Went out looking for Yellowfin on Wednesday. Conditions were very good out on the shelf and we found a flock of working birds immediately on reaching the shelf. We tried pulling lures to encourage a strike but nothing happened. In retrospect, should probably have started a burley trail, heaven knows we had enough berley. Travelled from Arrawarra to the shelf then South toward the area off Coffs proper. We got 1 small Mack Tuna for our trouble.
I am sure the Yellowfin are there, it is just a question of being out there when they make a show. We are contemplating hitting the shelf again this weekend. Probably head out from Arrawarra, burley if we find birds working or an active collection of bait. Our idea is to come back via the Big Island and see if we can find some Mangrove Jack, Blue-Bar or Kingfish. Let's see what happens.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
28 July 2009
The weather is really holding off at the moment. We have had gloriously calm seas but the viz inshore has not been spectacular. Lots of divers rock-hopping but at the moment little coming my way of crayfish or Jewfish. The deepsea boys are getting into some seriously good fish. This just screams adventure and I am busily organizing a group of intrepid divers to go out and get some Marlin and Tuna.
The principle is to get an idea of where the bait balls are. In this case from 70m and deeper. Birds tend to give the baits' position away. If a bait-ball is found, one need only slide in amongst them and be patient. If the bait is not co-operating, drag some lures behind the boat (Rapalas, Halcos and Tuna feathers). When a strike is obtained start a burley trail. Ideally you want to use a drogue and mermaid line to slow the drift down and provide your divers with a point to comfortably rest. This is big gun territory. Break-away rigs with several floats are the order of the day. To encourage competition between fish on the burley trail, do not overfeed the fish. Ideally drop in a piece of burley and only follow it up when you lose sight of that piece. This will encourage the fish in close to the boat, hopefully ignoring the divers. A piece of information that I picked up was not to track the fish through the water but aim at a piece of burley, shooting when a fish comes into view. Perhaps by tomorrow I will have something to report on this. My telephone is going to be red-hot with all the calls made today!
For the sake of completeness I have included the article in the Advocate from Saturday:
25 July 2009
The Ocean is a fickle mistress. Tumultuous and unpredictable at the very least, she showed her calm and placid demeanour over the last weekend. The club competition went ahead, unexpectedly, I might add. The viz on the near-shore reefs was poor but out wide, it improved dramatically. We started at Northwest, then moving to The Wash. Although both of these venues appeared fishy, nothing worthwhile was encountered. The situation changed around The Big Island though. The viz went to 20m+ and it made a pleasant change lying on the surface watching the fish below. A charter boat at the pinnacles had created an extensive burley trail which attracted a cloud of fish. Without too much effort several Kingfish found there way into our esky.
We moved on to a patch of reef west of Hitler’s. Again several kingfish were found and we added 2 small Samsonfish to our tally. Last move was to a drift known as Bluebar Alley. I should have been paying closer attention because Kurt took an excellent fish on this drift. Unfortunately I would never be able to find the spot again. The Parrotfish was not a Bluebar. Some guest divers from Sydney confirmed that it was not a Bluebar and photos were taken to get it identified. My money is on an Ember Parrotfish and this is likely to be a new NSW state record. At the weigh-in, several Kingfish and Samsonfish came to the scales. The Parrotfish was most certainly the highlight of the weigh-in but there were Pearl perch and Mangrove jack in the mix too.
The weather is quite spectacular at the moment. Bright sunny days and the nights have lost that icy winter chill. The diving has been inspiring and it has motivated me to get fit in preparation for the new diving season.
The principle is to get an idea of where the bait balls are. In this case from 70m and deeper. Birds tend to give the baits' position away. If a bait-ball is found, one need only slide in amongst them and be patient. If the bait is not co-operating, drag some lures behind the boat (Rapalas, Halcos and Tuna feathers). When a strike is obtained start a burley trail. Ideally you want to use a drogue and mermaid line to slow the drift down and provide your divers with a point to comfortably rest. This is big gun territory. Break-away rigs with several floats are the order of the day. To encourage competition between fish on the burley trail, do not overfeed the fish. Ideally drop in a piece of burley and only follow it up when you lose sight of that piece. This will encourage the fish in close to the boat, hopefully ignoring the divers. A piece of information that I picked up was not to track the fish through the water but aim at a piece of burley, shooting when a fish comes into view. Perhaps by tomorrow I will have something to report on this. My telephone is going to be red-hot with all the calls made today!
