# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > Fishing >  Spear fishing

## Superman52

Hey guys my cousins and I are going spear fishing for bass and sunfish this week it will be our first time any tips?



Thanks

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## pete lynch

Here's a tip: make sure it's legal to spear fish in fresh water.

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## Hobobum

> Hey guys my cousins and I are going spear fishing for bass and sunfish this week it will be our first time any tips?
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks


 PATIENCE ...........Tried it once for two days with nothing to show for my efforts (hand held stick and knife spear) . I did gain a deeper respect for the survival instincts of those fish , any movement or even a shadow crossing their path would spook them . Good Luck !

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## Rick

And speaking of legal. If using a spear is legal in your state make certain you have a fishing license. I can't imagine any state allows the use of spears on game fish.

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## pete lynch

The only fish you can spear (or bow-fish) in my state are snakeheads.

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## welderguy

Check your local fishing regulations, Since your a minor your parents will face the wrath of fish and game for any thing you do wrong!!

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## randyt

if it's legal to spear, aim under the fish. The water refracts the light and the fish isn't really where it seems to appear.

In my area it is legal to spear fish from a fish shanty on the ice. The fish are attracted by fish decoys. Mostly it's sturgeon, pike and walleye. The sturgeon requires a special license that is issued through a lottery system. The spears are weighted with lead and are dropped through the hole in the ice from the shanty.

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## RandyRhoads

I'm pretty into spearfishing. It just takes practice. Watch my videos and mayb you'll pull some ideas on how to do it. 
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y-wAGvYjsw

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bvt13egbNLw

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PU6q5WicaRQ

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MkZU4Yey98w

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## welderguy

> I'm pretty into spearfishing. It just takes practice. Watch my videos and mayb you'll pull some ideas on how to do it. 
> http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y-wAGvYjsw
> 
> http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bvt13egbNLw
> 
> http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PU6q5WicaRQ
> 
> http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MkZU4Yey98w


 Cool videos.

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## Rick

What the heck is a fish decoy? 

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## randyt

It's a wooden fish painted up to look real. The fins are often made from copper sheet. Lead is poured in a groove in the bottom to keep it from floating.

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## RandyRhoads

> And speaking of legal. If using a spear is legal in your state make certain you have a fishing license. I can't imagine any state allows the use of spears on game fish.


Uhh spearfishing is legal in just about every state.... Some states you don't even need a license

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## welderguy

> Uhh spearfishing is legal in just about every state.... Some states you don't even need a license


 That may be true, but In Texas its for non game species only.

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## RandyRhoads

What do you mean non game? If you target something doesn't that make it game...

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## welderguy

> What do you mean non game? If you target something doesn't that make it game...


 Carp, gar, and a couple others are non game fish. Bass, Stripper, Perch etc are game fish in texas.

 Easier way to sum it up, if you have to buy a licence to catch it you cant use a spear .

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## RandyRhoads

You don't need a license to catch those...? A game fish is any fish I'm going to kill and eat... Including carp

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## Rick

Same in Illinois and Indiana. I'm sure California regulates game fish too. Spear and bow fishing is only legal in Indiana for Carp, Gar, Bowfin, Buffalo and Shad. Then only in certain water and at certain times. You can't use a spear at all on the Lake Michigan tributaries on any fish.

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## welderguy

> You don't need a license to catch those...? A game fish is any fish I'm going to kill and eat... Including carp


 
 LOL, you are correct in that respect.  Sorry guess my explanation didn't sound right, what I meant was if its on the list of fish you can catch with a pole you cant use a spear on it, you have to have a licence for any fishing, bow fishing, spear fishing.

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## Rick

Fish spear, gig, spear gun, bow and arrow and underwater spear are all treated the same here and are covered by the same regs.

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## RandyRhoads

> LOL, you are correct in that respect.  Sorry guess my explanation didn't sound right, what I meant was if its on the list of fish you can catch with a pole you cant use a spear on it, you have to have a licence for any fishing, bow fishing, spear fishing.


What ridiculous laws. That pisses me off glad I don't live there. We have been fighting over some bs laws regarding us spearing in the sacramento/American rivers a lot this year. 

Rick of course california manages fishing... Did I say something that made it sound like they don't?

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## intothenew

> What ridiculous laws...............


Think about it for a minute. One, "non game" should be a no brainer. 


Two, "certain seasons" are to keep you off the bed. They won't bite (they'll gingerly pick it up and move it), and ain't likely to move at all. Ducks in a barrel, is that the way it should be?

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## crashdive123

In the state where the OP is posting from there are restrictions regarding spearfishing.  Some fish have a very limited season, and if things haven't changed since I lived there your had to be scuba diving, snorkeling or floating to spearfish.

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## Rick

No, Randy. I was referencing spear fishing not game fishing overall. California has a section on fresh water spearfishing that includes the type of fish, where and when they can be taken. See section 2.3 of your freshwater fishing regs. 

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations/

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## RandyRhoads

> Think about it for a minute. One, "non game" should be a no brainer. 
> 
> 
> Two, "certain seasons" are to keep you off the bed. They won't bite (they'll gingerly pick it up and move it), and ain't likely to move at all. Ducks in a barrel, is that the way it should be?


1- http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_fish
Any fish pursued by recreational anglers. 

No, it shouldn't be ducks in a barrel. Laws can restrict spearing in the seasons they are spawning/don't bite. Spearfishing is the most enviro friendly method of fishing, as well as extremely difficult and requires active hunting instead of just sitting on shore drinking a beer. Go try it out and please tell me how much it's like shooing ducks in a barrel in any season hahahaha, I beg you...

