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Ireland Spearing 2012
- Thread starter sunfish
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
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Got out again early this morning, to a bass spot this time. There were still plenty of mullet but I refrained from shooting any as I already have some.
I saw a lot of bass. A shoal of 30 to 40 at one point but the biggest was only 3-4 pounds so again I didn't let fly. The vis was even worse at this spot so when I did see any of 5 pounds or more I didn't manage to get a shot off.
Plenty more fish in the sea and it was good to see a healthy stock for future years.
I have a couple of hours late afternoon tomorrow so I might take a look/swim off a headland in deeper water and see if I can spot a pollack.
I saw a lot of bass. A shoal of 30 to 40 at one point but the biggest was only 3-4 pounds so again I didn't let fly. The vis was even worse at this spot so when I did see any of 5 pounds or more I didn't manage to get a shot off.
Plenty more fish in the sea and it was good to see a healthy stock for future years.
I have a couple of hours late afternoon tomorrow so I might take a look/swim off a headland in deeper water and see if I can spot a pollack.
Welcome back Dave!! Myself and bobdonny got out today on my boat. Fantastic day. There were flounder, pollock, a big spider and a few lobster too. Viz was great and seas were flat calm. We dived mostly in 8-12M in 4 different marks. One was a 1917 wreck of 6,000 tonnes and 123m long. Great diving on this. Huge lobster and nice pollock too. I also found a huge anchor in another place which I must look up as I've heard no reports of a wreck here. Might have found one!!
Water was 11c, viz 6-8m and deepest dive 13.6M.
Water was 11c, viz 6-8m and deepest dive 13.6M.
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Hi lads i am really sorry about the shooting of lobster, i didnt know it was illegal, i have only shoot one and that was last year, now i know!!! it wont happen again, i didnt know that you could get sick from it as well, so thanks for that info. Also i have not been on the forums for a very long time, so i missed the conversetion about this matter.
Sorry again
Sorry again
Now you just need to save the life of one lobster
Think about how you do it. good deed for the wrong thing.
All is forgiven greekgills.
Just weighed my big lobster. Just over 2lb10oz. Pollock were 4lb2 and 5lb1
I got the pollock off a wreck called westwick in about 10/11M. He went for cover under the hull. Was just about to let the reel out when he came back out.
First time freediving a wreck. I'm always at it on scuba but today was something special.
Just weighed my big lobster. Just over 2lb10oz. Pollock were 4lb2 and 5lb1
I got the pollock off a wreck called westwick in about 10/11M. He went for cover under the hull. Was just about to let the reel out when he came back out.
First time freediving a wreck. I'm always at it on scuba but today was something special.
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Nice to see the reports again Dave!
IFI are reporting booms in bass shoals around kinsale at the moment... there is also a nice video from a charter that went out a few days ago and spotted 12 basking sharks!!!
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuTUf8GED2w]First angling trip on board Sioux in 2012! - YouTube[/ame]
Yep yesterday was pretty amazing...
Kids are off school so I had to wait till lunch for missus to come home before setting out... we were hitting high water but it was a neap tide so we though we'd chance it.
Went out to a cod mark first and it was a lovely dive... fantastic underwater seascape, with boulders, gulleys, sheer drops and kelp forests. The place was crawling with tiny pollock and coalies in huge shoals but we didn't see much bigger.
We then came in closer to a know area for flatties and we went hunting for plaice and sole. I thought I got lucky. I was cruising along the floor and stabbing anything that looked suspect when I stabbed on area and a tail 6 inches away from me twitched. I saw a rough outline of a tail, but nothing else and stabbed and hit a fish, rising to the surface I could see orange spots but also the tell tale ridge line of a flounder. Spotted a few crabs but nothing really to size. Hoped out and had some lunch, also tried to regain feeling in toes and fingers
We decided to head out to a pollock spot but had an odd notion to try something different along the way. A wreck! We anchored over the mark and I tentatively hoped in. I'd never been on a wreck before freediving, scuba or otherwise and I didn't know what to expect. Would there be lines, nets monster congers etc.
So I took my first dive with my heart pounding and as I begin my glide to the bottom I see 2 nice pollock, I hold back from shooting as... you never know their big brother might be about!!! and then he turns up!!!! bout 6/7lb'er so I pull the trigger and ...nothing... my spear must have jammed the mech from stabbing all the ground looking for flatties. Disgusted I surface to fix it an see johnny has shot a nice one on his first dive aswell!
The wreck was HUGE Baldy started at the bow (I think) and I started midship and we worked our way together. After this I didn't see many decent sized fish and what ones I did see were too far. My breathhold was wasnt going over the minute and I reckon anyone with longer could have waited and picked off some nice ones.
