First Blood, First Hallie Blood

[Dave Edlund]

I dove with my friend Brian Mathews who nailed his first ever halibut today in Monterey Bay. We were diving the area known as Jelly fish city and we were ready for business today. I told Brian to bring a big powerful gun and he did. He borrowed Gene Kramers (personally designed and manufactured) "Mega gun" which has four bands and could have taken out a 100 lb. yellowfin tuna at 20 feet. It's 70 inch shaft made diving difficult for Brian because the vis ranged from 3 to 8 feet. At 3-5 feet, Brian would lose sight of the tip of the speargun, but when it opened up to 6 feet a halibut was waiting for him. With four loaded bands shot the spear shaft shot through the halibut and into the sand 8 inches deep. The halibut was pinned to the sand. Brian even had a hard time pulling the shaft out. Next time, Brian will downsize the gun. But tonight, Brian is eating it with his girlfriend! Lucky guy!

[Q]

Nice first halibut Brian!!

Q.

[cmburch]

No chance of being towed by the halibut with that gun.

Anyone seen or heard about the anchovies coming in close to shore recently in Santa Cruz?

[Dave Edlund]

I don't know about anchovies, but WSB are being taken in Santa Cruz. They moved into Monterey Bay in early June. Last time I was out halibut hunting out of Moss Landing a week ago, there were bait fish breaking the surface in schools. I think they were anchovies, but I never completely ID'd them. The one thing that is out in force in Monterey Bay is jellyfish.

[silentapnea]

Who uses a gun that big for halibut? Especially if you are strictly targeting halibut in monterey, what do you have a chance at if not halibut, a rock fish, a lingcod? Nothing that requires four bands and a 70" shaft. Thats just ridiculous. Why is the fish all wrinkled, was it not properly cared for? Other than that congrats on a first.

[Diablo Loco]

Nice hali.

By the way, Silentapnea, everyone makes mistakes and learns from that mistake. Your comments are not cool.

[BrianM]

Originally Posted by silentapnea

Who uses a gun that big for halibut? Especially if you are strictly targeting halibut in monterey, what do you have a chance at if not halibut, a rock fish, a lingcod? Nothing that requires four bands and a 70" shaft. Thats just ridiculous. Why is the fish all wrinkled, was it not properly cared for? Other than that congrats on a first.

Don't knock it till you try it I think I'm going to try a gun with a 90" shaft next week, they're saying the viz might be 8 feet!!

The 'wrinkles' are from what it was laying on right before I picked it up to pose with Gene's Bazooka. Here is another take on it:



(There's a clue to the real story in this photo!! )

[Diablo Loco]

Looks like a nice shot in the gillplate. Did you stone him? That length Riffe is perfect for hali's.

[Erik Sun]

Originally Posted by BrianM

Don't knock it till you try it I think I'm going to try a gun with a 90" shaft next week, they're saying the viz might be 8 feet!!
(There's a clue to the real story in this photo!! )

Dang...awesome fish with a 70" cannon. I think 90" may be too short if the vis opens up. ....

Congratulations,

Erik

[Fis_Hunter]

Nice fish congrats

[Kale]

Good job! Better to be over-gunned than under-gunned. Last time I was in Monterey, my buddy Jim Beck's dad showed me a halibut gun he made. It was a beast of a mid-handle with the handle really far forward.
Congrats
Kale

[damdan]

How deep were you guys diving ?

[BrianM]

I only purchased that Riffe a few months ago and my intention was to use it for freedive hole hunting ling. I decided to try it for Hali and it worked fantastic. I shot this guy within 5 minutes of hitting the bottom, at 45', he was facing into the current and I came up from the side. I didnt see anymore on the first dive so I went up and switched tanks and went the other direction. I came upon a bigger one, maybe 25#, facing the same direction as the first one and this time in 40'. Here's where I screwed up: I held the gun out and I didnt support the butt at all, I just held it by the pistol grip. When I pulled the trigger, the gun recoiled and I overshot him by maybe an inch... I probably gave him a nose piercing!! So I know I won't make that mistake again, I will make sure I either pull the butt firmly to my shoulder or I will hold it with my left hand. I couldn't decide whether I should chase him down or continue my pattern, I figured he would be extremely spooked now, so it was best to keep with the plan, and all I saw was an evil ling defiantly sitting on a rock and daring me to shoot him so I obliged!! The ling was 25" and skinny but my Dad is thrilled. The Hali was 35" and 16.5# with not much in his stomach, I must have got him right before lunch as there were a lot of squid sacks rolling around in the area.

This was my 3rd time to this spot, and probably my 10th day of attempted halibut diving, so I was really happy to have my cherry popped finally.

[BrianM]

Originally Posted by Diablo Loco

Looks like a nice shot in the gillplate. Did you stone him? That length Riffe is perfect for hali's.

Hey Bryan, this guy sat there for a full 3 seconds after I shot him and didnt move until I grabbed the shaft and then he went crazy. I pushed the shaft into the sand and knifed him and had him strung in a matter of seconds, even though I was panting like a dog in the sun! 2 years ago I actually shot at a divot, thinking it was a hali, so I am always second guessing myself when I think I see one... when this guy didnt move I thought I had been fooled again but it turned out to be real!!

[KingNeptune]

Hey, where's the head bandana? 6-pack ab, and the slaying bowie knife??? Hehe. Great report! Well done, good job on your 1st halibut. I remember my first halibut on tank in Monterey. What a rush that was!!

KN
Dive safe and smart