Rick- Besides MLPAs where no fish can be taken by any means, almost all ocean fish of legal size are fair game. The freshwater laws are tricky right now. Carp pike and other less desired fish are pretty open. This is the first year we finally got them to open striped bass in freshwater and some political bs is trying to stop it for reasons other than preservation issues. Sac county parks made it spears/spearguns illegal weapons that can't be taken there.

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## Rick

Ocean fishing is a bit limited here at the moment. If this whole global warming thing works out we might have ocean front property but that's still a few years out. 

I get the ocean fishing thing. A little different spear than we're accustomed to here. Just a long stick with the ends flared is all we use. Either that or a gig. I don't know anyone with a spear gun.

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## RandyRhoads

> Ocean fishing is a bit limited here at the moment. If this whole global warming thing works out we might have ocean front property but that's still a few years out. 
> 
> I get the ocean fishing thing. A little different spear than we're accustomed to here. Just a long stick with the ends flared is all we use. Either that or a gig. I don't know anyone with a spear gun.


Hahaha.


A quick google search showed that people do spear in Indiana. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_lgMPw5ABg

If you like hunting, spear fishing is an awesome portion of it most people never experience. Whole new tactics and strategies, crazy elements you don't have to deal with on land...like not being able to breathe...

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## Rick

Randy - There are two groups of folks I don't hang with. Those who willing jump out of perfectly good aircraft and those who put tanks on their back and actually put their heads below water. If God had intended me to do that stuff he would have given me wings and gills.

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## welderguy

> Randy - There are two groups of folks I don't hang with. Those who willing jump out of perfectly good aircraft and those who put tanks on their back and actually put their heads below water. If God had intended me to do that stuff he would have given me wings and gills.


 Being underwater is so very peaceful, You should try it . unless there are sharks, or gators around then its a little scarey

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## Rick

Or giant catfish, snakes, snappin' turtles, huge shellfish, or piranha. Oh, and those little tiny fish that swim upstream in urine. Yeah....no.

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## RandyRhoads

> Randy - There are two groups of folks I don't hang with. Those who willing jump out of perfectly good aircraft and those who put tanks on their back and actually put their heads below water. If God had intended me to do that stuff he would have given me wings and gills.


Well that's good because we don't use tanks. Ever. That was all done breath holding, which god intended you to do because he gave you the mammalian dive reflex..
Welder guy- Its hardly what I'd call piece full with darth vader bubble breathing in your ear on air tanks...

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## welderguy

> Well that's good because we don't use tanks. Ever. That was all done breath holding, which god intended you to do because he gave you the mammalian dive reflex..
> Welder guy- Its hardly what I'd call piece full with darth vader bubble breathing in your ear on air tanks...


 I actually find the sound relaxing!

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## welderguy

> Or giant catfish, snakes, snappin' turtles, huge shellfish, or piranha. Oh, and those little tiny fish that swim upstream in urine. Yeah....no.


 HAHAHAHA, you have a LOOOOONGGG list of things you dont wanna meet , dont ya?

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## Rick

Randy - Oh, pashaw. If he meant for you to hold your breath you wouldn't turn blue as a warning signal. 

Dave - I would like to keep all my appendages in one piece. I carry a handgun because I can't tote a cannon.

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## oldtrap59

Rick. Just as a side note on fish decoys. Back in the day of market hunters and fishermen, fish decoys were used alot as randyt said to attract fish under the ice. These decoys have now become highly collectable and many of them are considered pieces of art. Thought you might like to know.

Oldtrap

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## Old GI

> Randy - There are two groups of folks I don't hang with. Those who willing jump out of perfectly good aircraft and those who put tanks on their back and actually put their heads below water. If God had intended me to do that stuff he would have given me wings and gills.


First, USPA D4287 and PADI OWSI 11400 (both retired), etc., etc.

A salt water spearfishing lesson, somewhat related to the topic, on my very first skin dive with a short gun I shot at a barracuda and fortunately missed (according to my instructor).  They apparently have a knack for following the line back toward you.  I didn't try a second time.

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## Ranger F

Not sure about ur area but most places only "rough" fish are legal. Don't know much about spear fishing but bowfishing is another story.  image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg

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## Rick

Do you eat rough fish and rays?

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## RandyRhoads

> Not sure about ur area but most places only "rough" fish are legal. Don't know much about spear fishing but bowfishing is another story.  image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg


Damn dude take me bow fishing with you...

How do you cook your carp? I love it, but the bones are a bit much.

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## Ranger F

> Do you eat rough fish and rays?



Don't eat the carp,  their fertilizer.  The gar,and rays we usually eat some. The snakeheads are awesome, I'm not a big fish eater n we always fillet them n keep the meat. There's no fishy taste at all just white flaky meat

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## Batch

Where you located Ranger? Our canals down here in South Florida are loaded up with big snakeheads.

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## Ranger F

South central PA,  we shoot the snakeheads in the Potomac below DC. It's full of m down there

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## senna

prepared correctly, carp are great as sandwiches. you really should put them  live in clean water for a few days, and let them "clean out". We score them to reduce the bones to chewable size and then bread and deep fry in oil. tartar sauce home fries, ketchup and coleslaw, mmm.

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## RandyRhoads

Spear fishing and taking live don't go well together.

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## Rick

What's the purpose of cleaning carp out? I've seen a lot caught and prepared and never heard of holding them in water for a few days.

