Can someone identify this odd creature please?

[HBDiveGirl]

The big black bass seem more aloof to me.

Anything but! As Dr. Bill mentioned, we did see 8 GBS's on a single dive last weekend at the dive park. We saw at least one Big Fish on 10 of our 13 dives. We even saw one while free-diving with the scooters. It was insane! The place was just infested with the big darlings.

They are calm to the point of hypnotic... until one of the fellas decides to chase off another fella!

Four of us were hovering very near a group of three GBS... a female with her head toward the kelp, and two males with their heads Very near the female. All was calm and mellow... until the biggest male charged explosively toward the other male, nearly making contact, and the "little guy" fled. The 5-foot long "little guy."

As the Big Guy turned back toward the female, there was a startling moment when it felt like he lined up on Ken and started to charge. :scared:
But the fish slowed, continued his turn, and nuzzled back in toward the female.

We all back-kicked ever so slightly and gave Mr. Seabass a little more room.

They ignored us for many more minutes before slipping away into the kelp forest.

It was spectacular.

All the rest of the GBS's either ignored us, or came over to hover next to us, or moved away and then back to us. It seems to me they are curious about divers... especially divers who hover motionless and breath very slowly and turn sideways so as to be parallel with the fish. It seems they're trying to figure out if we're fun to hang with.

It's a great experience, and I wish all SoCal divers the joy of this experience.
Dive quietly, learn to hover motionless, and keep your eyes open.

