octopus

[TripleB]

Have any of you fished for octopus off the jetty?

[thatkidwho]

No but a few months ago a 18 year old kid got harassed and death threats from people in the "diving community" after he caught an octopus. So I would try to be discrete.

[Goldeneye]

Thread on the subject.


http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,108900.0.html

[h20hunter]

Pic your location and do not flaunt it to the dive community. I'm all for the legal harvest and consumption but don't get blackballed by the dive shops for choosing to do what is legal. Have a safe and successfull hunt.

[sirmissalot]

Curious how you plan to target them? Most people I know that catch them, catch them accidently.

[h20hunter]

Good point...they must be taken by hand....I guess you could accidently get one in a crab trap?

[wildmanoutdoors]

Actually, when fished for under the narrows and such buckets are used. They will crawl into dark cave like places. If there is an abundence around and you can get a bucket to stay down. you'll get em.

You have to retrieve fast so they cant get out though.

[h20hunter]

Neat....I like the bucket idea. One could even place a bucket...leave it.....come back and whalllah! Fresh octo!

[TripleB]

ive caught them in crab traps and weve hooked them before off the jetty on the washington side bottom fishing on the ocean side. I would definitely keep it confidential and as soon as i caught it put in a cooler or something just to hide it from people who may get offended

[h20hunter]

Just make sure you check the regs....i believe a foul hooked octo would not be legal....

[h20hunter]

Okay....regs say with hands or instrument that does not pierce the skin EXCEPT that octo taken while angling may be retained. Fish away!

[Alchase]

Coffee cans or masonry jars tied 10 ft apart on a line. Lay it on the bottom and check 24 hours later. We had an old Portuguese neighbor on Hood Canal that use to fish for octopus this way. To kill them he would bit them between the eyes.

[TripleB]

Coffee cans or masonry jars tied 10 ft apart on a line. Lay it on the bottom and check 24 hours later. We had an old Portuguese neighbor on Hood Canal that use to fish for octopus this way. To kill them he would bit them between the eyes.

how would he pull them up fast enough so they dont escape?

[Alchase]

The two times we went with him, the octopus stayed put in the cans.

[Fishstiq]

The two times we went with him, the octopus stayed put in the cans.

 

Once they are in a den, they don't come out very willingly other than to hunt.

Okay....regs say with hands or instrument that does not pierce the skin EXCEPT that octo taken while angling may be retained. Fish away!

Important note, this only applies to Giant Pacific Octopus.  They are the only octo's that can be legally harvested here.  Know what you are catching and how to tell the difference between GPOs and other octos. 

The only other common octo we have here is the Red Octopus.  The body of a red can grow to about the size of a tennis ball with arms that can measure around 20 inches across, and can very closely resemble a juvenile GPO.  So how do you tell them apart so you know if you have caught a legal or an illegal octo?  It's actually pretty simple.  Remember....

The eyes have it...

The eyes of a Red octo have three tiny "eyelashes" below the eye, they look like this...



The legally harvest-able GPO does not have the eyelashes.  The skin around their eyes is "smooth", with no visible flaps or "eyelashes" (called papillae), and look like this...





Hope that helps!

[h20hunter]

Thats a great point about the two types Joe.....

[magnanimous_j]

Coffee cans or masonry jars tied 10 ft apart on a line. Lay it on the bottom and check 24 hours later. We had an old Portuguese neighbor on Hood Canal that use to fish for octopus this way. To kill them he would bit them between the eyes.

how would he pull them up fast enough so they dont escape?

You pull the jars up fast, but not super-fast. I have no idea why they don’t escape, but they don’t. Maybe they get confused.

[h20hunter]

Maybe the just like to go for a ride!

[Fishstiq]

Coffee cans or masonry jars tied 10 ft apart on a line. Lay it on the bottom and check 24 hours later. We had an old Portuguese neighbor on Hood Canal that use to fish for octopus this way. To kill them he would bit them between the eyes.

how would he pull them up fast enough so they dont escape?

You pull the jars up fast, but not super-fast. I have no idea why they don’t escape, but they don’t. Maybe they get confused.

They don't escape because nothing is threatening them.  Octos will only leave a safe den for 2 reasons.  1, to hunt for food or a larger home as they grow.  2, because there is a threat or irritant that forces them out.  If an octo goes into a can or jar and settles there, they aren't coming out until one of those 2 things happen. 

[Alchase]

The amazing part is how big of an octopus can fit in a one pound Folgers can!

They pour out like slime, and this huge octopus is staring at you 
As a kid that part freaked me out, it is almost like you can see the inteligence in their eyes.