Ireland spearing 2007

[sunfish]

This morning I went to one of my bass spots, but as it was almost low tide, I went a bit offshore to look for bream. I started with aspettos in 5 to 6 metres but all I saw were bass and mullet. After a while I decided to try for a big bass as there seemed to be plenty around. After an hour of stealth and aspettos I finally saw one I deemed big and within 20 minutes I took a second one, bigger again, and within 20 metres of the first!
I hopped up on the kayak and pulled anchor but before I'd gone far I saw a couple of fish jump so I slid off again for a look. Seeing nothing I breathed up and dropped to the bottom. A shoal of fish then arrived, the front of the shoal giltheads, and the back of the shoal sea trout! I got my gun off the kayak but they didn't come back, so after half a dozen more dives, I gave up.
The bass weighed 8lbs and 9.2lbs, both personal bests for me.

 

[Huan]

Nice fish! Thats some great spearing you had there.

 

[foxfish]

sunfish, those are fantastic fish, very good catch dude.

 

[donnachad]

Two nice bass sunfish, well done, I caught these two west of clon this evening at almost full tide. both are small specimens aroud 2 lbs each. The sea was brimming with fish today, shoals of mullet and bream, not too many bass and just the one trout, all in the shallows. The surge was very strong and i couldn't stay hidden long enough to get near the bass :vangry.

 

[sunfish]

Let us know what you think of the gilthead Donnachad. 2lb is an average size for them here though I think they are a bit bigger on the channel islands and mainland Europe.

 

[stone_shot]

Two nice bass sunfish, well done, I caught these two west of clon this evening at almost full tide. both are small specimens aroud 2 lbs each. The sea was brimming with fish today, shoals of mullet and bream, not too many bass and just the one trout, all in the shallows. The surge was very strong and i couldn't stay hidden long enough to get near the bass :vangry.

Spearing salmonids is a big no-no:naughty.
That is illegal in case you didn't know.:rcard

 

[paddyc23]

Call it "sargo" theres about 3 types witch ive seen off,

 

[paddyc23]

Ill see wat happens today wen i go, i made myself a underwater torch out of a small 3v hallogen hand held torch, opened it up fully and sealed every possible leakage spot with two part apoxy cement, dries like cement, very good stuff, and it works perfect, there was another way by putting a new condom around the torch and tiying not in end, but i went for the two part apoxy instead, its good at 6m, i only bring it mid day or evening around caves, i got new phone so i can send pics on internet now, so will upload some later

 

[paddyc23]

Does anyone know a good stitch to sew a wet suit bk together around the seems, and also to glue the wet suit arond the seems before sewing it, i know of diving cement and contact adesive, anyothers

 

[deep thinker]

Just bought some the other day, its called Aqua Stop, made by SCUBA CARE. Its supposed to feel like open cell neoprene when wet

 

[stone_shot]

Does anyone know a good stitch to sew a wet suit bk together around the seems, and also to glue the wet suit arond the seems before sewing it, i know of diving cement and contact adesive, anyothers

Most of my suits are blind stitched. The needle goes in throught the centre of the edge and comes out the top on one side and then through the top of the opposite side and out the middle of the edge again. It keeps you from putting holes through the inside of the suit - the idea is that water won't leak in through the seams then. If you Google blind stitching you might be able to find a diagram that will explain it better.
It's very time consuming to do by hand but it's good for reinforcing glued seams. Hope that helps.

 

[abusingelves]

well done on the bass sunfish. they are a pair of savage fish.

got out yesterday evening myself. went in just before high tide just west of spidal pier. initially there seemed to be loads of fish around in the form of wrasse and small pollock.

took one wrasse, but didn't see any pollock worth taking.

i also realised that i had been only loading my gun to the first notch. loading to the second notch gives way more power. and may account for some of my past inaccuracy!

 

[dechann]

Were you Hunting in the kelp beds off the rocks on the west side of the Pier in Spiddal? Beside the Barge house boat? I snorkel there regularly for work.
Only once did I see a fish big enough to eat, I think it was a Bass, but it could have been a mullet, I only saw it briefly and I dont think Bass are common in Galway Bay. There are a few big Baleen Wrasse there but I dont think that they are nice to eat. Iv never seen a big pollack there.

 

[abusingelves]

well behind the pier, i suppose its the south west. not on the barge side.

ballan wrasse are nice to eat! they are nice boiled, fried, grilled, baked or are superb when salted,dried, boiled and covered in melted butter!

there were loads of ballan wrasse there last night, some quite big. spotted about 8-9 cuckoo wrasse as well, which seemed like alot to me as i don't see very many of them.

hope the weather holds up for saturday.

 

[ronnybiggs]

Hi Dechann + Abusing, was out on seaward side of spiddal pier myself last week saw plenty of wrasse as you say and also some v. decent pollack maybe 8lbs+. if you head out 100 yards past the reef. Just head down to the bottom and sit still and they'll come over to you

Dechann I'd quite like a job that involves snorkling around there, do you have any vacancies? I'd be very interested to hear from ye about any other decent marks on the north shore of the bay, I usually have to head out west to get some decent depth (within a safe distance of shore!)

Abusing sorry to hear you couldn't get your long blades in Sicily. Have you tried scubastore for a pair they seem to do some reasonably priced ones. I got some kevlar spear line and a few other bits and bobs off them a while ago and they were pretty reliable.

well behind the pier, i suppose its the south west. not on the barge side.

ballan wrasse are nice to eat! they are nice boiled, fried, grilled, baked or are superb when salted,dried, boiled and covered in melted butter!

there were loads of ballan wrasse there last night, some quite big. spotted about 8-9 cuckoo wrasse as well, which seemed like alot to me as i don't see very many of them.

hope the weather holds up for saturday.

 

[abusingelves]

8lbs plus! that's nice. haven't seen anything like that there.

what kind of depth are you talking about?

maybe i'm not sitting still enough!

 

[donnachad]

Spearing salmonids is a big no-no:naughty.
That is illegal in case you didn't know.:rcard

Didn't know that, anything else I need to stay clear of?

 

[foxfish]

Didn't know that, anything else I need to stay clear of?

Bad luck mate !!!! what did it taste like?

 

[stone_shot]

Didn't know that, anything else I need to stay clear of?

Trout and salmon are the big ones(whether in the sea or not), but it's also illegal to spear ANY fish in freshwater. Bass under 40cm are also off limits - 40cm and up are fine but only 2 per day. Apart from that, spear away!

 

[donnachad]

Bad luck mate !!!! what did it taste like?

Dunno mate, just about to eat the evidence