Hunting Technique

[baracuda]

Re: Tide Hunt

This is the one with the most dangers associated with it .......

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Warning:
It is NOT for the inexperienced, poorly trained, unfit,
intelligent etc etc etc divers out there.
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This is more of a hunting zone than a technique. It's the zone a lot of people ignore when they go hunting. The surf zone. Not the wussy "Oh, like, shoo broe, let's like paddle our boards out and like, you know, ride the waves" - the spot where the waves hit the rocks.

.....

duuuude there aint nothing wussy about SURFING :martial

 

[huntersinstinct]

Everyone has their own methods to fish that work best for them. Personally its not technique as much as zoning in to your hunters instinct. you need to clear your mind and get in a hunting zone where you are the predator. What attracts me to this sport is that I can zone out and its just about finding that perfect time to release a shaft into a fish. If you have to think about shooting then its probablly too late....

 

[acardet]

Anyone know where I can get a Tommy Botha float for big game as discussed earlier in this thread?

 

[Oldsarge]

I am not very good underwater. Most of my spearfishing is still in the surface hunting mode because I'm still trying to find a way to submerge without my sinuses screaming louder than my ambition. However, hunting is hunting and the best way to do that is to be where the quarry will be before it gets there. About 40 years ago, freshwater anglers got all excited about "structure", those rockpiles, kelp forest edges, thermoclines, etc., where fish congregate. Sea anglers sort of responded with, "Huh? Where you bin, boy?" because that's where we've always found fish. So will you. Find the structure, dive to it, blend in with it and shoot straight. Dinner!

 

[Mr. X]

...Find the structure, dive to it, blend in with it and shoot straight. Dinner!

That's been my experience too. I saw a large bass rocket out from under a big old ship's boiler in Cornwall a year or so ago. The boiler was fully or near fully exposed at low tide and we walked right out to it. It was completely covered at high tide though and seemed like it would be interesting to see underwater. Also saw a lot of different fish hanging round the pillars of an old, disused lifeboat slipway in Cornwall this Summer.

Fish seem to be attracted to interesting coastal features, just as people are: rocks, boulders, gulleys, stacks, pillars, weed beds, banks, reefs, walls, wrecks (...or perhaps that's just where I see them because that's where I like to go ). I wonder if bass chase bait fish into small bays & gulleys to concentrate/coral them? Saw one chasing a shoal along a narrow gulley recently.

 

[marginatus]

Anyone know where I can get a Tommy Botha float for big game as discussed earlier in this thread?

SuperFrog - Offshore Spearfishing and Freediving
if you find another please post

 

[Johann]

great thread bru.
Im so home sick now I could just kak! I dodnt think Il be in the gulf for longer than 6 months, the fish just taste better at home. Im realy new at this and would love some help when I get back. I wanna get a bigger gun while Im here cause the one I have is only good for caving. Thanx again !!!!!!

 

[Brendon]

Hi i have only been spearing for a couple of months now but i am not to bad. i was wondering if there are any particular tehniques for spearing mackeral. also i have a rob allen scorpia 1000 which has a 16mm rubber and a 6.6mm spear do i need to upgrade my gear for targeting mackeral under the 10kg mark

 

[whitebait]

Hi Brendon, You may want a second band on the gun for that little bit extra penetration at the limits of the guns range, otherwise Should be fine. Iv shot plenty of fish 10 - 15 lb with 900 gun 6.0 spear and single 16mm band, just have to pick your moment.

On the Technique topic, as sarge mentioned structure is the key. In my environment any way. One furthe thing is that fish always seem to congergrate on the up current end of structures. This intrigues me as some of the fish species are kelp eaters and dont seem to have a reason to be there. Anyone else nottice this?

Jimmy

 

[poacher]

Brendon, your gun should be quite ok with a single 16mm rubber with the 6mm shaft should still have the go needed at end of a single wrap just need to get yourself close when you say mackeral do you mean like spanish mackeral? if so they have relatively soft skin and flesh and can pull off spears easily many guys let go of the gun on these fish when using a float and rope att to the gun so fish doesnt tear off on its initial run.
Peter

 

[covert]

great thread bru.
Im so home sick now I could just kak! I dodnt think Il be in the gulf for longer than 6 months, the fish just taste better at home. Im realy new at this and would love some help when I get back. I wanna get a bigger gun while Im here cause the one I have is only good for caving. Thanx again !!!!!!

hoezit my bru is lekka aan hierdie kant. Now as not to get kicked off ill just revert to english, Johan where exactly in SA do you live (when your down here) cause if your in CT then definitly give me a shout. Im always willing for a dive, and the more dive buddies the better.

