The DeeperBlue.com Spearfishing Hall of Fame.

[jtkwest]

The Deeper Blue Spearfishing Hall of Fame.

Permit 17lb 0oz


Went out yesterday to the marquesas keys. 35 miles from key west. the water was crystal clear. in excess of 80 ft not really that many fish but i managed two hogfish, on at 18" the other at 14". two yellow jacks,(small ones about 18" each and this permit jack at 35" and 17# after gutting. i was swimming in about35ft depth checking out his ledge below. i saw two permits about this size cruising by below me at about 15 ft deep. at first they swam by but i threw a spoon towards them and swam down, sure enough they turned and came toward it, but it hit the bottom bfore they got to it and they turned to go, by this time i am leveled out about five ft from the bottom they turned away at about 12ft from me and i shot the bigger of the two as he turned. as you can see it was a gut shot, but it held and he fought like crazy! i wasnt using a float line so i had 15ft or so of mono filiment and this fish attached to my gun, pulling really hard. so i got my buddy to throw me my spare gun,(omer cayman110) and i shot him in the head. this thing is really strong! i dont think i will do that again without a float line with a breakaway set up. i had to fight with him for like 5 minutes. and with those bull sharks and huge hammerheads out there a long fight can be a problem. i shot him dead in the sweet spot,(triangulating with the eyes) with the second shot and he still wasnt stoned. where the hell it the brain on a huge jack? anyway good day all around. water temp is around 79 degrees vis 80 ft.

 

[nz676]

The Deeper Blue Spearfishing Hall of Fame.

Greenling 2lb 0oz & 1lb 0oz


Just thought id share a few pics of the greenling we speared over here on the west coast of British Columbia there 1 and 2 pounds.pics are of me and my dive buddy Colin

 

[mishu1984]

The Deeper Blue Spearfishing Hall of Fame.

King Mackerel 13kg


Went out today with Badia, Bader, and BQ.
We got to the oil rigs at around 6am. perfect timing. I was expecting the same from the previous trips out there but hoping for better viz. the viz from 6-10:30 was not so good.
around 11, during slack tide, the viz opened up to about 10-15m. not bad but not great either.
i have been cooped up in work during the last week, with little or no excersice, and only limited free time, so i havent had the chance to do any breathing exercises or anything of the sort.
The day of diving didnt really start great. i shot a queenfish within being in the water for about 10 seconds.
and then everything went downhill.
i had solid shots on barracudas and my flopper would not toggle for some reason, i threw up in my snorkle 3 times. it was bad.
and then i decided to take a break and chill on the boat for a little bit. so i got on and had a smoke.
after my cig, i decided to get back in the water. i breathed up for a good 10 minutes and felt extremelly relaxed. i dove down to the thermocline, which is in about 12m of water and where most of the fish are. when i got there i was surrounded by catfish. in kuwait, if fish had a score, a kingfish would probably be a 8 or 9, if not 10, and a catfish would be like -15.
at that point i was just thinking that this was god's way of telling me not to skip work to go spearfishing.
i stayed down for a 1:15 and as im about to pull the trigger on a catfish out of frustration i decided not to. at 8m from the surface i see directly next to me this beautifull fish, that is just parked right infront of my speartip. the minute i recognized it as a kingfish my heart just started pounding like crazy in my chest. ive been wanting to get me one of these bad boys for a while and my luck earlier that day was just plain old sh!t.
i tried to ease myself, and calm down but my heart was still racing. i slowly moved my speartip a few centimeters downwards and i pulled the trigger.
it was a perfect stone shot.

here a few pictures below and in a few days il get the underwater pictures.
the best part of this day is that the minute i shot this king, all my shots were true and i didnt lose a single fish from my shaft afterwards.

 

[Lazuli]

Re: Cornwall 2009

Spider Crab 6lb 0oz


Hi all,
Went in today with my good lady for an epic snorkelling / freediving mission. No spearguns as we were looking for crabs and just enjoying the underwater world. Needless to say we saw loads of decent mullet and Bass, plus two cuttlefish who were doing some kind of courtship ritual. After three hours we bagged a brown crab and a monster 6LB Spider Crab. Well chuffed.

Just finished eating the monster. Had to knock on a few doors asking for an industrial sized panrofl. After extracting the meat (of which there was loads!) we made a Thai noodle dish with half of it. I have to say that it was the tastiest thing we have ever had out of the sea. Amazing.

God bless the spider crab :friday

 

[jtkwest]

The Deeper Blue Spearfishing Hall of Fame.