Oh... and Dive to Stay Found!

~~~~
'Chica

 

[DiveAnyone]

By the way, Ken and Claudette and the rest of the Wrinkles crew saw EIGHT GSB's in the dive park at one time last weekend and a total of 13 I believe over the weekend.

A week ago Sunday, we took an AOW class to the park, and had 6 up close and personal. What a thrill the students experienced.

The attached was taken by my son, as he tagged along with the class.

 

[Sam Miller III]

Have been away for three months...

Interesting thread.

BSB "stereolepis gigas"

California and the world of sport fishing and recreational diving was fortunate to have had the late John T Fitch as an interested and talented F&G marine biologist. He is probably best remembered as the author of FB #90 "Common Marine Bivalves..." but should be remembered as the only bio who collected data and studied the BSB.

His rather rotund figure was not impressive to a young athletic spear fisherman, but the knowledge the brilliance that flowed from his mouth was. Very knowledgeable and willing to share with all.

It was John who discovered that BSB aggregate in shallow water to spawn dring the summer months; he also idenified their diets, reef fish, lobsters and crabs.

It was only natural that these spawning places soon be located by the spearfishermen; A number of the breeding locations were located, on the mainland, about 5 or 6 on Catalina, a number on the outer islands. Soon techniques and guns were developed to hunt and spear them. Special spears; the Bottom Scratcher, the Sampson and the Addict guns were used often topped with a Prodanvich 22 power head or a Sampson 38 power head--a far cry from the pop guns used by today's late model tube sucking bubble blowers.

Equiped with only F/M/S and on occasion wrapped in a wet suit but always a spear gun in hand the young athletic spearfishermen spent many hours hunting the elephants of the deep. On occasion they were sucessful, most often they were not.

If the hunt was productive the meat never went to waste. It was shared with all who participated and often donated to fire stations and police stations ( And on occasion with the OC F&G wardens Twilleger & Dearden)

Some time ago I read in CDN about a diver who saw a 600+ pound BSB. If in fact he saw a 600 pound BSB he possibly saw a WR BSB! FYI the spearfishing record is 618 pounds set Bob Stansberry at San Clemete Island. He broke the 480 record set in May 1960 at Scotsmans cove aka Reef point by Jack Dudley while diving from shore.

There are a number of places they can be seen while shore diving in SD & OC county. In OC check Reef point, the far reef at main beach, the Foss, and the far reef at Woods cove (Aka Miller's reef-per CDN book.) All have been very productive in the past however please bear in mind you have lonnnng swimmmms.

There are about 5-6 locations at Catalina known for BSB aggregating, however. I will leave that area for the God of Catalina to comment on.

In the northern channel islands Anacapa is the king. They were often seen at Quarter acre and Frenchies coves, in the deeper water and in a pronounced current. Many BSB were taken there in the distant past. I don't know how many but I do recall 11 in 7 years with the biggest being 345 pounds.

Spearing of a BSB has past; the participants are either in their 70s, 80s and even a few in 90s or they are spearfishing on the great reef in the sky, their guns are now collectable museum peices but memories linger on of a time that lasted only a few short years and only a few were participants of the era.

The early studies made by John Fitch were instrumental in a law that was passed in 1981 banning the taking of BSB...Thank goodness for John!

SDM

 

[headhunter]

Have been away for three months...

Interesting thread.

BSB "stereolepis gigas"

California and the world of sport fishing and recreational diving was fortunate to have had the late John T Fitch as an interested and talented F&G marine biologist. He is probably best remembered as the author of FB #90 "Common Marine Bivalves..." but should be remembered as the only bio who collected data and studied the BSB.

His rather rotund figure was not impressive to a young athletic spear fisherman, but the knowledge the brilliance that flowed from his mouth was. Very knowledgeable and willing to share with all.

It was John who discovered that BSB aggregate in shallow water to spawn dring the summer months; he also idenified their diets, reef fish, lobsters and crabs.

It was only natural that these spawning places soon be located by the spearfishermen; A number of the breeding locations were located, on the mainland, about 5 or 6 on Catalina, a number on the outer islands. Soon techniques and guns were developed to hunt and spear them. Special spears; the Bottom Scratcher, the Sampson and the Addict guns were used often topped with a Prodanvich 22 power head or a Sampson 38 power head--a far cry from the pop guns used by today's late model tube sucking bubble blowers.

Equiped with only F/M/S and on occasion wrapped in a wet suit but always a spear gun in hand the young athletic spearfishermen spent many hours hunting the elephants of the deep. On occasion they were sucessful, most often they were not.

If the hunt was productive the meat never went to waste. It was shared with all who participated and often donated to fire stations and police stations ( And on occasion with the OC F&G wardens Twilleger & Dearden)

Some time ago I read in CDN about a diver who saw a 600+ pound BSB. If in fact he saw a 600 pound BSB he possibly saw a WR BSB! FYI the spearfishing record is 618 pounds set Bob Stansberry at San Clemete Island. He broke the 480 record set in May 1960 at Scotsmans cove aka Reef point by Jack Dudley while diving from shore.

There are a number of places they can be seen while shore diving in SD & OC county. In OC check Reef point, the far reef at main beach, the Foss, and the far reef at Woods cove (Aka Miller's reef-per CDN book.) All have been very productive in the past however please bear in mind you have lonnnng swimmmms.

There are about 5-6 locations at Catalina known for BSB aggregating, however. I will leave that area for the God of Catalina to comment on.

In the northern channel islands Anacapa is the king. They were often seen at Quarter acre and Frenchies coves, in the deeper water and in a pronounced current. Many BSB were taken there in the distant past. I don't know how many but I do recall 11 in 7 years with the biggest being 345 pounds.

Spearing of a BSB has past; the participants are either in their 70s, 80s and even a few in 90s or they are spearfishing on the great reef in the sky, their guns are now collectable museum peices but memories linger on of a time that lasted only a few short years and only a few were participants of the era.

The early studies made by John Fitch were instrumental in a law that was passed in 1981 banning the taking of BSB...Thank goodness for John!

SDM

Hi Sam,

It's good to read another of your glimpses into the past.

Thanks for sharing that.

I was one of the people with Claudette when we saw those 8 BSB. It was truly magical to watch them interact with each other and us.

I look forward to reading your next glimpse into a time that should not be forgotten.

Christian

 

[Sam Miller III]

Christian,

Thank you for your kind comments

You and Claudette were indeed honored to visit with a BSB--Lets hope that some day in the near future all California divers have that honor.

As the famous author Romaine Gary once wrote Elephants are the "Roots of Heaven" so then the Black Sea Bass must be the "Anchors of the ocean"...and indeed they are..

sdm

 

[Rickster]

Thanks for your posts Sam. I love reading them. They are very educational, and as Christian said, "a time in the past that should not be forgotten."

Rick