One more note. Please ensure you are hunting with a gun that's capable of shooting through a Lingcod. Many entry level guns will not do the trick. Plus, ensure your flopper is well tuned. Loosing fish is the worst... Check out Daniel Mann's video on how to tune your flopper. m.th-cam.com/video/7dyIQ6wIgDE/w-d-xo.html&t
@@PaulHeinrichs1 It depends man. With some you could for sure. You might want to get a slip tip though. I don't use pole spear much but I have some friends that have shot ling with em successfully. Loosing fish sucks though so tread lightly.
Good afternoon. Please tell me in which provinces of Canada hunting is allowed. Did I understand correctly British Columbia and the French part as well? thank you
@@artemturchyn1460 British Columbia on the ocean and some body's of fresh water. I believe in some lakes and rivers in some provinces but I'm not sure which ones. I'd just do the research on a need to basis. For example, if I was heading to Manitoba, I'd look up the regs beforehand.
Thanks man and my pleasure. I think most people would follow best practices if they understood the rules and, more importantly, why they are in place. Cheers!
No problem man. For me, it was a little trial and error. I've made some mistakes so I'm happy to help other people learn from them too. I appreciate the comment!
Very well done! I especially like the emphasis on sustainable hunting. Haven't considered BC as a dive location; perhaps I should; it's not that far a drive from north central WA!
Cheers man, and yes, sustainability is key. I've done some trips to WA! Lopez Island and Neah Bay for example. I bought a license but never ended up catching anything. It was fun though!
Thanks Chris! Another great video! 3 in some areas (outer coast I assume), wow! We can keep two on the coast in WA. One in Puget Sound. In Puget sound the season is only 45 days. On the coast it's mid-March to mid-October.
That sounds more reasonable. 45 days is a pretty short season but beats no opening at all. Yeah, 3 on the islands west coast. Super generous, and maybe sustainable for boats that can hit any depth but for dive spots I don't think so. I think Washington has different regulations for spearfishing vs angling which seems like a reasonable idea.
Thanks for the knowledge and all the hours you spend to edit these videos before sharing them with us. Appreciate all the knowledge especially ! Lingcod are also my favorite but here in California the species is really struggling.
Thanks man! It's definitely a time consuming process. More goes into them than I think most realize haha so I appreciate that! And yeah man, same here in British Columbia. Unregulated commercial fishing brought their populations down to nothing back in the 60's. Rockfish Conservation areas offer some help but not much. Many don't follow the rules and we have to much coastline to effectively monitor. Sucks, but hopefully one day we learn...
Thank you for the great information on this species! I did not know the important role the male played in guarding the eggs. Last week I caught a 36" ling (in 285' of water) which I later discovered to be full of eggs. I was bummed thinking about how many offspring were potentially removed from this deep reef. Now that I know the male is just as important I will likely release any big ling caught while fishing from my boat. Unlike rock fish which suffer from barotrauma when brought up from this depth, the lings can easily be returned to the water without the need of a descending device.
Yeah man, good call. Happy to shed some light! They are a pretty interesting fish. Crazy how so many fish species have such vast differences in their lifecycles. I wish we could hit recreational depths of 285' aha. Imagine that!
I really appreciate your emphasis on ethical and sustainable spearfishing. It makes a tremendous difference. I think a common attitude is that there’s always someone worse out there taking far more fish or skirting more regulations, but it’s one of these matters where we absolutely have to be principled and take it upon ourselves to do better than our parents and their parents did. Commercial fishing has an immense impact on things, but few people want to acknowledge how much recreational harvesting has impacted certain species and locations in particular. I don’t care if someone at a wharf takes undersized crabs or harvests too many clams. If I see it I’ll report it. As for myself, I’m going to have the lightest impact on the sea that I can reasonably manage and hope like hell that my kids get the same opportunity. It’s not good enough to do the wrong thing because as you see it, someone else does something worse anyways. It’s how we got here. These days I mostly just watch the fish, though I harvest shellfish occasionally. I haven’t speared anything in years and I doubt I will any time soon. I respect that people do though, and I respect even more when they openly advocate for doing it right.
