Crazy day on and in the water

I took the kayak out for a little trip to test out my new fish finder and get some fish for dinner.  So apparently I pushed the wrong button and turned the brightness of the unit down to zero and couldn't even see the scene with the sun glare so it was worthless for the rest of the trip.  Figured it out later so will have to make another try soon. 

I shot a couple fish for dinner, but had to fight a seal for one.  I am still trying to figure out where to anchor the kayak and how far to venture from it.  I put a float on the end of my float line and hung my stringer on it.  I went down and shot a lingcod and put it on the stringer.  I started to swim back to the kayak and felt I was moving backwards.  I started pulling the line back and felt a strong resistance.  When it got in view I noticed a seal was trying to steal my fish.  It was actually pulling me underwater so I was letting out a little slack and pulling back while I was on the surface.  That little bugger was strong and would not let go.  I pulled it close but he was right in my face.  Felt a little uncomfortable with the seal that close to me.  Glad it wasn't a shark, but still could have been deadly if the stringer was attached to my side.  I will never attach a stringer to my side and now have to rethink being to far from the kayak.   

The seal is at the end of the video.  Oh by the way yelling at the seal underwater was not effective at all. 

that seal battle was spooky!
Harbor seals can be thugs too apparently.
cool vid!

Great report - glad that you were able to escape that little menace !

You may want to look into a screen protector film for the fish finder. Just like for cell phones, they help keep the screen free of scratches and fingerprints, and they make them in different finishes to really help cut glare in bright sun. They're definitely worth the $10 investment.

What an awesome video. Loved the wildlife! Makes me want to start diving even more now. Whereabouts was that?

Thanks Chattich, I will look into the screen protector.  The glare wasn't as bad with the brightness restored to default.  But I am sure my slimy dirty fingers will mess it up real quick. 

Weldhuntfish, the video was near little River - Mendocino.  Watching other people's videos got me into diving.  Actually diving made me love it.  Hope you give it a try. 

Ive just got a 3mil suit that good enough?

Ive just got a 3mil suit that good enough?

I haven't been out with anything less than 7mil.  Maybe it would work for a few minutes.  The experience is so much better when you are not cold. 

Jab him with your gun next time

Cool vid,nice shooting.  Glad you did not lose your fish to the damn pesky furbag, he could have been more aggresive. And yeah your right , yelling underwater at em does no good  been there  . Always look forward to reports and vids thanks.

Dune12,

If it was a DOTY fish or if he was biting me I would have took it to the next level.  He was strong.  All I could think was if I pissed him off he was going to bite me.  I had one bite my ankle once.  It freaked me out. 

Desertdiver,

Being stuck in the desert I am sure watching videos of ocean life just makes you want to make a trip over sooner than later. 

Cool vid, I always enjoy your reports, I haven't speared a fish in a few years now and your reports always make me miss it.  This one, scary stuff, I look at seals and sea lions as potentially dangerous no matter how cute or non threatening they may be at the moment.


Several years ago when I used to scuba and spear, I would carry my fish on a stringer attached to my belt, I had a sea lion tug on my fish till it ripped stringer and all off my belt, it was a light wire type of stringer so the clip just ripped open, lucky it wasn't stronger,  this was at 50+ feet down, scared me absolutely shitless, especially when it first hit and there was a split second before I saw that it wasn't a shark.

Told someone on shore about it and they said that was common in the area and that if I put my fish in a goody bag instead of on a stringer they'd leave them alone.  I guess they're smart enough to know they can't eat a fish in a nylon bag even if they can see it.