Amberjack 37lb 0oz


Monday and tuesday I went on a spearfishing trip to tail end with a total of 5 people on a 39 ft sportfishing boat. We caught plenty of fish, including 1 big amberjack at 37 lbs and 42".

The water out there was crystal clear, in excess of 100 ft and super calm. this weather was perfect! really nice trip. We freedived from 8 am to 6.30 pm both days non stop. I am really tired. For those of you who dont know, tail end is the end of the florida keys reef system. about 41 miles from key west. It is ups and downs from 50 ft deep and up to 20 or so. and it just rolls like that for miles and miles. The current rips out there but the water is clean.

We had a 12 ft hammerhead swimming next to the boat and I took pics. We took a whole bunch of video too, so after it gets edited I will see about posting some.

Here are some more pics the one on the right and left. is the 12 ft hammerhead on the left he is finning about 20 ft from the boat, on the right, he is swimming on the bottom at about 25 ft deep (really clear water huh?). The others are sunrise on the boat. We anchored up overnight on this ledge and just before sunrise I was the first one up. You should have seen all the action in the water! Stuff jumping, schools of yellowtail and bermuda chubs swimming up, giant spashes (who knows what THOSE were! Large dark shapes every now and again (i do know what those were). It was freaking beautiful!

 

[getawayFK]

The Deeper Blue Spearfishing Hall of Fame.

King Mackerel 90lb 0oz


Since it's the end of the kingfish season here, I wanted to share some of the best and biggest kingfish trophies of me and my buddies (2 kingfish over 2 separate dives).

Generally, this year has been amazing in term of spearfishing & free-diving personal best: Deepest dive, biggest grouper, biggest kingfish, biggest amberjack, biggest barracuda and many other biggest :martial... May'be that Im getting better, or luck or abundunce of fish?!? Or a combi of all together ?!?

Those kingfish were taken offshore at 20-25m from the surfance, and using Rabitech stealth 140cm carbon with 2X16mm bands and 60m reel line as primary gun and another 110cm rabitech as secondary gun for 2nd shot.


1st kingfish: (Specially dedicated to my dive partner Mishu1984 who decided to betray us and hunt our kingfish from Kuwait and not Qatar :blackeye )

 

[scottwilson]

Re: South devon Report 2009

Conger Eel 22lb 0oz


Dived with Scott mcblue and Dave L today. Not many fish about infact I only saw one small bass and a loads of small pollack oh and the mother of all conger eels :blackeye

On my way down to the bottom he popped his head out of his hole to investigate me and I nearly shit myself roflrofl. these things give me the creeps and usually have me running for the hills but I couldnt resist.

there was a lot of head scratching going on between the 3 of us on how to kill it but Scottmclue took over and finished him off CHEERS MATE :friday

Gutted him in the water and found a rusty hook in his stomach along with a small spider crab shell. He tipped the scales at 22 lbs gutted so not bad for my first ever conger.

great dive , great company and some of the tastiest chocolate cakes Ive ever had ( nice one Dave)

Happy Days.

 

[shiny1]

Re: South devon Report 2009

Conger Eel 18lb 0oz


SNAP! I had 1 of those today scott,not so big.Mine was 18lbs and shot out in the open. I was 50metres from the boat and on my own. Got a good head shot on him. He was on a sand patch when I seen him in between some kelp and only in about 4metres of water. I made my way back to the boat with him on the spear, I think the shot had allmost stoned him. He went mad in the boat but a good whack with a bar sorted him out.
I filleted and skinned him.To anybody that didnt know you would think it was fillets of cod.Thats what I told the people I gave it to .

 

[UK Spearo]

Re: Dorset Spearing 2009

Lobster 8lb 0oz


So, the pairs comp went well, I dived with Kevin Daly and we dived several spots round the island. The best viz was to be found at Bill point and was about 45ft, brilliant. There were some fantastic Cod caught by Colin and Gary, 10, up to 12lbs! Some nice Bass came out up to 8lb (Lee Deighton). Mr Porbeagle came and said hello to Lee, who persuaded it to stay away . Some nice Bream (black and gilthead) again from Lee and his brother Shaun. The over all winners were Lee and Shaun with Colin and Gary giving them a close run second. I did manage the biggest crustacean of the day with a PB 8lb Lobster that I found in a hole at 21mtrs, that’s a long way back up with a heavey thing like that I can tell you!

Thanks to Tina at SeaHorse (Portland Oceaneering) for all her help on the day, and to all those that helped organise the event (Paolo and Kevin), and to Paul Maxwell for yet another supurb barrbie!:friday

 

[Padaxes]

Re: Cornwall 2009

Grey Mullet (Golden Grey) 1lb 4oz


Fun day on the south coast netted me a couple of golden grey mullet, one just legal and the 2nd I got quite excited about as its just over the hall of fame gg I think.