Thanks dude and I totally agree. Morals are super important. I have no issues reporting people as well. I do all the time for that matter. If nothing else, at least the DFO knows areas that need to be monitored going forward. It sucks that people just don't care and it sucks even more when they get caught red handed with little to no recourse. Our justice system is broken. And I respect that as well. I don't spearfish as much as I used to, I film the majority of the time. I still find harvesting my own seafood rewarding but since moving to Vancouver Island, I don't need to go as hard. I keep a small reserve in the freezer and ensure everything gets consumed before heading back out. I hope my kids have the same opportunity we do. I'm pretty pessimistic though. I hate to say it but there are very few positives. Overfishing, plastic pollution, global warming, industrial pollution, endangered sunstar, invasive European green crab, etc. The list goes on. 😟
@@PNWSamson Yeah, I hear you. I just got my son a fishing rod for his 7th birthday and it was bittersweet. I have incredible memories of exploring creeks, lakes, rivers, the ocean, and loving the experience of learning about the animals through trying to catch them. I didn't really think of it like that at the time, but it was invaluable experience. I want him to have that too, but damn, it's strange to fish freshwater these days... Most lakes are straight stocked rainbows, they're tiny, and the conditions are almost always leaning towards eutrophic. It makes me worry the experience he has will cause the inverse of what my experience did for me. Even so, we'll get on the water and hang out, and that's good enough for me. I wonder too, how else do we teach our kids to respect and care for the environment they're in? I know catching fish isn't an essential piece of that puzzle, but I do think getting so close to them, feeling their strength, tuning to their habits and environment, and the rest of it is incredibly empowering to anyone who wants to learn to care for these animals as well. And it forces you to look at them and see: holy shit, this thing is living! It's beautiful! This water is home to incredible animals. There's a sort of intimacy with nature involved that can be really powerful to some people. Anyway, here's hoping. You're not wrong, there's a lot to contend with. I actually incorporated a business as a benefit company with the sole purpose of investing 5% of profits to aquatic habitat restoration and 5% of employee time to volunteering towards these causes. That means donating towards organizations purchasing and restoring wetlands, beach cleanups, etc. Currently the employees are just me and one other person, but I hope it can make more of a difference over time. Water is everything, really.
Hey man, again, didn't mean to ignore you. Comments get lots sometimes, especially responses. Yeah, I agree. Fishing the Gulf islands when I was a kid is why I love the ocean so much today. All my views and opinions changed once I started diving though. I used to be one of the "cull the sea lion" folk before I started diving with them. It's pretty crazy what happens when you start going into their environment. I think for my kids I'll try and cut out the middle man and go right to the source. I'll expose them to the environment before they start harvesting from it. Every time I bring food home from the ocean my kids are curious and I try and teach them about respect for the animal we are consuming and the environment in which it came. I hope all that resonates with them once they are older. 🤞
Thanks man! That was around 3 years worth. It definitely pays off to have all your old footage well organized. Happy you liked the narration too, hopefully it will give people something to think about while out there!
Keeping it sustainable is paramount, I view the ocean as a gift. If we don't perserve it fer the future fer people to enjoy again and again who are we? It's like a good camping spot or most things really, I want to go back. Thus trashing it so I can't or don't want to is a no go...
Another fantastic video. Thank you for all the great information! Appreciate all your hard work! Researching, filming, editing, writing always provide an enjoyable and educational viewing. Recently moved to Tacoma WA and have the itch to explore as you do in your videos. Do you have any recommendations to learn the proper breathing techniques to enjoy this amazing activity safely?
Hey man, I appreciate the comment! Nice to know that people appreciate the content. I would highly suggest taking a freediving course, but if that's not an available option for you, this free online course is a great start. I've yet to take this one, but I've heard good things. I plan on watching it one day soon as a refresher. freedivingsafety.com/
I'm trying to map out some potential spots on my navionics, what's the shallowest that you've successfully hunted lings? When I would jig for them from my kayak, I would usually aim for small pinnacles no less than 30 meters. And lately I'm very lucky to clear half that diving (gotta get back in shape). Also have you ever had to worry about their spines? I noticed you getting pretty close after a shot when they're mid fight and I recoiled just watching it ahaha.