For the sake of completeness I have included the article in the Advocate from Saturday:
25 July 2009
The Ocean is a fickle mistress. Tumultuous and unpredictable at the very least, she showed her calm and placid demeanour over the last weekend. The club competition went ahead, unexpectedly, I might add. The viz on the near-shore reefs was poor but out wide, it improved dramatically. We started at Northwest, then moving to The Wash. Although both of these venues appeared fishy, nothing worthwhile was encountered. The situation changed around The Big Island though. The viz went to 20m+ and it made a pleasant change lying on the surface watching the fish below. A charter boat at the pinnacles had created an extensive burley trail which attracted a cloud of fish. Without too much effort several Kingfish found there way into our esky.
We moved on to a patch of reef west of Hitler’s. Again several kingfish were found and we added 2 small Samsonfish to our tally. Last move was to a drift known as Bluebar Alley. I should have been paying closer attention because Kurt took an excellent fish on this drift. Unfortunately I would never be able to find the spot again. The Parrotfish was not a Bluebar. Some guest divers from Sydney confirmed that it was not a Bluebar and photos were taken to get it identified. My money is on an Ember Parrotfish and this is likely to be a new NSW state record. At the weigh-in, several Kingfish and Samsonfish came to the scales. The Parrotfish was most certainly the highlight of the weigh-in but there were Pearl perch and Mangrove jack in the mix too.
The weather is quite spectacular at the moment. Bright sunny days and the nights have lost that icy winter chill. The diving has been inspiring and it has motivated me to get fit in preparation for the new diving season.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
23 July 2009
And then the Ocean started co-operating. We had our club comp on the weekend and in spite of mucky viz on the nearshores, the viz out at the Big Island was quite phenomenal 20m+. So the water temperature was not brilliant and certainly no summer visitors would be around for the taking. There were lots of other fish on offer. My single greatest concern was that I was unfit and out of practice. I did not harbour any notions of doing well but got out and enjoyed the diving without any competitive drive. We started at Northwest and swam through the channel on the look-out for Jewfish. Then on to the Wash but the current kept us off the hotspot although there was lots of bait around. Finally, found a charter boat that was burleying up a storm at the pinnacles and I just waited far off their stern for any stragglers to come my way. 5 Yellowtail Kingfish was more than enough. I have already weighed my 2 Kingfish for the year, so these fish were taken purely to have some fish on the plate again. We moved from here to between The Mouse and The Big Island. More Kingfish for my dive buddies and I picked up a small Samsonfish. Finally to a spot known as Bluebar Alley. Please don't think I am being evasive about the spot but I don't think I could find it again. I saw no Parrotfish but Kurt did get a whopper of over 5.5kg. Turned out it was not a Bluebar. Photo's have been taken to allow identification and my money is on an Ember Parrotfish. It is very likely that this will be a new NSW state record. Some Pearl Perch and Mangrove Jacks were taken too.
It also seems as though the sea has calmed down and if one takes a moment to look outside, conditions are glorious. Even the icy bite of the cold air at night seems to have abated. All things considered there isn't another place I would rather be at the moment.
It also seems as though the sea has calmed down and if one takes a moment to look outside, conditions are glorious. Even the icy bite of the cold air at night seems to have abated. All things considered there isn't another place I would rather be at the moment.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
9 July 2009
We are still seeing a massive amount of inclement weather. Yesterday I was treated to my first tornado. In 10 minutes I saw 4 develop a short distance off-shore. Certainly never want to be at sea when one of those comes along. I have included the bulk of my recent newspaper articles as an indication of what has been happening in Coffs. All that remains to be said is that spearfishing is becoming something of a dim and distant memory:
27 June 2009
As the lost opportunities for club competitions start to mount, I wonder if some of the divers who decided not to weigh fish in the earlier competitions are kicking themselves. A case in point: You will hear about the good size of Kingfish that are found around Coffs. On any reasonable day you could expect to bump into several fish in the 20kg region. When it comes to the day of competition, do you weigh a small fish because you have guaranteed points or do you hold off and wait for a larger specimen for more points and risk not seeing another one all year? Considering that you will only be permitted to weigh 2 kingfish in the year. Species points are relatively more heavily weighted than the weight of the fish which adds an additional angle to the conundrum. My approach is to weigh what you have: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, in a manner of speaking. Having said that, suffice to say that last Sunday’s competition was postponed to this coming Sunday, please remember to call Flange to determine if the comp is on.
