New Video I made- Local foraging on the Reef for Scallops/Uni/Fish

[ProfessorLongArms]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmAURj7B2NE

First off, I hope this isn't *too* off topic for the forum.
It's mostly free-diving focused, but I do a lot of fishing/diving from the kayak in the same trip, and on my first video, I knew this was a topic I wanted to do a post on.
Plus, y'all have been crazy kind to me with your feedback and reception.

Mods: Feel free to moderate into oblivion if it's inappropriate

Just the same, hopefully this inspires/encourages others to maybe try it out or get a bit more adventurous with their cooking of their catch. The big point I make in this is how spearfishing doesn't have to be chasing 200lb dogtooth in the South Pacific with a Teak spear cannon, and is a really awesome way to spend the hot days that are less conducive to sitting on the kayak.

[socal.beach.bum]

Awesome video!!

[Tomol]

Wow! Great video. Serious production value. Well done.

[Harry Hill]

I can't dive because of broken ear drums but you almost make it worth the pain. Instead I will have to do some bartering with a diver to try the urchin.

[Oolie]

Excellent again! It's really important to emphasize as you have that most "japanese" restaurants in the US do not have access to the quality of seafood that Californians with access to the coast have. Especially important is the point of using salty water to prevent excess bacterial presence when rinsing/processing your catch.


I don't think either of those points can be emphasized enough, so great job for including them.


Also. It's good that you disclaimerize free diving, as it's so different from scuba, and quite the dangerous hobby. I worry for anyone who takes it up, as it's so common for someone to be here one day and gone the next.


I also hated uni for a long time for similar reasons, but the moment I tried well-cared-for uni, I changed my tune. If enough locals start hunting them I expect to see the rebound of the kelp beds.


As usual, keep up the good work.

[ProfessorLongArms]

First of all, thanks everybody )

Originally Posted by Oolie

Excellent again! It's really important to emphasize as you have that most "japanese" restaurants in the US do not have access to the quality of seafood that Californians with access to the coast have. Especially important is the point of using salty water to prevent excess bacterial presence when rinsing/processing your catch.


I don't think either of those points can be emphasized enough, so great job for including them.


Also. It's good that you disclaimerize free diving, as it's so different from scuba, and quite the dangerous hobby. I worry for anyone who takes it up, as it's so common for someone to be here one day and gone the next.


I also hated uni for a long time for similar reasons, but the moment I tried well-cared-for uni, I changed my tune. If enough locals start hunting them I expect to see the rebound of the kelp beds.


As usual, keep up the good work.

Thank you I always enjoy your comments.

Agreed 100% on CA seafood. We're really lucky with tuna right within boat range, YT within Kayak, and a pretty impressive broad variety of coastal reef fish within swim/cast range.

Funny you mention the saltwater thing. I wanted to clarify the regs before promoting it too much, but I've started bringing a really sturdy Silicon ziploc with me out on my dive board and cleaning the urchins/scallops on the water and filling the rest of the bag with saltwater for transit home. The raccoons in my back yard are less thrilled, but it's 100% easier to manage and clean up, and all of the scallop roe goes back to the reef and the rest as food.

I've found afterward there's barely any better way to sneak up on a sheep head than once a giant cloud of their favorite food has been stirred up The bigger ones still make it pretty damn sporting through.

As for freediving itself, as I said, it's dangerous but with easily mitigated dangers. Most of the original dangers came from people hyperventilating to extend their breath hold times and basically purge their blood of CO2 before diving. That lowers the urge to breathe, making it more comfortable.... But what's been learned is that it also makes your blood less capable of holding oxygen, increasing your likelihood of passing out.

A good number of freedivers (myself in that camp) never get close to blackout danger because we only go down for 45" to a minute at a time, and aren't getting into hypoxic territory. We take long recovery intervals, and we never dive without a trained buddy who knows how to spot and rescue a blackout.