The biggest one I shot was in 7m of water. I don't usually go past 15m when hunting. It's all about finding the right habitat. That breakwater in Tsawwassen is littered with massive Lingcod and most of it is in 3-7m of water. They are off limits there though... Lingcod don't worry me but rockfish do. I've been stabbed a few times and their quills leave a sting! Good gloves is essential!
@@PNWSamson Interesting, I'm unfamiliar with that area but I'll try incorporate that in the areas I'm looking at up here on Haida Gwaii. Yeah I've only ever been poked by lings. When I was a kid on my dad's commercial boat I got a couple in the hand and then just recently I had two lings strapped in front of me on my kayak and took a swell at an angle. Took 3 spines to the chest. The feeling hadn't improved since I was a kid ahaha
I would give divingsports a shout. They have a store front in Port Coquitlam on the mainland but also do online sales. They are super knowledgeable and can point you towards the best equipment for your body shape and experience level. They sell package deals too. Used gear comes up online from time to time but it's super competitive. You'd have to be on it steady and hope the person selling the gear wears the same size. Spearfishing Canada is another local company and many people like Mako package deals too.
Thanks! Most of that was filmed with a GoPro Hero 8. Auto settings, high but rate, 2.7k 60fps. Above water stuff was with a Sony AX53. I now film with an Insta360 Ace Pro and a SonyAx700. Also my Google pixel pro.
The fish greed is real! I worked as a fishing guide for 8 years in Kyuquot and Zeballos and it's disturbing how these people pay alot of money to go out on these trips then since they paid out they feel like the ocean owes them something. I remember one trip I had 3 guys out and we were doing really good limited out on salmon, halibut, rock cod and just 2 lingers short of a full house. With about 250 pounds of whole fish on board already and they were disappointed I couldn't find those last 2 lings. One guy didn't even like to eat fish but, wanted to max out his limit anyway. When I started I used to love fishing at the end I hated it. I have only been fishing twice personally in the last 4 years and I will say that Zeballos area has taken huge hit in the last few decades. The inlet used to be loaded with lings and cod but now it's mostly a waste of time. 35 years ago on a calm summer weekend you would see 5 to 10 small boats and now its 100 to 300 big well equiped boats with good tech and way better fishing gear. If everyone could just step back and look at the whole picture past, present and future hopefully their would be more understanding for the balance of the ocean. The writing is on the wall for the future of the ocean if anyone dares to read it to another fisherman. Good vid man.
Yeah man, that's not surprising at all... Some people are ignorant and others simply don't give a shit. It's sad really. Some use the "If I don't catch them someone else will" reasoning but that's also a crappy outlook. I agree, I'm fishing less and less now days. I don't eat meat or commercially bought seafood so I do it for food and that's about it. I'd much rather enjoy my diving filming the wildlife than killing it. But, I'm not a vegan yet so it's still the most responsible way I know how to harvest. I'm pretty negative when it comes to the future outlook of the oceans, but hopefully these videos can give people a little food for thought. It's not all about shooting fish, it's about respecting the ecosystem and getting back into the food chain.
A little past Sechelt, in area 16-1. To be honest though, I've never had success fishing on the sunshine coast. A boat might help a little bit but the areas have been hit hard. Not by spearos but just in general. I don't bother spearfishing around the sunshine coast anymore. You may see some Lingcod in Skookumchuck Narrows but it's all RCA. The diving in there is sketchy but rewarding.
Hey! beautiful Video! I am currently living in Vancouver and really want to get out in the water. I am just getting back from a year of spearfishing in Aus and don't really know the scene here in BC. If you are ever looking for a buddy to go with or wouldn't mind me tagging along shoot me a message!! Thanks again for the video
Sounds good man, reach out on instagram so I have a way to get into contact. There is a decent scene in BC. Most of the harvesting takes place on the island though.
