, I gave a small tug to disengage the Ice Pick as the 8-10kg Spanish took off upwards. Confirm good grip of the Ice Pick and I was having a good ride from this fish. Two minutes into the fight, it got tired so I drill the head with my knife. The fish was so thick, I could not un-do my Ice Pick, it got stuck in the middle of the meat. OK, I'm done on this 2nd dive.
Both fish on my "special floating" stringer. The stuck 3/8 shaft caused both fish to sink to the bottom. So I ascend slowly and play jigging with my fish. To my surprise, giant trevaly came to my fish, first two and then a total of five. I was having the fun of my life playing with such a big "live flasher", then a big dark brown shape appeared lightning fast towards my Spanish.......DAMN, it was a shark, not white or black tip. It must be a bull cause it is so wide at the mouth and gills as I seen from 30 feet above it. It went zig zag for a few seconds and left. I could not see where it went, then my balls shrank...smaller...smaller and smaller. I surfaced immediately. The boat was on the other side of the rock, I could see it but I know it could not spot me. I was waving like crazy. The surface current was much stronger than at 70-90 feet where I was. I kept drifting into the foamy area where the rocks get whacked by the waves. Removed my BCD cause if I still drift into that fatal zone, I can make it out on freedive. BCD in one hand and stringer in the other. I swam on my back so that I could see the rocks. Kept looking for the bull.....I am scared of such shark...too many reading about it.
I think it was less than 5 minutes but felt so long. I got picked up and could laugh on board.
Others were getting big eye jacks and a 10kg Giant Trevaly.
Third dive at 4PM. The water was dark and viz drop to 40 feet or less. I already had 3 species, so I need to look for other species. I kept wondering, how come only today there are so many fishes of all kind. I been to this place for about 5 years but seldom dive this rock cause to me it is very sharky. I saw so many kind of jacks and big snappers, the barracudas are like everywhere u see. Since this is a last dive, I ignore all those fishes and head for the rock where my friend got a doggie last year. My 3 other friends were ahead of me. I look over the deeper waters and shapes started to appear, tuna shape but no yellow hue. Must be doggies I thought. There were so many around and they swam not in school but rather all over. If I got a doggie, it will be my third, so I aim for whatever is closest to me, can't go greedy on something I am not experienced with. My friends saw the shot and they got into position and smart dudes......... they went for bigger ones ( I only knew that when I surfaced ). When I am done stringing my doggie after a short fight, I then waited by a rock at 60 feet waiting for more doggies to come. What a wrong spot, I should have went left into deeper water instead of right to the rocks. The doggies were on the left near a ledge at 80-100 feet.
When I surfaced, others were already on the boat. My catch was 3rd biggest or second smallest :waterwork. One of my friend who helped me undo my doggie did not get anything. The other two got a handsome one and the biggest doggie guy had a second shot of another smaller doggie while his +-30kg doggie was on his stringer and still swimming around pulling him. The two bigger doggies guy were lucky that they had the strength and a good enough shot to make the doggie less violent. With no reel and no float a 66 lbs and 51 lbs doggies are sure not fun to play with.
It was only the first day of the dive, last Friday that was. Our two 100 liters coolbox and the boat 100 quart cockpit freezer was already full. We decided to head home cause we have no more storage capacity for the fishes which are only about 12 of them.
Went to meet up with another group, my friends and told them where the party is. That Saturday morning we left home for the 125 miles journey home. The other group went over to the rock, by Sunday night they called me up. Divers on that group, 3 with a 124Cm #2 Riffe, 1 Riffe Hawaiian and 2 JBL. The rest 2 are non hunters. They did 3 dives, boated 7 doggies ( still waiting for the photos ), lost 2 to a few bulls. Not that the shark ate them but my friend simply tug the fish off his spearhead cause 3 bull were trying to "molest" his doggies. He left the fish
One photographer even managed to photo a swimming doggie....I'm waiting to see such photo.
One spectacular event was a lucky guy who shot his #2 Riffe with 4 bands and Ice Pick on 8mm shaft. The doggies came close to him about 3 meters, one from left the other from the right. Lucky Son of a Bitch.......... he shot both doggies. The closer one supposedly like 8kg was totaly penetrated, the shaft then hit the other doggie, said to be +- 12kg on a fatal zone. It died on the spot without the Ice Pick even exiting on the other side. The alive doggie got stuck and could not run cause it could not whip its tail, hampered by the other bigger doggie on the same shaft. I got snappers and grouper this way but never Tuna... :head. I am waiting for his photo to see realy how big this two KEBAB are...
It seems the other group was luckier than us, in three dives all of them have the doggies playing around. I check on the internet , and it mentioned October till January is their spawning season for the Indian Ocean. Many of the tuna carry eggs when we clean them.
My question to you fishery knowledgeable hunters. If the doggies come to this rock in such numbers when they are spawning, do you think it is wrong that we take a few ? By next month the west moonsoon will kick in and that rock will be off limits unless I am made of titanium and have 9 lives.How how how ???
Well, I am planing to go back in 2 weeks. Will take U/W video this time.... a must. I wonder who will be handling the camera underwater
Guess which is me on the top photo. I am holding a +- 8kg Doggie. Tell me if I am not conservative in my weight estimation.....
Spanish Mackerel photo soon...........
IYA
The spearo who is scared of sharks..........
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