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shore diving

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
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Jul 13, 2019
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Hey fellas,
i am from Adelaide and do a lot of shore diving, i haven't however caught to many fish that are of great table quality or of size. i have shot a few but more dusky Morwongs and sweep, silver bream and so on than snapper and the likes. i often swim to depths of only about 8-10 meters some times more some times less. What i would like to find out is what depths i am most likely going to find decent fish and what time of day is the best for spearing?
Cheers guys and looking forward to your responses
 
Hello Great White. I am in British Columbia, spearfishing here for the last 6 years. It is the area between Vancouver Island and mainland, all the gulf islands and shores of Vancouver Island is where I fish. What works here is looking out for rocky shore, preferably with rock outcrops near shore, and well awash by currents. Maybe you should be on a lookout for similar areas. Current is something that brings nutrients to the sea life, and rocks and crevices is the usual places where fish seem to be segregating more. Also good areas are often around kelp beds, harder to hunt but there is always something. Another thing to note is that table quality does not always come in bigger size. Maybe you are successful already and don't know it yet? Ok, here is another thing. Bottom of the ocean is made out of food, the kind that is practically never available to anybody else other than divers. I am talking mollusks like rock scallops, or sea urchins etc, this is also excellent food, you don't have to chase or spear them. Since you asked about depth, I must say the most productive depths (to me anyway) is anywhere from 1 to 10 meters. I remember me having great success in Thailand spearing mullets at waist deep waters. Time of the day is something I haven't figured out yet. Often it is not about the sunlight but more about tidal currents. When there is a strong ripping stream, fish is conserving energy and getting in some hideout spots.
 
hello,
thanks heaps for you response, really helpfull. so form what you saying that best time to go is when the tide is either going in or going out. thanks for that
 
form what you saying that best time to go is when the tide is either going in or going out.
not really. Not the time, but the place. Places where I usually see more sea life is something that has good water circulation from currents. Currents here in Salish Sea are strongly associated with tidal flood or slack. This is how I choose a place where to fish. Like I said earlier, rocky shore, rocky outcrops, currents - things of that nature. Now, if we are talking about timing, the best time is when the tide is switching and current calms down. Again, this is all my personal observations, perhaps not relevant for your area.

Out from curiosity, I explored areas around Adelaide through Google maps, zoomed in and street-viewed. Beautiful country you have down there. Blowhole Beach, Heysen Trail, from the look of it, should be interesting, they look exactly like area I would chose to go spearfishing. Second Valley Jetty. Or, say, close to Port Victoria there is Butheras Rock. Look at the maze of outcrops and channels down there.

I also checked what morwongs are. Those are not small fish. Great White, post some pictures of your catch.
 
oh ok, thanks for that
yes it is very nice country, ill have alook for a few photos, dont have to many, dont have ago pro mount so it is a bit hard
 
oh ok, thanks for that
yes it is very nice country, ill have alook for a few photos, dont have to many, dont have ago pro mount so it is a bit hard
1566974463357.png
 
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Reactions: Andrew the fish
thats a dusk morwong, about 65-70 cm, lots off them, not reall nice to eat, can get to about 90 cm apparently
 
Nice pictures Great White. Beautiful shore, clear water, and I betcha it is a tad warmer than here in BC. Listen, you ever spoke to anybody in dive store? When I was just beginning in this sport, I learned a thing or two from the store clerks, some of them also spearfish or at least did it at some point, those folks are easy to talk to because this is what they do - they talk. You also must have some spearfishing or apnea club in Adelaide. Even if this is just freedivers, betcha good half of them spearfish too. Local knowledge can't be beat.
 
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