New Guy Intro

[Surfer1313]

Hello everyone, just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Tyler and I am a amateur spearfisherman. I have been reading Spearboard for over a year and I thought I would finally say something to everyone.
I am a waiter at Tower 23 in Pacific Beach by night, and I Surf, party and spearfish by day.
Most of my fish have been on the smallish side, but I hope to land a nice WSB or Yellowtail this upcoming season. I am shooting a Picasso Century 140 (butt to tip) rigged by Mark at The Spearshack. Most of the time I hit up Marine St in LJ, I have been to the Coronados with no luck, Also I have jumped into a paddy with nothing to show, except for a brown wetsuit, it scared the shit out of me, but I want to do it again.
I started buggin this season for the first time. I have 6 under my belt.
Thats about it for now, Im sure I will be posting as the season progresses. Thanks everyone, even though you dont know me, I feel like I know all of you already.
If anyone wants to go hunt for some dinner hit me up!
Also, I know my way around a boat and I will always pitch for gas and help clean up if anyone ever needs someone to fill a spot on a boat.
858 754 6089

[CaptainLeo]

Nice intro, Tyler. The first time I jumped in on a paddy, I couldn't get back in the boat fast enough. I don't even think about it now. Not like I am a seasoned veteran or anything. Anyway, good luck, have fun, and be safe.

[Zenon]

I must be pretty new because I have no idea what a paddy is!

[Bill McIntyre]

Originally Posted by Official WG

I must be pretty new because I have no idea what a paddy is!

When kelp is attached to the bottom, especially when there is a lot of it, we call it a kelp bed. When kelp gets torn loose from the bottom and goes floating in the open ocean, we call it a kelp paddy. Like floating logs, etc, floating kelp attracts bait fish, which attract game fish. It might be in water over a thousand feet deep, but you don't have to dive to the bottom if you don't want to.

The photo shows a bodacious kelp paddy a few miles inside San Clemente Island, but most of them are not nearly as big.

[Zenon]

Got it.
So what's the excitement about jumping in on a patty that requires quick retreat back to the boat?

[Manbat]

the deep blue

[Bill McIntyre]

Originally Posted by Official WG

Got it.
So what's the excitement about jumping in on a patty that requires quick retreat back to the boat?

The first time you jump into blue water over 1000 feet deep in the open ocean with no land in sight, your legs feel very long and it seems that something may be about to bite them off. Its just sort of lonely. You are in the middle of this big blue bowl and you may feel rather insignificant.

But you'll get used to it.

[FlyinJim]

Haha well put Bill!

Its different from just swimming way out far from land. Some people can't do that, others dont care - it's just water. But when your actually seeing things through a mask, watching a school of bait and large, blurry shapes move in and out of it on the other side, and knowing you're in large Mako territory, Swordfish territory - anything that lives in the Ocean territory .. You think a whole lot about diving down and moving closer to those shapes to find out what they are, or just maybe being satisfied they aren't that close to you. But since you're there to spear fish you always have to go see because you hope they're gamefish. They usually are, but they have a larger potential to be something else way out there than they do in 30' of water 100 feet from Catalina.
Open ocean diving feels like a time machine to me. As soon as you get away from the boat, you just traveled into a world that's used it's ruleset pretty unchanged for thousands of years. None of our rules, feelings or desires have much meaning or effect at all out there at all, other than deciding to take a fish or not.
I doubt that .0001 % of the human population of this planet has seen what we are looking at out there and a camera taken picture doesn't do it justice at all. For the times I'm able to do this I feel extremely fortunate.

[32Juan]

Hey, there's lots to be seen in the 30' waters around the island, even this guy:

[butch]

Originally Posted by Bill McIntyre

When kelp is attached to the bottom, especially when there is a lot of it, we call it a kelp bed. When kelp gets torn loose from the bottom and goes floating in the open ocean, we call it a kelp paddy. Like floating logs, etc, floating kelp attracts bait fish, which attract game fish, WHICH ATTRACT HUGE SHARKS. and you are floating there like a floating seal. Stay away from the paddys. Don't even hnl there!

Sorry Bill; I revised your post.

[lobzila]

Originally Posted by CaptainLeo

Nice intro, Tyler. The first time I jumped in on a paddy, I couldn't get back in the boat fast enough. I don't even think about it now. Not like I am a seasoned veteran or anything. Anyway, good luck, have fun, and be safe.

Not to split hairs here, but you never left the side of the boat.

The first time in on open water is freaky. Gets even freakerier when the large shark slides out of the gloom 100 feet away and goes to right behind your fins before you can get one band loaded on the gun.

[Zenon]

Thanks for the lesson.

[Captn Ron]

Just remember at times like that.......and keep having this attitude.....I am the predator not the prey.

[MOTO 619]

Welcome to posting up on SB Tyler

[campbellc0321]

[quote=Bill McIntyre;1146919

The photo shows a bodacious kelp paddy a few miles inside San Clemente Island, but most of them are not nearly as big.[/QUOTE]

Hey I think I took that picture. That thing was huge, but it was in the wrong season. I think it was the same trip we were looking for a dead whale outside Dana.