Sambo Sensations
Submitted by ca11um on Thu, 2012-01-05 15:47
Hey guys, just got back from an awesome freedive, first for 2012. Its been so long since i have had a freedive and i couldn't wait till i could jump in!!! We headed to a spot Dad has been meaning to try for a while now, so we made the plans and headed out their. The water was exceptional, crystal clear and nice and warm!! Dad jumped in first and a spotted a flurry of fish species investigating our berley. I started gearing up as quick as i could and jumped in again. That feeling, the water rushing over your mask, bubbles clear and you see the deep blue. Its a feeling that many of us are familiar to but its the one that we crave, the one that brings anticipation and excitement through your whole body, especially your trigger finger 
The water was fantastic with Skippy EVERYWHERE and 3 little dhuies hanging beneath them. I started doing some little dives to get back into it. I was starting to get my lungs working nicely and then i scan across and spot a decent Sambo, just cruising above the Skippy. He swims across me and i tale a shot below the dorsal fin, we both head in opposite directions. The Sambo powers down to the bottom, but i pull him back and I surface. He starts to circle and then Dad comes along and points down. There is a Dhuie sitting below the struggling Sambo. Dad dives, but doesnt shoot. The Dhu was borderline size, but there was no taking chances. I focused on my fish again and he was starting to tire. I pull him ever closer and soon i hit the shaft. I dive down grab his tail, his beautiful mottled back shakes in disagreement. I plunge my hand into his gills and take it to Dad who dispatches him with his knife ( i really need to get a knife!!) Awesome!!!! My first ever Sambo and in my top 5 goals for 2012, i was more than stoked. He went 8kg exactly and measured 90cm.
We continue diving and my breath hold is improving, i can reach 10 metres and hold bottom well now. I keep diving and not long after i spot a Queen Snapper. I didn't shoot it at first as i wasn't to sure about its size so then i surface and show Dad. He looks down, dives down and shoots "my" fish :shock: I was pretty annoyed, as i have never speared a Queen Snapper, but this was all about to change!! Just as Dad reaches his shaft, the fish "slips" off the spear because the flopper closed on the fish somehow. I didnt care though, cause it meant that i could shoot it :twisted: He is just building up speed and i take a shot, just missing the Brain shot but still holding the fish so i can grab him and put him in the boat!! Team effort first, lol. After putting him in the boat, i decided to pull my Olympus Camera out and take a couple of vids underwater(they turned out crap 
). As i was filming, a decent Swallowtail Nannygai swims past. It missing an eye and was completely oblivious to my presence. I pick up my gun, fumbled with the Camera and by now he has seen me and turns away, dam. Well i put the camera back in the boat and focus on shooting something again. I dive down and see Dad lying on the bottom, gun extended and then BANG, he shoots a nice Breaksea Cod(yum!!). Dad turned 58 yesterday so he was pretty happy that he touched 10m and shot a fish at this depth. Next dive he has done it again and shoots a nice Swallotail. We kept diving for a little while but then packed it in and caught some Skippy on Soft Plastics.
). As i was filming, a decent Swallowtail Nannygai swims past. It missing an eye and was completely oblivious to my presence. I pick up my gun, fumbled with the Camera and by now he has seen me and turns away, dam. Well i put the camera back in the boat and focus on shooting something again. I dive down and see Dad lying on the bottom, gun extended and then BANG, he shoots a nice Breaksea Cod(yum!!). Dad turned 58 yesterday so he was pretty happy that he touched 10m and shot a fish at this depth. Next dive he has done it again and shoots a nice Swallotail. We kept diving for a little while but then packed it in and caught some Skippy on Soft Plastics. It was an awesome days diving and never realised the true potential that Mandurah had for Spearfishing!!! I had the GoPro today, but the batterys were flat(little did i know 
)
)oh and by the way, which one of the underwater photos do you think i should put into the Greatshot 2012 comp??
Happy spearfishing!!