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## senna

it's hard to arrange, but if it can be done, makes for firmer, tastier flesh.

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## alaskabushman

In my region its only legal to spearfish if you have a subsistence permit. I have used a pole spear a couple times to fish for salmon in rivers. Donning a wetsuit and mask I plunged into the 38 degree water and, after a few tries, managed to skewer a few silver and red salmon. It was a lot of fun actually, not a high volume way of procuring fish, but certainly doable.

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## RandyRhoads

One could easily limit out with tons of fish here if they weren't picky. Just got back last night a nabbed a decent kelp greenling, a cabezon and two small abs.

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## RandyRhoads

Ocean finally cleared up. Even got the girlfriend out in the water with us. And I found not only my first abalone pearl, but six!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UskS-5exqYc

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## COWBOYSURVIVAL

> Ocean finally cleared up. Even got the girlfriend out in the water with us. And I found not only my first abalone pearl, but six!
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UskS-5exqYc


Great video! Looks like a great time! Congrats!

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## Rick

Pretty cool vid. I take it abalone have to be a minimum size to harvest? I saw you had a measuring tool.

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## Woodmaster750

RandyR when you coming back out. I treaded my 72 for another 62. as I like them short tanks and I get the same time as with a 72. also got more weights. Lets go to the landing and spear use some stripers.

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## RandyRhoads

Yes Rick abs must be at least 7" but most divers take at least 8-9" an inch in length can almost double the weight of meat. 

Hey Jesse got your voicemail but I didn't know if it was too late to call. Ill see you in the next couple months and we can get a good dive in!

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## Woodmaster750

Randy sounds great.

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## Ranger F

Cool video!

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## RandyRhoads

Monday we lost another diver. Which makes 4 this year, just in this one particular cove. I went up to help search for and recover the body after 3 days of the Sheriff and Coast guard dive team not finding him. Our group of private divers found him. Freediving, no tanks.. Here's a first hand account of what happened from the neighbor of the man, and person who got everyone together to help look...

On Monday night Craig Willes went diving for abalone in Fisk mill cove, his wife Linda was on shore waiting and watching him dive.... She thought it looked rough, he promised her he would be fine.... This was there last words to each other.....she watched him swim around the back of the giant rock and make his way to a place he had dove many times before. She watched him clip off his board and start diving.... She said he never surfaced from his third dive..... Just writing this is so painfull to me... Craig and Linda are my neighbors here in Timber cove......Monday and Tuesday I was helping Jon at the lake with the clinics! Wednesday I had an abalone guiding job... I found out Monday night about the missing diver...It made me feel so cold inside... Like freezing to my bones knowing someone was lost out there.. On Tuesday night I figured out it was Craig. On Wednesday morning I was waiting for my client down at the store when the lifeguards pulled up an started talking to me.. I said that I would he like to help them look and they said maybe Thursday it could help them.. Wednesday afternoon I was sitting on the couch and there was a knock at the door... It was Linda asking me to help her find her husband.... The State park lifeguards had been looking and not having any luck.... This is going to surprise a lot of you but there is NOONE who will go get us, no one who can save us, no one who even wants to put themselves in harms way to recover you... It is somehow too rough or the vis is too bad... Like Wednesday when the searches said it was too risky, and yet I was able to take a guy abalone diving for his FIRST time, and he got three!... Anyways I don't want to say bad things about people.... Which leads me to Linda on my porch, I knew I had to do it, there was never a doubt in my mind about what I would be doing..... I instantly called Tom at Sonoma coast divers and told him I was leaving my house and could he stay open till I got there, not only did Pam wait for me but they donated all the tanks and gear... I wanted tanks there for safety purposes, like if he was really stuck, or if one of us had a problem... On the way to rosa to get the gear Amanda told me to post it, and ask for help, I was very hesitant to ask because this is a lot to ask. I posted a cry for help... Before we hit town rob102 was on his way.. I can't describe in words what that means to me and how it made me feel, rob drove all the way from colusa!!!! When I got home I got a call from the lifeguards saying that I could not be a part of there search for Craig... Wow wtf??? However he was kind enough to tell me that no one could tell me I can't go look for him, I just can't join them...I then called my other neighbor who is the resident sherif here.. He told me it was great I was going to do this and to be safe and not risk other peoples lives.. I assured him that I knew just the guys for this job, and that we enter the ocean on rough days with no vis for fun, he said that if we found Craig and wanted to bring him to shore we could.. I thanked him... I knew what we had to do and who we would be doing it for....the replays just kept coming!!! Rob showed up and we talked strategies for the morning, I couldn't really sleep all night..... When I woke up I walked into Heath, Jack, rob,and ken in my living room!!!! Thank you guys so much... We decided that Freediving is our strong side and we can cover more ground so we decided to pound and and save the tanks as a backup plan for the afternoon...We went to Fisk mill with Linda and she pointed out his board and where she saw him last... Ken got in first cause he had time constraints.... We made our way out... It was surgy and the surge was powerful.. It was the hardest diving I have ever done....I couldn't slow my heart... It is so hard to breathe up with a lump in your throat... This was some really hard **** to talk about...it seemed like a blur in time.... Amanda says it was almost three hours...Jack found a mask..... Then rob called me over.... Craig was stuck in a ledge cave with his arm way back in there... Rob brought him up..... We said a prayer and rob and I swam Craig in to shore... About 100 ft from shore the life guard jumped in the water swam up to us and said he was going to take over... Rob sternly said.. We found him we brought him up... We are bringing him in... When we got in six ft of water the lifeguard said this is good we can leave him here... I said sternly that he has been out here since Monday and that he was coming to shore right now and not staying in the cold water anymore... We swam him in with love and respect.... We brought him to shore... We took off our fins and tops and covered him so he wouldn't be cold anymore.... *** this is so hard..... It hit me so hard that no one can save us... We have to save each other... Right there on the shore me and rob made a deal, to never leave each other's wife on the shore, we have to take care of each other, we have to recover our own.... No one is more qualified than we are to do the things we do..no one is more qualified to find one of our own than us.... I can't stress enough.. Linda wanted to talk to me yesterday.. There entire family is forever grateful to all of us... They loved how we treated Craig with respect and love... That we brought him home meant everything to them...rob Winn I love you... You have been there for me...I owe you big time... Jack you too... Ken butler you too...Heath you are no longer a rookie, you have grown so much this year, thank you Heath for being here... Desert diver Russ you too... Randyrhoads geo you too... Russ came from Reno off a shift!!!!! All in all this was the hardest most difficult dive I have ever done............

