Posted by Chris Grossman on September 22, 1999 at 22:21:09:
About three weeks ago, I was diving on a three day trip on the Great Escape at Santa Barbara Island, and hunting calico bass.
On my first dive, at hidden reef, as I was headed back to the boat I spotted a large calico about 30 feet below me. I held my breath and dropped until I was in range and shot the fish. When I got back to the boat, he weighed in at 5.5 lbs.
Near Sutil island a followed a 2 1/2 lb. calico and watched him swim into a crevice. I swam to the crevice and saw him tucked back about 4 feet from the edge, but the crevice went straight back for about 20 feet. I decided to take a shot with my spear gun. I made a perfect shot, right through the spine, behind the gill plate.
When I pulled the spear out I found that I had three almost identically sized bass on it. The spear went through the first two, and the tip was protruding from the third fish.
They were lined up in the crevice perfectly side by side, I never saw the other two fish until I pulled the spear out.
Those four fish on the first day was all I shot for the rest of the trip. I really did not need any more.