I keep hearing this argument about halibut not being good if they're big, never heard it about Ling. Anyways, I don't think it's true for either one. There are a lot of good reasons to release large fish, for the health of the species reproductively and genetically, as well as for the release of older fish, whether they are large or small. Some behaviours are size dependent, and some are learned. Large male and female are more capable of territorial defense and predator deterrence, protecting smaller ones, not only their own nests.
For sure man. Funny, I've heard that about Ling but never halibut. I know the commercial industry doesn't let the large halibut or Lingcod go. I've never caught a Lingcod over 30lbs so I can speak personally. Maybe it's just something people say so people let the breeders go? If it's not true it's probably best that people think it is anyway aha.
@@PNWSamson Yes I think it is said to protect the larger fish for breeding etc. I have caught and eaten a few ling cod in the 60-70lb range, no different from a minimum size fish. Same for halibut, 100lb, 90, 75, 70, 60, lots below 50 and no difference between 100 lb and one pound fish. The most common thing I hear is that "they're full of worms if they're big". Haven't seen a difference between large or small, lots of small ones have worms, lots of big ones don't.
compared to when I started diving, 60 yrs ago there's not much left , the commercial fleet cleaned it out 30-40 yrs ago and we have not fished since , there maybe the odd spot but we leave them alone , and ling cod live a lot longer 6-7 ft long is still just a baby , also missing is the millions of rock cod ,abalone , dog fish , box crabs and so many other that any of the new divers will never see in this lifetime , actually had to disarm a spear gun diver before he shot someone underwater, disgusting
Males max out at around 90cm which is just under 3'. Females get much larger but the current record is 85lbs at 4'11". I'm not saying there are not 6'ers out there, but they'd definitely be full grown by that point. I believe lingcod can live to roughly 20 years from my research. Some rockfish are much older at 175+ years. I agree, overfishing has really messed things up. That's why I don't buy seafood. If they want to put an end to all fishing, I'd be cool with it. But if commercial fleets are out there dragging the bottom and exporting lingcod/rockfish all over planet earth, I don't feel to guilty about selectively pulling the trigger while holding my breath. I'm not 100% where you are going with this post. Kudos for disarming that guy, but don't paint all spearfishermen/women with the same brush. Lots of idiots on the highway as well, but I consider myself a relatively responsible driver.
One more note. Please ensure you are hunting with a gun that's capable of shooting through a Lingcod. Many entry level guns will not do the trick. Plus, ensure your flopper is well tuned. Loosing fish is the worst... Check out Daniel Mann's video on how to tune your flopper. m.th-cam.com/video/7dyIQ6wIgDE/w-d-xo.html&t
Does a pole-based spear have enough power in this department??
@@PaulHeinrichs1 It depends man. With some you could for sure. You might want to get a slip tip though. I don't use pole spear much but I have some friends that have shot ling with em successfully. Loosing fish sucks though so tread lightly.
Good afternoon. Please tell me in which provinces of Canada hunting is allowed. Did I understand correctly British Columbia and the French part as well? thank you
@@artemturchyn1460 British Columbia on the ocean and some body's of fresh water. I believe in some lakes and rivers in some provinces but I'm not sure which ones. I'd just do the research on a need to basis. For example, if I was heading to Manitoba, I'd look up the regs beforehand.
@@PNWSamson Thank you!
Amazing video! I really appreciate everything you do to promote an ethical approach to harvesting in our waters. Keep it up!
Thanks man and my pleasure. I think most people would follow best practices if they understood the rules and, more importantly, why they are in place. Cheers!
Nice video as always. Love to see you preaching responsible harvesting on this platform for all viewers, spearfishers or not. Keep it up
Thanks man! I feel like most people would follow the rules if they clearly understood them. Hopefully this one will help with that. Cheers!
Great segment, super informative 👌
Happy to help!
Excellent video! This type of content can go a long way teaching and guiding people, myself included, in the right directions! Thanks!
