Octopus?

[Derailed]

Does anyone here fish for octopus? the wife wants one. I have never tried so can someone fill me in on the basics? where what and how. thanks

[Rich_S]

Used to catch them back in the 1950's while snorkling or scuba diving. We'd fill a squirt bottle with RV toilet tank chemical (the blue stuff), find an octopus den (like a dugout under a sewer outfall pipe with clam and crabshells strewn around the entrance), then squirt a cloud of the toilet chemical in the hole. Out would come a pi**ed off octopus. If he was small enough to keep, just grab him, stay clear of his beak, and haul him ashore.


                                             1955 at Duwamish Head
One time a critter started coming out and we began backing off. We were 15' away from the hole and he was still coming out, so we skedaddled. If he was 15' long all doubled up, he was 30' from tip to tip. Lotsa good chowder there, but if you invite him for supper, you might be the main course!

One diver caught a baby off Mukilteo. Ne was playing with the little guy, posing for pictures with it sitting on his shoulder. It bit him in a neck artery and he died from anaphylactic shock. He was allergic to octopus spit, I guess.

I have no idea how you'd angle for them, especially nowadays when the fish huggers think they're so cute. Good luck, though and, like squid, don't cook it too long. It'll turn into rubber bands. One minute in a pot of boiling water for skinned and ground-up octopus meat, then rinse in cold salt water. Best chowder you'll ever eat.

[JimmyHoffa]

They tend to like rocky areas like jetties and shore rip-rap.  I think they come out and are most active at night, and like to eat crabs.  I've only caught them on rod-n-reel.  For the day time, I know tribe members like to go to tide pools and they have long sticks they poke under the rocks and into caves.  They put a special type of farrier's glue on the stick.

[boneaddict]

I did it in Greece.   Used a handgun(sort of)  similar to a crossbow with a bit longer bolt.    I made friends with a local kid (I was a kid too) that did it for money to sell to the local restaurants.   I was a good swimmer and he had extra gear.   It was a lot of fun.   I would imagine the game is quite a bit different here in the states.

[Derailed]

Thanks for the replies,  according to the regs I can't use anything that penetrates the Octopus I have to catch them by hand, or other device. although if I do accidently hook on while fishing I can keep it. Chemical and irritants are not allowed. so any ideas on a octopus trap?

[JimmyHoffa]

Thanks for the replies,  according to the regs I can't use anything that penetrates the Octopus I have to catch them by hand, or other device. although if I do accidently hook on while fishing I can keep it. Chemical and irritants are not allowed. so any ideas on a octopus trap?

I've heard of using traps that look kind of like a bottle.  Seems it needs to be dark inside.  Then has a plug inside so that when you pull the trap, the plug seals the opening.  Any small hole and the octopus can squeeze out, or they can pull things apart.

[Rich_S]

How about this one?



It was your wife that suggested you bring one home, right? Not the girl, darnit! A bathing suit for your wife. . .