Spearfishing

Cool guys I will do that next year for sure. What do you guys want to do for the entry fee? $5 per species?

Maybe just a one day tournament for spearfishing might work. I have been to a couple of the Picasso tournaments at Ocean Cove and it is AMAZING the number of fish they bring in in a single day. Or maybe combine a kayak fishing tourney and include a spearfishing catagory.

yikes, I've got a doppleganger!

Could be fun, though I think my odds are poor of winning since there're alot of spearoes that hit monterey bay and carmel.  I was shocked at their numbers when I went out of pebble beach.

Your odds are only poor until you see a big fish. I've been on about 20 or so 3-day lobster dives and the biggest bug I've pulled was a 6.5 pounder; but I've seen more than once where a guy's first bug ever was 7+. That's what happened this summer with my first ever white sea bass. Right place right time. Bring home the pot!

Please nobody take offense, but I don't think that any of us on the nor cal kayak fishing board could hold a candle to the guys who regularly spear fish. The 'right place, right time' theory isn't as solid as 'practice makes perfect'. The guys that consistently produce spear fishing rarely, if ever, pole fish from their yak. Some of these guys spend over 100 days a year in the water. Some are so profficient they are on the US National Spear Fishing team. These people spend between one and two minutes under water every dive. It's no wonder they bring home the 'bacon'.
I think that if a 'spear fishing only' pool was held and it lasted all year, none of us on this board would have a very good chance of competing with the guys who dive from their yak more than we sit on ours.

Yup, I do most of my diving in the spring, especially once abalone and lingcod open to divers.  Once I can rod/reel them, I get lazy and do that, though I still carry a gun when going after abalone so I can pop a ling if I see one - assuming I've got visibility to work with.

Ok guys give me some idea how you guys want to do it. Categories like the current pool? Just biggest fish? Entry fee? I say a bigger entry fee since the number of people will be smaller (I assume??)

same entry fee.  JMSHO...

Please nobody take offense, but I don't think that any of us on the nor cal kayak fishing board could hold a candle to the guys who regularly spear fish. The 'right place, right time' theory isn't as solid as 'practice makes perfect'. The guys that consistently produce spear fishing rarely, if ever, pole fish from their yak. Some of these guys spend over 100 days a year in the water. Some are so profficient they are on the US National Spear Fishing team. These people spend between one and two minutes under water every dive. It's no wonder they bring home the 'bacon'.
I think that if a 'spear fishing only' pool was held and it lasted all year, none of us on this board would have a very good chance of competing with the guys who dive from their yak more than we sit on ours.

I was under the assumption that you have to be a member of the board to enter the pool...  so I'm not sure what you mean by this.  The way that you word it bluntly differentiates that anyone that spearfishes regularly isn't a member of the board?  "I don't think that any of us on the nor cal kayak fishing board could hold a candle to the guys who regularly spear fish"

I think it's a great idea - brings members out of the woodwork, encourages others to dive a little more often.  There have been some very respectable catches here - especially on that San Benitos trip!

As far as rules, IMHO - freediving only, same protocol as fishing, same entry fee.  Since can't legally shoot stripers or salmon, maybe move the species around?  i.e.  add perch?

Just FYI, I don't know anyone that spends remotely close to 100 days a year diving.  ONE diver I know did so in 2002 since he's retired & was scouting for Nationals in Carmel.  He rented a house on Carmel Point & it became his obsession.  Most divers consider themselves lucky if they get 10 days in a year up in norcal.   

Fuzz, it seems that your experience with freedivers is lackluster at best. Are you familiar with anyone in CENCAL or NORCAL Freedivers? I was merely pointing out that with money involved someone who is a shoe-in for this type of event could definitely take advantage.
What does it take to become a member of this board?? Correct me if I am wrong, but as I see it access to a computer is pretty much it.
I have had experience with the cream of the crop and was amazed at their performance, so I stand by what I said in my earlier post.
This year these guys have out performed us on just about every big fish catagory on this board, except for Eriks sturgeon. A 35# ling at Salt Point, NUMEROUS halibut and so on.