No problem man. For me, it was a little trial and error. I've made some mistakes so I'm happy to help other people learn from them too. I appreciate the comment!
awesome stuff Chris. This is going to help a lot of people! thanks for taking the time and effort to make the community better.
Thanks buddy! I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Hope to see you sometime soon!
You are a wise person chris. Thanks for spreading the info.
No problem! Thanks for the comment. Happy I can help!
Very well done! I especially like the emphasis on sustainable hunting. Haven't considered BC as a dive location; perhaps I should; it's not that far a drive from north central WA!
Cheers man, and yes, sustainability is key. I've done some trips to WA! Lopez Island and Neah Bay for example. I bought a license but never ended up catching anything. It was fun though!
Amazing video and very informative!
Cheers!
Great information Chris! Thanks for sharing
My pleasure man, happy to share some information!
right on brother... nice shoots and narrative :-)
Thanks man! ✌️
Great video man! Cleared up some things for me.
Cheers dude, let's get out next season!
Thanks Chris! Another great video! 3 in some areas (outer coast I assume), wow! We can keep two on the coast in WA. One in Puget Sound. In Puget sound the season is only 45 days. On the coast it's mid-March to mid-October.
That sounds more reasonable. 45 days is a pretty short season but beats no opening at all. Yeah, 3 on the islands west coast. Super generous, and maybe sustainable for boats that can hit any depth but for dive spots I don't think so. I think Washington has different regulations for spearfishing vs angling which seems like a reasonable idea.
Thanks for the knowledge and all the hours you spend to edit these videos before sharing them with us. Appreciate all the knowledge especially ! Lingcod are also my favorite but here in California the species is really struggling.
Thanks man! It's definitely a time consuming process. More goes into them than I think most realize haha so I appreciate that! And yeah man, same here in British Columbia. Unregulated commercial fishing brought their populations down to nothing back in the 60's. Rockfish Conservation areas offer some help but not much. Many don't follow the rules and we have to much coastline to effectively monitor. Sucks, but hopefully one day we learn...
Thank you for the great information on this species! I did not know the important role the male played in guarding the eggs. Last week I caught a 36" ling (in 285' of water) which I later discovered to be full of eggs. I was bummed thinking about how many offspring were potentially removed from this deep reef. Now that I know the male is just as important I will likely release any big ling caught while fishing from my boat. Unlike rock fish which suffer from barotrauma when brought up from this depth, the lings can easily be returned to the water without the need of a descending device.
Yeah man, good call. Happy to shed some light! They are a pretty interesting fish. Crazy how so many fish species have such vast differences in their lifecycles. I wish we could hit recreational depths of 285' aha. Imagine that!
I really appreciate your emphasis on ethical and sustainable spearfishing. It makes a tremendous difference. I think a common attitude is that there’s always someone worse out there taking far more fish or skirting more regulations, but it’s one of these matters where we absolutely have to be principled and take it upon ourselves to do better than our parents and their parents did. Commercial fishing has an immense impact on things, but few people want to acknowledge how much recreational harvesting has impacted certain species and locations in particular.
I don’t care if someone at a wharf takes undersized crabs or harvests too many clams. If I see it I’ll report it. As for myself, I’m going to have the lightest impact on the sea that I can reasonably manage and hope like hell that my kids get the same opportunity.
It’s not good enough to do the wrong thing because as you see it, someone else does something worse anyways. It’s how we got here.
These days I mostly just watch the fish, though I harvest shellfish occasionally. I haven’t speared anything in years and I doubt I will any time soon. I respect that people do though, and I respect even more when they openly advocate for doing it right.
Thanks dude and I totally agree. Morals are super important. I have no issues reporting people as well. I do all the time for that matter. If nothing else, at least the DFO knows areas that need to be monitored going forward. It sucks that people just don't care and it sucks even more when they get caught red handed with little to no recourse. Our justice system is broken.
And I respect that as well. I don't spearfish as much as I used to, I film the majority of the time. I still find harvesting my own seafood rewarding but since moving to Vancouver Island, I don't need to go as hard. I keep a small reserve in the freezer and ensure everything gets consumed before heading back out.