It weighed in at just shy of 1.4lb without guts.

Is that good enough?

 

[Padaxes]

Re: Cornwall 2009

Grey Mullet (Golden Grey) 1lb 6oz


Went back to my south coast golden grey spot day before yesterday, took my girlfriend snorkelling at low tide and really enjoyed a break from hunting , I had forgotten how much i concentrated when I`m hunting lol

She spotted the first Bass and then of course the gun had to come out

I got a little one and missed the biggest one I've ever seen in the flesh, I came over a rock and it was in the open resting on the bottom totally motionless, I aimed and fired at quite long range as I didn't want to spook it by moving out from cover, somehow I missed it by about an inch !!! I've had a few shots like this down at about a 45 degree angle shooting from the surface that Ive missed it;s incredibly frustrating, I`m wondering if its the surface chop moving my arm or if Im just rubbish!

I stayed in for some time hoping to see the big bass again lol but in the end ran into a massive shoal of mullet, snapped fired at a big one and missed by the narrowest margin again! Frustrated I hung around and finally landed a couple of nice golden greys, technically much harder shots than the two bigger fish I missed, maybe I was focusing more by then.

The bigger of the two weighed in and 1lb 6.5 ounces which makes me a very happy camper

Even better they tasted FANTASTIC. BBQ`d in foil with garlic, chilli and lemon, really really good. Rounded the day off with a swim with a seal, then a dive with the dolphins , I love Cornwall!

 

[Old Man Dave]

Re: Guernsey 2009

Red Mullet 1lb 11oz


Last nights dive. I like the low tide at dark situation. Unfortunately that is only a couple of days every 2 weeks. However, last night was one of THE days. Low tide at 8pm and dark at 9pm. Just right for some nocturnal bass hunting.

Nice flat calm sea and in at 9.15pm. Neap tide so it was well up the beach despite the low tide. There have been very few bass about in the daytime lately so I was hopeful that they were sneeking in at night to try to avoid me. To cut a long story short there seems to be not a lot about basswise day or night. Only saw 3 schoolies. Oh dear!

Decided to try out a bit around some oyster leases. Aha! Red mullet. First decent one of the year. A vertical head shot and a quick grab and on the stringer it went. Half an hour of careful searching and 2 more joined it. The best one went 1lb 11oz, not a monster but a specimen in terms of red mullet.

Pictures taken for FOM and HOF and fish cleaned and popped in the fridge and it was asleep by midnight.


Dave.

 

[Andy.Round]

Re: Guernsey 2009

Trigger Fish 2lb 7oz


In over the low this afternoon, nice and warm, clear and calm. Saw lots of big rockies and a shoal of 20+ Trigger fish. quite eerie, they sort of followed me, so I had to take some. Only took 4 though. The biggest went to 2lb 7oz so think I'll enter this in FOM.

Missed a plaice as well. I hesitated and it went ....aaargh when will I learn?

See if I can sneak in again tomorrow

Andy

 

[Old Man Dave]

Re: Guernsey 2009

Plaice 6lb 2oz


Well at last my ear problems seem to be behind me. I've been working my way up to giving them a work out with some freediving for flatfish.

The tides been right although the weather has gone from no wind and fog to force 6's. Been 3 days in a row after work, over the low waters. It's still very dead out there. Vis has been suprisingly good despite rough seas and a low swell. Nothing caught for the first 2 days but today was different.

I was far out and diving well with up to 20 foot vis but rough surface chop and screaming wind. Went in "stripped down", with no float to drag. Even bothered to gingerly walk down the beach in my wet suit socks to avoid needing my beach shoes.

I was 25 foot down swimming just off the bottom scanning for buried flats. Next to a piece of weed I saw a pair of eyes. No other sign that they were part of a deeply buried plaice but I knew they were. It's amazing how well these fish bury without leaving any trace. I knew this was a good fish maybe 4 or even 5lb. I grabbed the rubbers at the front of my loaded Omer 90 XXV Gold and hand speared the sand behind the eyes. As the fish erupted out of the sand I put my hand under to grab the spear and fish secured I headed up.

BIG fish. I strung it on my belt and carried on. Despite a major effort it was my only fish. Back home it weighed 6lb 2oz and 6lb 3oz on 2 different sets of scales. I am feeling rather good at present. Maybe my shitty season is turning around.

Dave.