How do you improve your odds of getting a fish to hand? The first and most important thing to do is not to over-think it. You need to relax and trust that your preparation has been adequate. It is obviously easier to shoot a fish at close range and then easier to subdue it if the shot is a good one. This will require stalking fish and your body language is paramount in maintaining complacency in your target. Keep your eyes away from the intended quarry, don’t swim at it, allow its curiosity to trick it into coming in close. When you squeeze the trigger, the release of the spear should come as a bit of a surprise to you. I find that my best spearfishing is when I am in an almost dissociated state because my body language and intention is not conveyed to the target. Zen and the Art of Spearfishing, if you will. If you can kill the fish immediately, you are spared the often long and protracted struggle which inevitably leads to sharks arriving and relieving you of your prey. Practice shooting and become proficient at hitting small targets. Ideally you want to hit the fish in the brain or spinal chord. To quote Mel Gibson: Aim small, miss small.
Remember that you are only allowed 2 crayfish and 2 abalone. The crays must be caught by hand, no spearing and must be kept whole. You are not permitted to clean your abalone in the sea.
So until we get another opportunity to get into the sea, enjoy gardening or the host of other household chores you neglected when conditions were good.
4 July 2009
Last weekend had some dramatically improved conditions. The competition was rescheduled for Sunday but lack of divers meant it was cancelled again. Reports from some commercials had indicated that blue water was moving in from the deep. Some boats did venture out and found good water around The Lighthouse.
Apparently there were some Mangrove Jacks about but they needed a healthy dose of finesse to be duped, something which Sunday’s divers were lacking. They did find some Kingfish and these made a welcome addition to their meager takings. They also added several good Tailor to their bag.
Weather predictions for the coming weekend seem dismal once again. The weatherman was talking of winds ranging between 50 and 90kmh. The swell will push up and make for really unpleasant conditions out at sea. With the amount of time we have free, now that the diving is trashed regularly, perhaps one could start planning some major projects at home. Heaven knows you will score some serious brownie points.
On a separate point, it seems the cold is keeping the underwater hockey players at home too. Texts are sent through to players and we really only need 6 players to have an effective training session. On a positive note, nights are shortening and days becoming longer and we are on the way to Spring. The Yellowfin Tuna are expected in the deep off Coffs fairly soon and the challenge of hunting these leviathans has seen little investigation by local Spearos. There is an enormous challenge in landing these superb fish and Coffs has the potential to deliver the goods.
11 July 2009
Some fascinating weather phenomena this week. I have never seen a water-spout and managed to see 4 in the space of 10 minutes between Macaulay’s Headland and Split Solitary Island. They were truly impressive and served to reiterate the poor diving conditions we continue to experience.
The subject of conservation was vociferously raised on a TV news broadcast last weekend. Apparently there are 30 Blue Groper which have reached cult status off Sydney and require an extension of the no-fishing zone, according to environmentalists. Now don’t get me wrong, conservation based on sensible research is a necessity. However, fishing bans based on ‘pet’ fish, smacks of utter stupidity. Blue Groper are legally protected in any case. In addition, they are probably the most prevalent demersal fish species encountered off our coast; their numbers clearly indicate that they are not a threatened species. Additional measures to avoid these ‘pets’ falling foul of a hook seem extreme. The fish may not be speared at all and more measures affecting spearos are completely unfounded.
The area in which the no-fishing zone is envisaged, is certainly not pristine. Sydney is subject to high levels of noise, light, air and water pollution and cannot, realistically, be considered an ecologically sensitive or endangered habitat. Perhaps if these ‘pet’ Blue Groper must be protected, above all else, they should be moved to the Sydney Aquarium and then we could stop turning the Ocean into a petting zoo! This form of conservation is tantamount to banning cars because a kangaroo was knocked over once.
The Ocean is a wondrously wild and exciting place. Let’s keep it that way and where protection is justifiable, protecting the habitat and not individual hand-fed fish.
The club meeting will be held at Michael Featherstone’s house on Wednesday evening and will involve an extensive Freediving safety briefing. All club members should attend.
27 June 2009
As the lost opportunities for club competitions start to mount, I wonder if some of the divers who decided not to weigh fish in the earlier competitions are kicking themselves. A case in point: You will hear about the good size of Kingfish that are found around Coffs. On any reasonable day you could expect to bump into several fish in the 20kg region. When it comes to the day of competition, do you weigh a small fish because you have guaranteed points or do you hold off and wait for a larger specimen for more points and risk not seeing another one all year? Considering that you will only be permitted to weigh 2 kingfish in the year. Species points are relatively more heavily weighted than the weight of the fish which adds an additional angle to the conundrum. My approach is to weigh what you have: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, in a manner of speaking. Having said that, suffice to say that last Sunday’s competition was postponed to this coming Sunday, please remember to call Flange to determine if the comp is on.