I hope my kids have the same opportunity we do. I'm pretty pessimistic though. I hate to say it but there are very few positives. Overfishing, plastic pollution, global warming, industrial pollution, endangered sunstar, invasive European green crab, etc. The list goes on. 😟
@@PNWSamson Yeah, I hear you. I just got my son a fishing rod for his 7th birthday and it was bittersweet. I have incredible memories of exploring creeks, lakes, rivers, the ocean, and loving the experience of learning about the animals through trying to catch them. I didn't really think of it like that at the time, but it was invaluable experience.
I want him to have that too, but damn, it's strange to fish freshwater these days... Most lakes are straight stocked rainbows, they're tiny, and the conditions are almost always leaning towards eutrophic. It makes me worry the experience he has will cause the inverse of what my experience did for me. Even so, we'll get on the water and hang out, and that's good enough for me.
I wonder too, how else do we teach our kids to respect and care for the environment they're in? I know catching fish isn't an essential piece of that puzzle, but I do think getting so close to them, feeling their strength, tuning to their habits and environment, and the rest of it is incredibly empowering to anyone who wants to learn to care for these animals as well. And it forces you to look at them and see: holy shit, this thing is living! It's beautiful! This water is home to incredible animals. There's a sort of intimacy with nature involved that can be really powerful to some people.
Anyway, here's hoping. You're not wrong, there's a lot to contend with. I actually incorporated a business as a benefit company with the sole purpose of investing 5% of profits to aquatic habitat restoration and 5% of employee time to volunteering towards these causes. That means donating towards organizations purchasing and restoring wetlands, beach cleanups, etc. Currently the employees are just me and one other person, but I hope it can make more of a difference over time. Water is everything, really.
Hey man, again, didn't mean to ignore you. Comments get lots sometimes, especially responses.
Yeah, I agree. Fishing the Gulf islands when I was a kid is why I love the ocean so much today. All my views and opinions changed once I started diving though. I used to be one of the "cull the sea lion" folk before I started diving with them. It's pretty crazy what happens when you start going into their environment.
I think for my kids I'll try and cut out the middle man and go right to the source. I'll expose them to the environment before they start harvesting from it.
Every time I bring food home from the ocean my kids are curious and I try and teach them about respect for the animal we are consuming and the environment in which it came.
I hope all that resonates with them once they are older. 🤞
Great video!! Thanks for making this as it is super informative!!
Happy to help! Cheers!
One of my favourite west coast fish, thanks Chris.
No sweat brother!
Great information @PNWSamson
Cheers
This was really cool! Thanks for sharing. Love educational videos
Cheers man! Me as well. Hopefully it can help some people out!
Another awesome video!
Thanks! 👊
This was super helpful 👏 👌 👍 🙂
Happy to help! ✌️
Spot on man! Great video. Thx.
No worries man cheers!
Wow, what a great video! So much great video footage. The narration was interesting and really well delivered.
Thanks man! That was around 3 years worth. It definitely pays off to have all your old footage well organized. Happy you liked the narration too, hopefully it will give people something to think about while out there!
@@PNWSamson No way I could have done a narration that long without messing something up!
@@emeraldsky8009 I wrote a script and talked it out. Trust me, I had to repeat myself a few times haha.
Really enjoyed this!! Thanks for the info
Cheers dude!
Very informative video.
Hopefully it will eliminate some confusion!
Thanks for making this and sharing your experience on such an important topic
No worries man. They are a cool fish. Everyone will have their own perspectives but those are mine aha. Cheers!
Nice job sharing the lingcod bro
Cheers man!
amazing footage man!
Thanks dude!
Great job man 👍🏼
Thanks bro!!
Man how I LOVE hunting lings and cabs!!! They make great fish and chips...
Yeah dude, couldn't agree more!
Keeping it sustainable is paramount, I view the ocean as a gift. If we don't perserve it fer the future fer people to enjoy again and again who are we? It's like a good camping spot or most things really, I want to go back. Thus trashing it so I can't or don't want to is a no go...
