Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 29, 2024, 08:10:39 AM

Login with username, password and session length

Recent Topics

[Today at 08:08:08 AM]

[Today at 07:42:13 AM]

[March 28, 2024, 11:34:08 PM]

[March 28, 2024, 09:44:18 PM]

[March 28, 2024, 09:12:36 PM]

[March 28, 2024, 07:11:09 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 07:25:42 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 07:05:39 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 12:35:34 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 11:18:23 AM]

[March 26, 2024, 07:45:07 PM]

[March 26, 2024, 06:19:03 PM]

Support NCKA

Support the site by making a donation.

Topic: Hole Hunting 101  (Read 34576 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

ken jan

  • Sea Lion
  • ****
  • View Profile
  • Location: Burlingame/north jersey
  • Date Registered: Oct 2011
  • Posts: 1311
Hi Jim really informative post. Thank you for the info. Ill give it a try this weekend. At sws
ken


BigJim

  • A-Hull
  • Moderator
  • *****
  • No white flags.
  • View Profile
  • Location: Watsonville
  • Date Registered: Jun 2009
  • Posts: 15216
Hi Jim really informative post. Thank you for the info. Ill give it a try this weekend. At sws
ken

SWS is an excellent place to work on your hole hunting technique dude...pick your depth and go for it! If not finding good structure/fish, get back in yak and paddle 100 yards and try again!!  :smt002

Good luck dude!!

 :smt006

Sincerely,

Jim

~GS4  2010-1st~
~DOTY 2013-1st~
~T2B2 2015-1st~
*DOTY: 2012-5th~2014-5th~2015-4th~2016-7th~2017-4th~2018-5th~2019-5th~2020-2nd*


ken jan

  • Sea Lion
  • ****
  • View Profile
  • Location: Burlingame/north jersey
  • Date Registered: Oct 2011
  • Posts: 1311
I feel optimistic this time. Last few times just didn't have the mindset and patience for hole hunting. Had issues with sinus pinch. Still haven't gotten a ling. Had one hitch hike on a speared black last time at tc.  Noticed a lot of guys chumming out there.


BigJim

  • A-Hull
  • Moderator
  • *****
  • No white flags.
  • View Profile
  • Location: Watsonville
  • Date Registered: Jun 2009
  • Posts: 15216
I feel optimistic this time. Last few times just didn't have the mindset and patience for hole hunting. Had issues with sinus pinch. Still haven't gotten a ling. Had one hitch hike on a speared black last time at tc.  Noticed a lot of guys chumming out there.

Now is a good time for the bigger Lings!!

You'll get a nice one...she's out there waiting for you.  :smt004

I'm not a fan of chumming (mostly cuz I'm too lazy?  :smt005) but it's legal so won't judge or criticize anyone who does it.

Ken, if you see a nice group of blues schooling above a pinnacle/boulder, put in some extra time looking around there for a Ling hiding....they love eating those guys.

 :smt001

Good luck!

 :smt006

Sincerely,

Jim

~GS4  2010-1st~
~DOTY 2013-1st~
~T2B2 2015-1st~
*DOTY: 2012-5th~2014-5th~2015-4th~2016-7th~2017-4th~2018-5th~2019-5th~2020-2nd*


MontanaN8V

  • I swear it was this big!
  • Sea Lion
  • ****
  • It's BANG TIME!!
  • View Profile
  • Location: Elko Nevada
  • Date Registered: Mar 2009
  • Posts: 6477
Great stuff Jim!!!  :smt006
Live your life, the way you want to be remembered. Don't have any regrets, we only get this one dance to make it count. Start at your eulogy, and work backwards.


nelson kwok

  • Salmon
  • ***
  • View Profile
  • Date Registered: Oct 2010
  • Posts: 122
Very nicely written Jim! Those are some great pointers.

