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My friend TimAnderson in his istructable http://www.instructables.com/id/ClutchFingerKnife/ reminded to me with his knife the summers where i go octopus hunting and he suggest me to do this instructable so I dedicate it to Tim.
In Mediterranian sea we love everything that is coming from sea. The sea is our life. I swim everyday for 4-5 hours and i have many activities than a sumple swiming. I love fishing and me and my family we eat all the "fruits" of sea. But far more we adore octopus. Why? Are delicious when are grilled but can be cooked by several ways (stew, conservated in vinegar and garlic etc).
Zac Kousto said that otopus are the cats of the deep sea and is true. When i meet a new baby octopus i can touch them, are innocent without fear of man, and are coming when u swim and play in your feet like cats do. And when you touch them smooth they close teir big eyes like cats do. So now we have a rule. WE DONT TOUCH BABY OCTOPUS WITH A HUNGER WAY. NO NO NO!!. Besides doesn't worths because the real hunting is an adventure for real man. I hunt octopus since my childhood and always with just a knife and bare hands. No weapons, no harpoon nothing.
OK dudes lets start the course...wear your gogles sharp your long knife and go...
In Mediterranian sea we love everything that is coming from sea. The sea is our life. I swim everyday for 4-5 hours and i have many activities than a sumple swiming. I love fishing and me and my family we eat all the "fruits" of sea. But far more we adore octopus. Why? Are delicious when are grilled but can be cooked by several ways (stew, conservated in vinegar and garlic etc).
Zac Kousto said that otopus are the cats of the deep sea and is true. When i meet a new baby octopus i can touch them, are innocent without fear of man, and are coming when u swim and play in your feet like cats do. And when you touch them smooth they close teir big eyes like cats do. So now we have a rule. WE DONT TOUCH BABY OCTOPUS WITH A HUNGER WAY. NO NO NO!!. Besides doesn't worths because the real hunting is an adventure for real man. I hunt octopus since my childhood and always with just a knife and bare hands. No weapons, no harpoon nothing.
OK dudes lets start the course...wear your gogles sharp your long knife and go...
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There are many species of octopus. We hunt the type of the photo below. DON'T try to hunt any other type. Some fluorescent skin octopus have lethal poison. Thank God in our seas we don't have them. They live in tropical waters in Australia, in Indonesia etc.
Now the Octopus they can change easily their color skin according to their enviroment. But generally have the color of the first pic common Octopus Vulgaris. Where they live? Nice question!. They are cosmopolitans they live everywhere and with their flexible body can fit everywhere. In beer botles, in deep rock holes, in any available well protected space.
Now a secret. Mom octopus lives is open waters up to 150 meter deep but she is giving birth of some thousant (~200.00) of eggs in calm waters of the littoral zone in any available space ( they adore the bottles adn the tires because are well protected). From the 200000 they grown up some 200 and they develop to a grown up octopus just 20. They live for 12 to 24 monts. The better season for hunting is during August and Octomber. The mom octopus during the first period of her baby life are very dangerous and avoid them. Also don't hunt the mother beause u will accelerate the vanish of the babies.
Now the Octopus they can change easily their color skin according to their enviroment. But generally have the color of the first pic common Octopus Vulgaris. Where they live? Nice question!. They are cosmopolitans they live everywhere and with their flexible body can fit everywhere. In beer botles, in deep rock holes, in any available well protected space.
Now a secret. Mom octopus lives is open waters up to 150 meter deep but she is giving birth of some thousant (~200.00) of eggs in calm waters of the littoral zone in any available space ( they adore the bottles adn the tires because are well protected). From the 200000 they grown up some 200 and they develop to a grown up octopus just 20. They live for 12 to 24 monts. The better season for hunting is during August and Octomber. The mom octopus during the first period of her baby life are very dangerous and avoid them. Also don't hunt the mother beause u will accelerate the vanish of the babies.
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So............... Lets kill them all off.
Now cause your comment is kinda of heretic and provocative....please keep your opinion for yourself...and don't eat animals....eat vegetables...and loose your teath
In particular the catching of the octopus, while a knife can be used it is not the best way - at least if you dont have a ton of experience.
The best, easiest and safest way is to either use a Forked spear (with 3 tips) or a 2 or 3 inch hook soldered to an iron rod.
Once the octopus is found, one should not delay. At this point simply check the enviroment, if the octopus is in the open (not in a hole) act fast and simply use the forked spear on it - else it will escape. (If this is not done the octopus will feel thretened and simply escape after seeing you)
If the octopus is in a hole, inspect the hole and see if the hole is deep or not. If its not deep/large, simply use the forked spear and thats all - as easy as that.
If the hole is deep and you are afraid that when you will use the spear it will escape(by going deeper in the hole), you can either take your chance or use the hook explained preciously - this way once you hook it thers no escape.
A kinfe is not reccomended for newbies, I personally use a knife but for the simple reason that with a knife its much faster to just use it to scare the octopus out of the hole and then catch the octopus by hand - obviously this is more dangerous and risky but if you re used to do this its very easy
Happy hunting!
Thanks for your advices, I prefer knife, I learned to get then with knife since I was 6 years old. Of course you may use the spear but you may lose the adventure!...Every season I gather around 100-130 octopus!!! (my season is counting for just 20-30 days of vacations). And the spear sometimes can't be used if the past to nest is very thin. Knife and a little dead fish is the best.
Anyone on his forces.....
Thanks for your comment. I would like to clarify a little bit my previous comment. I use a knife myself, so I'm not saying that a knife is not a good tool. I use it for the simple reason that its much easy to take an octopus out of the knife(once its cought), instead of out of 3 tiped spear. (Actualy a knife can be replaced with any pointing object, it dosent really matters)
Anyways, my suggestion of using the 3 tipped spear (There are many variations and there are some specific for octopuses which are small and are designed to enter in holes easily) is not a way to say that a knife cant be used. Obviously it can. But from a beginner point of view "Trying to CATCH an Octopus with a knife" is not an easy task - therefore the spear is raccomended to get started.
Most people reading your instructions will never had cought an octopus in their lives, and using knives for these individuals would be dangerous and with a higher risk of loosing the catch(Especailly if the octopus in questions is a big one! one wouldnt simply want to catch a big one with a knife - it would be extremply dangerous). While if using the standard weapon of choice the above problems are all sorted easily :)
Btw in here, there are many octopus catchers(some do it full time) and my feedback is simple common knowledge :)
It i were you i would add a special section for beginner catchers :) It would sure help them out!
Cheers!
L