I think the problem with any sport that has a machismo element to it, is that finding new dive buddies can be a challenge when a number of people think having a buddy is to just show up, shake hands, and swim out with a loose assumption you're going to just hang out near each other.

I tend to fall on the far opposite of that, as my wife and I agreed when I got a kayak that it wasn't a good idea to even launch alone for fishing.... Never know when the surf has different plans for you and your 100lb tupperware

Interestingly enough on the Uni, I think what actually is the problem is the *purple* urchin. Not a lot of people give them much notice because they're way lower yield than the reds, but supposedly pretty good. This guy actually forages them quite a bit and (I highly recommend his channel if you're into similar content) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slLTwe5lIbE they seem to be quite nice.

I was just reading from Stephanie Mutz (https://www.seastephaniefish.com/) that apparently the Purples often end up out-competing the reds because they can lie dormant way longer and consume a lot quicker. It's definitely apparent when you're down there. I see about 10 to 1 ratio of reds to purples. I always end up smashing a few for burley when I'm out.

[slobound]

Well done! Well produced! Now, I’m hungry haha


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[Chuck D]

Way cool man! Thanks for sharing!

[BrianH]

Awesome video. Very impressive!

[MrPukaShell]

Wow just wow, thanks for sharing

[summers in kuwait]

Great job overall and top-notch production value and editing!

[FullFlavorPike]

Originally Posted by ProfessorLongArms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmAURj7B2NE

The big point I make in this is how spearfishing doesn't have to be chasing 200lb dogtooth in the South Pacific with a Teak spear cannon, and is a really awesome way to spend the hot days that are less conducive to sitting on the kayak.

I see you have spent some time on spearboard

good job with the uni. maybe the tastiest thing in our waters, and it can be a challenge to get when the good ones are hiding under rocks 50 feet down.

[Caden]

Cool video and I want try some of that food and make me want to free diving

[steveooo]

Dope! Excellent production, food looks great, and super entertaining format.

[f'nsabiki]

The lizard at the end was great!

[NICKWORN]

Very Cool! Culinary background or just a hobbyist?

[TheBentRod]

Nice video!

[Mr. NiceGuy]

Life, beauty, opportunity and exhilaration is abundant and everywhere around us. All we have to do is see, explore, harvest and make it into something wonderful. You are an artist. What you express is art.

Your happy guest lizard found a sweet spot too

[ProfessorLongArms]

Originally Posted by NICKWORN

Very Cool! Culinary background or just a hobbyist?

Thanks

Just a hobbyist, but aggressively expanding my range.

BTW for anyone interested, I just picked this up after the 3rd or 4th recommendation https://www.amazon.com/Whole-Fish-Co.../dp/174379553X

It's a gorgeous book with amazing photography and some really fascinating info on just about every different way to prep fish, including more ambitious use of the organs, roe, skin, etc. For instance, My wife has always had a rule of letting a steak come to room temperature before searing so it cooks more evenly. I'd not realized that's actually a best practice when getting a sear on a good piece of fish, and that a grill weight is almost mandatory for an even cook on an especially thick piece of fish.

[Oolie]

I've delved into such.


I would begin with the head, as that's where all the best goodies are.


They are easy to split in half, and a yellowtail head grilled with a simple tare (pronounced Tah-ray, it's prepared quickly with equal parts soy sauce, sake, and sugar brought to a boil and allowed to cool) is quite enjoyable on the grill.


For splitting the head, the simplest technique is to take a broad, heavy blade, and when the severed head is on the cutting board (cut side down) put the blade center in the mouth of the fish and push in until it begins to penetrate the upper lip, then slice downward through the top of the head, you will get two halves separated easily by chopping through the bottom jawbone.


Chopsticks are needed to pull all the meat from the bones, which is very much worthwhile.


If you want to try the roe, I really like Mentaiko.
It's a Japanese adaptation of a Korean dish of spicy pickled cod roe, but other roe types are substitutable. You can buy it at the Japanese market, try it on white short grain(actual) rice.


Other organs and parts are excellent as well if you're the adventurous type.