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## crashdive123

Sorry for your loss.  Recovery is a very, very difficult but necessary task.  I'm sure the families involved will be thankful for the closure that you were able to bring them.

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## Woodmaster750

Geo as we know even as a tank diver like me if we go down and not back up, no one will come for us but our brothers and sisters, The same as in combat. We are a family with in our own. Others will say they tried but that's it..... Semper Fi. Brother

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## RandyRhoads

Last ab dive until the season opens up again next year  :Frown: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BScgdAdPt3g

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## Old Professor

I know how you feel and what you are saying! Years ago I was a member of an informal search and recovery SCUBA group of local divers.  We had a drowning in a particularly dirty and cluttered cove in a local lake. The State Police Dive Team went in the water and promptly came back out, saying it was too dangerous to dive in that location. The family ask a local SCUBA diver for help and about a dozen and a half of us showed up to search. We dived for five days in zero visibility, until a diver returning to shore stumbled into the body. We family was so greatful for our efforts.

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## RandyRhoads

Man I don't get it. I'm hopefully getting on the county dive recsue team January, I hope they never say that crap to me that we can't recover someone over conditions that are not stellar and perfect.

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## RandyRhoads

Ocean was amazing today. Like glass with 20+' of vis. Got a lingcod, a blue rockfish, a greenling and three scallops. Mmm. 

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## crashdive123

Nice catch.

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## RandyRhoads

Here's the video. Awesome day. Amazing visibility for the dirty PNW coast

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAmNKW72DMY

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## RandyRhoads

And so concludes my first year of diving. Here it is crammed into less than 4 minutes....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCOAw7WD_Ro

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## Buckshot

RandyRhoads I know this is late to be saying this but my heart goes out for your lost. I know what it feels like to go on a recovery. I did it twice, although the last didn't start that way. When you are on ground the sights and smells stay with you. You never get over them.

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## Lamewolf

> Here's a tip: make sure it's legal to spear fish in fresh water.


Make sure its leagal to spear bass and sunfish - most states allow spearfishing for rough fish but not for gamefish !

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## RandyRhoads

Yesterdays dive. No fish but I got to use the new UAV for some awesome intro shots!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPo3aHyF92M

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## Lamewolf

> Uhh spearfishing is legal in just about every state.... Some states you don't even need a license


In Ohio its only legal for rough fish such as carp and suckers and you DO need a license to do it !

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## RandyRhoads

> In Ohio its only legal for rough fish such as carp and suckers and you DO need a license to do it !


Right....legal... And one of the states that require a license....

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## hunter63

Thanks for the vid's ....very cool.....have to cut to 2 ft of ice around here, right about now....LOL

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## Lamewolf

> Right....legal... And one of the states that require a license....


Notice: legal for rough fish, not for gamefish such as bass and sunfish in the original post.  Get caught spearing anything like that here can get you a fine.  In fact, taking of gamefish here is only legal by regular angling methods such as baited hook and line, no spearing, snagging, or trapping allowed for them.  But snagging, spearing, trapping is legal for rough fish.  Now in a real survival situation I don't think I would worry too much about whats legal - if I'm hungry and I can get a fish by spearing, then so be it !

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## RandyRhoads

Uhh right ... Rough fish are
Fish.... I never said all fish are legal...I just said spearing fish is legal in most states...
Yours included. Nothing wrong with rough fish, they're a fun ride!

Thanks hunter!!

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## crashdive123

Cool vid and cool shots from the new toy.

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## Lamewolf

> Uhh right ... Rough fish are
> Fish.... I never said all fish are legal...I just said spearing fish is legal in most states...
> Yours included. Nothing wrong with rough fish, they're a fun ride!
> 
> Thanks hunter!!


OK, but the reason I specified "rough fish" was for an example as the original post mentioned spear fishing for bass and I didn't want to see him get himself in any hot water if it was illegal to spear them in his state.  Its always good to check the game laws first !

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## RandyRhoads

Hehe I see your point but i don't think you'd have to worry about actually getting a bass unless he hooked it then stabbed it. Those things are terribly hard to spear, in the water and out. Still waitin on my first speared striper... This year I hope...

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## RandyRhoads

So we were supposed to go diving in Carmel Saturday but the weather turned bad and we cancelled last minute. Come to find out the guys that did go there that morning had a surprise visitor. 

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## crashdive123

Looks like Karma was on your side.

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## Rick

I gotta start a list for California.

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## RandyRhoads

Offfff....?

