Chicks today
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Diving
Forum Name: Spearo's Corner
Forum Description: Free-divers & spearos chat about their sport
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=31941
Printed Date: 06 Jul 2026 at 11:15pm
Topic: Chicks today
Posted By: Rusky
Subject: Chicks today
Date Posted: 22 Aug 2008 at 8:10pm
Departed Marsden Point at 7.30am, the ride over fairly smooth with a little chop. Jumped in at one of the Islands and was greeted with ok vis, around 15-18m and 13.5 degree water. It felt much colder than that with my fingers and toes going numb after just an hour, but the rest of the body was coping well.
 Saw about 6-7 snapper up to 2kg below me over the weed in 6m, they seemed very chilled to say the least and it wasnt until i dived down on top of them that they slowly ghosted away. But one little guy maybe 1kg was doing its normal routine, im so confused (pectoral fins going all over the joint). Might have been going soft but i just decided how close I could get to him without firing the gun, probably got within 10cm of the spear tip before he bolted for it!
 Swam past Herbys famous snapper burley spot, better not rape it or I'll never hear the end of it were my thoughts! Next was the weedline. Big schools of Jack macks around just going around in cirlces. I made a few dives in amongst them to see if any Johnnies were hiding. Nothing. Moved down the coast a bit and saw another school of jacks from the surface, this time I saw that UFO I had been looking for giving the jacks a hard time. Would be rude not to make the hunter the hunted, and pinned it to the sea floor.
Collected my final blueys for my research and decided to try a tad of idiot sticking with the old man until I had warmed up a bit. Caught a couda, old man got a 3kg snapper. Also found another goldie spot but this depth is way out of our league, well the majority anyway at 60m.
With the suns rays warming me up I decided to spend the rest of the afternoon snooping new territory. Kick, kick, kick, was pretty much all i did. I came to a nice ledge with a gut, and in amongst it were maybe 50-100 Blueys doing nothing. I reach for my camera and start taking pics, and the blueys finally realise im there and come in to say hi. While im doing this a 2-3kg snapper must have seen the excitement on their faces and join them coming within 3m of me. No gun, no glory.
 Also Muffed a shot at a 2kg where its tail was facing towards me and it wouldnt move side on for a shot, Argggg. Third fish I saw was 3kg out in the open so i backed off ever so slowly, and with a bit of kina thrown over the ledge I was prepared for the good stuff. Gun blazing eyes open i came over the ledge. WTF, where have you gone? The phantom snapper strikes again.
4th snapper, well you can guess I miss this one as well. Late afternoon, sun in my face, not the ideal way to do it. I just make out the outline of a 3kg snapper coming towards me, but with its sun behind its back, I stick out like dog balls and it quickly bolts.
Was a funny day with not much fish, but well worth the trip.
Oh yea, gun with new shaft in it mjl is wicked, shoots straight!
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Replies:
Posted By: kuuni
Date Posted: 22 Aug 2008 at 9:15pm
Nice pic of blueys  got any more?
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Posted By: jr.spero
Date Posted: 22 Aug 2008 at 9:59pm
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what kind of cam u got? ------------- "is it dead?" |
Posted By: Rusky
Date Posted: 22 Aug 2008 at 10:09pm
| Its just a cheap FujiFilm FinePix A810 with 8.3 mega pixels. |
Posted By: jr.spero
Date Posted: 22 Aug 2008 at 10:18pm
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oh ok cool.... it takes nice clear photos! ;) ------------- "is it dead?" |
Posted By: Snoop
Date Posted: 23 Aug 2008 at 8:29am
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Nice write up Rusky. At least you got out there. No biggie moochers seen? ------------- Axemen Spearfishing... "Putting the crap back into elite" www.axemenspearfishing.co.nz |
Posted By: herby
Date Posted: 23 Aug 2008 at 10:08am
| JD pics? how big was it? |
Posted By: Rusky
Date Posted: 23 Aug 2008 at 11:04am
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Snoop, not even one seen the whole day. I haven't seen a moocher there since summer. If I had burleyed then maybe I might have attracted something from out wide, but I wanted to explore new area while doing the snooping thing.
JD was just your standard size, maybe a bit smaller than normal, but very chunky.
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Posted By: Minksta
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2008 at 11:14am
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'While im doing this a 2-3kg snapper must have seen the excitement on their faces and join them coming within 3m of me.' No pic of this one rusky or were you trying to club him over the head with your 'cheap' camera?
