Features Sea Devil
Blackspot
Point & Shoot
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14
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Fin Review
Get Away
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Classic ‘08
Handspear Champs
Faux Fish 2
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2008 Australian
Bluewater Freediving Classic Shark Count
Jewmongous
Goatfish Chronicles
Mono Rope
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Š photo by www.markspencer.com.au Dr Adam Smith, Chairman of the Australian Underwater Federation, enjoys a freedive with the magestic Grey Nurse Shark. Sighted on the dedicated shark count day for the Great Australian Shark Count on the 28th of March 2008 in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. To read more see page 74 and visit the website: www.auf-spearfishing.com.au
King Of Seals
South Coast
Beyond 45
One Drift
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46
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Regular 6 7 10 38 40 58 60 70
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Editorial Letters Spear?Tips Spearfishing DEEP GreatShot08 Marine Parks Koster’s Kitchen Spearing Sydney
Tech-Tips 8 22
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Insurance Issues Gun Balance
Cover MIchael Featherstone, 13.5kg Blackspot Tuskfish, see this Issues feature on Blackspot Tuskfish, by Tim McDonald on page 14. An in depth look at this 5 Star brawler.
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by Tim McDonald Laying on the bottom I scan from right to left looking for movement, looking for the telltale sign. A few small Squire and Bream flicker amongst the rubble in the hazy 4-5 metres of visibility. A small 4kg Tuskfish swims slowly in for a look but I let him pass as that is not why I am here. Then finally in out of the dusty murk comes what I am here to see……… A BIG BLUE CHIN…….. ITS ON!! The fish I am here for is the Black Spot Tuskfish (Choerodon Schoenleinii), and not just any Black Spot Tuskfish but the big ones over 7kg. Here in South-east Queensland the Blackspot Tuskfish grows to about 17kg and fish over 10kg are common if you know where to look. The smaller fish can often be found in large numbers but generally we only target the larger specimens. There certainly is argument against shooting large specimens of any species, but given the very small window of opportunity each year to dive certain areas (due to visibility) and the very large amount of estuarine and bay habitat that is never diveable, taking a few larger fish each year is more than justifiable. Big Blackspot Tuskfish are truly a majestic fish. With their bright blue colouration, big solid head and the fact that they look so mean as they come cruising
in along the bottom, they are truly a sight to behold. As I mentioned at the start of this article, one of the things you first notice on the big Blackspots is their big solid chin. It is one of the best ways to tell if they are really big, as their chin will stick out even further than their top jaw. The other way is to look at their forehead, because in big fish it is very steep and pronounced. The Blackspot is the biggest of the four Tuskfish we encounter here in South-east Queensland. The other three are the Venus Tuskfish (Choerodon venustus) which grows to about 6kg, the Graphic Tuskfish (Choerodon Graphicus) which grows to about 4kg and the Purple Tuskfish (Choerodon cephalotes) which grows to 2kg. All four of these Tuskfish are superb eating, with beautiful white fillets that hold together well when cooked. They also have a sweet and delicate flavour that some people rate even more highly than many of the other more popular reef fish, like Coral Trout and Red Emperor. All four of the Tuskfish are also very beautifully marked. With the Purple quite possibly the most beautiful of them all. It has the most incredible purple markings that run down the middle of its face and around their eye. They are truly one of the most beautiful fish in the Ocean.
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“What are you doing on Thursday, Keen to come diving out Seals?” That was about all I remember about the phone call from my best mate Andrew Gray. It was a couple of days after Christmas and I was expecting a visit from my brother-in-law Blair at the same time and although he has only ever recreationally snorkelled he is always keen on an adventure so with the morning booked in and the forecast looking reasonable and fish being in the area in recent times it was game on, with that elusive (to me anyway) big King in my sights. Skipper for the day was Andrew Gray, his local knowledge around Seal Rocks and Pacific Palms is second to none in my opinion. He knows the area above and below the water like the back of his hand and has some impressive captures under his belt which include 80 pound+ Jew and his best King to date 23.75kg.
