Rolo
08-13-2007, 08:22 PM
Spent five wonderful days in the Exumas last week. My wife and I took the "puddle jumper" flight across the Stream into paradise along with three other couples. I was the only diver so I brought along a handful of shafts and 'Ole Yeller (Pole Spear) to try my luck. I dove three out of the five days and was fortunate enough to have wonderful weather. Surprisingly, I was shocked at the lack of fish on the outer reefs. I scoured quite a bit of bottom from depths of 25 to 75' fsw with little signs of life. I ended up landing most of my fish off deep cuts or near uninhabitant cays.
Got taxed a few times and seemed to always be hunting under the close supervision of territorial Black Tips and Reef Tax Collectors. In any event, I managed a few groupers, snappers and a lone lobster. The lobster was the only one I came across and it was at the last spot I dove of the trip, luckily I had promised my mom I'll bring her a tail or two and this large one surely sufficed. Again, to my amazement, I did not see any hogs during the entire trip and some of the large blacks dogged my shafts with ease or were just not interested in staying within range. Used the pistol grip handle during the entire time and snarred a few of the groupers out of caves and crevices with my old yellow pole spear.
The pictures are in the order in which I shot them with the highlight coming on day two of diving with a very nice mutton on sling. I was shocked it hit the fish where it did and turned it over on a dime. We enjoyed most of the fish for dinner as the joyful Bahamians were happy to cook them up for us in exchange for the heads and carcasses. With the Kaliks:toast: ice-cold and the water gin clear, the fish was just added gravy:).
Got taxed a few times and seemed to always be hunting under the close supervision of territorial Black Tips and Reef Tax Collectors. In any event, I managed a few groupers, snappers and a lone lobster. The lobster was the only one I came across and it was at the last spot I dove of the trip, luckily I had promised my mom I'll bring her a tail or two and this large one surely sufficed. Again, to my amazement, I did not see any hogs during the entire trip and some of the large blacks dogged my shafts with ease or were just not interested in staying within range. Used the pistol grip handle during the entire time and snarred a few of the groupers out of caves and crevices with my old yellow pole spear.
The pictures are in the order in which I shot them with the highlight coming on day two of diving with a very nice mutton on sling. I was shocked it hit the fish where it did and turned it over on a dime. We enjoyed most of the fish for dinner as the joyful Bahamians were happy to cook them up for us in exchange for the heads and carcasses. With the Kaliks:toast: ice-cold and the water gin clear, the fish was just added gravy:).