Guernsey 2016

[westcoaster]

Well done Ed, fantastic fish, Change of luck for me, had to come soon...., although didn't start well when I had a lovely bass of 6lb + at the end of my spear and I had the safety on, chance gone.....thought that was my luck out for the day after that, only used my Rob Allen a few times and not to shoot much so far!, so couldn't quite remember the setting for the safety on/off.....lesson learned!!!!!
Luckily it was a bassy day and 4 decent sized ones seen, within 10 minutes I found one corned up in the boot lace and he was on the stringer. The Vis was good hunting vis, and another 30 mins and saw what I first thought was another bass, swam under me in the bootlace, then kind of skitted off in front of me.....which I thought was odd, took a shot and my spear disappeared into the kelp, dived down and found I'd hit a black bream (think it is anyhow ). Have to say ive seen very little so far but normally 1 or 2 bass but not in the right spot to shoot, everything came right today and turns out to be one of my best days so far.

 

[Fro-in-shorts]

Wow mart those guns look beautiful

 

[Fro-in-shorts]

Great day out with the guys, glorious sunshine, warm clear water, and a brace of fish for tea,

 

[foxfish]

Apparently a guy caught a 7lb gilthead on a set of mackerel feathers yesterday!
I went in the sea for the first time yesterday, I did see 2 bass and a few stinky's but nothing bought home.
Vis was poor in the weed, a bit better over the sand but I am so 'un dive fit' I could hardly make the bottom in 5 metres!

 

[foxfish]

I have been lucky to cook & eat quite a few giltheads over the last 10 - 12 years... never been lucky enough to catch one though!
They were all good but some were much tastier than others, I am not sure why, but I guess it has something to do what they eat & where they have been living?
I am assuming some might be resident and some might come from other waters & this might effect the taste?
Anyway I remember one 6lb fish that was caught on a rod from the shore (I was there but it was my mate who caught it) it tasted like cucumber & was exceptionally good eating!
The biggest I have seen, were caught in a net (secrete squirrel if you know him) and displayed in the fishmongers.
Both were were double figure fish, I cant recall the actual weight ... maybe 11lb & 13lb?
When I was a lad, 45 years ago, Red bream were the most common bream around.
Boat fishermen could catch them all year around & shore fishermen in the Autumn. They were so common potters used them for bait & shark fishermen used them for ground bait.

Around 20 years ago Couches Bream started to show & at one time were more common than Black Bream, Couches can reach 20lb but most of what I caught were around 2-3lb

In my life, Black bream have always been around. The average size has now quartered from my early catches & the last two years we have seen an all time low in numbers.

Lets keep our fingers crossed for a bumper Gilthead season.....

 

[Fro-in-shorts]

Interesting Mart. Makes me feel bad taking fish sometimes, but being realistic I take 1 gilt every 7 years and maybe 2 black bream a year. Last year had maybe 8bass and this year 2 so far, think I'm on the right side of things.

 

[foxfish]

In 2005 I think both myself and my brother Dave, noted on this forum, that we caught over 100 bass each, that year!
I would think that the bass were most abundant during the 80s - 90s and to be honest during that period we took what we wanted on most 'nice condition dives'.
The most I ever took on a single dive was 9, however I did have a reason due to a large family gathering.
Generally speaking we hunted flatfish because 'A' they were the best eating 'B' because it was more of a challenge & fitness routine & 'C' because all three of us (me Dave & Derek) had held the British spearfishing record for sole & we wanted to beat our best fish!
Derek also held several other records .. flounder, John Dorry, Brill & maybe more, I forget because the record list was forever changing!
Generally speaking we took what we wanted for that day, whether it was a couple of bass or perhaps three plaice & then we just got out of the water!
I am thinking the first noticeable decline in fish stock was around 10-12 years ago.... not that long ago at all but, the decline has been dramatic!!!!

 

[Fro-in-shorts]

I think more than anything my catches are down not because I'm environmentally conciencious but because A) I surf too much lol and B) I'm eating less fish at the moment. Got bored of bass, every now and again it's great, but flatties with a hollandaize sauce or butter and chanterelles.......... Or a bream over the wood fire grill .......... So much more appealing

 

[foxfish]

I am not sure what this means but ... http://www.islandfm.com/guernsey-loses-fishing-rights-case/

 

[westcoaster]

Trip out last Saturday at 6.30am, some things have to be worth getting up at that time and going easy on the Friday night drinks, and diving is definitely one of them. Usual spot for me as its 3 minutes drive down the road. In the sea and finding bass straight away, although nothing close enough to shoot. Was looking at a big rocky when a really decent bass loomed up behind, pretty sure a slight movement of my gun alarmed him and a hopeful shot while it was starting to swim and he was gone.....good to see a really nice size one though......Soon!!. Plenty of bait fish and tons of small shoals of mullet, some shoals of schoolie bass also seen.
Saw a really big injured bass or mullet come swimming in, making a massive hash of swimming but fast enough not to identify it, took one look at my and scarpered, looked like it was crapping itself, and its tail was well damaged, maybe a casualty of seal or one of the porby's hanging around.
Came across a 4lb bass resting behind some stringweed, could only see the top outline of the fish so a good guestimate shot through the stringweed and dinner was served. Had a Pollack on the way back as well, a good few of them on a reef as the tide was coming in. Some cool jellies floating around.
Its really fishy out there.

