hunt with a knife?

[atomichaggis]

No tools. Its an old scottish tradition - kinda like throwing rocks and big poles. Been around thousands of years, maybe millions. I remember when I was barely 3 and my dad threw me into the moat; 'Bring home dinner or F&(#k off!' he said, lovingly.

Its quite different tickling a trout or grabbing a salmon out of a river than to throw a punch at one whilst submerged or even poke a spear at one... Hence the elastic.

punch would be too slow, the fish would sense the movement through its lateral line and be gone before You extended through the target.

 

[atomichaggis]

I did wonder how you ended up in Michigan

He was sent there during the highland clearances.

 

[Fondueset]

Only place with enough bugs. I'm partly scottish, I think....either that or hindu. Same thing either way - 'cept the cows are furrier.

Anyway - Soon as the water gets down to 41f I'll get out there without a wetsuit and practice fa-jing on some lake trout. Two birds that way - the Eric Fattah 41F no wet suit challenge and Scottish fish punching for Atomichaggis.

 

[Pastor]

This hunting with a knife thing worries me slightly. OK with a flattie or similar but what of free swimming fish or larger fish, how do you secure them after the hit? What if the swim off just to die? The whole thing sounds a little irresponsible to me

 

[atomichaggis]

I've only ever used a knife for flatties and only ever heard of flatties, inc. anglerfish and wolffish being knifed. Wolffish live in burrows and wont swim fast or far and in most cases will fight you. the techniques for wolfies is hit it in the head whilst in burrow and/or get it in a headlock (lunacy).
I've never heard of a fast free swimming fish being stabbed with a knife nor would I recommend anyone try. they would be hard to hit in anycase.

 

[covert]

lol im of scottish decent as well, my dad also showed his love by constant abondonment, swearing, kicking me in the ribs while Im already down, oh fond fond memories ...... Thank god I never got abused to the extent of eating haggis

 

[hteas]

You guys are all forgetting your history. The intrepid explorer of the deep, The famous Guy Gilpatric, started his spearfishing career in 1934 by punching a rather large fish in the snout. OK, maybe it didn't work too well. He then went on to a lance, and learned how to dive FRC and stab fish with a sharpened pole at the same time. If he could do it, can't we?

On a serious note, I used to stab flatfish with a kitchen knife, or even a sharp stick. My largest was a 30 inch starry flounder taken with a dive knife. Drop slowly while holding the knife against your chest (pointy end away from you), and stab as I was about to land on them. Very simple. Very few fish to clean.
I have a very hard time spearing open water fish like salmon with a pole spear, so I doubt they are likely to be one of my targets for a knife. Much too fast, and much too wary.

 

[sargasso]

I saw Manny Puig at the 2005 OMER Hatteras Bluewater Open get this Barracuda with just his knife. IMPRESSIVE! Diving with him was like diving with King Neptune.

 

[Fondueset]

Dammit! Now I gotta kill a barracuda with a knife, punch a salmon and dive without a suit in 41F water. Damn this scottish ancestry.

 

[covert]

wearing only your kilt matey

 

[deckhand mike]

Instead of a knife try sharpening a screwdriver down to a point like a ice pick and once you stab through the fish you grab the far side of the spike and you have no issues with cutting yourself. I would only try this on flatfish or maybe holed up rockfish but this does work pretty good for halibut and is nice to carry while you diving at night for lobster since in ca you can't have a "hooked device" on you like a spear flopper or anything with a barb.

 

[covert]

i have a number for an excellent pshycologist for you guys, and she's cute too

 

[Pastor]

I've only ever used a knife for flatties and only ever heard of flatties, inc. anglerfish and wolffish being knifed. Wolffish live in burrows and wont swim fast or far and in most cases will fight you. the techniques for wolfies is hit it in the head whilst in burrow and/or get it in a headlock (lunacy).
I've never heard of a fast free swimming fish being stabbed with a knife nor would I recommend anyone try. they would be hard to hit in anycase.

Sorry I wasn't trying to point a finger at anyone, I was just trying to suggest that we shouldn't encourage any form of irresponsible practice in a sport that already gets less than favourable press. Chris however is the exception as he is doing it in a kilt! God help us if he ever tries pole spearing

 

[sargasso]

You are exactly right. We should not promote such things. But I live on an isolated sandbar in the Atlantic and the wind has been hard onshore for 2 weeks and I'm very bored..............

 

[sanso]

rofl How about, say, knifing the cumber? That's probably not as dangerous.

 

[atomichaggis]

lol im of scottish decent as well, my dad also showed his love by constant abondonment, swearing, kicking me in the ribs while Im already down, oh fond fond memories ...... Thank god I never got abused to the extent of eating haggis

Thats why i've never been to SA... I have an aversion to being eaten.

 

[Pastor]

Thats why i've never been to SA... I have an aversion to being eaten.

Don't know what you're missing! My missus is doing it all the time

 

[atomichaggis]

Sorry I wasn't trying to point a finger at anyone, I was just trying to suggest that we shouldn't encourage any form of irresponsible practice in a sport that already gets less than favourable press. Chris however is the exception as he is doing it in a kilt! God help us if he ever tries pole spearing

It gets a good press here tho fella. These Norgies aren't so stoopit when it comes to appreciation of wildlife and the environment.

in any case stabbing a free swimming fish is next to impossible except for guy gilpatric, groundskeeper willie, the guy on the Scotts porridge oats box and Manny Puig, try it and You'll see. Absolutely nothing to worry about.

As for the flatties etc... its a matter of being sporting, spearguns are overkill in some cases. For big wolfies and congers etc... They can drown you so its a fair fight.

 

[atomichaggis]

Don't know what you're missing! My missus is doing it all the time

I meant by covert lol

 

[Pastor]

It gets a good press here tho fella. These Norgies aren't so stoopit when it comes to appreciation of wildlife and the environment.

in any case stabbing a free swimming fish is next to impossible except for guy gilpatric, groundskeeper willie, the guy on the Scotts porridge oats box and Manny Puig, try it and You'll see. Absolutely nothing to worry about.

As for the flatties etc... its a matter of being sporting, spearguns are overkill in some cases. For big wolfies and congers etc... They can drown you so its a fair fight.

I'll have to disagree with you there, stabbing a swimming fish is far from impossible, I reckon I could stick a knife into 50% of the Bass I catch but I wouldn't be able to land them, I confess to not being as super human as Manny Puig and his Rambo knife.

I don't see the same problem with flatties as they can be safely landed with probably less risk of escape than with a speargun. But come on, attacking large fish on the grounds that it's a fair fight? What if you can't land it? What happens to the fish then? If you drown it's your problem. There are a lot of young and easily influenced people who read these forums as well as a fair few who would see all blood sports banned. If you want to be an underwater hunter then do it responsibly