There was lots of holes to explore on the wreck... lobstertastic! and as I approached some i could see claws or tentacles retreating. I tried my cheap aldi torch but that barely made any difference and there is no way I was putting my hand in one of these huge holes... conger site for sure!! Lesson learned and my MJ-810E HA-III CREE XML T60 3-Mode 1000-Lumen LED Diving Flashlight Set (2x18650/4x123A/4x16340) - Free Shipping - DealExtreme is charging for tonight
After this we moved inshore slightly. There was still some wreckage and it was a little shallower and I picked up a little lobbie. It was a little on the small size but legal.
However there were no fish, so we decided to head for some bigger pollock and come back along the cliffs looking for lobster and crab.
We hit the pollock spot and started diving. Again first dive I was onto a big pollock, but missed point blank... the tide was begining to rip now and the float attached to the gun was dragging... by the time I retrieved my spear and reloaded I was a good 100m from the boat. I was swimming up to the boat and taking some dives and drifting back to open water. My d4 started resetting itself when I was looking for flats (trying to change to temp display underwater) so I couldn't tell the depth but I definately went below 15m and still didnt hit the bottom. Here there were bigger shoals of bigger fish, but it was too deep, I was way off the mark so I came back and started diving around the boat. I was dragging myself along the bottom of the rock when I pulled myself over a gulley and spotted a pig of a pollock... easily double figure... but he was wayyyy too far... I tried to get closer, but as I left the cover of the gulley he bolted.
After this I just took the next decent fish (which was 3lbish) and made my way back to the boat. when I got there Johnny said he found an big anchor and I asked if we could pull it... he said he doubted it and we dove to see it.... it was well over 8m in size... what an anchor!!! too big for us to pull anyway!
Climbing back in the boat was getting harder and harder. We were cold and tired. but we were coming home along some lovely cliffs so we thought we'd try for a few more lobsters. And we got a few, the plan was not to anchor, but we'd hop in the water for 15mins each while the other covered. On the second spot, again having some remarkable luck, on my first dive I just spotted the spider crab sitting there waiting for me in a wide open area of sand. I grabbed him and surfaced and johnny asked any luck. I replied "here put this in the boat I'm going back down for the lobster I spotted" I gave him my huge spider crab and as I was breathing up I heard anchor going into the water and Johnny going in after it rofl
After this spot we were pretty much beat and decided to get changed into some dry clothes and head for home. We'd been diving for 6 hours. In dry clothes it decided to rain.... murphys law!! but we made it back eventually
I weighed my spidey at home and it came in at 4lb 13oz (4.8lb) and soon after we gave them a jacuzzi Spent the evening picking them.
But surprisingly dinner was already made and I was late home so we had to settle for bass curry (from the week previous)
I've only two photo's to add
And I have big hands!!!
Feck.... Spider crab is 4oz short of HOF
Kids are off school so I had to wait till lunch for missus to come home before setting out... we were hitting high water but it was a neap tide so we though we'd chance it.
Went out to a cod mark first and it was a lovely dive... fantastic underwater seascape, with boulders, gulleys, sheer drops and kelp forests. The place was crawling with tiny pollock and coalies in huge shoals but we didn't see much bigger.
We then came in closer to a know area for flatties and we went hunting for plaice and sole. I thought I got lucky. I was cruising along the floor and stabbing anything that looked suspect when I stabbed on area and a tail 6 inches away from me twitched. I saw a rough outline of a tail, but nothing else and stabbed and hit a fish, rising to the surface I could see orange spots but also the tell tale ridge line of a flounder. Spotted a few crabs but nothing really to size. Hoped out and had some lunch, also tried to regain feeling in toes and fingers
We decided to head out to a pollock spot but had an odd notion to try something different along the way. A wreck! We anchored over the mark and I tentatively hoped in. I'd never been on a wreck before freediving, scuba or otherwise and I didn't know what to expect. Would there be lines, nets monster congers etc.
So I took my first dive with my heart pounding and as I begin my glide to the bottom I see 2 nice pollock, I hold back from shooting as... you never know their big brother might be about!!! and then he turns up!!!! bout 6/7lb'er so I pull the trigger and ...nothing... my spear must have jammed the mech from stabbing all the ground looking for flatties. Disgusted I surface to fix it an see johnny has shot a nice one on his first dive aswell!
The wreck was HUGE Baldy started at the bow (I think) and I started midship and we worked our way together. After this I didn't see many decent sized fish and what ones I did see were too far. My breathhold was wasnt going over the minute and I reckon anyone with longer could have waited and picked off some nice ones.
