Northwest Dive Club

Can you just grab them by the gills and hang on and drag them to the surface? If the small ones are better anyways, it shouldn't be to hard right. I may be way off hear.

sheahanmcculla wrote:Can you just grab them by the gills and hang on and drag them to the surface? If the small ones are better anyways, it shouldn't be to hard right. I may be way off hear.

Sure, give it a try and report back.

Seriously have you ever tried to grab a fish even out of the water? They are bad enough flopping around in the bottom of the boat.

sheahanmcculla wrote:Can you just grab them by the gills and hang on and drag them to the surface? If the small ones are better anyways, it shouldn't be to hard right. I may be way off hear.

No, you really need to dispatch the fish and put it on your stringer. You don't want to be fighting a struggling fish making safety stops.

A Ling Cod is a fish you definitely want to have under control. The teeth and gill rakers are razor sharp. When I shoot a fish I try to get as close to the head as possible I don't want to ruin any of the meat if I can. After the shot I try to pin the fish on the bottom, rock, wreck, etc. I will try to drive my knife into the top of the head then cut the gills to bleed it out. I don't want a pissed off fish with razor sharp teeth on my stringer attached to my harness/belt ready to bite anything that comes within range of it's mouth. I've had dives where a curious Ling has come over to check out the anchor after we drop it. Most of these fish are laying on the bottom waiting to ambush their prey. A long shot would be 4 - 6 feet most shots are within 3 feet.

I guess it would be more sporting to try and grab the fish then try to swim it to the surface but I think it would turn out to be a case of who caught who, did you catch the fish or did the fish catch you.

Mike

Rockfish wrote:A Ling Cod is a fish you definitely want to have under control. The teeth and gill rakers are razor sharp. When I shoot a fish I try to get as close to the head as possible I don't want to ruin any of the meat if I can. After the shot I try to pin the fish on the bottom, rock, wreck, etc. I will try to drive my knife into the top of the head then cut the gills to bleed it out. I don't want a pissed off fish with razor sharp teeth on my stringer attached to my harness/belt ready to bite anything that comes within range of it's mouth. I've had dives where a curious Ling has come over to check out the anchor after we drop it. Most of these fish are laying on the bottom waiting to ambush their prey. A long shot would be 4 - 6 feet most shots are within 3 feet.

I guess it would be more sporting to try and grab the fish then try to swim it to the surface but I think it would turn out to be a case of who caught who, did you catch the fish or did the fish catch you.

Mike

GOOD POINTS!

Some inspiration...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rDZd3fd ... re=related

I thought we could not get rock fish though?

sheahanmcculla wrote: I thought we could not get rock fish though?

Not in Puget Sound. Out on the coast its ok. From page 102 of the rules: "No spearfishing for rockfish in Areas 5-13."