Today's catch

[SubSub]

I'm looking at simplifying the forum structure anyway - so we'll see where that goes - it's a trade off between having specific sub-forums for topics with lower posting or bigger generic forums with higher volume of posts.

I think that one way to go could be to put the "New posts" / timeline on top of the first page of the forum, maybe even on DB front page to lure visitors to the forum, it could also be made a bit longer, say 10-15 rows. That way guests as well as registered members don't have to navigate deeper to get involved, and people that visit for one thing might become interested in some random discussion.
If you have to navigate to find the stuff you're looking for you're excluding yourself at the same time from things you didn't know you wanted to know more about.

 

[Bill McIntyre]

I had a trip last Tuesday. The visibility along the mainland Southern California coast south of Dana Point has been very poor this year, but it finally cleared up this week. At the first place we stopped, we could barely haze out the bottom at 50 feet from the surface and there were huge schools of sardines and mackerel. We were amazed that we didn't see yellowtail, but we moved on to another spot that was 45 feet deep, and where we could clearly see the bottom from the surface. No yellowtail there either, but there were more giant black sea bass than I've ever seen in one spot. These fish have been protected since the early 1980s and have made a great comeback. I passed two of them on a dive and my buddy said that one of them followed me to the surface and swam along behind me about 5 feet down. He got some video.

Some of these fish weigh over 200 pounds. We went back to the first spot on the way home. We had decided that it was an exceptional fun day even though we didn't shoot anything, but then just when it was time to leave, my buddy shot a 40 pound yellowtail. It was his first yellowtail and equals my best ever. A great ending to a great dive day.

 

[foxfish]

Love those giant black sea Bill, but don't some folk think differently?

 

[Bill McIntyre]

• A
  

  Love those giant black sea Bill, but don't some folk think differently?

  
  I think you may be thinking of the Goliath Grouper in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Apparently divers have a big problem with them taking their speared fish. I've never lost a fish to a black sea bass, although I have had them circling my fish and one did grab a fish before I ran it off. Some people I know have lost fish to black sea bass, but its not a frequent problem as it is with the Goliath Grouper. I think most of us just enjoy the opportunity to swim with fish like that. BTW, I dove the same spot yesterday and they were even more numerous and almost aggressive. I poked one with a 110 cm gun. The guy who was with me yesterday probably got even better video, but I haven't seen it yet. One time I watched from the surface as a very big one circled him only about three feet away. He had his GoPro on, so that should be spectacular.

 

[DuncM]

I had a trip last Tuesday. The visibility along the mainland Southern California coast south of Dana Point has been very poor this year, but it finally cleared up this week. At the first place we stopped, we could barely haze out the bottom at 50 feet from the surface and there were huge schools of sardines and mackerel. We were amazed that we didn't see yellowtail, but we moved on to another spot that was 45 feet deep, and where we could clearly see the bottom from the surface. No yellowtail there either, but there were more giant black sea bass than I've ever seen in one spot. These fish have been protected since the early 1980s and have made a great comeback. I passed two of them on a dive and my buddy said that one of them followed me to the surface and swam along behind me about 5 feet down. He got some video.

Some of these fish weigh over 200 pounds. We went back to the first spot on the way home. We had decided that it was an exceptional fun day even though we didn't shoot anything, but then just when it was time to leave, my buddy shot a 40 pound yellowtail. It was his first yellowtail and equals my best ever. A great ending to a great dive day.View attachment 44043

Good report Bill, and great video, I really enjoyed that. What causes the crackling sound, is it urchins?
That black sea bass at 32 secs isn't half a poser!

 

[Bill McIntyre]

I've been told that sound is snapping shrimp down in the rocks on the bottom.

 

[Bill McIntyre]

Here's another one from yesterday. That closeup of the fish circling him must not have come out.

 

[landshark sa]

We went up the North Coast for a spearing trip a couple of weeks ago. We had phenomenal diving conditions and saw amazing fish life.

At one stage the game fish action quieted down a bit so I went to explore the insides of this wreck. I dove down looking to my right as I entered but didn't see much fish life so carried on toward my left where I saw some more movement. I settled on the bottom looking at all the fish dotted in the gloom, amazing variety of bottom fish. Saw really nice sized Snapper, Rubber lips, Tassel fish, Rock Cods and a whole host of other reef species. I was having a beautifully relaxed dive until I turned to my right... perched about 3 feet from my face was the broad muzzle of a massive Brindle Bass. It was pretty much the last thing I was expecting and the damn thing gave my one hell of a fright!!

Needless to say it was the end of my peaceful stay at the bottom and I made a beeline for the surface. I did manage to capture a video of it outside the wreck a little later in the day. The local diver I was diving with estimates it's around 250-300kg.

