Lancetfish speared in Carmel!!!

The following info is borrowed from another website. To see original source, click here: http://www.fishsniffer.com/cgi-bin/forumsyabb/YaBB.pl?num=1177562468


Bob Humphrey speared a 4 1/2 foot long lancetfish today in Carmel Bay. This normally deepwater fish that loves to hang in 500 to 3,000 feet decided to check out the Carmel Bay kelp beds today. Unfortunately, Bob Humphrey was swimming 30 feet below the surface too and took this fish out with his trusty pneumatic speargun. Bob made a 10 foot shot that hit it right behind the gills. Lights out.

This fish is similar to a cabezon as it is scale-less. It has large fang like teeth and is a true predator. Big eyes for the little light that reaches deep and a sail-like dorsal fin.

When Bob saw it today, it was cruising at a good speed and seemed to be in hunt mode.

Bob shared his catch with the scientists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium who identified it as a deepwater lancetfish. We also left a report with the California Department of Fish and Game biologists in Monterey.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest lancetfish speared in the World. Bob is submitting it for a IUSA World Record.

It is now dinner time and the Humphreys will be eating their first lancetfish and maybe saving a bit to smoke later!

Here is brief video taken minutes after it was landed.

thats really cool!  I wonder why the head is partly severed?
I think I would have looked at it and taken a pic (if I had the camera)  It looks a bit thin for eating.

It took a spear right behind the gill, probably the reason for the severed look. 

I doubt I'd eat that thing, deepwater species cruising the shallows is usually a sign something was wrong with the fish right?

Severed head is the shot.  He did end up eating it.

In his words:
"the flavor wasn't bad or good, but the texture was not my cup of tea. it's flesh, even when cooked, turned out to be a cross between jello and rubber"

About 7-8 years ago I was up on the Sonoma coast getting ready to get some abs.  This kid comes in with one of these lancetfish.  He was spearpoling in the kelp.  It was bigger than this one.

-Allen

What I don't understand is that why'd you want to spear a fish that you haven't identified.

There are only a few fish that are banned for take, and all others fall under the catch-all limit of 10. 

That thing looks like the screaming eels from 'The princess bride', and I think I'd be inclined to shoot it in defence if I saw that bugger circling me...

Five years ago I found one washed up on the beach while fishing for bardperch near the  Solgers Club in Seaside, Ca. (No longer there)I didn't know what it was till i looked it up in the Peterson Field Guide book (pacific Coast Fish edition) Scary look creature.

Nice shot! never seen one alive.