PDA

View Full Version : Last fish for the year


Daryl Wong
12-31-2008, 09:32 PM
Aloha all,

Today was our last try to shoot a nice fish before the year is over so Pete the Ageless wonder and I took the boat out for one last hurrah.
The weather was ok with light showers in the morning and then the sun breaking out at about 10:00 am.
We went to our favorite spot to look for onos and despite the abundance of bait all over, there were no onos to be seen. We then picked up and decided to try another spot. There the water was dirty and cold so we decided to go back to the first spot. On the way there, my phone goes off and it was a patient who wanted to be the very last patient of 2008. He was in discomfort and said he could be at the office in 15 minutes. I explained that I was on a boat and it would be at least 2 hours by the time I got to the pier and trailored home. We set a time to meet at the office. I phoned in a pain med script and anitbiotics. Toohaches can be the worst thing to experience and not something to end the year with. So it was decided that since there were no Fish at the first spot we'd call it a day. Besides, we were meeting the rest of the gang tomorrow to see who could shoot the first fish of the year.:thumps:
By now the wind had died and it was glassy flat. No wind, no waves , super nice. We had to pass one spot called Sheri's slab and Pete was nice to drop me off to check it out. 30 minutes later we came up to it and I dropped in on it. For the last few months this house has been dead. No fish and we were pretty much passing it by each time out. Today was my lucky Daye (excuse the pun). :rolleyes:

I had just put on a new slip tip cable and when I got down to the entrance, I peeked around the corner. Inside there were three nice uluas. All the same size. I tried to figure out which was the biggest, but they were all the same.
The closest to me had a bad day. I got a nice shot on its head and followed it out the other side of the hole. Once it got out, it woke up and dragged me back to the hole. But I had the line tight enough so that the 700lb cable was outside the ledge. It finally wore down and I was able to get it to swim out again and by then Pete had the boat next to me. It was hurt bad and I got it up and then put it on the swim step. This is the first time I got a fish this late in the year. Not my biggest at 45 lbs but a respectable fish as my freind likes to say. Hopefully next year starts out the same.

Have a Happy New Year and heres to calm, clean,warm water and big fish for 2009!

Aloha,Daryl

DVD
12-31-2008, 09:35 PM
great job, ya;ll are the team happy new year

SpearMax
12-31-2008, 09:49 PM
Wow Daryl!

Happy New Year!

PhiSig1071
12-31-2008, 10:08 PM
:rofl:

I had no idea you were a Dr. too.

Awesome story, nice fish!

clavinr
12-31-2008, 10:31 PM
Awsome fish!!! now can you come back to Mass. and catch some lobster for me, hubby has totally been slacking in that area. I had to BUY lobster last week...ouch!
see you in Ft. Lauderdale in Feb.
Wifey

Seacidal
12-31-2008, 10:50 PM
Congratulations Daryl! Or should I call you Mr. Ulua?!

Honestly, I don't know if I'll be able to recognize you at the Blue Wild Expo without a toad ulua perched on your shoulder! :D

Sounds like Sheri's Slab saved the Daye! :lol:

Christo
01-01-2009, 08:01 AM
Aloha Daryl,

Nice fish,happy new year from all of us down here.:beer:We need your wish at the moment,conditions suck.:(

OceanEd
01-01-2009, 08:31 AM
Can't think of a nicer way to end the year. I wish you many more in 2009.

I want to see you going for one of those with a pole spear this year.

Qdiver911
01-01-2009, 08:42 AM
Nice shooting Daryl. Bob and I were out the other day, a few miles south of where we speared earlier this year. All we did was go for a swim. We missed you man! Happy 09, see you when you come back................. and school me on my boat !

Sheri
01-01-2009, 11:58 AM
Hey, caught you stealing fish from my slab....ha ha. Leave some for me! :p

I finally tore away from work, Expo, etc, and forced myself to get out yesterday. The last fish of the year for me was a 27-pound gag grouper. Made me happy.

Very Happy New Years to the gang from Hawaii!

gogators27
01-01-2009, 12:47 PM
way to finish out the year! Nice!

Smudge
01-01-2009, 08:09 PM
Man oh man. I leave the Island and the fish come out. I had to settle for a couple of hook and line Mosquito Lagoon redfish. Better than nothing!!! Happy New Year!!

Now let's see the first Ulua of 09'!!!

Daryl Wong
01-02-2009, 12:56 AM
Aloha Guys,

It was neat to end the year with a nice ulua. Last night the New Year came with a bang. Litterally. It was thunder and lightning along with pouring rain. The sound of millions of fireworks and the thunder and lighting at 11:59 was deafening. It woke me up! This morning I awoke again to thunder and lightning. The rain was light and it looked like a miserable day. Ron and Joe showed up and by the time we loaded up the sun was starting to break through. We trailered over to Kaneohe and it looked flat. The wind had died and the rain stopped.
There were only three other trailers in the parking lot. either everyone was hung over or they knew something we didn't.
Out at our ono spot we spent the next two hours watching a parade of bait fish go by, but no onos. 10;30 am came by and we decided to see who would shoot the first fish of the year. Three ulua houses later, Joe, Ron and I set up to check up on an ulua house. We all got down a the same time. Inside there were a dozen uluas of various sizes. I picked a decent sized ulua and took a far shot as it slanted away. It hit low and the fish went beserk. Joe tried to shoot it and it tangled the shooting cable on a rock and tore off. I saw it go outside the ledge and under another ledge. I grabbed Ron's gun and as I went down, the ulua came out and headed back to the ulua house. I got a shot into it, but the barb didn't open. I reloaded and then went back down. Inside the ulua was going away from me and I saw Joe on the other side. It went up to Joe and it was stoned! We got the fish out, along with my bent shaft and headed back to the boat.
Congrats to Joe! He landed the first fish of the year for our gang. It was 26 lbs. Nice fish. So I got the last fish of the year and Joe started the year with the first fish. Hope this is a sign of things to come.
Sheri, I owe you an Ulua. Next time over, we'll find a big one in it.
Chip, See you at the expo! Nathan, are you coming too?
Heres the last fish of 2008 and the first fish of 2009.
Matt, we'll save some for you when you get back.


Aloha,Daryl

Gradyman
01-02-2009, 01:54 AM
45 lbs sounds like a nice size to this FLA boy...a great end (& beginning) to the year!!

FishHunter
01-02-2009, 02:25 AM
Nice Ulua's Daryl! What a way to start off 2009! :thumps:

Expect my Northeastern to come by in the next two week. Can't wait to see what it'll turn out like after the new engravings and kelp kamo paint finish. I appreciate all the help and rapid responses you wrote to my e-mails. I truly admire all your work and customer service. Best guns in the spearfishing industry as far as I'm considered. :beer:

I appreciate everything you've done for me.

Thanks again,

Christo
01-02-2009, 08:35 PM
Daryl, my dive partner and I are putting plans in place to attend the Expo.It's going to be fun seeing the latest and the greatest.:thumps:

Bottomcrawler
01-04-2009, 01:34 PM
Nice Fish! See you in Fort Lauderdale in Feb!

Junospearo
01-12-2009, 12:06 AM
Nice Fish Daryl I wish I was there!!!

Sin City Slayer
01-12-2009, 01:56 AM
Nice fish Daryl, hope to spear with you in the new year.