Luckily the pins and needles of the fright soon dissipated as a Manta Ray came to the wreck to feed. First time for me freediving with one and a totally amazing experience.

Oh, and I also managed to spear a few fishies

 

[Okis]

Finally in the water again after doing some travelling and a few weeks of bad conditions, got myself a nice grouper and some smaller trevally's and emperors.
My dive buddy also had a good day shooting his very first spanish mackerel!

 

[Okis]

Did a 3 hour afternoon dive today and the mackerels was coming in for feeding, but couldnt find any larger ones!

 

[Okis]

A beautiful Mackerel i shot today, already have 3 of them filleted in my freezer so i traded it with a divebuddy's wife for approx 18 dollars and some chocolate ;D

 

[Woohoo]

Another beauty. What sort of depth and distance from shore are you catching your fish? I’m really surprised you can catch such nice fish from the shore in Phuket. I always thought Phuket waters were pretty bleak and that you’d need to head way out in to open water to catch fish that size. It’s great that I was wrong.

 

[foxfish]

I was going to say something similar.... it looks like you have found a great spot!

 

[Okis]

This spot is actually pretty crowded and well known, alot of thai's who make a living from spearing also spear this area. The reef population therefor is really low, especially coraltrouts and groupers since their meat is priceir so they are many thai spearo's main target. I've seen the population dwindling myself, 1 year ago i could barely make it out from the bay's reef before i seen or shot a few 2+kg coraltrouts, but now i havent seen a decent one for almost a year at this spot and there are only babys left.

I think that's one of the reasons why is stopped focusing on reefspecies. I dont search for them anymore, but if i have a random encounter with a larger grouper e.tc i will most likely take the shot.

This spot is about 2-3 km out from the beach.
Depths with ok or good viz varies from 5-20 meters from dropoffs.

The mackerels seems to like roaming whatever depths, i've seen them at just 5-7 meter but also in the deeper areas.

I dont know why, if it's just pure luck or if the younger ones like to come in and feed at this time of the year but i have never seen so much mackerels on the shores here before.

Next weekend me and some friends will make a boattrip and see how the activity is on the outer islands and hopefully shot some bigger ones. Want to get us some GT's as well

 

[Woohoo]

This is where I would head if you’re going by speedboat. Just over half way between Phuket and Phi Phi. Shallow one side and deep the other. I know other spearos go there so could be worth checking out.

6MVWPJW7+7Q (copy and paste)

 

[Okis]

This is where I would head if you’re going by speedboat. Just over half way between Phuket and Phi Phi. Shallow one side and deep the other. I know other spearos go there so could be worth checking out.

6MVWPJW7+7Q (copy and paste)

I think that island is offlimits. If it's the one called green island.

Many islands have been closed down to spearing the past 2 years.

 

[Woohoo]

^ Yep that’s the one. Not it’s real name I don’t think but that’s what Ive heard it called. Shame. Still, preservation is good and not something the Thais are great at so mustn’t complain I guess.

 

[Okis]

I agree. Ofc a bit sad with less spots to spear but it is for a greater cause and is well needed.

I'm hopefully gonna have the repair/maintainence done on a trimaran in Croatia next year. Getting it for a family price from my uncle and then me and him gonna sail it down to Thailand so i can have it here.
Cant wait to be able to put a sonar on it and roam areas to find structures/reefs and good spots in the blue.

Hard to get good knowledge of where to go offshore if you dont own a boat, you only hear about those places where everybody else goes and those are many times not worth the money for the boattrip because so many people go there so it's all outfished.
Went to Racha noi last year, except 1-kg snappers and emperors i only saw one decent sized fish and it was a Barracuda swimming fast past under me 20 meters down. Big dissapointment and felt i could have done something better for those money and went for a shoredive instead.

 

[Woohoo]

Went to Racha noi last year, except 1-kg snappers and emperors i only saw one decent sized fish and it was a Barracuda swimming fast past under me 20 meters down. Big dissapointment and felt i could have done something better for those money and went for a shoredive instead.

With your own boat you could make sure you were there at the right time. I remember reading at a certain time of the month/tide off Racha Noi, just after sunset or before sunrise, you’d have a good chance of seeing big boys like sail fish and marlin. Like everything though with overfishing that’s probably not the case anymore.

Well at least with your future plans I can see this thread being a winner for a long time to come. You may be posting to a small audience but it’s an appreciative one, so don’t stop please.

 

[Okis]

Did a shoredive today at a special spot where we usually have 100% chance of getting mackerel or seeing other big fish. GT's, Cobia's e.tc arent that unusual to come across there. Therefor we limit ourselves from spearing that place so today was the first time in a while that me and buddy went back there to recon the viz for a guest coming over this weekend.

Sorry for a bad photo but my friend was the only one that brought a phone and he went back home early because he was having problem with his ear.