Saturday at Fort Ross

Was up on Saturday, my buddy couldn't make it at the last minute so went solo. Made it up to Ocean Cove by about 9am but it looked like waves coming in so went back to Fort Ross. I brought some frozen ab guts to try baiting some fish. Bloodbath and Lorenzo have had great luck with this technique so thought I would give it a try. Dropped the mesh bag in about 12 feet. After a few minutes some good size rockfish were showing some interest. Visibility was not great and I just had the polespear. Each time I got near enough for a shot the fish would scatter. I decided to hunt around the area and then approach from the bottom. As I silently glided up to the bag I see a hug cabezon on it and I nail him with my five tip point. He goes ballistic and I'm just trying to keep a hold of the pole but he wriggles right of and is gone. I hunted around for him but no sign. Finally I grab my iron and go get a few Abs. I still think they're huge when I see them underwater but they are all just over 8 inches. Back again to fishing, chase a big black rockfish around but no luck. Was a good time nonetheless. Hope everyone else had a great Memorial Day weekend up there!

-Sean

Bummer the cabbie got away!!!!

Glad you got in the water, had fun and got some abs too!!

Thanks for sharing!!

Sincerely,

Jim

Sounds like a good time though

Sean:  I was diving at Fort Ross Sat. with Abman at the west point of the Cove.  Missed most of my shots but did score a 25" Ling.  DcBatt

Congrats on the Ling bat. I think I saw you guys out there. I went down that steep path with the rope. I didn't get in until after 9am though. I probably should have brought my speargun it's a little big when the vis is not so good. It's a 75cm Riffe euro. What are you using out there? Are you using a flapper or a slip tip?

thanks,

Sean

oh and awesome pearl, I've shown that pic to a few folks.

Don't use a slip tip for rock fish. a 75 cm is a goood gun. Use the 75 and a flopper and you will be fine.

Sean I just use a rock tip for all North coast fishing except Halibut.  My gun is an older model Arbelete bought from Steeles in the 80's.   41" long.  36" shaft.  32" gun without shaft.  How do you measure these things.  Whats a CM?

Don't use a slip tip for rock fish. a 75 cm is a goood gun. Use the 75 and a flopper and you will be fine.

Really?

Sounds likes a good time diving & hunting.  Thank you for the report Sean.

Thanks Bat,

75cm is per my iphone conversion app, 29.5 inches. What I was really asking about is what kind of tip to use on my polespear. I had been using a five point barbed tip instead of the three prong paralyzer. The Riffe with my arm extended and 30 inches of gun seems a little long for most of the vis situations I've seen. When there's good visibility it's great though. Wondering if I should put a flopper tip on the pole spear too. Probably the five tip is fine if I would have taken time to aim at his head.

Thanks everyone,

Sean

use a delta 3 point tip with barbs, pin them to the bottom with the spear and grab them by the throat with your other hand. when using a polespear to spear larger rockfish.

Sean:  You asked so here's my opinion on polespears.  "Good for wounding fish only".  And maybe herding lobsters to the exit.  Your 75 sounds like the perfect length.  DcBatt

Right on Sean! Way to get out there and hunt them down.

Great report Sean, hey, are you the guy I met last year north of ocean cove that was diving out there in big swells, bad vis, with no weight belt, and you had your limit?  If so, good to see you here on this board. 

I hear what your saying about your 75cm gun too.  I have one and when vis is bad I dont even bother, a 32" ab biller or jbl is just a hair shorter but for some reason feel better to me.  Those things come with slip tips stock, either way, I've never noticed much difference between the two different types of tips except the slip tips seem more bulky. 

I'm a fan of the euro style guns, and this is all just my opinion, take it or leave it, but pole spears with a slip tip are awesome for rockfish.  I use the paralyzer tip out here in maui where i live now but most times I'm hunting with my picasso 75cm where most guys use 100cm.   

I've built a boogie board float out here and bring 2 weapons.

john

Slip tips are more work to get back out of the fish and I have never had a rockfish come off a flopper. The Mako/Rob Allen tri-cut floppers are extremely tough (stronger than stainless) and very sharp. I have overpenetrated fish and hit rocks pretty hard and the shats are still good. If you bend or dull one just put it on the grinder. I have shot fish up there with 60s, 90s, polespear, JBL carbine and a midhandle wood gun. I love the Mako railguns. They are simple, sturdy, inexpensive, manuverable and headshot accurate.