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We hit the beach well before sunrise in anticipation to be the first guys in the water for this time of year as there are often visiting divers around. And after a flawless beach boat launch we were off. First stop was all of a 3 min boat ride to a reefy area with an outside bombie that has been producing a few big Kings and the odd Cobia with the pushes of clear warm water that have been coming through lately. We eagerly jumped into the water only to be greeted with average green cloudy water, making it hard to see the bottom below in only 25 feet of water. After swimming around for nearly an hour nothing was happening, the water was warm and there were a few Alligator Gar and big schools Yellowtail but about the only highlight was being PRIVILEGED enough to see a multitude of Grey Nurse Sharks. A move was on the cards. As we anchored in our next spot Andrew said
how he wanted to check a few lobster holes. The way he navigates his way around the bottom checking certain nooks and crannies can only come after many dives in the one location and it wasn’t long until he was back in the boat with a couple of crays. I jumped in and after only a couple of mintues spotted what I first thought was a huge octopus leg but turned out to be a kangaroos tail, still attached to the kangaroo which was wedged in the rocks down about 10 feet, not sure what the story was with that but there was a big hungry Wobbegong just around the corner waiting for a feed he may never get to taste again. We pulled anchor and motored out to the outside of the reef where you aren’t allowed to anchor so Blair volunteered to be boatie while Andrew and I went on the hunt. I have quite a history with Seal Rocks myself having been lucky enough to spend 7 years of my
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Ant Judge - 7.5kg Jobfish captured on a recent trip to Hawaii
You’ve got to love the “locals” choice of reading material
The Green Jobfish (Aprion virescens) is a member of the LUTJANIDAE family, Tropical Snappers. It is found in many of the tropical waters of the world but can also range into more temperate oceans. It will tolerate large temperature variations (20° - 32°C). Jobfish are a superb table fish and their challenging nature make them a highly prized catch for spearfishermen. Green Jobfish grow to an impressive 20kg but fish around the 4-8kg mark are more common. Any fish over 10kg is considered an exceptionally good fish.
Hunting
Jobfish can be very wary at times and divers often employ burley to bring the fish into range. A good breath hold can also be helpful as the fish tend to become more curious the longer the diver stays submerged. CAUTION Jobfish have been responsible for a number of Sambas and Blackouts as divers push beyond their limits chasing these fish, remember, your life is worth more than a nice fish! A complete disinterest in the fish is also useful. This technique is applied with varying success on a number of fish, but it is very effective on Jobfish. Often a diver will turn away only to turn back and see a Jobfish has swum in very close. Stirring up sand on the bottom is also very effective in bringing Jobfish into range. Jobfish are notoriously dirty fighters and usually head straight for the reef once speared, looking for everything and anything to hook you up on. Another reason they are the cause of many a Samba! Good tip is to not dive right to the bottom and rather try and get the Jobfish to swim up to you so you have a chance of keeping them off the bottom.
Habitat
Jobfish can be found on the fringes of reefs and dropoffs, they display very pelagic-like behaviour despite their close family relationship to fish like Mangrove Jacks. Swimming in schools of smaller fish and smaller groups of larger fish. Anywhere you find concentrations of bait are worth a look.
Hotspots
The Great Barrier Reef, Moreton Island, Northern Western Australia, Tweed Heads, Fraser Island.