Now just to rub it in, im off for 5 glorious days of spearfishing accompanied by many skilpad braais.

 

[Johann]

Hey bru, nice try.
I like the braai, but dont do the skillie thing! I'm probably just full of s@#$!!!
I stay about 20min walk from rabitech in kuilsriver, it would be great to go diving with somebody who knows there way around the waters.

 

[covert]

Now just to rub it in, im off for 5 glorious days of spearfishing accompanied by many skilpad braais.

I eat my words got to stilbaai on and was horribly sick the whole time. Was in bed with blocked sinus's and flu. Tried diving once but could'nt equalize. Was a sad sad weekend for me. On the bright side Deep Thinker did shoot a beaut of a Garrick. Well done mate.

 

[aesthetic]

this is an excellent thread

will be back to finish reading it in the morning thanks man.

 

[capetownguy]

some lekker leeries by stilbaai hey! where bout you shoot it? i only been there once (dived twice). jumped in to the right of the harbour close to the entrance of nature reserve thingie....saw a school of leervis, a cracker, roman, parrots, and a green turtle...vis wasnt so great tho....about 4m or so..
looking forward to going again this summer tho definately!!!!! we stayed in 2 bedroom chalets close to the tent park..

 

[carlo8989]

hi this is my first post and i want to know if it is worth putting a reel on this gun http://www.cressi.it/easyStore/SchedeVedi.asp?ProdottiID=158 and how far do you think it can shoot its the 75 cm one and mines got yellow logo and yellow handel but i couldnt find it and one more thing if any1 knows is there any club in nottingham thanks

 

[Mr. X]

hi this is my first post and i want to know if it is worth putting a reel on this gun http://www.cressi.it/easyStore/SchedeVedi.asp?ProdottiID=158 and how far do you think it can shoot its the 75 cm one and mines got yellow logo and yellow handel but i couldnt find it and one more thing if any1 knows is there any club in nottingham thanks

I think the range will be 4x 75cm + 40cm, determined by the spear line & spear length. Range/power isn't everything -- for poor viz a shorter gun will usually be better - 75cm is a good size for the UK. Reels aren't much used in the UK as the fish are relatively small & we don't have so much of the "big grouper stuck in a deep hole"-type of fishing as they do in the Med. - but a few people probably use them. My guess would be that there isn't a club in Nottingham -- you could try the BSA site or the London International Club for more info on clubs.

 

[carlo8989]

ok thanks for reply and is there any clubs more north than london as i am 3 hours or so from there do you have to join that to fish in uk and should a 7mm wetsuit be ok ? is age 14 ok to fish there thanks for reply again

 

[Oldsarge]

Carl,
This is a very long thread you've joined. I'd recommend that you go back to the beginning and read the whole thing. In fact, you'll learn a great deal if you go back through many of the archived threads. This site has been up and operating for several years, now, and many a newcomer has had the same need for information you do. It will save time waiting for someone to post an answer.

 

[icarus pacific]

Newby love

Indeed the answers are out there, and doing a search here by hitting the search key, will undoubtedly both educate and frustrate. In that light then, I'll answer your question with the condition that you do a couple of things-

First, DO find a club near you. Your learning curve will be dramatically shortened, your safety skills might be augmented and in very rare cases, your heart strings will be tugged by the daughter of a fellow member.

Second, yes a 75 cm gun will be fine for your area and skill level. You'll no doubt understand that swinging a 120 cm Euro or any gun in 80 cm of viz is a waste of energy and plain stupid safety-wise. While a reel is nice, right now, I'd be more inclined to see you add a floatline and a float to the handle so that when you drop it, and you WILL, it'll just be a nice task to pull it back up. Go up to the blue bar below the thread title, hit search, type in: reel, float, floatline, etc and read. Read some more and then read a bit further. But only while and after you meet some mate sthere to dive and learn from/with.

The photo below shows what a 75 cm gun will do with a reel and a float/floatline.