One of Jim's points I want to hammer home is taking ones time when working a spot. Don't be afraid to make multiple drops on the same hole if it feels fishy or if it is part of a bigger network of caves, making sure to illuminated each crack and crevice and even changing positions so that different viewing angles are covered. By doing so not only do you have a better chance of finding fish otherwise partially  hidden, but as you get more experienced you will find yourself being able to spot hidden fish with just a small patch of exposed skin, or a part of their fin, etc. 

My largest cab for DOTY last year was taken during a December dive where I had just completed an initial sweep of a hole. I didn't THINK I saw anything, but as I was surfacing something in the back of my mind registered something that told me to go back. Making a second dive, I still saw nothing, but on the third dive I shifted positions and caught the view of two perfectly camouflaged spines of a particularly large dorsal fin, tucked away in the corner of the cave beneath a small ledge. The only visual give-away was an ever so slight  flicker of the fin every few seconds.

Another tip is to be methodical with your shot. Sometimes it can be tempting to rush a shot on a big fish out of excitement which can result in either losing the fish or losing a shaft. There is no need to rush. Take your time finding the best angle to place the shot. Sometimes depending on the fish or the cave, if I have two bands nocked, I will surface and undo the second band so I'm not blasting a shaft into reef and possibly getting it stuck.

Happy hole hunting!




   



Tote

  • One life, right? Don't blow it.
  • Global Moderator
  • View Profile
  • Location: Diamond Springs, CA
  • Date Registered: Jul 2005
  • Posts: 12979
Thanks for the great advice and tips. Always looking to better my ....ahem....game.

But on this note:

Quote
a huge bonus for divers like me that have average breath hold and bottom time!!!

SUCK IT!!!!!!!!   :smt008
Average my @ss.
You consistently produce. Nothing average about your bottom time.
I can only hope to have that kind of "average" time some day.  :smt003
<=>


BigJim

  • A-Hull
  • Moderator
  • *****
  • No white flags.
  • View Profile
  • Location: Watsonville
  • Date Registered: Jun 2009
  • Posts: 15216
Very nicely written Jim! Those are some great pointers.

One of Jim's points I want to hammer home is taking ones time when working a spot. Don't be afraid to make multiple drops on the same hole if it feels fishy or if it is part of a bigger network of caves, making sure to illuminated each crack and crevice and even changing positions so that different viewing angles are covered. By doing so not only do you have a better chance of finding fish otherwise partially  hidden, but as you get more experienced you will find yourself being able to spot hidden fish with just a small patch of exposed skin, or a part of their fin, etc. 

My largest cab for DOTY last year was taken during a December dive where I had just completed an initial sweep of a hole. I didn't THINK I saw anything, but as I was surfacing something in the back of my mind registered something that told me to go back. Making a second dive, I still saw nothing, but on the third dive I shifted positions and caught the view of two perfectly camouflaged spines of a particularly large dorsal fin, tucked away in the corner of the cave beneath a small ledge. The only visual give-away was an ever so slight  flicker of the fin every few seconds.

Another tip is to be methodical with your shot. Sometimes it can be tempting to rush a shot on a big fish out of excitement which can result in either losing the fish or losing a shaft. There is no need to rush. Take your time finding the best angle to place the shot. Sometimes depending on the fish or the cave, if I have two bands nocked, I will surface and undo the second band so I'm not blasting a shaft into reef and possibly getting it stuck.

Happy hole hunting!




   

Thanks Nelson!!!

Great addition as well dude...taking your time and not rushing and shining your light from different angles can be KEY to finding the fish!

I remember one time in particular when fuzz, sharkbait and I each checked a known hole. They decided it was empty, but I kept going back and searching the sides and nooks and crannies and rocks with my light...and eventually realized one of the "rocks" was a big brown cab head!!!

Called them back over and fuzz took pics while shatkbait took the cab!!!

