Hunting Octopuses...

[fast97rs]

They are good eating.... i got a little one a while ago and they do taste good on the grill with plenty of lemon and some olive oil...... i guess they will also taste good fried... like squid... but havn't tried it.....

But be carefull... remember they are a preditor fish...don't follow one into its den... just shoot them when you come by them in open water/on the bottom.... i've seen them come after pieces of fish... would make sense to leave a fish on the tip of your spear, and when the little ******* comes out to get it... feed him some cold steal!!! Seems like sound logic.... but don't know how to get a kill shot on em.... i usually shoot em and haul them up! They are too small to fight too much but are usually wraped firmly around my shaft.... don't know about shooting bigger ones? Or even whether to shoot a bigger one on a line or free shaft... even though you can cut the line...

Watching the video... makes you wonder were his buddy was that whole damn time? Seriously... i would have kicked my buddies ***... "O, i was filming the episode... 'well... i guess you should film me putting my foot up your a*s!!!!'"

"life and death" situation and the buddy if about 20'sw above filming the damn thing!

Jorgy

 

[Shaka Doug]

I find the easiest way to get them out of their hole is to simply reach in and try to get behind them. It takes patience and they will grab onto your hand sometimes. Be careful not to get bitten, I think gloves might be a good idea. I would never hunt to kill without gloves myself. I catch octopus all the time with my bare hands. They aren't very big here in Hawaii but I have caught an occasional 5 or 6 pounder and they can put up quite a fight. Tako Poke was mentioned before and I'll have to admit, I've eaten it a few times and it is quite delicious. I'm not against eating them if that's what you want to do but most of the ones I grab I only shoot with my camera. They really are fun to play with!

 

[Mandy3206]

Some guys here have a 3ft stick or rod and attach a fishing hook to the tip, then they slide the rod under the octo and pull back hooking the octo.

I've never tried this myself, but I've heard it many times

 

[Oli]

I usually use my poker ( a metal stick), if you don't have one, use your knife. Inspect the exits of the nest, poke the octopus with a poker or knife and place the other hand at the exit, where its' head is facing. Once the octopus swims out, hold the head. Don't know the right way to hold it yet, but pretty positive that I have to hold the head.

 

[renaissancemanjoshua]

When I was in Hawaii a local friend of mine taught me to never kill an Octo in it's hole. According to the locals this will prevent another Octo from moving in for awhile. Following this advise, many times when we got the Octo out of his hole, another had moved in the next day.

 

[rgbmatt]

The way to get an octopus out of its hole is to poke it repeatedly with your knife (or some other poking device). The octopus will soon get annoyed, grab your arm, and leave the hole. Then you can grab it and dispatch it at your leisure. It works every time and is great not only for catching dinner, but for showing octopi to new divers, students, etc.

I agree that it's not a good idea to try killing octopi while still in the hole. It's a big waste if you injure the animal and can't get it out.

 

[MilitantMedic]

(The message that was here was not written by me)

 

[Oli]

Anyone knows the legal size to hunt in Hawaii??

 

[MilitantMedic]

1 pound whole

 

[Tim220171]

1 pound whole

Hi ,I live in the costa del sol , south of spain.
went snorkling around a rocky cove , 4-5 m water, which is known for octopus last weekend went again this weekend but saw bugger all this time.
took a string bag wore 3mm neoprene gloves ( always do anyway ) and took a metal rod bent into a large hook at the end. Its good for digging around under rock ledges or big rocky outcrops.
Well I made the mistake of trying to hook this octopus when he was under a rock . Got hold of him alright but couldnt pull him out. Took me 4 attempts diving up and down before I got him out ( he was trying to make a run for it ) turns out he was about 5 -6 lbs ( no wonder he was so tough ) Made a final dive on him when he was out in the open got inked like crazy but he was injured and tired . Put him on the hook and got him ashore. ( hoped I could have killed him quicker really , didnt like him suffering ) I havent seen one this size before except when I went diving at 25 m
I dont have much experience with catching them so hearing about turning it inside out sounds usefull but with one this size I was a bit wary about grabbing it and they are bloody slippery as well , cant get much grip even with ribbed gloves.
Still beat it and cut it up ,( saw the size of its beak as I was preparing it - dont think I would have wanted that sinking into my hand , I know what it can do with shellfish and the like ). Had it on the boil for about 1 and a half hours . tasted good but I think that smaller pieces and another half hour would have been perfect. Couldnt finish it though - well and truly filled the plate !