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## Rick

Of reasons not to go there. I have a great list of reasons not to go to Florida. Sharks are on the Florida list so California needs a list I'm afraid. I've heard rumblings of earthquakes in California. That goes on the list. (rumblings of earthquakes. I slay myself).

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## RandyRhoads

I was doing a Paramedic refresher course today and during lunch i'd thought i'd go to my happy place and watch some dive videos from last year. Something caught my eye. Almost 2,000 views and no one saw it until I caught it today a year later. Good feelings gone, no happy place. A *%$#ing Great White Shark lurking just out of eyesight. Watching me. Decided weather he wanted to eat me or not. WTF.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pip995u-Ww0

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## crashdive123

Glad you didn't look like human sushi to it.

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## Ranger F

Oooookkkkk!   No thank you!  Looks like an awesome hobby....but I'll stay top side!

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## Sluggo

I guess I look at things with survival goggles.Spear fishing with tanks takes that a different direction,at least in my thinking.That said,for anyone wanting to supply themselves with food without the expense of modern equipment,a better way of spearing fish is not the jab or throw technique,but the yank technique.By easing along a weed bed fish often are lurking in or at the edge,presenting an easy target for yanking.You need to cut a long sapling,say 8'-10' long an a 1" diameter.On one end leave an 8" limb section attached ( imagine what a check mark looks like ____________\ ) by reaching the short limb over the fish,simply yank toward you,impaling the fish,pulling it toward you keeps pressure on the fish.There are other ways to make a pull spear,driving a long nail into a long board or limb at an upward angle will work well also.

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## RandyRhoads

Who said anything about tanks. I've never used tanks to spearfish.

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## RandyRhoads

Shot a hog today. Working on the video now.
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## RandyRhoads

When I grow up I want to be
One of the harvesters of the sea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdfzRCCCN9U

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## Sluggo

> Who said anything about tanks. I've never used tanks to spearfish.


I don't believe I said you used tanks,I don't have a problem with folks either way.I was leading up to a making a survival point for anyone interested in a way to fetch a meal without having to get wet.Free diving,scuba diving,or snorkeling are all good ways to get game,but for those who don't live where it's viable I was giving them another option.By the way,a previous poster commented they would not want to strap on tanks or go under water......that is who it's for!

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## RandyRhoads

And they said I couldn't use my Harley for diving...
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## crashdive123

> And they said I couldn't use my Harley for diving...
> Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.


In the four years I lived in Hawaii all I owned was a motorcycle.  I dove 3-5 days a week.  I did get some strange looks with wearing my tank with the rest of the gear strapped to the seat and luggage rack.

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## RandyRhoads

Haha mine was a joke but that's awesome crash!

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## Ranger F

image.jpgimage.jpg

Finally got on the water for the first time this year and got lizzy on the boat for the first time. She did good!  Think she'll make a good bowfishing partner!  Shot a flathead that had nasty sores on it . That's why I don't eat anything out of that river!

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## RandyRhoads

What is that!

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## Ranger F

Flathead catfish with herpie sores all over it!

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## Rick

You might be interested in this post on catfish with sores. Read the DNR responses. Especially the use of hand cleanser after handling. 

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries...=catfish+ulcer

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## Ranger F

Ok!   Thanx for that,  their nasty.

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## swenlet

I'm a net/trap guy myself. I don't think that fishing, one at a time, personally, makes much sense. Too many calories burned/per likely return, too much time spent.

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## crashdive123

I would disagree.  A lot depends on where you are fishing.  Nothing like spearing a 40 lb Ling Cod in 15 feet of water after about 10 minutes in the water (not an isolated incident).  Other places - you're right - net may be the way to go.

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## Batch

> I was doing a Paramedic refresher course today and during lunch i'd thought i'd go to my happy place and watch some dive videos from last year. Something caught my eye. Almost 2,000 views and no one saw it until I caught it today a year later. Good feelings gone, no happy place. A *%$#ing Great White Shark lurking just out of eyesight. Watching me. Decided weather he wanted to eat me or not. WTF.
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pip995u-Ww0


I came across this video and thought of this thread. A spear fisherman off the east coast of Florida has a pucker moment with a great white. The area he is in has by far the greatest number of shark attacks of anywhere in the world. Just not usually great whites. Almost all fatal shark attacks in Florida waters are blamed on Bull and Tiger sharks.

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## Rick

Crap! Sharks are already on the list. Oh well, redundancy is good. I put them on the list AGAIN.

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## RandyRhoads

Great day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKsSErCr88M

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## crashdive123

Looks like quite a haul.

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## Rick

That's amazingly clear water. Looks like a nice day.

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## RandyRhoads

It's about time too, I was beginning to have withdrawals! The last handful of trips have been a couple hundred mile drive to find a murky raging mad ocean.

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## RandyRhoads

Best video editing yet I think
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKsSErCr88M

I got to wrestle my first Giant Pacific Octopus at 35' with nothing but a knife and my bare hands. I got my *** handed to me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR7DhwE4-AI


No spearing here but a fun different dive. Freediving an alpine lake with some bass and carp.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgvZqQ18oBI

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## Ranger F

No way!   I would have been so far back under that rock ledge u wouldn't get me out with a crowbar!

Spent sat on the Chesapeake with some friends,  water was rough but everyone got one ray n got a few fillets to bring home,

Don't know why attachments are too big all the sudden?  Never had problems before?

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## RandyRhoads

Never had a ray before. Are you using a file host or trying to upload directly to here?

