Potentially Great News for California

[kanakafari]

Just cruisin thru the net and found a write-up in the State Capitol's local online newspaper. Perhaps some new hunting grounds in the future? That is still left up to legislation but it appears that the movement has received exponantial support.

Typically diving rigs is left to only those brave enough to face the blue shark population off the California coast and those in the Gulf Coast where landing a fish can average 80-100 ft. down. It however, looks as if it may become a reality for us here.

New hunting grounds? Perhaps.
Overcrowded hunting grounds? Definitely.
In the end, dive safe and be courteous of others in the area...a hui hou

Click on link for details.

 

[Bill McIntyre]

Just cruisin thru the net and found a write-up in the State Capitol's local online newspaper. Perhaps some new hunting grounds in the future? That is still left up to legislation but it appears that the movement has received exponantial support.

Typically diving rigs is left to only those brave enough to face the blue shark population off the California coast and those in the Gulf Coast where landing a fish can average 80-100 ft. down. It however, looks as if it may become a reality for us here.

New hunting grounds? Perhaps.
Overcrowded hunting grounds? Definitely.
In the end, dive safe and be courteous of others in the area...a hui hou

Click on link for details.

This is good news and I hope it comes true, but how is it going to change anything about "braving the blue shark population?" If there were sharks around the rigs where they stand, they'll still stand in the same spots, only shorter.

Not that I think many divers worry about blue sharks anyway. Divers jump on floating kelp paddies out in open water all the time, and there are plenty of blue sharks there.

 

[kanakafari]

So true my friend, so true.

Basic knowledge led me to the realization that with a resulting increase in fish population (I did title it "Potentially Great News"), predatory fish may become ever present, which in turn leaves me as a sitting duck for anything I can't beat off with a stick (or pull off a rear-naked).

We recently dove the rigs out by The Flats (ONCE!) and let me tell you...IT WAS FREAKY!!! We were pretty lucky that day because of the 15 blues spotted in the area that morning, they only taxed us once but nonetheless, that's once more than I care to experience again.

I did menage to get 2 teeth out of the deal though (embedded in the head of my Whitefish) so I wasnt't too disappointed. Just bummed there aren't any Hogs or Grouper out here in California...I've got a hankerin' for a grouper sandwich.

 

[Don Paul]

Blues are a sight to behold as the sunlight flickers on their sleek form. I have never had one take a fish unless it was offered from my hand.

The rigs lost their appeal for me twenty five years ago as the yellowtail are
all suicidal ounce you step off the boat. I only used the spot to silence a wining new diver that was fish less after a island trip The spot is great for images of young school pelagic fish though.

Cheers, Don Paul

 

[Oldsarge]

Man, that's going to turn Santa Barbara into a spearo's paradise. Now if we can just get some rock piles dumped off the LA/LB/OC coastline it might mitigate some of those stupid MC closures.

 

[Mr. X]

What a great idea. Greenpeace kicked up a lot of fuss when an old North Sea oil rig was going to be sunk a few years back. I think Shell ended up having to tow it to Scotland or Scandinavia at considerable risk, to be broken up, at considerable cost. Greenpeace lost a lot of credibility over that (not least with me) as many environmentalists figured the simplest, safest, "greenest" thing to do was to sink it somewhere safe nearby - to become a reef / "fish aggregator"