Cool Freediving Vids and Pics

Someone posted this on another forum I belong too, some greats vids and pics on this site. Not all natives though.

Michigan Freediving

WOW.

Todd

I'll second that WOW. That's some beautiful uw photo work.

I just wish he had some in situ pics of spoonhead or deepwater sculpins!!

WOW is right! Holy smokes that's some nice shootin!
Makes me wish I could afford a dry suit. All those lakers shot in the shallows, that must have been some COLD early season swim!
Nothin beats free diving for getting up close and personal with the critters.
I wish the vis around here was a fraction of what's shown in those pics. Is that because of zebra mussels?

Didya see the videos under the second photo gallery section? Jeepers!!!
Those Burbot looked tasty.

I wish the vis around here was a fraction of what's shown in those pics. Is that because of zebra mussels?

Locally in Grand Traverse Bay it probably made for some deeper secchi depths, but Lake Michigan in general is that oligotrophic. And COLD. I mean really cold. The bay is warmer than the lake, but still, that lady is flat out nuts diving in her bikini. While enjoying the view, once my mind would flash to "that's Lake Michigan" it made my teeth hurt. I couldn't get my breath with a bib wetsuit. I needed a full suit with hoodie. That was in August. And I'm the ice man.

Did you notice the algification around the zeeb clusters? That's localized eutrophication from the pseudofeces and fecal material. It's a good demonstration of how the filter feeders are a link between the pelagic and benthic food webs. Chances are there's some really happy amphipods (scud) flitting around those clusters.

Yeah, I think the burbot were my favorite. That's not something you get to see every day.

Todd

Several years ago, a friend took me out to Stannard Rock in Lake Superior, to fish for native lakers.
As an experiment, we put on the biggest bright white curly tail grubs we could find, to see if we could entice any of the mythical 50 lbers(the state record, 63 lbs, came from here in the late 90's..so there are some truly giant fish out there).
According to his sonar, we could still SEE the jigs laying on the bottom in 55 feet of water!
I will not that nearshore areas of Lake Michigan have cleared up notably since the zebra infestation. The open waters have always been that clear, as Todd noted.

Locally in Grand Traverse Bay it probably made for some deeper secchi depths, but Lake Michigan in general is that oligotrophic. And COLD. I mean really cold. The bay is warmer than the lake, but still, that lady is flat out nuts diving in her bikini. While enjoying the view, once my mind would flash to "that's Lake Michigan" it made my teeth hurt. I couldn't get my breath with a bib wetsuit. I needed a full suit with hoodie. That was in August. And I'm the ice man.



Todd

Todd, believe it or not, the inshore waters of the Bay often hit 70 degrees, and at least once or twice most years it hits 80..so she may have been more comfortable then you imagine!
Besides..we're tough up here:D

holy smokes! i would love to know more about his gear. does he elaborate anywhere?

Geography lesson please;

• Could someone point out on a map, exactly where this is in reference to say Cheboygan (Sheboygan?)
• Is Lake Michigan always this clear?
• Does the lake have these large rock formations strewn all over the

bottom?

Geography lesson please;

• Could someone point out on a map, exactly where this is in reference to say Cheboygan (Sheboygan?)
• Is Lake Michigan always this clear?
• Does the lake have these large rock formations strewn all over the

bottom?

Netmaker...you spelled "Cheboygan" two ways. Problem is..the FIRST way is in Michigan(about 2.5 hours north-east, at the north-east end of the lower peninsula on Lake Huron) and the second one is in Wisconsin(about 4 hours south-west, across the lake in Wisconsin!).
Travers City is in the north-west part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, or alternatively, on the north east coast of Lake Michigan.
Yes...Lake Michigan is generally this clear. Even more clear in the open lake itself.
The large rock formations are found from Roughly the Traverse City area, northward on the Michigan side of the lake, and from about the half way point north along the Wisconsin side.. They are scattered, and often form large offshore reefs. Much of the rock in these photos I suspect, is artificial breakwalls along the immediate shoreline in the Traverse City area. However...extensive rock formations are found in the lake, again, mainly offshore on the large reefs, and along the north and west shores.(Green bay and the Bay's deNoc are very rocky, as is the northern shore (southern Upper Peninsula coast). Outside of those areas, large artificial reefs of limestone are used extensively in shipping areas and to protect anchorages..so you can find this type of habitat all along the shorline all the way to the southernmost point, but mainly near towns and other altered areas.

On the attached map. T.C. is circled in red, while the Ch(Sh)eboygans are circled in green.

Nightwing,

Many thanks for the geography lesson.

You know, we have been sending gear to a research station in Cheboygan for 10 years and I NEVER really paid attention to where it was going.

They tear up those heavy duty nets all the time . I can now understand why.

I also wondered about catch rates and net avoidance ( a big issue in research and sampling). These photos explain a lot. In some places at some times I guess, it is like dragging a net through Sea World.......crystal clear visibility. What fish what want to wait to be caught if they saw a Shamu heading for them!


Is a burbot also called a Lawyer fish?




Thank you again for taking the time to explain......

nm

Is a burbot also called a Lawyer fish?

Yes. They're also called eelpout, but that name is also applied to some marine fish.

holy smokes! i would love to know more about his gear. does he elaborate anywhere?

You should try and contact the guy via his Website, a fishing buddy of mine has been talking to him for awhile.