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Posted By: Rusky
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2008 at 12:14pm
| No pic. The gun was behind my fins about 1m, and while he came in he turned as he saw something long and dark against the ledge move a bit. I tried to reverse back slowly as he wasn't that concerned milling around, got almost within reach of the gun and he came in for his final look and departed. If I had the setting on video it would have been quite cool to film. |
Posted By: tiras
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2008 at 12:50pm
Did the Hen and Chicks yesterday with Karl, Matt and Nick we had great viz easy 20m in places. We snooped in pairs so me and Nick went off snooping the side that faces the Hen and Karl and Matt went in the other direction doing the back of the Chicks. Long story short Nick and I snooped 2km of coast doing rock for rock and Nick got a 2kg snap and i then got a 2.5kg snapper and Nick got the lucky rock and got a nice 5.5kg snapper. Pretty quiet at the chicks so we went to the hen and Karl and Matt did well with Karl getting a 5.5kg snap and Matt getting a 4kg. End tally was 2 x 5.5kg snapper one 4kg 2 x 2kg. Also a turky! going to Nick there were a few around. 
sorry no photos. ------------- RiCK JaMeS B1TcH |
Posted By: Rusky
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2008 at 3:51pm
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Wicked! Did you guys use burley at all? I swear I saw a turkey on a weedline on friday in amongst all the porae. |
Posted By: tiras
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2008 at 3:53pm
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na all fish were snooped!!! ------------- RiCK JaMeS B1TcH |
Posted By: spear crazy
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2008 at 3:57pm
| wot weedline were u on for the tarakihi and how deep were u diving approx |
Posted By: long john
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2008 at 4:03pm
you want G.P.S co-ordinates? Maybe next time he's out, he could just deliver a brace to your door?
------------- Proud member of the Glen Innes Spearfishing Club |
Posted By: Tomatron
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2008 at 7:13pm
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Good stuff guys! |
Posted By: Kenshin
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2008 at 10:38pm
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A great read theyre Adam and awesome pix on those maomao's. What camera where u using?
------------- Be patient and calm – for no one can catch fish in anger. –Herbert Hoover |
Posted By: Rusky
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2008 at 10:15am
It seems a few of you enjoy seeing the Blue maomao (Scorpis violacea) so I'll put up another few. Ive been enjoying a feed of Blueys, prefer them smoked, but pan fried they come a close second.
Anyone tried them as Sashimi?
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Rusky wrote:Posted By: _Jimmy_
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2008 at 10:17am
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had heaps of Bluey sushimi over the years, actually one of my favourites. also perfect for soloman island style raw fish salad. |
Posted By: vP
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2008 at 11:02am
| Great photos!!! |
Posted By: _Jimmy_
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2008 at 11:23am
| yea, those pics make me want to go for a swim! |
Posted By: SeaCamel
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2008 at 11:27am
what's so special about soloman style? is it different from the coconut milk / lemon juice marinade commonly referred to as island style? and what's the proper way of preparing it? do you let it sit in lemon juice first? what lemon juice/coconut milk ratio works best? ------------- Many a mickle makes a muckle |
Posted By: Kenshin
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2008 at 5:04pm
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whaa? I never knew maomao can be great eating. I'll definitely hook 1 or 2 the next time they go around the berley. BTW.. whats the legal size and bag limit for maomao? Adam, your pix are not obvious for that camera... makes we want to get a dive gear.. but my nards are only fit for tropical waters. ------------- Be patient and calm – for no one can catch fish in anger. –Herbert Hoover |
Posted By: Rusky
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2008 at 5:12pm
| No size limit kenshin, think they fall under the 20 finfish per day category or something like that. |
Posted By: _Jimmy_
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2008 at 5:15pm
| i will get my sol'y recipe and post it. |
Posted By: Kenshin
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2008 at 5:57pm
Thanks for that, just making sure Im not gonna catch jail bait.  ------------- Be patient and calm – for no one can catch fish in anger. –Herbert Hoover |
Posted By: _Jimmy_
Date Posted: 26 Aug 2008 at 4:29pm
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sea camel,
500g firm white fish 100ml malt vinegar 50ml fresh lime juice 1 fresh green chilli seeded and thinly sliced ½ tsp salt 1 tomato cored, seeded chopped 1 red capsicum cored seeded and thinly sliced 1 spring onion thinly sliced 2 tbsp finely sliced coriander stalks and leaves plus extra for garnish 1C coconut cream lettuce leaves put the fish into a bowl add the vinegar and mix well. Marinate for 2 hours until the fish has turned white. Rinse the fish under cold water and drain well. Put the drained fish into a bowl and add the remaining ingredients except the lettuce. Mix well taste and adjust seasoning. Serve on lettuce my typical island style recipe's just marinate in lemon juice overnight., this one is the winner and was given to me by a soloman island chef. As one of his recipes he served in his restaurant. let me know what you think.
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Posted By: SeaCamel
Date Posted: 27 Aug 2008 at 9:46am
thx for that!!! Will try with the next fish (could be a while) and let you know how it went. ------------- Many a mickle makes a muckle |