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California Spearfishing Talk here about spearfishing on California's Pacific Coast, and post those reports and photos!

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Old 08-26-2012, 05:45 PM   #346
Big_Berg
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Re: SLO Dive Conditions

i hit up shell beach around 8:30. i paddled to a kelp bed tied off and jumped in. the water was a murk 10 ft. the sot i was diving had some very good looking halibut habitat. i look for some reef but it was hard to find any decent holes.

i swam around only seeing perch until i spotted what i thought was a greenling but it turned out to be a short ling so i passed. i saw another short ling shortly after.

i found this big bolder with some good looking ledges. as i am floating up top, this kelp rf comes up to me so i shoot it. i turn on my new light and head down to look for holes. i was looking at a ledge when a huge ling pick up off the bottom. i start to swing my gun and the ling notices my hostile intent and swim off. it was at least a 30". i really regret not at least taking a shot. i keep seeing it over and over in my head.

i keep swimming around and spook a ling off the bottom and follow it as it swims away. i am able to get a shot after it slightly turned broad side. it was a nice healthy 24" ling.

i swim around and find some nice rock bolder and check the holes. i found a swell shark hiding deep in a hole. i keep looking for holes and find a little tunnel with a ling in it. he spooks out of the other side and swims towrds some kelp. i wasnt 100% sure it was legal so i held off on a snap shot and went up for air to see if i could find it again.

i was floating up top looking at a spot that i think the ling went when this huge dark figure swims under me. its a monster 10' seven gill that is about 2 ft wide or more. its the biggest shark i have ever seen. he circles me a few times. i think he was very interested in the fish on my stringer. he comes in very close so i gave him a little poke with the tip of my gun. i back my butt up to some kelp stalks so i only have one side to watch. the shark comes at me again so i poke him harder. the second poke make him swim into the murk. a minute goes by and i look up to see my kayak is 150 yards away. i put my head back down to see that the monster shark is back. he comes at me mouth open slowly so i move to the side and jab him as hard as i can. he jerks and swims off.

i wait a few more minutes and make a few more dive looking for the ling. i looked at a few more holes for lings but i didnt find any. a little startled from the sharks aggressive behavior i decide to make a few more drop on my way back to my kayak.


i get back on the yak stow my geAR and paddle back to the beach. when i got back some guy in a truck pulls up and spots my ling and says "oh cool you got a ling. but dont let a warden see it the limit it 21"" then he drove off. the ling was 24" and the limit is 22 so i dont know what the guy was talking about.



i always hear about big seven gill at shell beach but had never seen one until now. it was the biggest swimming creature i have ever seen while diving. i had no idea how aggressive they are when you have fish on your stringer. i cant wait to get back there. the spot holds a good amount of lings and some really good halibut habitat.
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Old 08-26-2012, 07:21 PM   #347
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Re: SLO Dive Conditions

Damn, good reports. That 7 gill sounds intimidating.

I dove up north a bit with Reefer. Vis varied from 3-10 feet. I took a 27.5 inch ling and a 18.75 inch rock.
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Old 08-26-2012, 07:44 PM   #348
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Re: SLO Dive Conditions

Nice divin Dave! So my birthday is on Sept 4th and my dad gives my my gift early today, a dive light!!! so stoked, and really coulda used it today
sorry Dave, gotta find your own caves!
Here's my cab and brown bomber from today...
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Old 08-26-2012, 09:07 PM   #349
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Re: SLO Dive Conditions

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Originally Posted by reefer420 View Post
Nice divin Dave! So my birthday is on Sept 4th and my dad gives my my gift early today, a dive light!!! so stoked, and really coulda used it today
sorry Dave, gotta find your own caves!
Here's my cab and brown bomber from today...
Yea if you were a fish finder, I'd buy ya. hahaha
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Old 08-26-2012, 11:16 PM   #350
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Re: SLO Dive Conditions

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Old 08-29-2012, 01:52 AM   #351
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Re: SLO Dive Conditions

Paddled from Spooners yesterday morning. Had great looking vis on the way out, 10-15ft in the cove and slightly better on the outside. The vis rapidly degraded as the day went on and the swell jacked up. By the end of the day the 2-3 ft swell had gone up to a 3-5 with occasional big ones. The vis in the cove turned to garbage, but outside stayed rough but diveable.