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## COWBOYSURVIVAL

> Best video editing yet I think
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKsSErCr88M
> 
> I got to wrestle my first Giant Pacific Octopus at 35' with nothing but a knife and my bare hands. I got my *** handed to me.
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR7DhwE4-AI
> 
> 
> No spearing here but a fun different dive. Freediving an alpine lake with some bass and carp.
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgvZqQ18oBI


Enjoying the video's. Did I miss the Giant Octopus in the second video?

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## Batch

> Enjoying the video's. Did I miss the Giant Octopus in the second video?


I was wondering the same thing.

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## Ranger F

Upload direct.  Never had problems before .

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## RandyRhoads

The octopus- Sadly I burnt out my GoPro battery kayak fishing in between. We dove, went yak fishing, then on the way in decided to check it out one more time. My buddy got a crumby angle of me fighting it from his GoPro starting at the dive at 1:33. I kind of blocked it with my body buy you can see a few suckers/tentacles near my arms.

I plunged my knife in between what I thought were his eyes. It felt like stabbing a bowl of whipped cream. Had I got him in between the eyes he probably would have been weak enough to get, rather than pissed off.




> Upload direct.  Never had problems before .


It may seem like a bit of a hassle but i'd start a photobucket or something. Has no size limit, and when you post them here they show up as a full picture instead of a smaller thumbnail.

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## crashdive123

> Upload direct.  Never had problems before .


Pretty sure there is a set number of pics that you can upload directly.  I think it's 100.  You are not limited if you use a photo hosting site like Photobucket or Flicker.  Another possibility is that the pic is too big.  You may have to resize it.

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## Batch

This a video of the protected Goliath Grouper aka the Jewfish. They exist in such small numbers (as the video clearly shows) that it is against the law to harvest one.

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## RandyRhoads

They don't congregrate around you as much if you take off all you your gold before diving. 


This seems to happen with a lot of animals. They protect them and then they overpopulate, thereby throwing everything else out of whack. 

On top of that the look stupid like they're starting to ignore people as a threat

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## Rick

To be honest the numbers are that large because they did protect them. But you have to look at numbers world wide too. There may be a lot of them in that location but few elsewhere. I don't know anything about the fish but I'm a strong supporter of protected fisheries and animal populations. I was reading an article yesterday that talked about the billions of Passenger Pigeons the lived in the U.S. So many existed that flights of 1 mile wide lasting hours were documented. Rookeries in the millions. 100 years later they are extinct.  Scientists are beginning to state the we are in the sixth great extinction. That mankind has destroyed so much habitat and with it so many life forms that we are in the midst of a mass extinction.  

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2014/...-try-to-bring/

http://www.theguardian.com/environme...species-evolve

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## RandyRhoads

In theory they are great until you look deeper and see much like everything else it's often all about politics. Things get protected for ulterior motives. It's frequently more about who passing a law will make a buck for then protect a certain species. Scientific reports skewed or ignored.

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## Batch

Rick, habitat loss is not a thing I will argue. I am for securing every bit of habitat we have left. 

I think what you missed is that those jewfish had eaten all of the normal local legal catch except the invasive lionfish. LOL

The lionfish is a huge problem and the protected jewfish is eating like a huge grouper that's numbers are over abundant locally.

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## Rick

I didn't miss it. As i said, I know nothing about the fish. Nothing about scuba diving or what you would expect to see....except that jaws thing Randy posted a couple of weeks ago (shiver). I know quite a few DNR guys and a couple of state biologists. They took those jobs because they believe in what they are doing and in the case of the biologists it has nothing to do with politics for them. They really do care about the fisheries and the animals. I guess youse pays your money and youse takes your chances.

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## RandyRhoads

Like I said reports get skewed or ignored. The people that put in the footwork and actually care aren't listened to. Mostly. Not a hard fast rule. Just happens. Greediness. If someone sees a windfall off some sort of gains morals can go out the window quickly.

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## wilderness medic

2 weeks ago me and a buddy snuck out and caught a couple hour calm in between a 2 week storm. Only a couple hours, but the ocean laid flat and visibility was amazing. By the time noon rolled around the conditions were ripping and we were forced to exit, which was a bit more difficult than when we entered.

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## crashdive123

Looks like a good day in the water and a target rich environment.

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## wilderness medic

> Looks like a good day in the water and a target rich environment.


Oh yeah. We got lucky on conditions that day. It's miserable when a storm last so long. Start to get hungry.  :Smile: 

Yesterday we went out. Friend found his first scallop, and monkey faced eel. He had a friend with his son along so we ended up in shallow water 10-15' for the kid to dive. Still had fun, lots of small reef fish. And the friend said he wanted as much meat as possible so it gave me an excuse to shoot a bunch of small fish i'd otherwise pass up. :rambo:  Lots of spearin' in this one.

Found out today a friend spotted a roughly 8' Great White yesterday a little south, and a ranger saw a 12' one eating something that day as well. Eventually, it's gonna happen.

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## wilderness medic

Went out by myself today. Got 4 scallops and a stack of abalone shells to curb my abalone shakes during the off season.
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## wilderness medic

I caught a cabezon with my bare hands LOL. Going primal. Tried knifing a fish, pulled a scallop with my bare hands, harassed a small ling cod.

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## crashdive123

Looks like a nice way to ring in the new year.........unless of course you're a Cabezon.

Lil cabezon gets home all out of breath.

Momma cabezon:  What's wrong?

Lil cabezon:  There I was minding my own business when this giant grabbed me and took me to the surface.

