Ireland Spearing, 2011

[ChokerBkL]

Hi lads! Today I went to hunt at Kilbaha, Co.Clare area in attempt to find any sea bass. Went there 'cause the shore was a screen from strong wind from north. Water was calm enough vis was very bad 1.5 m, water temp 13 cels, no swell. Swam about 4 hours, dove from 3m to 8m. Saw only pollacks, took a few, but no any bass. I'm still thinking why I can't find them. Maybe water temp is very cold, wind or a sea floor no good (sand and kelp). I don't ask to reveal a spot but any hint about bass life environment would be very appreciated.

 

[bobdonny]

Hi lads! Today I went to hunt at Kilbaha, Co.Clare area in attempt to find any sea bass. Went there 'cause the shore was a screen from strong wind from north. Water was calm enough vis was very bad 1.5 m, water temp 13 cels, no swell. Swam about 4 hours, dove from 3m to 8m. Saw only pollacks, took a few, but no any bass. I'm still thinking why I can't find them. Maybe water temp is very cold, wind or a sea floor no good (sand and kelp). I don't ask to reveal a spot but any hint about bass life environment would be very appreciated.

3m is too deep for bass.... you'll get them in under 1m in mxed ground with plenty of kelp at all states of the tide! It gives tehm good cover so they can hide in ambush. Deeper water has less cover the odd one can be seen deep but its too rare to consider.

Any pics of pollock?

 

[bobdonny]

27/28 Aug Beara peninsula....

I ran the dates past the boss last night and it seems to be a runner... I'll need to take time off so I'll need some notice.

I also suggested the missus come to keep pedro's lady company She thought that was a good idea and wondered if any other WAGS would go? Whatcha think lads... might be a good excuse to the ladies... and keep em sweet

PS. Feargus that first pic is savage.. who is it?

 

[fcallagy]

Rob thats Pedro afaik it was taken on thumb rock on the Sunday morn. I was about 10m and he was swimming down. I would like to say I planned it that way but I fall into the take loads of pics and some of them will come out ok category.

 

[NZRegan]

27/28 Aug Beara peninsula....

I also suggested the missus come to keep pedro's lady company She thought that was a good idea and wondered if any other WAGS would go? Whatcha think lads... might be a good excuse to the ladies... and keep em sweet

I'll be on hols 25th Aug - 5th Sept (spearing in Greece), so wouldn't be able to make it to Beara then.

You remember my kiwi spearo mate Richard that you met in Ballycotton, don't ya Rob? Anyway, he's gonna be over this way 23rd - 28th Sept, and we'll be doing some spearing that whole time. Not suggesting that wait til then to get together, but just letting you know we'll prob come down yer way then.

On the WAGS front, my wife will defo come down to Cork, as she's not been to the PRC before. I think it's a good idea them getting together. She regrets not coming up to Sligo for the weekend.

Finally, what did you call longlining in Ireland, I forgot? :blackeye

 

[bobdonny]

Yes I remember Dick the polespearing lobster magnet
Sounds cool, we'll make a few plans

Spearing in Greece... very nice! Its called trots or trotting... Old man Dave has some great posts about it.

Yep we gotta keep the ladies sweet... espcially if it means more spearing for us

Great shot anyway... I can see it being cleaned up in photoshop and you using it for promo work!! Putting some logo / info over it

 

[AegeanSeaHunter]

I'll be on hols 25th Aug - 5th Sept (spearing in Greece), so wouldn't be able to make it to Beara then.

You remember my kiwi spearo mate Richard that you met in Ballycotton, don't ya Rob? Anyway, he's gonna be over this way 23rd - 28th Sept, and we'll be doing some spearing that whole time. Not suggesting that wait til then to get together, but just letting you know we'll prob down
yer way then.

On the WAGS front, my wife will defo come down to Cork, as she's not been to the PRC before. I think it's a good idea them getting together. She regrets not coming up to Sligo for the weekend

Finally, what did you call longlining in Ireland, I forgot? :blackeye

Where in Greece r u going??

 

[ChokerBkL]

I didn't make any pics from my last hunt, this is the picture made a couple weeks ago by Ailladie, Galway Bay. I caught there a good eel 11 lbs and a few pollacks. Another picture where friend of mine got a good pollack in Carraroe. And also in Carraroe in June I was in good luck to catch a big lobster, video here [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31vU_GgneAE]‪My lovely lobster.‬‏ - YouTube[/ame] . On this video is my one of the first hunting in Carraroe [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G-mRHMpkeY]‪Hunt pollack 31.05.11‬‏ - YouTube[/ame] . And thank you for reply.

 

[plbenza]

27/28 Aug Beara peninsula....

I ran the dates past the boss last night and it seems to be a runner... I'll need to take time off so I'll need some notice.

I also suggested the missus come to keep pedro's lady company She thought that was a good idea and wondered if any other WAGS would go? Whatcha think lads... might be a good excuse to the ladies... and keep em sweet

PS. Feargus that first pic is savage.. who is it?