There was lots of holes to explore on the wreck... lobstertastic! and as I approached some i could see claws or tentacles retreating. I tried my cheap aldi torch but that barely made any difference and there is no way I was putting my hand in one of these huge holes... conger site for sure!! Lesson learned and my MJ-810E HA-III CREE XML T60 3-Mode 1000-Lumen LED Diving Flashlight Set (2x18650/4x123A/4x16340) - Free Shipping - DealExtreme is charging for tonight
After this we moved inshore slightly. There was still some wreckage and it was a little shallower and I picked up a little lobbie. It was a little on the small size but legal.
However there were no fish, so we decided to head for some bigger pollock and come back along the cliffs looking for lobster and crab.
We hit the pollock spot and started diving. Again first dive I was onto a big pollock, but missed point blank... the tide was begining to rip now and the float attached to the gun was dragging... by the time I retrieved my spear and reloaded I was a good 100m from the boat. I was swimming up to the boat and taking some dives and drifting back to open water. My d4 started resetting itself when I was looking for flats (trying to change to temp display underwater) so I couldn't tell the depth but I definately went below 15m and still didnt hit the bottom. Here there were bigger shoals of bigger fish, but it was too deep, I was way off the mark so I came back and started diving around the boat. I was dragging myself along the bottom of the rock when I pulled myself over a gulley and spotted a pig of a pollock... easily double figure... but he was wayyyy too far... I tried to get closer, but as I left the cover of the gulley he bolted.
After this I just took the next decent fish (which was 3lbish) and made my way back to the boat. when I got there Johnny said he found an big anchor and I asked if we could pull it... he said he doubted it and we dove to see it.... it was well over 8m in size... what an anchor!!! too big for us to pull anyway!
Climbing back in the boat was getting harder and harder. We were cold and tired. but we were coming home along some lovely cliffs so we thought we'd try for a few more lobsters. And we got a few, the plan was not to anchor, but we'd hop in the water for 15mins each while the other covered. On the second spot, again having some remarkable luck, on my first dive I just spotted the spider crab sitting there waiting for me in a wide open area of sand.
I grabbed him and surfaced and johnny asked any luck. I replied "here put this in the boat I'm going back down for the lobster I spotted" I gave him my huge spider crab and as I was breathing up I heard anchor going into the water and Johnny going in after it roflAfter this spot we were pretty much beat and decided to get changed into some dry clothes and head for home. We'd been diving for 6 hours. In dry clothes it decided to rain.... murphys law!! but we made it back eventually
I weighed my spidey at home and it came in at 4lb 13oz (4.8lb) and soon after we gave them a jacuzzi
Spent the evening picking them.But surprisingly dinner was already made and I was late home so we had to settle for bass curry (from the week previous)
I've only two photo's to add
And I have big hands!!!
Feck.... Spider crab is 4oz short of HOF
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Great report BD...I think I need to find a buddy with a boat 
. Was out 4 times last week and didn't even see a pelagic while I was in the water. Predominantly Eastern winds are not helping with the viz close to shore and the recent spell of rain won't help either...guess I'll give it another couple of weeks to try again.
Rep on its way when I spread it around a bit more.
. Was out 4 times last week and didn't even see a pelagic while I was in the water. Predominantly Eastern winds are not helping with the viz close to shore and the recent spell of rain won't help either...guess I'll give it another couple of weeks to try again.Rep on its way when I spread it around a bit more.
Rob......where do u get the time??? I thought my report was way better though rofl Hope we get a day like that soon again. That's a huge weight for a spider. Well done!!
I managed to get out myself a few times over the weekend, the first spot was Roches point and managed a couple of Mullet. The viz was'nt too great when I first went in but then it just opened up to well over 10 mtres, easily the best I have seen in Ireland.
Then went to kerry with the misses for Saturday and Sunday, dived a small beach near Derrynane (not going to mention the name), stunning spot with a good bit of life around..managed a couple of Mullet, 1 Bass, large Spider.
Then the Sunday no Bass around, but shot a couple of Plaice but lost them both as the spear never made it all the way through...lesson learned its better to try and stab Plaice.
Then went to kerry with the misses for Saturday and Sunday, dived a small beach near Derrynane (not going to mention the name), stunning spot with a good bit of life around..managed a couple of Mullet, 1 Bass, large Spider.
Then the Sunday no Bass around, but shot a couple of Plaice but lost them both as the spear never made it all the way through...lesson learned its better to try and stab Plaice.
Yep... well lotsa white meat.... crab omlette for brekkie, crabcakes and lobster spring rolls for lunch I can smell them cooking now
I've on my fourth draft of a 200 page thesis Baldy... I get carried away writing reports here
Chealy, yep roches is a fine spot... meant to be triggers there in the summer!
Derrynane is another fine spot scallops around there as well as decent bass and I think triggers in summer aswell. Take any pics?
Well done chealy. Made the plaice mistake myself a few times! Put your hand under them before u lifer the spear. We found the vis unbelievable too. U could swim 5metres and be in zero viz then!! Strange......
