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Old 01-13-2019, 03:29 PM   #1
renepotvin
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stoned wahoo in Baja

I was fishing the Punta Arena area.


Story, on my webpage

I began my day by paddling 30 minutes and anchoring, only to find out I did not have the top part of my wetsuit... So I jumped in without my suit and took the anchor out. The seas were rough enough for me to have to turn into some swell in order to stay upright. I got back to my car after 40 minutes of paddling in rough seas. I had not eaten since 8 pm the previous night, it was 2:30 by then. The old peanuts on the car floor, those stuck in the space between my seat brackets and the carpet sure looked good to me, but I passed. Walked back to my kayak, wobbly legged and all, and proceeded to paddle back to the same spot.

The rocky coast sends waves back and creates a bit of a <em>confused seas</em> type of mayhem. I finally don my suit, and start fishing the sandy bottom of the steep rocky coast. I look up, towards the rocks, for some snappers. I rub the bands, do all the usual. I manage to attract small groupers but nothing I want to shoot.

<strong>I was diving super well on my empty stomach</strong>. It always gives me an extra 20 seconds. Moreover, I generally feel better while diving and I need less recuperation time when I've fasted for more than 12 hours. I encourage divers to try intermittent fasting lol.

I was going up and down the coast, diving the deep parts first then looking between rocks, also tried long breatholds. On some of those longer dives I attracted everything in the proximity, it looked like an aquarium.... of small tropical fish.

The sand was at about 20 meters (66 feet). It's only 75 meters from the shores. Some rocks are a little farther and deeper. The sand goes down to 60 meters about 500 meter away from the coast. I saw some small mackerels at 27 meters (90 feet). That's deep for a 3 pound fish that you know will likely tare. That said, I was encouraged to look further out.

Sure enough, there were the long thin barracudas type fish we often see here (not the needle-nosed ones). I dove down to the bottom a few times. Fish came to check me out. I slapped the water and swam farther away until I could not reach the sand anymore... well I did not want to. There was no reason to go down at 30 meters or more, only to see sand. The action was on top.

As I swam against the current the get back in position, I finally saw it. A nice sized wahoo almost on the surface. I fumbled to point my gun and took a shot from the surface. I hate shooting from the surface since the movement often makes me miss my mark. I could have fired earlier. Instead I got as close as I could before taking my shot. It was a difference of one and half seconds perhaps lol. I knew where the spine was but I never expected to hit it like this!





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Old 01-14-2019, 08:44 PM   #2
agbiv
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Re: stoned wahoo in Baja

Nice write up and super pics.
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Old 01-15-2019, 02:23 AM   #3
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Re: stoned wahoo in Baja

Your perseverance in the face of adversity really paid off. Great fish, and a great story. You really earned that fish. Nice shot!
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Old 01-15-2019, 10:11 AM   #4
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Re: stoned wahoo in Baja

Nice!
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Old 01-15-2019, 12:59 PM   #5
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Re: stoned wahoo in Baja

Going out again, any tips on getting wahoos I'm not aware of?

I slapped the water, flashers did nothing in this case, the glove was without effect... vis is bad all the time these days.
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Old 01-15-2019, 01:31 PM   #6
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Re: stoned wahoo in Baja

That's an awesome fish, bet that tasted good. I know people have trouble with wahoo ripping the spear out when they run, what kind of float/line or reel did you use? Also, how is it to use a kayak down there? Any trouble with strong currents?

PS thanks for your reply to my prior post about heading to cabo in feb.

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Old 01-15-2019, 04:00 PM   #7
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Re: stoned wahoo in Baja

And do you hunt with a buddy?
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Old 01-15-2019, 10:20 PM   #8
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Re: stoned wahoo in Baja

Hunting with a kayak keeps you honest lol. It's difficult to find good fish without going deep. But then, I get to dive all the time and stay as long as I want. Renting boats is still a good idea from time to time.

I shot both my large wahoos with reef guns with reel. Well, there are reef guns and reef guns. I'm using a 150 cm two band gun with a 7.5 mm shaft. My reel has 50 meter of stretchy nylon that acts like a bungee. Not ideal but I'm not hunting bw... Haven't lost one yet.
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Old 01-15-2019, 10:23 PM   #9
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Re: stoned wahoo in Baja

Yeah, not that it helps with security. You lose sight of your buddy pretty quick. 20 feet of vis and we dive at a minumum of 60 all day, with current.
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Old 01-16-2019, 04:16 PM   #10
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Re: stoned wahoo in Baja

That's interesting, I didn't know they made stretchy line for reels. I might have to look into that. I've just been toying with the idea of getting a bungee to tack onto the beginning of my float line.
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Old 01-17-2019, 12:43 AM   #11
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Exclamation Re: stoned wahoo in Baja

Quote:
Originally Posted by chuckschultz15 View Post
That's interesting, I didn't know they made stretchy line for reels. I might have to look into that. I've just been toying with the idea of getting a bungee to tack onto the beginning of my float line.
The don't make stretchy line for reels. They have had us on dynema and spectra for two decades now.... All my reels had that stuff, not anymore, and I'm not going back unless they come up with stretchy spectra lol.

I switched to nylon because it stretches
nicely (depending on what you get) and still has enough strength. It is not 1/10 the strength of spectra, but I can hang off the ground from a single thread of 3 mm (number 36 for those who know).

I simply don't need 4000 pounds or sudden shock resistance. i can only hold about 200 (if I greatly exagerate my capacities) and if a fish can yank that line hard enough to break it, I'm not going to be able to hold it.

The bungee like quality of what I am using now got me the 50 pounds wahoo I got a few weeks ago. The 100 feet of line I had out felt like a giant elastic. That was my Eureka moment. Flame on.
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Old 01-20-2019, 12:39 PM   #12
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Re: stoned wahoo in Baja

Great story and nice fish!
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Old 01-20-2019, 01:04 PM   #13
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Re: stoned wahoo in Baja

Quote:
Originally Posted by renepotvin View Post
The don't make stretchy line for reels. They have had us on dynema and spectra for two decades now.... All my reels had that stuff, not anymore, and I'm not going back unless they come up with stretchy spectra lol.

I switched to nylon because it stretches
nicely (depending on what you get) and still has enough strength. It is not 1/10 the strength of spectra, but I can hang off the ground from a single thread of 3 mm (number 36 for those who know).

I simply don't need 4000 pounds or sudden shock resistance. i can only hold about 200 (if I greatly exagerate my capacities) and if a fish can yank that line hard enough to break it, I'm not going to be able to hold it.

The bungee like quality of what I am using now got me the 50 pounds wahoo I got a few weeks ago. The 100 feet of line I had out felt like a giant elastic. That was my Eureka moment. Flame on.
Hello rené

What exactly is this thread ?
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