Momma cabezon:  Did you start drinking and celebrating a little early this year?

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## wilderness medic

> Looks like a nice way to ring in the new year.........unless of course you're a Cabezon.
> 
> Lil cabezon gets home all out of breath.
> 
> Momma cabezon:  What's wrong?
> 
> Lil cabezon:  There I was minding my own business when this giant grabbed me and took me to the surface.
> 
> Momma cabezon:  Did you start drinking and celebrating a little early this year?


Haha. I'm sure that had to be terrifying for the little guy. But that will probably make him smarter and more cautious against predators from now on.

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## hayshaker

that,s too cool WM neveer dived before . but i did snorkel for spiny lobster in keywest that was
awesome.

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## wilderness medic

> that,s too cool WM neveer dived before . but i did snorkel for spiny lobster in keywest that was
> awesome.


Eh, basically the same thing. Hold you breath, go down and grab something and come up. Still haven't gone on a lobster trip. Starting to get a twitch for it after seeing what friends are pulling up. Buddy grabbed this guy, made a nice mount 10635990_10205560424999478_18358020513749107_n.jpg

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## wilderness medic

Shot 3 parrot fish and a grouper in La Paz today. Kicked my but and wrapped a rock at 45'. Took forever to untangle him. Marlin were jumping like mad this morning. Hopeful tomorrow the Pelagic's make an appearance and give a crazy fight. 

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## crashdive123

Looks like good eats.

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## wilderness medic

Well 1/5 got one.  Saw 3 Wahoo. Buddy hit a 50-60 pounder but the spear tore out. 

Tomorrow is my last day to get a monster. 

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## crashdive123

Nice fish.....and a heck of a spear gun.

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## wilderness medic

Definitely an arm breaker. All shot one handed!

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## wilderness medic

All done with Mexico. That was sure a different experience. Instead of actively hunting a reef that big game fish spearing is like....big game hunting...

Lots of waiting with absolutely nothing happening for that moment for "the one" to appear. Swim down 40', curl up into a ball with the 6' speargun tucked away and float along the current until out of air.

So many yellowtail and wahoo. Just couldn't get close enough to land one. Hit a couple but didn't penetrate enough. Buddy hit a 60-70 pound wahoo but grabbed the line too quick and pulled it out. So hard to get close. Pro guide said to not look at them and swim in a different direction. Felt even stupider when I did this as it never came in closer...I just swam away from it never to be seen again haha...

Did get some smaller parrotfish, grouper, and dog tooth snapper. Had them all cooked at local restaurants.

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## Batch

I use the no look to get near certain reptiles and birds and it works. You go toward them. Just not directly toward them. 

For example, I might take side steps toward a bird without looking directly at it. Its not that you are not closing distance. It is just that you don't make it appear that your purpose is to close distance. They still get wary. Just not as bad.

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## wilderness medic

> I use the no look to get near certain reptiles and birds and it works. You go toward them. Just not directly toward them. 
> 
> For example, I might take side steps toward a bird without looking directly at it. Its not that you are not closing distance. It is just that you don't make it appear that your purpose is to close distance. They still get wary. Just not as bad.



Yeah I know what you mean. Do it on fish up here, kind of intercept them. Guess it's just harder when it's a 60 pound fish not a little rockfish haha...and makes you feel dumb when you swim away.

Caught a 4 hour power nap and went back out on the home turf. Got a 33" Lingcod and a smaller one, along with some scallops and a blue rockfish. Loved stoning the smaller ling. It was like someone flipped the lightswitch off.

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## Rick

I've read that direct eye contact and direct approach are considered dominant characteristics and animals will either become aggressive/territorial or take flight. Seems to work like that in bars.

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## wilderness medic

> I've read that direct eye contact and direct approach are considered dominant characteristics and animals will either become aggressive/territorial or take flight. Seems to work like that in bars.


 :Shifty:  :drink:  lol!

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## wilderness medic

Another sad day on the coast. 3 people drowned diving together. Sounds like they were out of state and inexperienced and hopped into a death trap. 

I talked to the firefighter who was fishing there and watched them get in. He said immediately one got taken underwater and didn't come up, and they others were getting caught in it too. He tried to get the guy while he called 911 but couldn't. Took all day to recover one of the bodies.

Sad how often it happens....people just seem to not know better....

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/37...ivers-dead-one


http://s33.photobucket.com/user/rand...a.mp4.html?o=0

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## cacteye

That sucks to hear bro! here I was thinking of buying some gear for a nice summer vacation to north Cali for some abalone, scallops, and seaweed. not to mention all the sushi I can make with a wahoo! now that I hear about those guys drowning....I kinda dont want to go.

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## wilderness medic

If you're good enough to experience a wahoo dying like that shouldn't be a concern. If you're up this way let me know and we can go out diving. I have a little extra gear and there is a rental shop nearby.

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## crashdive123

I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often.  I cannot tell you the number of times we saw/helped people in trouble free and scuba diving in popular tourist spots.  Too many just do not check the local conditions or have a clue what to expect.  A very sad and unnecessary loss.

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## cacteye

I might just take you up on that offer! After Utah I'm going to want a radical change of scenery

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## wilderness medic

I'll be here cacteye.

Crash- I don't understand how people can't see the danger. Isn't this one of those naturally hardwired "I shouldn't do that" things? This wasn't a freak current or anything...it was a freaking hurricane. I'm experienced and know what I can handle but even then sometimes my head goes "What are you doing dummy"....



