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RA Caranx: 2 x 16mm rubbers or 1 x 20mm? Open or closed muzzle?

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
foxfish said:
I am looking forward to when you first try out the double 16 combo :)
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unfotunately it will be a while. I fly back to L.A this week (where I'll be ordering the gun) and I don't know when I'll be back in Sydney next. I have no desire to go spearing in socal, by all accounts it's cold, dirty and baron. Am trying to plan another trip to oz for 2 weeks in may. hopefully i'll get to try it then!

I might add that i've has 2 dives in the cressi 3.5 and it's changed my life compared to the old 3mm steamer. Did 3 hours in the water this morning, by far my longest dive- and I can tell you I'm absolutely buggered!
 
Wow - I though you would want to hunt the giant kelp bed for white bass in California!!
I think the water my be a bit dirty this at time of year but, California is one of the most famous spearfishing spots in the World!
 
yeah and so are there beaches but baywatch it aint!

I remember reading this book about the history of spearfishing, can't remember the name of it but the guy was one of the pioneers of the sport on the west coast. there's this chapter where he sails out to catolina island with the intention of surviving off his catch for 2 weeks. bugger almost starved to death. And this was in the 60's (when we can assume it hadn't been fished out). I thought bloody hell, I'm an amateur at best and I could get enough fish out here in 2 dives to last two weeks!

In saying that I've heard that there's good spearing off the coast of mexico so i think i'm going to take my gear out with me. Maybe there are some guys on this forum that are locals to Socal.
 
giddyuptiger said:
yeah and so are there beaches but baywatch it aint!

I remember reading this book about the history of spearfishing, can't remember the name of it but the guy was one of the pioneers of the sport on the west coast. there's this chapter where he sails out to catolina island with the intention of surviving off his catch for 2 weeks. bugger almost starved to death. And this was in the 60's (when we can assume it hadn't been fished out). I thought bloody hell, I'm an amateur at best and I could get enough fish out here in 2 dives to last two weeks!

In saying that I've heard that there's good spearing off the coast of mexico so i think i'm going to take my gear out with me. Maybe there are some guys on this forum that are locals to Socal.
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Southern Cali has a lot of game fish..:) My friend Carlos (Chuck) Eyles may have been distracted with the writing of the book and a little herb back in the day......Just saying.

Cheers, Don Paul
 

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I'm in L.A... Redondo Beach to be more precise. I think its going to be pretty tough to find the game fish that Don Paul posted pics of this time of year, but there is still plenty of fish to be found out there... calico and halibut are favorites of the shore divers. 3-4 lb CA sheephead are as common as flies in the right spots. They are easy to shoot and not as prized, but can still be delicious. Or you could scout the rocks for lobster, but I'm terrible at that game. Point is, lots of people are having a grand time diving in CA this time of year... as long as the waves aren't overhead as they were last week. At least a 5mil wetsuit is definitely needed though, its cold out there!
 
I love Calico bass in the winter.:friday

Cheers, Don
 

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Apparently your cat likes calico bass too! It looks like that calico out-weighs little felix there... is that true?!?!
 
beconfly said:
Apparently your cat likes calico bass too! It looks like that calico out-weighs little felix there... is that true?!?!
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Yeah Nero weighed a wee bit less, and was helping me get the scales off.
I love shooting a real big Calico bass every few years to keep me sharp. Before I was a club member I had a certified 12.50lb at Laguna Sea Sports, dreaming of finding just one more in my life time keeps me diving local in winter.

Cheers, Don
 
Don Paul said:
Before I was a club member I had a certified 12.50lb at Laguna Sea Sports, dreaming of finding just one more in my life time keeps me diving local in winter.

Cheers, Don
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It appears that would be an IUSA record, (currently 11.3 lbs), and a CA DFG sportfish record (currently 12.1 lbs)

Good luck on finding another one with your airbalete in hand!
 
beconfly said:
It appears that would be an IUSA record, (currently 11.3 lbs), and a CA DFG sportfish record (currently 12.1 lbs)

Good luck on finding another one with your airbalete in hand!
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Yeah I know finding another could take a life time, but a guy named Tom Murphy (Newport) caught a 14.5 in 1995. Lately my big ones are under 10lb.