Did not see anything too impressive. Hit a handful of kelp beds and went as far as Coon Creek. Did not work anything deeper than about 40ft, and most of my dives were between 20 and 30 ft. Some beds had nothing, and some were loaded. Saw just perch, rockfish and a few baby lings.
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Old 09-02-2012, 07:00 PM   #352
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Re: SLO Dive Conditions

Was out at spooner hiking yesterday and at morro today. Definitely not dive conditions for tomorrow...

Anyone want to do some dove hunting tomorrow? my upland game buddy is moving, looking for some more hunting partners for the upcoming season. PM me if so.
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Old 09-02-2012, 09:05 PM   #353
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Re: SLO Dive Conditions

One of my favs for quick and easy fish.

Fillet used is from the ling posted last week.
Preheat oven to 375
Put some veg oil on the foil
Coat fillet, sprinkle a little lemon on first.
Season with some cajun seasonings
Coat in panko bread crumbs
Put jalapenos on
Bake for about 15 min(my oven sucks, so I dont know my exact cooking time and temp.)
Last minute of cooking i do on broil setting to brown the crumbs.

Super good fried fish crunch but much more healthy. And the jalapenos are super tastey.
Here's a pic before I cooked this one. Didn't take a cooked pic.
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Old 09-03-2012, 01:05 AM   #354
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Re: SLO Dive Conditions

Hello all,
I'm new around here, and I thought I'd introduce myself: My name is Zack. I have been spear fishing a couple times the past few weeks in SLO County. I usually go alone which I have no problem doing unless conditions are sketchy, however, I'd also be down to join people who need a dive buddy from boat or shore. I don't have a kayak, so I am limited to shore dives when it's just me. I'm only freediving. On my first couple dives I was getting used to diving again (been about 10 years) and only shot a few perch, but now I'm able to dive about 30-40' and I'm finding Ling, Cabezon, Rockfish, etc. I've got REAL BASIC equipment (poor college student) and I'm using a 6' hawaiian sling spear. I'd be down to split gas and such if I go with anybody. PM me if in need of a dive buddy. (I'll be super busy the next two weeks, but after next weekend I'll be available weekends only. I teach Mon-Fri 8am-4pm.)
Happy fishin'!
Zack
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Old 09-03-2012, 07:28 PM   #355
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Re: SLO Dive Conditions

welcome to the forum/area zack. im open for diving mostly weekends only also. im thinking about going out in 2 weekends from now if you want to join my other buddy and i. my depth range is down to 30'ish right now but plenty deep enough during this warmer weather. the dive spot is depending on weather conditions.
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Old 09-05-2012, 04:07 PM   #356
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Re: SLO Dive Conditions

Dove Morro rock today. 7' or so of vis. Just kinda cruising around. No fish taken. Hand caught and released some cabezon. Nice swim.
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Old 09-07-2012, 02:39 AM   #357
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Re: SLO Dive Conditions

You guys should have a good lobster season up there this year if the water is warm. On really warm years I use to catch good numbers up there, but not so good when the water was cold. But there were always some bugs. Unfortunately they are around good in the summer and seem to migrate out by about the end of October, so it is a short window, but they are all BIG.
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Old 09-07-2012, 10:01 AM   #358
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Re: SLO Dive Conditions

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Originally Posted by Red Zeppelin View Post
You guys should have a good lobster season up there this year if the water is warm. On really warm years I use to catch good numbers up there, but not so good when the water was cold. But there were always some bugs. Unfortunately they are around good in the summer and seem to migrate out by about the end of October, so it is a short window, but they are all BIG.
There are always a few around, but those otters keep the population pretty reduced. Best bet has always been very, very murky areas with lots of cover and otter resistant holes.
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Old 09-07-2012, 04:28 PM   #359
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Re: SLO Dive Conditions

Dove up towards Cambria today with Colby. Vis was patchy, 1-10 ft. Fell off to consistantly 1-5 as the wind and swell picked up. Looking at the upcoming forecasts, I shouldn't have passed up those black and yellows... The freezer needs some fish.
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Old 09-07-2012, 04:34 PM   #360
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Re: SLO Dive Conditions

Pulled a snorkel out of a hole today, anyone loose theirs?
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