 

[Jacob Fitch]

Trip out last Saturday at 6.30am, some things have to be worth getting up at that time and going easy on the Friday night drinks, and diving is definitely one of them. Usual spot for me as its 3 minutes drive down the road. In the sea and finding bass straight away, although nothing close enough to shoot. Was looking at a big rocky when a really decent bass loomed up behind, pretty sure a slight movement of my gun alarmed him and a hopeful shot while it was starting to swim and he was gone.....good to see a really nice size one though......Soon!!. Plenty of bait fish and tons of small shoals of mullet, some shoals of schoolie bass also seen.
Saw a really big injured bass or mullet come swimming in, making a massive hash of swimming but fast enough not to identify it, took one look at my and scarpered, looked like it was crapping itself, and its tail was well damaged, maybe a casualty of seal or one of the porby's hanging around.
Came across a 4lb bass resting behind some stringweed, could only see the top outline of the fish so a good guestimate shot through the stringweed and dinner was served. Had a Pollack on the way back as well, a good few of them on a reef as the tide was coming in. Some cool jellies floating around.
Its really fishy out there.

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Nice footage


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[little sarge]

Hey guys hope everyone is enjoying the summer.
Been in a few times since I last posted but nothing to exciting to post, a few nice bass and some scallops taken.
Enjoyed a couple of lovely boat dives from Jonnys boat too.
Anyways I got in yesterday and the plan was to hunt flats for the first hour. Lots and lots of drops later I had a small cuttlefish on the stringer but no flatties. Moved from this spot and started doing a combination of stalking and drops but nothing seen except mullet! Was feeling abit sea sick so got up on my float and removed my hood and took in some fluids. After about 20 mins this went away and I started hunting again, by now I had kicked around the headland and was in a more sheltered place with better viz. I was on a drop in about 4-5 metres when I thought I saw a black bream swimming towards me so I paused and very calmly thought wait you idiot don't rush this one. Waiting for what seemed like ages the fish turned slightly and wow this wasn't a black bream but a gilty . Taking my time I lined up and made the shot. Boom instant smile which lasted for the rest of the day. I would have been happy just to see a gilt head but landing one was just the icing on the cake, weighed in at 3lb 11oz.

 

[little sarge]

Got in after work. Was pretty pissed when I got to the spot and the swell was pumping. Anyways got changed and entered the water at the same time as 2 surfers. Viz was pretty poo as expected, took a half decent bass which had a really small head. Saw a cracking sized shoal of white bream, the biggest I have seen and missed a pretty close shot. They hung around for a while after so that was cool to see. Body surfed back in and had tea on the beach with the family.

 

[foxfish]

Well done mate, I took another White bream a few days ago, funny that none have been caught on rod & line?
I wonder if they just eat tiny creature off the weed or something like that?

 

[little sarge]

Not sure Mart, I only ever see them in this 1 spot. Had a perfect chance today and blew it! Made my day just seeing them though.

 

[Jacob Fitch]

Nice work guys. Me and matt are going to take a little cliff walk east tomorrow try and find a new spot as I think this swell is going to stick around on the west. I'll let you guys know how we get on.

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[Eddy1666]

Nice bass Kerin , maybe it has the zika virus ... Does have a small small head

 

[foxfish]

I have just come back from an early morning swim, saw a huge Gilthead, definitely the biggest I have ever seen underwater.
This was on the east coast. I saw it from the surface & watched it cruising just off the bottom in about 10' of water.
I was picking my moment to dive down with my heart thumping & my brain buzzing with thoughts of my first speared Gilthead & a huge one at that!
I fell back a bit and calmly dived down parallel to the seabed level, I had lost sight of it for a micro second as I dived but it was still there...... looking at it broad side... it must of been close to 10lb (but maybe only 7-8lb?)
At this stage the fish was still hovering around and not really doing much so I felt really confident of getting in on the spear...
I took the shot (from what was now obviously to far away) & the fish flicked its tail into the distance ... end of story!!
I feel so deflated & horror stricken that I missed the opportunity ...

 

[little sarge]

Next time Mart, how was the viz on East?

 

[Boue]

Hello. I have a question about wetsuit choice / suppliers, and camouflage patterns, specific to Guernsey.
Am I OK to post here, or should I go to a gear thread. The question is Guernsey specific. Thank you