Fuzz, it seems that your experience with freedivers is lackluster at best. Are you familiar with anyone in CENCAL or NORCAL Freedivers? I was merely pointing out that with money involved someone who is a shoe-in for this type of event could definitely take advantage.
What does it take to become a member of this board?? Correct me if I am wrong, but as I see it access to a computer is pretty much it.
I have had experience with the cream of the crop and was amazed at their performance, so I stand by what I said in my earlier post.
This year these guys have out performed us on just about every big fish catagory on this board, except for Eriks sturgeon. A 35# ling at Salt Point, NUMEROUS halibut and so on.

It's true, I don't know much about diving at all.  Who are the Cencal/Norcal freedivers?  Are they professionals?

I understand your point... I was just showing that you're making the distinction (& reiterating it in this post) that guys who dive regularly shouldn't be a member of this board.

Since you have the experience here, I don't have a leg to stand on.  I concede.



Just an FYI - divers have NOT "out performed us on just about every big fish catagory on this board"  If you look at the categories:
Sturgeon
Striper
Salmon
Lingcod
RockCod/Cabezon
Halibut

...  well, the first 3 are off-limits to divers, so that's half that automatically goes to the kayakers right off the bat!
Lingcod & Cabezon come in quite shallow, so that's a toss-up.
Rockcod - no contest, kayakers will always kick butt on that.
Halibut - again, due to the depths & area to cover, kayakers have a huge advantage.

REGARDLESS, it isn't a matter of divers vs. kayakers and I'm not sure why you even introduced that.  Each category is of itself.

I have had experience with the cream of the crop and was amazed at their performance, so I stand by what I said in my earlier post.
This year these guys have out performed us on just about every big fish catagory on this board, except for Eriks sturgeon. A 35# ling at Salt Point, NUMEROUS halibut and so on.

So who are the cream of the crop?  I am curious and just want to see who you consider the cream of the crop of spearfishering. 

Abking chimes in a month later...   

I've had exposure to some of the elite.  I put it like this when people ask me about my ab diving and spearfishing experience:  "I've dove with many strong young guys over the years and usually they're trying to keep up with me.  Brandi Easter is a woman I dive with that kicks my ass."  She participates in Cencal dives.  She is three-time national champion in female spearfishing two person team competitions, and I think she had different partners each championship.  When we go she is diving all or almost all of the time and I am yak-fishing all or almost all of the time.  I'm more interested in catching numbers with hopes of bagging a huge specimen.  Since I'm so lucky to be able to fish shallow and release all I want, it's ideal for me because I'm not in the shape I used to be, and I think I have a better chance than her of getting a big one.  She is 6 or 7 years older than me and will only rarely 'humor' me by doing some rod and reel fishing.  We were diving a couple of years ago north of Shelter Cove from a powerboat.  About an hour and a half into diving I got in the boat to warm up my hands.  I got the camera out and timed Brandi's dive.  Over a minute.  I average about 25 seconds, have good turn-around time on top, and sometimes stay in the water 3 hours.  I like to dive 8-15' if possible, but will go to 25-30 if I HAVE to--not too many times...  She goes 30 and hangs out... 

If you put a bunch of money in a spearfishing competition that lasts all year I could see someone coming in just for the money even though they're not necessarily that into the Nor Cal Kayak Anglers scene--is there anything wrong with that?  I don't think so, but it isn't as fun and spirited in my view as are the kayak angling cometitions that involve most of the active membership at this point.  If the board is to evolve in that direction then great.  That said, I think per species competitions would be fun at $5-10 per species entered.  I figure there's probably another discussion somewhere that talks of a diving competition?  Sorry for being a little lost in the boards!   

The signup is here:

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=36&Itemid=80

ABKING~

You are right, Brandi Easter kicks my ass too. I overheard her talking about stalking a ling at my 1st Picasso tournament ever and my jaw about hit the ground when I heard the depths she was hitting. She is a heavy hitter as far as I am concerned. I have seen her pic on the Picasso page with monster abs too.
You are lucky to have someone with that kind of expertise to dive with.

Brandi