Yeah man I agree. I wish everyone saw it that way. People are extremely disrespectful, greedy and selfish. They ruin it for all of us. 😞
Another fantastic video. Thank you for all the great information!
Appreciate all your hard work! Researching, filming, editing, writing always provide an enjoyable and educational viewing.
Recently moved to Tacoma WA and have the itch to explore as you do in your videos.
Do you have any recommendations to learn the proper breathing techniques to enjoy this amazing activity safely?
Hey man, I appreciate the comment! Nice to know that people appreciate the content. I would highly suggest taking a freediving course, but if that's not an available option for you, this free online course is a great start. I've yet to take this one, but I've heard good things. I plan on watching it one day soon as a refresher. freedivingsafety.com/
@@PNWSamson really appreciate it! You’re the man
Great Videos! what suit do you recommend for PNW, 7mm?
7mm without a doubt. I have a tips and tricks playlist that you might find useful if you're looking to get into the sport.
I'm trying to map out some potential spots on my navionics, what's the shallowest that you've successfully hunted lings? When I would jig for them from my kayak, I would usually aim for small pinnacles no less than 30 meters. And lately I'm very lucky to clear half that diving (gotta get back in shape).
Also have you ever had to worry about their spines? I noticed you getting pretty close after a shot when they're mid fight and I recoiled just watching it ahaha.
The biggest one I shot was in 7m of water. I don't usually go past 15m when hunting. It's all about finding the right habitat. That breakwater in Tsawwassen is littered with massive Lingcod and most of it is in 3-7m of water. They are off limits there though... Lingcod don't worry me but rockfish do. I've been stabbed a few times and their quills leave a sting! Good gloves is essential!
@@PNWSamson Interesting, I'm unfamiliar with that area but I'll try incorporate that in the areas I'm looking at up here on Haida Gwaii.
Yeah I've only ever been poked by lings. When I was a kid on my dad's commercial boat I got a couple in the hand and then just recently I had two lings strapped in front of me on my kayak and took a swell at an angle. Took 3 spines to the chest. The feeling hadn't improved since I was a kid ahaha
Super cool video man, wanna get into spear fishing but don’t have the stuff any suggestions on how to get started?
I would give divingsports a shout. They have a store front in Port Coquitlam on the mainland but also do online sales. They are super knowledgeable and can point you towards the best equipment for your body shape and experience level. They sell package deals too. Used gear comes up online from time to time but it's super competitive. You'd have to be on it steady and hope the person selling the gear wears the same size. Spearfishing Canada is another local company and many people like Mako package deals too.
@@PNWSamson ok thanks will check it out
you're so right
Cheers man, we gotta be smart!
Great footage - what's your set up?
Thanks! Most of that was filmed with a GoPro Hero 8. Auto settings, high but rate, 2.7k 60fps. Above water stuff was with a Sony AX53. I now film with an Insta360 Ace Pro and a SonyAx700. Also my Google pixel pro.
The fish greed is real! I worked as a fishing guide for 8 years in Kyuquot and Zeballos and it's disturbing how these people pay alot of money to go out on these trips then since they paid out they feel like the ocean owes them something. I remember one trip I had 3 guys out and we were doing really good limited out on salmon, halibut, rock cod and just 2 lingers short of a full house. With about 250 pounds of whole fish on board already and they were disappointed I couldn't find those last 2 lings. One guy didn't even like to eat fish but, wanted to max out his limit anyway. When I started I used to love fishing at the end I hated it. I have only been fishing twice personally in the last 4 years and I will say that Zeballos area has taken huge hit in the last few decades. The inlet used to be loaded with lings and cod but now it's mostly a waste of time. 35 years ago on a calm summer weekend you would see 5 to 10 small boats and now its 100 to 300 big well equiped boats with good tech and way better fishing gear. If everyone could just step back and look at the whole picture past, present and future hopefully their would be more understanding for the balance of the ocean. The writing is on the wall for the future of the ocean if anyone dares to read it to another fisherman. Good vid man.
