Big Couta in the Middle of Winter

Ratman in his element!

I have been slow to get back into the water back home after my travels, the first week was time with my family. Then last week the surf was so good and I had a fair bit admin work wise so it was easy to make excuses not to don the 5mm suit and go look for Snoek.

Ratman on the other hand has been sneaking in getting a few Snoek, and with the conditions looking so inviting yesterday Ratman convinced me to take a swim. We decided that we would visit a spot that occasionally holds a Couta during this time of the year leading up to the Sardine run. It was a long shot but we were doing the mid day social dive thing and weren't expecting much to be honest. .... we I wasn't at least, this was just a get wet session.

Ratman's new PB 23kg Couta

Anyway we got to the spot and Ratman on his second dive shouts to me that he has a 'BIG' Couta. He had spinned the fish with his 1300 and made easy work of landing the fish. A small shark came in and would not leave Rat and his fish alone so we took turns looking after his prize while looking to see if there was another lucky fish lurking around.

We weighed the fish at my place. It was a super fat and healthy fish, but I thought the fish was maybe around 20kg, but  it tipped 23kg. You should have seen the grin on Ratmans face :-)

Well don Rat brilliant fish and about time too.

Coatesman

Some more interesting Spanish Mackerel Facts - Read Here

Big Fish at Home

Craig Harper 26kg Couta

There is one thing spearfisherman have in common  and that is that we always thing the 'grass is greener on the other side'. We travel the globe looking for big fish, fair enough its just as much about the adventure as the fish. But we have it pretty good right here at home too.

Craig Harper proved this on friday by catching a 26kg Couta off his local reef near Umhloti. He has traveled a bit, but is also one of the first to acknowledge how good things are at home.

So well done Craig on sticking to your guns and eventually getting that 'dream' fish .... getting it at home must make it all that much sweeter :-)

Coatesman

Spearfishing with Rollerguns in Qatar

My PB 27kg Spanish Mack shot with 1100 rollergun

I have just returned from a few weeks away diving the Arabian Gulf, more specifically off the coast of Qatar. I went out there for some filming and magazine work and was fortunate enough to get to stay with Mohammed Jassim Al Kuwari. Ever since his epic film 'Going East' I have wanted to get out there and do some spearfishing, and this trip exceeded all my wildest dreams!

Massive sand dunes at the 'Inland Sea'

Coming from sub-tropical Africa, Qatar is a bit of a shock to the system. Sand and more sand, and other than some crazy high sand dunes the country is flat. But the sea is nothing like the land and fish are a plenty, well thats if you know where to go get them. The ocean is shallow for a long way and there is not much structure, so when you find some structure, no matter how small you are going to find fish.

Mohammed 'MJK' hunting Spanish Mack in the shoals of Bludger and Pickhandles.

I had hoped to have gotten some of the massive Amberjack while there but they just did not seem to be around. So we just had a blast with the Spanish Mackerel, which they call 'Kingfish'. The place is amazing for spearfishing Spanish Mack and I have never seen fish like that ever. 

On the first day after filming we decided to go catch some Mangrove Snappers which are plentiful. I grabbed a short 1100 roller gun, loaded up and turned around to a 27kg Spanish Mack checking me out. That was the first fish of the trip for me and my PB Spanish Mack.

An Assortment of spearguns converted to roller guns with Power Rollerheads

On a couple days when the vis was not great for filming we did some spearfishing just for fun. On the one day I broke my previous PB on Spanish Mack 4 times ... it was too insane.

Another great part of the trip was using and testing the Power Rollerhead conversions on the spearguns. Not only did we smash the fish but we spent a whole day in a pool testing a whole range of rollerguns and comparing them for a review I am doing for the Ultimate Spearfishing Magazine.

MJK 28kg Spanish Mackerel with 1300 Rob Allen Rollergun

The spearfishing was insane and we shot so many good fish, learnt loads about rollerguns and I had an experience I will never forget. Mohammed finished off our time together with catching a massive 28kg Spanish Mack a great way to finish off our time together. Look out for a full report on the trip and the rollergun review in the next edition of USM ... I think it will change the way you look at spearguns!

Cheers for now

Coatesman

For more on rollerguns read:

Unrolling the Roller - Rollergun Test and Comparison

The Ultimate Rollergun Test

Some more interesting
Spanish Mackerel Facts - Read Here

New Top Shots Spearfishing Video

New Top Shots Spearfishing Action

Just what we needed this fine Monday morning :-) ... a new spearfishing video to get us to do even less work!!
This Top Shots vid has some great spearfishing from Peru with a massiver Gulf Grouper and some pelagic action in some beautiful blue water in Madagascar.

Watch the Video Here: Peru and Madagascan Spearfishing Action

Enjoy

Coatesman

Join me on a spearfishing adventure of a lifetime to Madagascar & the famous Castor Banks - FIND OUT MORE HERE
SPEARFISHING MADAGASCAR | CASTOR BANKS & NOSY BE