 

[Old Man Dave]

Re: Guernsey 2009

Sole 3lb 10oz


This weekend is the first of the 3 competition weekends for the angling specimen hunt. One of my mates is a top competitor and last year he challenged me to take part informally with my spear versus his rod. Well last year the no vis situation stuffed me. This year I'm having another (not too serious) go at it.

The anglers are moaning about NE wind and clear water. Whoopee, I say. Being big spring tides I had a go for flats. Specimen size was set at 2lb. There aren't many flats about but with the good vis I headed offshore down west. Worked the edge of the tide in moderate depth with a fair tide run. Bottom was broken gravel rather than soft sand and that makes it hard to spot buried flats.

Half way through the dive I met fellow DB-er Andy Round and we echanged news while resting on my triggerfish reef. I had just found a brand new spear lost by some unfortunate which is weird 'cause last time I was on the trigger reef I also met Andy and I also found salvage (an anchor).

We parted and I went back to my seemingly endless up/down rythm. Eventually tired (getting old) I headed for home. I had found 3 completely buried flats. One big sole and 2 plaice.

Sole went 3lb 10oz (FOM & HOF here I come) and plaice were around the 2lb mark. For the benefit of the speccy comp I weighed the biggest plaice - 2lb 1oz - made it, just.

Might go in the boat tomorrow, so have to make do with 2 species for the comp this weekend. It's only fun after all.

Dave.

 

[scottwilson]

Re: South devon Report 2009

Lobster 10lb 2oz


Had a dive off my boat this morning. I was up at 4am and on the first reef by 7am, plenty of schoolies to be found and shoals of mullet zooming thru the stringweed but I left them and had my nose close to the sand as its flatties and thornbacks I was after.

Found a nice 1lb5oz flounder sitting on the edge of a sand patch and popped him on the stringer:friday moved over to a few shallow sand gullies where I found about 10 undersize flatties sitting on top of the sand GREAT SITE !!!!!! wish I had taken the camera :head

after about 2 hours I had a neck ache so decided to rest over a reef.. starring down to the rocks below I chuckled to myself as I spotted a rock that looked just like a lobster tail..........hang on that is a lobster tail !!!!! in plain view wondering around the reef was the biggest lobster ive ever seen.

Unloaded the gun and popped the shaft out so the gun would float, I slowly drifted past the lobster, dived behind him, grabbed his head and tail and held on for dear life. to say he didnt come quietly would be an understatmentroflrofl the old boy still had a lot life in him.

It took me half an hour to swim him back to the boat and in the bag

He weighed 10lb 2 oz and is my personel Best and a monster of a lobbie
STOKED !!!!!!

 

[donnachad]

Re: ireland spearing 2009

Bass (European) 13lb 2oz


The sea gods have been on side this week. Didn't think i had much chance of spearing anything the sea was choppy and looking in from the shore the water was that green crappy colour, 9 times out of 10 i wouldn't have gone in. But i had driven a bit so i decided to go in for a quick look. The conditions were bad around 1 metre of vis and a strong surge between the rocks. I couple of minutes later this fellow swam past and i speared him just as he turned to swim away. I knew he was big but didn't expect him to weigh so much 13lb 2 oz.
Quickest spearing session ever in and out in around 5 minutes

 

[crazywind009]

Re: South devon Report 2009

Dogfish - Greater Spotted (Bull Huss) 15lb 4oz


Hi all dive yesterday with dan in search of something different, big, challenging, maybe even exotic ..... have you guest?
Well i did find something big and very challenging a 15lb4oz bull huss he was not a happy bunny with that spear in him the fight was incredible:blackeye the strength of that huss was unreal it toke me 40minutes of wrestling before i could put him on the stringer he even try to bite few time:naughtyi have shoot biger shark in the west indies but never experience some thing like this ,this was a proper fight dan was watching with amusement did scared few kids and womens on the beach when we came back roflroflrofl
I should enjoy eating him:friday

 

[crazywind009]

Re: South devon Report 2009

Grey Mullet (Golden Grey) 2lb 1oz


Forgot to post that one my biggest golden spot mullet 2lb 1oz beauty that was

 

[shiny1]

Re: South devon Report 2009

Triggerfish 2lb 0oz


Hi Guys,went looking for those triggers again yesterday,took a while to find them,sitting outside there holes,shot 1 outside and the rest in there holes,very hard work trying to locate them,the bottoms very murky and the slightest movement stirs it all up.They go into the very small cracks or holes places you wouldnt expect to find fish in.The biggest trigger was spot on 2lbs.Had a nice 2lb flounder while hunting for the triggers.After taking 4 i tried another spot and practice that bass mating call again,had a 5lb bass right away.Coldness was setting in by now with only my 3.5mm top on so headed for home.