Yeah man, that's not surprising at all... Some people are ignorant and others simply don't give a shit. It's sad really. Some use the "If I don't catch them someone else will" reasoning but that's also a crappy outlook. I agree, I'm fishing less and less now days. I don't eat meat or commercially bought seafood so I do it for food and that's about it. I'd much rather enjoy my diving filming the wildlife than killing it. But, I'm not a vegan yet so it's still the most responsible way I know how to harvest. I'm pretty negative when it comes to the future outlook of the oceans, but hopefully these videos can give people a little food for thought. It's not all about shooting fish, it's about respecting the ecosystem and getting back into the food chain.
How far would you need to travel from Vancouver to find an area where lingcod can be fished legally? Would you need to go as far as Sechelt/Gibsons?
A little past Sechelt, in area 16-1. To be honest though, I've never had success fishing on the sunshine coast. A boat might help a little bit but the areas have been hit hard. Not by spearos but just in general. I don't bother spearfishing around the sunshine coast anymore. You may see some Lingcod in Skookumchuck Narrows but it's all RCA. The diving in there is sketchy but rewarding.
@@PNWSamson RCA?
@@akafuguvids that's a rockfish conservation area. Fishing is prohibited. Hand harvesting is still fair game though but no Lingcod would be permitted.
what number do you use your wetsuit because the water is cold
Most of us dive in a two piece open cell 7mm.
Hey! beautiful Video! I am currently living in Vancouver and really want to get out in the water. I am just getting back from a year of spearfishing in Aus and don't really know the scene here in BC. If you are ever looking for a buddy to go with or wouldn't mind me tagging along shoot me a message!! Thanks again for the video
Sounds good man, reach out on instagram so I have a way to get into contact. There is a decent scene in BC. Most of the harvesting takes place on the island though.
I keep hearing this argument about halibut not being good if they're big, never heard it about Ling. Anyways, I don't think it's true for either one.
There are a lot of good reasons to release large fish, for the health of the species reproductively and genetically, as well as for the release of older fish, whether they are large or small.
Some behaviours are size dependent, and some are learned.
Large male and female are more capable of territorial defense and predator deterrence, protecting smaller ones, not only their own nests.
For sure man. Funny, I've heard that about Ling but never halibut. I know the commercial industry doesn't let the large halibut or Lingcod go. I've never caught a Lingcod over 30lbs so I can speak personally. Maybe it's just something people say so people let the breeders go? If it's not true it's probably best that people think it is anyway aha.
@@PNWSamson Yes I think it is said to protect the larger fish for breeding etc. I have caught and eaten a few ling cod in the 60-70lb range, no different from a minimum size fish.
Same for halibut, 100lb, 90, 75, 70, 60, lots below 50 and no difference between 100 lb and one pound fish.
The most common thing I hear is that "they're full of worms if they're big".
Haven't seen a difference between large or small, lots of small ones have worms, lots of big ones don't.
compared to when I started diving, 60 yrs ago there's not much left , the commercial fleet cleaned it out 30-40 yrs ago and we have not fished since , there maybe the odd spot but we leave them alone , and ling cod live a lot longer 6-7 ft long is still just a baby , also missing is the millions of rock cod ,abalone , dog fish , box crabs and so many other that any of the new divers will never see in this lifetime , actually had to disarm a spear gun diver before he shot someone underwater, disgusting
Males max out at around 90cm which is just under 3'. Females get much larger but the current record is 85lbs at 4'11". I'm not saying there are not 6'ers out there, but they'd definitely be full grown by that point. I believe lingcod can live to roughly 20 years from my research. Some rockfish are much older at 175+ years. I agree, overfishing has really messed things up. That's why I don't buy seafood. If they want to put an end to all fishing, I'd be cool with it. But if commercial fleets are out there dragging the bottom and exporting lingcod/rockfish all over planet earth, I don't feel to guilty about selectively pulling the trigger while holding my breath. I'm not 100% where you are going with this post. Kudos for disarming that guy, but don't paint all spearfishermen/women with the same brush. Lots of idiots on the highway as well, but I consider myself a relatively responsible driver.