I think it would be great lads, I really do, I don't mind (at all!) to return there Regan after your vacations. Beara is for me probably one of the best places to spear (doing 5 hours driving for spearing there starts to make a bit sense doesn't it?)

I know couple of places to stay, wild camping is also a possibility but yeah Rob, let's target 27/28 August in horizon and monitoring conditions meanwhile. If there is anyone in Allihies/Cahermore/Billeragh area (Am I showing the hot spots too much ?) that could give a bit info about the conditions, please let us know...! Well...is always good there anyway

 

[foxfish]

Hi choker, it looks like you have speared a spider crab in your first video?

 

[climbingperch]

Looks like a great place Pedro, I've always wanted to try the area around Drishane supposed to be very good also. Dunno if I could persuade my misses to spend 5 hours in the car to get there though her idea of being kept sweet normally involves chocs and flowers doubt there's many shoe shops round there tooroflroflrofl. She does'nt mind letting me off to splash around in the sea as she calls it thankfully. Appears to be a spider on a spear alrite.

 

[ChokerBkL]

No I didn't spear the crab. I killed him stabbed him under tail before put on spear. I had no bag.

 

[olivier]

hello everybody,

I'm a french experiencend spearfisher and I will be from the 10 to the 21 august in Dunmore East. Last year I was in donegal and I spent my time regretting not having my equipement. So this yeat I come with all the stuff but I dont Know yet if it will be possible to bring the speargun or not...if I can't i'll be looking for lobster

So I'm looking for guys how want to go spearfishing with me in the area.
Don't hesitate to contact me by pm

 

[NZRegan]

Where in Greece r u going??

Antiparos. I am meeting up with a guy called Kostas who abandoned working in the tourism industry and now does spearing for a living as it's more lucrative. I expect to be totally outclassed. Never dived the Med before, so I'm really looking frwd to it.

Any tips, ASH?

 

[AegeanSeaHunter]

Antiparos. I am meeting up with a guy called Kostas who abandoned working in the tourism industry and now does spearing for a living as it's more lucrative. I expect to be totally outclassed. Never dived the Med before, so I'm really looking frwd to it.

Any tips, ASH?

Oh Jesus and holy Mary together!!!!!!!!u will have a great time. Although.......spearing for a living is very dodgy. There is a greek spearfishing forum and the fighting and agro there is unreal about guys like that. It is illegal to sell fish caught by the spear but even the restaurant owners overlook the subject. That guy obviously knows the tricks and maybe the local harbour officers. I would be careful. If u tell him that he will say it's fine but I would keep an eye. I am not trying to put u off!!! Catch only what u want to eat. Only 5 kilos a day is the law and no more than one "black" fish per person. Black fish is the grouper.
Antiparos is class. Paros nxt door also unreal.
Feel free to ask me anything more I want to know.

Nik

 

[bobdonny]

Wow, sounds like my kind of seedy and illegal holiday

 

[climbingperch]

I recommended Antiparos to Reagan he's gone one better though and found a local spearo :friday I was there two years ago Naxos first then Paros spent the last 5 days on Antiparos amazing place 10m plus vis every day. Loads of octopus (my favourite) sargo, grouper, mullet moray etc, there is even an uninhabited island you can vist by boat the day we were there I had it to ourselves:inlove. Very small place but lovely people even met an Irish guy who lives there. Oh yeah cool caves you can vist as well and really good food.

 

[bobdonny]

Choker that is a nice lobster in the video, but showing a spider crab at the end of a spear is going to upset more people than its worth (me included! but also other spearfishermen, the commercial fishermen government leglislation makers and more...), even though your reason sounds reasonable I still don't think it appropriate.

Also looking through your vids you have quite a number of undersize and illegal lobster taken. Again this will upset more people than is worth and you also risk prosecution, not only now, but in years to come as you have supplied the evidence yourself.... But I feel more important than that you risk 'pissing off' the commercial fishermen from ALL over the country that may make diving more difficult for us ANYWHERE we go...

Same with the average public or policy makers in government, if we enjoy our sport we have to do our best to show that we are ethical and conservationally minded spearfishermen... but more importantly.... that we are mature to know MLS and that we can regulate ourselves... I.e. we do not need other bodies to regulate us and tell us what we can and cannot do....

So... only post vids of proper sized fish (in fact make a decision not to take juvenile fish, v-notched females or berried lobsters... and tell others with pride why you make this decision....). I assume they are your pots in the video.... but make that 100% clear.... no sense having people thinking we are stealing from pots.... they think that already... best not to document it and mislead....
And be very wary of the species that you take.... the lads took a few wrasse at the weekend... 3 I think... but I can safely say we saw several hundred of them, if not more! Its far more sensible to explore the area first... do a little census and decide what fish you can take without damaging the area's ecosystem!

Finally, very nice pollock

 

[johnnybuoy]

Ya I agree. Wats wit all the scallops? Do u take that many regularly? Hope u don't. I've flagged the video as inappropriate. I can only manage to eat 6 in one sitting and u seem to have taken over 80. Greed. U only stopped because u physically couldn't carry anymore.

 

[spudlington]

Well said Bobdonny and Baldy