Cheers, Don
 
Ha! If i could land a 4-5lber I'd be a happy camper! I don't think I've even seen one over 5lbs, except for Catalina at the casino point dive park, and lovers cove. I bet some of those lovers cove bass are world record size for sure, since they get hand fed every day. We just gotta find a way to lure them outta there!
 
beconfly said:
Ha! If i could land a 4-5lber I'd be a happy camper! I don't think I've even seen one over 5lbs, except for Catalina at the casino point dive park, and lovers cove. I bet some of those lovers cove bass are world record size for sure, since they get hand fed every day. We just gotta find a way to lure them outta there!
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Giant ones come out to eat after the sun try's to green flash. They leave their deep crevice or shallow eel grass holes, feed and go home. They have over 25 years to get smart and learn the game. Ben's Rock in Mex has monsters but I'm usually looking for the big croaker's.

Cheers, Don
 
Hi folks, my first post so try to be kind. I've just started spearing and purchased a 1.2 caranx with a single 20mm band, new and cheap from ebay. This was the first gun i'd ever held or used. Loading the thing really freaked me out at first, I was worried that i'd made the wrong decision, but after a couple of trips to the reef (great barrier) I got the loading thing sussed and i'm really happy with my purchase. Only problem is that when I miss a fish i'm not sure if i've shot high, low, left or right because the spear travels so fast that i cant see its path of travel. Anyways i've hit a few nice trout, jacks and other bits and pieces since then. All I can say is that as someone with no experience the 20mm band wasn't so bad and i'd be spewing if i missed a fish due to an underpowered gun.
 
Hey Cooper Devil, welcome to the board, and thanks for getting the thread back on track! Glad to hear that the 1.2 is working out for you with the 20mm band. Sounds like you're getting plenty of power with it. When you get a chance it would be a good idea to do a little target practice with your new gun to get a feel for it and see how consistent your shots are. There are various methods to this, an easy method is to hang an old laundry detergent bottle from float (weight it with some sand). If you use a tide bottle its already marked with a bullseye! Worthwhile activity to dial in your aim.

I would also be (and have been) upset after missing a fish due to an underpowered gun, but would also be equally pissed if I miss because my gun is overpowered and causing shaft whip or muzzle flip.
 
Thanks for the tip beconfly. Yes my aim is inconsistent, or consistently ***** and i'm sure it's due to user error rather than the gun being overpowered (I like to believe that RA wouldn't factory produce an overpowered gun). When i run out of fish to aim at i'll be sure to start shooting detergent bottles, though I'm pretty spoiled for targets where i live.
 
cooper666 said:
When i run out of fish to aim at i'll be sure to start shooting detergent bottles, though I'm pretty spoiled for targets where i live.
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Sounds like a nice place to be. However, you can shoot the detergent bottle a couple dozen times in a session fairly easily, and you know the target location is consistent, which takes a huge variable (fish movement & reaction) out of the equation. Do you shoot a couple dozen fish in a day? If I did that I'd get pretty tired of cleaning and eating fish... unless I just left the dead fish out there, which would be extra sad.:waterwork

Its surely possible to be a good spearo without target practice... its just a way to greatly steepen the learning curve and quickly gain familiarity with your equipment. Imagine buying a rifle and learning to aim and shoot it using live animals. That sounds silly, doesn't it?
 
beconfly said:
Do you shoot a couple dozen fish in a day? If I did that I'd get pretty tired of cleaning and eating fish
quote]

Oh, I dont eat fish, hence the 666........... Just kidding.

Honestly, thanks for the advice and forgive me for being a knob, i'm prone to stirring s**t.

Anyway, back to the topic.
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don pol and beconfly are you guys on facebook? if so can we pm? be good to connect with some fellow spearo's in the US.
 
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