bugs - opening night

Three Freedive Hunters carried out tradition as we made it out at 12am opening day of lobster season - Tanner, Darren, and Tom. The conditions were fair+, and there were plenty of young, curious lobster creeping out from their holes. We all had several catches, but only the legal-sized made it in our bags.



The surge was strong, and we often found ourselves getting banged up against the rocks. It was a fun outing with sightings of Sculpin, horn sharks, sting rays, etc. The water is getting colder, but the lobster are out - let's go get 'em!

missing legs and will, our lobster made it home in the wee hours of morning.Size comparison...

- TJ

angle of the dangle

We had a bit of a rough start getting out... prop problems, but nothing our fearless Captain couldn't handle. Captain Frederic and First Mate Jordan.
We all dove long and hard at the Quarry, but no signs of YT. A few Calico met their maker, and Tom and Jordan got an early start on lobster hunting by scoping out the good spots. Jason S. brought all the weenies and condiments for a good grillin'. Fred worked up a nice fish/chicken noodle soup. A warm meal on the boat is always appreciated.

Captain Fred and Deck Hand Tom grilling some dogs under the warm sun.

Jordy enjoys his relish.
BBQ master, Jason Sneddon.

Young punk kids and their midday sleeping habits... This nap was much needed. We tried to get in all the rest we could for our evening dive. a nice day to dive... woulda been nice to actually get some game fish flopping around on the poop deck. We came home with Calico and Bonito. recording our miles, spending, and fish caught... our Captain does it all, he can even spear two Bonito with one shot! Yes, he did!

-TJ

local diver missing

Friday, September 12, 2008
Searchers still looking for free diver missing off Laguna Beach
Man who was spearfishing has been missing since Thursday evening.
By SALVADOR HERNANDEZ and KELLI HART
The Orange County Register


LAGUNA BEACH – Several agencies are continuing to search offshore waters this morning, looking for a free diver who went missing Thursday evening while spearfishing, authorities said.

Using fire boats, helicopters and a snorkel and dive team, officials began searching for the man at 6:20 p.m. Thursday, when he was first reported missing, said Ensign Stephanie Young, public affairs officer for the U.S. Coast Guard.

At 10:30 a.m. today, two boats, a helicopter and three divers were visible near the coast near Wesley Drive.

The man, who has not been identified by authorities, was spearfishing with three other men near Aliso Creek, Young said. The Laguna Beach Police Department contacted the Coast Guard, which launched a helicopter from its Los Angeles station and a 41-foot patrol boat from Long Beach.

Snorkel and dive teams from the Laguna Beach Lifeguards have also been sent out to sea to search for the man.

The Orange County Sheriff's Department is assisting in the search as well, sending a fire boat to try to find the man, said Lt. Ted Boyne of the Sheriff's Department.

Officials searched until 1 a.m. this morning, and began the search again at sunrise, Young said.

At 8:10 a.m., the Coast Guard suspended its search after "exhausting all of their models," she said.

Coast Guard officials take into account time, conditions and other factors to determine the survivability of the victim, she said. Search teams have not found signs of the missing man since the search began and the Coast Guard suspended its efforts.

If new information is found, the Coast Guard will resume searching.

As of 9:45 a.m., officials with the Laguna Beach Police, Laguna Beach Lifeguards and the Sheriff's Department were still searching the water.

More information to come.

Contact the writer: shernandez@ocregister.com or 949-454-7361

wet dream

It was April the 41st, being a quadruple leap year. I was driving in downtown Atlantis, my Barracuda was in the shop, so I was in a rented Stingray, and it was overheating.
So I pulled into a Shell station - they said I'd blown a seal. I said, "Fix the damn thing and leave my private life out of it, okay pal?"

While they were doing that I walked over to a place called the oyster bar -- a real dive, but I knew the owner, he used to play for the Dolphins. I said, "Hi, Gil!!!" You hafta yell, he's hard of herring.

Gil was also down on his luck. Fact is, he was barely keeping his head below water. I gullied up to the sandbar, he poured the usual - Rusty Snail, hold the grunion, shaken, not stirred. With a peanut butter and jellyfish sandwich on the side -- heavy on the mako. I slipped him a fin -- on porpoise. I was feeling good, I even dropped a sand dollar in the box for Jerry's Squids -- for the halibut.

Well, the place was crowded. We were packed in like sardines. They were all there to listen to the big band sounds of Tommy Dorsal --what sole. Tommy was rockin' the place with a very popular tuna -- "Salmon Chanted Evening." And the stage was surrounded by screaming groupers - probably there to see the bass player. One of them was this cute little yellowtail. And she's giving ME the eye, so I figure, this is my chance for a little fun - you know -- a piece of Pisces. But she said things I just couldn't fathom. She was too deep, and seemed to be under a lot of pressure.

Boy, could she drink. She drank like a... she drank A LOT... I said, "What's your sign?" She said, "Aquarium" I said, "GREAT!!! Let's get tanked!" I invited her up to my place for a little midnight bait. I said, "C'mon baby, it'll only take a few minnows." She threw me that same old line, "Not tonight -- I got a haddock." And she wasn't kiddin' either, 'cuz in came the biggest, meanest looking haddock I'd ever seen come down the pike. He was covered with mussels. He came over to me, he said, "Listen shrimp -- don't you come trolling around here."

What a crab! This guy was steamed -- I could see the anchor in his eyes. I turned to him, I said, "Abalone -- You're just being shellfish." Well, I knew it was going to be trouble, and so did Gil, 'cuz he was already on the phone to the cods. The haddock hits me with a sucker punch. I catch him with a left hook, he eels over- it was a fluke, but there he was, lying on the deck, flat as a mackerel, kelpless. I said, "Forget the cods, Gil, this guy's gonna need a sturgeon."

Well, the yellowtail was impressed with the way I landed her boyfriend. She came over to me, she said, "Hey big boy, you're really a game fish. What's your name?" I said, "Marlin." Well from then on, we had a whale of a time. I took her to dinner, I took her to dance, I bought her a bouquet of flounders, and then I went home with her. And what did I get for my trouble? A case of the clams.

labor day catch

Shore diving - a nice, little pocket between Laguna Beach and Crystal Cove. Though the viz was poor and the surge high, I set out anyway. I was diving around 30 feet, skimming the sandy bottom for halibut and found no sign of life. I ventured over to the nearby rocks, and the viz opened up to about seven feet. I saw a school of about 20 Calico on the side of a big rock - a sight I've never seen before. I snuck around the back to see if I could pick off a big one, but they were all too little. I kept diving... finally, a large sand bass made its way toward me, and I sat still and waited for it to turn. It finally did ever so slightly, right in front of my gun, and I fired. I gave it dimples - in and out right behind its mouth and through the gills. He was mad!
As soon as I pulled up my catch under water, two seals came to investigate. I headed back in, saw a nice-sized leopard shark, and called it a day.
A delicious eight-pound bass. It ain't YT, but it fed my family the next two days, and it sure was tasty.

- TJ