Cheers, ca11um.
grayzeee
Posts: 2283
Date Joined: 09/07/09
good going there fella.a top
good going there fella.
a top little write up. (middle pic showing the whole fish for my money)
well done
If I spent half as long fishing , as I do reading this bloody forum , I'd be twice the fisherman I am.
aalfred
Posts: 669
Date Joined: 13/06/09
Nice report mate,And i would
Nice report mate,
And i would say the middle pic too.
Cheers Seb
ca11um
Posts: 335
Date Joined: 25/12/11
alright cheers guys. but
alright cheers guys. but just to be clear, you were talking about the last underwater shot?? I also seen another Sambo, but like 20kg+, no way i was shooting that thing!!!
cheers
scottland
Posts: 3039
Date Joined: 10/05/10
Nope they mean
The middle underwater shot great shots there
i support two teams eagles and whoever is playing the dockers
aalfred
Posts: 669
Date Joined: 13/06/09
Scottland is correct, the
Scottland is correct, the middle underwater shot or the second pic.
ca11um
Posts: 335
Date Joined: 25/12/11
alright cool, i sent the
alright cool, i sent the bottom underwater shot, the middle underwater shot and the one of me holding it on the boat. he has a good range to choose from, hehe!!
southcity104
Posts: 1659
Date Joined: 27/01/09
I like the bloodied masters!
Ice coffee in the eski. Ive drank a few of those over the years!
"Its a life style job"
r.gates
Posts: 573
Date Joined: 15/11/10
Sambo eating quality?
Hi Ca11um
Nice report and some great photos. Were you diving on the FFB off Mandurah?
What's the eating quality of the sambo....i thought they carried worms or is that more likely only in the bigger ones??
regards
rusty...
If life is boring, you must be doing it wrong!
ca11um
Posts: 335
Date Joined: 25/12/11
Nope, we went south off Tim
Nope, we went south off Tim Thicket. The small Sambos are great eating, anything over 1m we wont shoot. Just whack them on the pan with some lemon pepper dressing and it tastes awesome. Had some for dinner today and it was DELISH!!
cheers, Ca11um
dkonig82
Posts: 2091
Date Joined: 06/07/10
Good spearing and a good
Good spearing and a good writeup too.
Pretty impressed with 10m freedive too! Never really tried diving witihout the tanks.
When asked by a non-fisherman 'how many fishing rods do you really need?' the correct answer is either:
n+1 (where n is the number of fishing rods you currently own); or
n-1 (where n is the number of fishing rods which would cause your significant other to dump you.
daze out
Posts: 75
Date Joined: 07/09/11
good job dude
Just a quick one dude, it is good practice to remove your snorkel when free diving.
In the case of a shallow water blackout;
If you have a snorkel in your mouth, water has a clear path straight into your lungs.
If it is removed, your body will not let you "breathe" in the water and you will have a better chance of being revived by your dive buddy.
ca11um
Posts: 335
Date Joined: 25/12/11
I do take my snorkel out my
I do normally, just for the photos(that are less than 3 meters deep) It looks better.
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18036
Date Joined: 11/03/08
well done on your first.
well done on your first. gotta be happy getting your first sambo and queenie. good call on the dhuies, would hate to shoot one that was under size.your going to be eating well. pity you got the sambo right in the side. a head shot would have looked better and been easier. at least you got it. 10mtrs isnt a bad effort at all. i struggle at 5
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Wes F
Posts: 1067
Date Joined: 07/01/12
Excellent write up young
Excellent write up young Fella Good day out diving in the deep blue well done on ya first sambo
Old fishermen never die they just smell that way.
ca11um
Posts: 335
Date Joined: 25/12/11
Cheers fellas!! @ Faulkner
Cheers fellas!! @ Faulkner Family-You know when you see your dream fish and nothing goes to plan?? Well that was exactly what happened on that day. Adrenalin pulsed through my body and i took the first shot i had at the fish :D