On a happier note I was just at that spot before this happened and had an amazing dive! Truly magical only-a-few-a-year type slaying fish. 3 ling cod, blue rockfish, china rockfish, 4 huge scallops, a nice cabezon...all in outstanding 35' vis!

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## wilderness medic

Nowhere near as good,  but got a spiffy new Youtube intro. Tried shooting 3 fish in one shot but only got 2. Caught a buffalo sculpin, he was pretty metal....

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## cacteye

Good to hear, hey bro do you ever collect seaweed too? I thought I saw a handful of edible ones you passed by!

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## hunter63

The only major spear fishing around here is sturgeon

http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/stur...winnebago.html

https://www.google.com/search?q=stur...CUQsAQ&dpr=1.2

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## wilderness medic

> Good to hear, hey bro do you ever collect seaweed too? I thought I saw a handful of edible ones you passed by!


Haven't yet. I know some do, although pretty uncommon. Always wanted to take some home but never have.\




> The only major spear fishing around here is sturgeon
> 
> http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/stur...winnebago.html
> 
> https://www.google.com/search?q=stur...CUQsAQ&dpr=1.2




Holy cow that is cool! Pretty sure if you got caught doing that here you would be taken out back and shot. Hell they even legalized striper spearing now but all the crotchety old guys in boats get mad and threaten you, sometimes even throwing sinkers. I don't understand why it would be legal to hook something but not spear it... The angry fishermen think spearing is like "shooting fish in a barrel" Yeah, give it a try..sitting on a boat drinking a beer with a line is easy...

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## cacteye

There is a site dedicated to seaweed(I stumbled upon it once while surfing late) I dont really remember it but they give you tons of photos an advice for Identifying the edible ones. Plus like 200 recipes for each type. FYI the Pacific north-west has an incredible array of edible seaweed!

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## MrFixIt

> ..sitting on a boat drinking a beer with a line is easy...


I actually prefer sitting on the bank with a cane pole...I've even been known to not bait the hook and just enjoy the scenery, sounds and beer...

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## hunter63

> I actually prefer sitting on the bank with a cane pole...I've even been known to not bait the hook and just enjoy the scenery, sounds and beer...


Psssst....That's called "spark plug fishing".....

Tie on a spark plug, cast out, sit in lawn chair, pop the top on a Brewski, .........
One of two things are gonna happen.....you will run out of beer....or you will start catching stuff on the spark plug......in either case....It's time to go home.

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## cacteye

You can catch without bait on the hook(its just harder than trying to pee through a cheerio) I caught a Largemouth bass on a bare hook without bait once....Although it was spawning season so Im guessing it was a protective strike rather than a hunger one!

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## hunter63

Around here we call that "snagging"........illegal.
Spark plugs don't have hooks.

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## wilderness medic

> Around here we call that "snagging"........illegal.
> Spark plugs don't have hooks.


Foul hooking is illegal here too I believe. Happens from time to time.




> I actually prefer sitting on the bank with a cane pole...I've even been known to not bait the hook and just enjoy the scenery, sounds and beer...


So do I from time to time. Nothing wrong with that. Whatever you enjoy! The majority of them seem to think we do it just because it's SO easy. Shooting fish in a barrel they say.  Right. 

Here's an article following another American river spear fisher. He's pretty arrogant, so try to ignore that. Not all like that and the journalist fabricated some things. 
http://www.mensjournal.com/adventure...ntier-20150220

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## cacteye

Its illegal here too, but sometimes it happens! My favorite thing to do is sit next to the water with a fire some Jack Daniels and a BBQ pit :-D

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## wilderness medic

If anyone read that article this is what it was talking about. This guy threw an absolute fit we were targeting "his" striper and began throwing rocks. Dirtbags think they own the river. You wouldn't catch them assaulting someone on a boat or on land who could fight back. Somehow us being in the water is soo much worse than all the people on the river using fishing poles.

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## crashdive123

I may have asked him if he knew how a spear gun performed above water.

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## wilderness medic

I would have loved to flip him off(literally) and call the police but the coward basically did a drive by. Or paddle by? Lol. When I came up he made sure he was well out of range in a hurry.

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## wilderness medic

A fun day out in the Zodiac. Played cat and mouse with a nice ling cod. Missed a point blank shot and he came up to my face to punk me! I swear I saw him smile and wink! Chased him to at least 3 other spots before I finally located him in a hole. Couldn't see his head so I aimed where I figured it would be and nailed him.

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## wilderness medic

Finally got my first trophy abalone 2 days ago. Relentless searching.

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## wilderness medic

11 days in a row with only 1 days in between off. Love it more and more. It feels like true wilderness. The only place I can actually hunt productfully and not run in to signs of other people non stop. With creatures that can kill you in the blink of an eye... hunting on land sure there are lions, tigers, and bears oh my... But nothing the size of a pickup truck that can swallow you whole or bite you in half. Love the thrill!

Just battled my first wolf eel. Quite the battle avoiding the teeth.
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## crashdive123

Nice vids.  Looks like some great eating.

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## wilderness medic

Droooool. Made unagi nigiri.
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## crashdive123

Wouldn't it be anago?

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## Rick

No. It would be "a no go". Nice vid and great catches but I don't eat the raw stuff. Yuck. The fried food looked great!

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## wilderness medic

You're right crash! Never had that before, didn't realize salt was anago. 

Lol! Rick it is fried! Most sushi is cooked. Eel was fried in oil and basted with unagi sauce.

Wonder if they have anago sauce?

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## crashdive123

Good eating regardless of what its called.

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