To All,
Because of the generous advice offered in response to my last post on this forum, I have become thoroughly enthused about spear fishing. I thought I might post a report of my weekend’s outing and how this newbie fared in the water.
After I received my first wetsuit in the mail, I couldn’t wait to try it out. It was a couple of years old and used, but it was $30 and the extent of my budget. When I tried it on and it fit perfectly, I committed to getting into the water as soon as possible.
The water here on my island is still a bit chilly from the winter weather. Last weekend, I swam out from the beach with my pole spear and lasted 20 minutes wearing only my swim trunks and a rashguard before throwing in the towel and shivering my way back to shore.
Saturday was a bit overcast and windy, but I decided to walk to Tsurihama, a small cove 10 minutes from my home. I donned my wetsuit and got in. After an hour swimming around and still relatively warm and comfortable, I realized how foolish I have been swimming without a wetsuit. My wetsuit epiphany was my only triumph of the day, and another hour and 30 plus missed shots later, I swam back to shore with only my pole spear and no fish in hand.
Pissed that I had gotten nothing on Saturday, I woke up early Sunday morning and readied my gear. I’ve been talking to locals about spearfishing whenever possible, and from their suggestions, decided to go to Copepe Beach on the opposite side of the island. A 15 minute scooter ride later, I arrived, squeezed into my wetsuit, and was in the water.
I brought an empty yogurt container into the water with me and practiced my aim for 15 minutes. It paid off, and I hit a small reef fish square in the head in no time. I had forgotten my new ike spike on shore, so I swam all the way back in to drop off the fish and retrieve the spike.
I got back in to water and was swimming to the lucky spot where I had hit the reef fish. On my way, I dove down to inspect the undersides of coral heads in my path. Halfway out, I dove to take a look under a shallow coral head. When I got down underneath it, I could hardly believe it when I saw a good sized octopus clinging to the bottom!
The octopus flinched slightly and the sight of me and changed its color is a reddish hue to match the coral. I was out of air and had to go back up. I gulped a big breath before I went back down, but was sure the octopus would be long gone by the time I got back down there.
I ducked into the water and kicked my way down. I had cocked my polespear and was ready to go if the octopus was still around. As I got to the bottom of the coral head, I could see that he was still lazily spread out on the coral! He hadn’t even made a move to get into his hole.
I didn’t waste time, took aim, and shot him right in the meaty part of his body. He immediately shot his tentacles out and gripped onto the coral head. I tried to use my polespear as leverage to pull him off the coral head, but it was no use, he was hanging on tight with all his strength.
Now, in my last (and first) post, I asked how to quickly and efficiently kill a speared fish. I never thought to ask how to quickly and efficiently kill a speared octopus! After 10 minutes, I realized I could never pry him loose just using my spear. I nearly broke the spear trying to use it as a crowbar to pry him off. I decided to use my spike to try brain him. But he was contorted in such a way that he head was between his tentacles and the coral. I took the best aim I could, shoved the spike down hard, and was greeted with a thick face full of ink.
After a few minutes I was able to twist him about and expose his head. It took 2 more pokes with my spike and 2 more doses of ink before I got the bright idea of pulling the tentacles off of the coral head with my hands. Every time I pulled a tentacle off he would race to slap it back down and retain his grip. But he was weakening fast and couldn’t keep up the pace. After another 10 minutes, he lost his grip on the coral and was on his way to his new home in my ice chest. I ended up fighting this guy for 40 minutes!
I made a million mistakes and a beginner with 5 seconds more experience could have gotten that octopus off of the reef in a tenth of the time that it took me. But that didn’t matter to me at the time. My smile was ear to ear as I swam back to shore with my prize. When the handful of Japanese tourist getting ready for their group snorkeling tour started staring at me and taking pictures, I felt like a million bucks. I love this sport!
By the way, what is the best way to kill an octopus?
-Fatman
Because of the generous advice offered in response to my last post on this forum, I have become thoroughly enthused about spear fishing. I thought I might post a report of my weekend’s outing and how this newbie fared in the water.
After I received my first wetsuit in the mail, I couldn’t wait to try it out. It was a couple of years old and used, but it was $30 and the extent of my budget. When I tried it on and it fit perfectly, I committed to getting into the water as soon as possible.
The water here on my island is still a bit chilly from the winter weather. Last weekend, I swam out from the beach with my pole spear and lasted 20 minutes wearing only my swim trunks and a rashguard before throwing in the towel and shivering my way back to shore.
Saturday was a bit overcast and windy, but I decided to walk to Tsurihama, a small cove 10 minutes from my home. I donned my wetsuit and got in. After an hour swimming around and still relatively warm and comfortable, I realized how foolish I have been swimming without a wetsuit. My wetsuit epiphany was my only triumph of the day, and another hour and 30 plus missed shots later, I swam back to shore with only my pole spear and no fish in hand.
Pissed that I had gotten nothing on Saturday, I woke up early Sunday morning and readied my gear. I’ve been talking to locals about spearfishing whenever possible, and from their suggestions, decided to go to Copepe Beach on the opposite side of the island. A 15 minute scooter ride later, I arrived, squeezed into my wetsuit, and was in the water.
I brought an empty yogurt container into the water with me and practiced my aim for 15 minutes. It paid off, and I hit a small reef fish square in the head in no time. I had forgotten my new ike spike on shore, so I swam all the way back in to drop off the fish and retrieve the spike.
I got back in to water and was swimming to the lucky spot where I had hit the reef fish. On my way, I dove down to inspect the undersides of coral heads in my path. Halfway out, I dove to take a look under a shallow coral head. When I got down underneath it, I could hardly believe it when I saw a good sized octopus clinging to the bottom!
The octopus flinched slightly and the sight of me and changed its color is a reddish hue to match the coral. I was out of air and had to go back up. I gulped a big breath before I went back down, but was sure the octopus would be long gone by the time I got back down there.
I ducked into the water and kicked my way down. I had cocked my polespear and was ready to go if the octopus was still around. As I got to the bottom of the coral head, I could see that he was still lazily spread out on the coral! He hadn’t even made a move to get into his hole.
I didn’t waste time, took aim, and shot him right in the meaty part of his body. He immediately shot his tentacles out and gripped onto the coral head. I tried to use my polespear as leverage to pull him off the coral head, but it was no use, he was hanging on tight with all his strength.
Now, in my last (and first) post, I asked how to quickly and efficiently kill a speared fish. I never thought to ask how to quickly and efficiently kill a speared octopus! After 10 minutes, I realized I could never pry him loose just using my spear. I nearly broke the spear trying to use it as a crowbar to pry him off. I decided to use my spike to try brain him. But he was contorted in such a way that he head was between his tentacles and the coral. I took the best aim I could, shoved the spike down hard, and was greeted with a thick face full of ink.
After a few minutes I was able to twist him about and expose his head. It took 2 more pokes with my spike and 2 more doses of ink before I got the bright idea of pulling the tentacles off of the coral head with my hands. Every time I pulled a tentacle off he would race to slap it back down and retain his grip. But he was weakening fast and couldn’t keep up the pace. After another 10 minutes, he lost his grip on the coral and was on his way to his new home in my ice chest. I ended up fighting this guy for 40 minutes!
I made a million mistakes and a beginner with 5 seconds more experience could have gotten that octopus off of the reef in a tenth of the time that it took me. But that didn’t matter to me at the time. My smile was ear to ear as I swam back to shore with my prize. When the handful of Japanese tourist getting ready for their group snorkeling tour started staring at me and taking pictures, I felt like a million bucks. I love this sport!
By the way, what is the best way to kill an octopus?
-Fatman