Eating Quality 8 out of 10
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John Featherstone - 8kg Green Jobfish
Tim McDonald - 10.5kg Mangrove Jack
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I 76
t was the Australia day long weekend. A few of my NSYG mates, Pooshkie, Jools and Taka, and I had decided to travel up the NSW North coast to take advantage of the good water that had come in with the seasonal push of the East Australian Current. I had been told by Jools that the target for
the weekend was Jewfish! Seeing that I had never even seen a Jewie before, this trip sounded like a good trip to be on. We arrived at the boat ramp just after lunch on the first day, after travelling all morning, launched the boat and headed for the first spot. Alongside
our boat, heading out the bar was a bunch of experienced St.George divers in another boat. Being in the faster boat, we beat them to the first spot. We set the anchor and the race begins to get in the water first. Jools and I are first ones ready to jump in the water as we are both super keen to find the Jewies first. As we are about to bail over the side Jools asks me “Timmy, where are you going to swim first?”. I think quickly and go with the easy option, “to the shallows, in the Jew crack and then out to the sand line. What about you?”. Jools knows better than to race me around, his plastic fins are no match for
my carbons. He decides to head straight for the sand line where he has had lots of luck with Jew in the past. We roll over the side and swim opposite directions. As I slip into the water all I can think about is seeing a school of Jew. My heart races as I get closer to the crack. I have only ever heard of people shooting Jew in this crack and have checked it countless times and have never seen anything, maybe this time will be different? I tell myself that it’s worth checking the crack and push on. There is not much swell so the hole is easily accessed. I swim slowly, diving and covering every metre of the gutter leading to the Jew hole, nothing…nothing…still nothing…I stop swimming when I see the edge of the hole, I wait on the surface, relaxing, breathing deep and slowly. I dive about 3m to the edge of the hole and peek down over the edge. Below me, I see the heads of two, large, Blue Groper, hanging under the lip of the hole. “No!...they aren’t groper” a sneaky little voice in my head says. “Jewies!”. I keep my cool and slowly track my 1.4m Rob Allen to point at what seems to be the head of
the bigger of the two. That little voice came back into my head at this moment, “Make sure of the shot… yep it looks good…sure?...yep…THEN HURRY UP AND SHOOT!”. I squeeze the trigger and before the spear has left the gun it has hit the fish, with the spear passing down through the middle of its head and finally smashing into the rocks below making an awful loud CLANG! Woah! I was close! The fish gave one half kick and showed itself in full for the first time. I watched the other Jew freak out and swim out towards another crack. My focus then returns to the speared fish as I pull on the mono and it turns towards me, now on the surface, and rolls broadside showing me its full size… Woah!…I pull it in to me and grab the stoned fish in my hands. “WOAH! Its enormous! Its humongous! Its Jewmongous!” I thought. Later on at the boat ramp I was stoked to see it weigh in at just a touch over 28kg, a whopper. Certainly a good contender for the North Shore Underwater Club Jewfish Trophy for the year. Swimming back to the boat I make sure the other boys don’t see me as I want to see the looks on their faces when they get back on the boat. I have been in the water no longer than 5mins and when I get back to the boat the other guys are far away on the hunt for Jew, with no idea of what I have just shot. I smile and chuckle to myself, eager to see what they get. I get the fish onboard and attempt to remove the spear however it is stuck in the head of the fish so I grab my spare gun and hop back in the water hoping to find the second Jew which swam off in the opposite direction to where everyone else was diving. While kicking towards the second Jew hole, where I suspect the other Jewie has gone, I think of how much I could rub it into my mates if I got two Jew at the one spot, and they got nothing. I laughed and kept swimming. Turning the corner of the crack, I dive down again, this time I swim over the crack and look from a distance… Nup, no Jew here. “Oh well, I got a big one already” I say to myself. At this point the second boat load of divers rock up and begin to anchor up. Being an incredibly lazy diver at the best of times,
I decide to head back to the boat to take a well earned break. All 10mins of diving and shooting one fish had given me all the satisfaction I needed for the afternoon. Time to go find one of those Bundys I snuck aboard. A few mins after getting back to the boat I hear Pooshkie give a cheer from about 20m away. He holds up a nice Jewie of about 15kg but his smile soon turns to one of confusion when I tell him “you’ll have to put that one back mate”, Pooshkie “Why’s that?”, (as I pick up my Jew) “Cos it won’t fit in the Esky!”. His Jaw drops “What the F…!” ha ha ha we both laugh. Next Jools swims up to the boat and I tell him I’ve seen Jew over in the other direction. Jools swims off in that direction as he hasn’t seen anything out on the sand line. Ten minutes later he comes back with two Jew which he speared in the one shot from the hole I swam over 15mins earlier…”I should have looked harder” I say and Jools laughs at me. It was one of the best feelings I’ve had, shooting my first Jewie that day. Two things I have learnt are that no matter how many times you check a gutter/ hole/crack for Jewies and come up with nothing, it is definitely worth checking it thoroughly every time because it’s Murphy’s Law that it will be the only time you don’t check it that the Jew will be there and that nothing beats shooting good fish and diving with good mates.
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“
HOW I GET THE JUMP ON JEWIES
”
Brett Vercoe, Champion Spearfisher and Australian Record Holder (Blue Marlin)
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