 :smt004

 :smt006

Sincerely,

Jim

~GS4  2010-1st~
~DOTY 2013-1st~
~T2B2 2015-1st~
*DOTY: 2012-5th~2014-5th~2015-4th~2016-7th~2017-4th~2018-5th~2019-5th~2020-2nd*


BigJim

  • A-Hull
  • Moderator
  • *****
  • No white flags.
  • View Profile
  • Location: Watsonville
  • Date Registered: Jun 2009
  • Posts: 15216
Thanks for the great advice and tips. Always looking to better my ....ahem....game.

But on this note:

Quote
a huge bonus for divers like me that have average breath hold and bottom time!!!

SUCK IT!!!!!!!!   :smt008
Average my @ss.
You consistently produce. Nothing average about your bottom time.
I can only hope to have that kind of "average" time some day.  :smt003

Lol!! You proved my point...I'm able to get lucky and find fish with average bottom time  cuz I mostly hole hunt in shallow water!!  :smt002 :smt005

We gonna dive together this year or what dude??

Hope so!!

 :smt006

Sincerely,

Jim

~GS4  2010-1st~
~DOTY 2013-1st~
~T2B2 2015-1st~
*DOTY: 2012-5th~2014-5th~2015-4th~2016-7th~2017-4th~2018-5th~2019-5th~2020-2nd*


Tote

  • One life, right? Don't blow it.
  • Global Moderator
  • View Profile
  • Location: Diamond Springs, CA
  • Date Registered: Jul 2005
  • Posts: 12979
Quote
We gonna dive together this year or what dude??

Oh hells yea! And then some.
<=>


nelson kwok

  • Salmon
  • ***
  • View Profile
  • Date Registered: Oct 2010
  • Posts: 122
I can attest to the weak correlation between both breath hold time and depth with success....at least for NorCal. Three of my DOTY upgrades, including my largest black and yellow were taken on a day where I was recovering from whooping cough and limited to diving 10-15 feet for no longer than 30 seconds at a time.


Tote

  • One life, right? Don't blow it.
  • Global Moderator
  • View Profile
  • Location: Diamond Springs, CA
  • Date Registered: Jul 2005
  • Posts: 12979
I can attest to the weak correlation between both breath hold time and depth with success....at least for NorCal. Three of my DOTY upgrades, including my largest black and yellow were taken on a day where I was recovering from whooping cough and limited to diving 10-15 feet for no longer than 30 seconds at a time.

That's very encouraging. Seriously.
<=>


spinal tap

  • Sea Lion
  • ****
  • View Profile
  • Date Registered: Nov 2005
  • Posts: 1271
I can attest to the weak correlation between both breath hold time and depth with success....at least for NorCal. Three of my DOTY upgrades, including my largest black and yellow were taken on a day where I was recovering from whooping cough and limited to diving 10-15 feet for no longer than 30 seconds at a time.

That's very encouraging. Seriously.

Ya but they didn't include in these posts the most relevant and important piece of advice which is time on and under the water.  Ask these guys to count up the number of dive days or hours they had last year. 

Their Badassdom is hard earned. 


DG

  • Sea Lion
  • ****
  • First joined in 2013
  • View Profile
  • Location: Ft Bragg
  • Date Registered: Feb 2014
  • Posts: 3670


Their Badassdom is hard earned.

That's one way of describing it. 

Another would be they have an addiction and we're just trying to keep from going into withdrawals. 
-----------------------------------
NorCAL HOW Volunteer

2018 NCKA - DOTY Committee Member

2017 DOTY 2 biggest fish awards
2016 DOTY 2nd place / 4 biggest fish awards
2016 Triton X - 2nd place
2016 Triton Open - Biggest Lingcod
2014 DOTY - 1 biggest fish award


Mousemanx

  • Sand Dab
  • **
  • Jeremy
  • View Profile
  • Location: Kelseyville , Ca
  • Date Registered: Apr 2013
  • Posts: 54
At risk of sounding redundant, this is an awesome thread!   Thanks for sharing
OK Trident 13


 

anything