How do you improve your odds of getting a fish to hand? The first and most important thing to do is not to over-think it. You need to relax and trust that your preparation has been adequate. It is obviously easier to shoot a fish at close range and then easier to subdue it if the shot is a good one. This will require stalking fish and your body language is paramount in maintaining complacency in your target. Keep your eyes away from the intended quarry, don’t swim at it, allow its curiosity to trick it into coming in close. When you squeeze the trigger, the release of the spear should come as a bit of a surprise to you. I find that my best spearfishing is when I am in an almost dissociated state because my body language and intention is not conveyed to the target. Zen and the Art of Spearfishing, if you will. If you can kill the fish immediately, you are spared the often long and protracted struggle which inevitably leads to sharks arriving and relieving you of your prey. Practice shooting and become proficient at hitting small targets. Ideally you want to hit the fish in the brain or spinal chord. To quote Mel Gibson: Aim small, miss small.
Remember that you are only allowed 2 crayfish and 2 abalone. The crays must be caught by hand, no spearing and must be kept whole. You are not permitted to clean your abalone in the sea.
So until we get another opportunity to get into the sea, enjoy gardening or the host of other household chores you neglected when conditions were good.
4 July 2009
Last weekend had some dramatically improved conditions. The competition was rescheduled for Sunday but lack of divers meant it was cancelled again. Reports from some commercials had indicated that blue water was moving in from the deep. Some boats did venture out and found good water around The Lighthouse.
Apparently there were some Mangrove Jacks about but they needed a healthy dose of finesse to be duped, something which Sunday’s divers were lacking. They did find some Kingfish and these made a welcome addition to their meager takings. They also added several good Tailor to their bag.
Weather predictions for the coming weekend seem dismal once again. The weatherman was talking of winds ranging between 50 and 90kmh. The swell will push up and make for really unpleasant conditions out at sea. With the amount of time we have free, now that the diving is trashed regularly, perhaps one could start planning some major projects at home. Heaven knows you will score some serious brownie points.
On a separate point, it seems the cold is keeping the underwater hockey players at home too. Texts are sent through to players and we really only need 6 players to have an effective training session. On a positive note, nights are shortening and days becoming longer and we are on the way to Spring. The Yellowfin Tuna are expected in the deep off Coffs fairly soon and the challenge of hunting these leviathans has seen little investigation by local Spearos. There is an enormous challenge in landing these superb fish and Coffs has the potential to deliver the goods.
11 July 2009
Some fascinating weather phenomena this week. I have never seen a water-spout and managed to see 4 in the space of 10 minutes between Macaulay’s Headland and Split Solitary Island. They were truly impressive and served to reiterate the poor diving conditions we continue to experience.
The subject of conservation was vociferously raised on a TV news broadcast last weekend. Apparently there are 30 Blue Groper which have reached cult status off Sydney and require an extension of the no-fishing zone, according to environmentalists. Now don’t get me wrong, conservation based on sensible research is a necessity. However, fishing bans based on ‘pet’ fish, smacks of utter stupidity. Blue Groper are legally protected in any case. In addition, they are probably the most prevalent demersal fish species encountered off our coast; their numbers clearly indicate that they are not a threatened species. Additional measures to avoid these ‘pets’ falling foul of a hook seem extreme. The fish may not be speared at all and more measures affecting spearos are completely unfounded.
The area in which the no-fishing zone is envisaged, is certainly not pristine. Sydney is subject to high levels of noise, light, air and water pollution and cannot, realistically, be considered an ecologically sensitive or endangered habitat. Perhaps if these ‘pet’ Blue Groper must be protected, above all else, they should be moved to the Sydney Aquarium and then we could stop turning the Ocean into a petting zoo! This form of conservation is tantamount to banning cars because a kangaroo was knocked over once.
The Ocean is a wondrously wild and exciting place. Let’s keep it that way and where protection is justifiable, protecting the habitat and not individual hand-fed fish.
The club meeting will be held at Michael Featherstone’s house on Wednesday evening and will involve an extensive Freediving safety briefing. All club members should attend.
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