The type of pots you choose may vary with your approach. You may wish to traditionally hunt octopus for the experience, or be commercially hunting octopus to make a living. So it is a good idea to think hard about your decision. There are many different types of pot you can use, ranging from the traditional clay pot which has been used for centuries, to the modern traps that have been developed today.
Be sure to tie your pots before setting out on a boat. It can be difficult to do this on choppy water if you are inexperienced.
Coral reefs and rock formations are a good starting point when looking for a place to drop your pots. Talk to local fishermen and ask about good spots for finding octopuses or reefs that you may find them at.
Be sure to have a buoy tied to your rope. This will help you find your pots when you go back for them, and hold the rope so that you have a way of pulling them out.
This can be from anywhere over the course of a day, to over a week. It’s up to you about how thorough you want to be.
Remember that the octopus will be alive when you pull it out of the water, so make sure you have a good place to store it when you empty the pot. [5] X Research source Being fast, and steady-handed here is important. Given the opportunity, the octopus will escape. They are incredible crafty at getting away!
Be sure to check local regulations to see what is legal when it comes to spear fishing. In Greece, a common type of spear is the trident. Depending on your ideals, you should consider whether you want to use a propelled speargun, or a more traditional freeheld spear, or trident. [6] X Research source
Make sure the water is not too deep if you are free diving. Be very careful when picking a dive spot. Some regions are very protective of their natural resources and their waters. Check with locals that the area is okay to go to if you are diving away from home.
An octopus will make a home, or den, out of any hole or crevice that it can fit into. They are also masters of camouflage so be very thorough when looking out for them.
The octopus may struggle, and ink. This is a defensive mechanism, so you should try to be as fast, and clean as you can to avoid hurting yourself and anyone around you.
A good color for luring octopuses is red. Red is the color of an angry octopus, which will cause another octopus to grab your lure in order to defend itself from the ‘angry octopus’. If you’re feeling particularly crafty you can fashion one out of wood, or plastic, or anything else that will be strong enough to stay attached to your gaff![10] X Research source
A tell tale sign of an octopus is broken crab shells, or open shellfish. An octopus will crack these open with it’s beak when hunting and eating. Chances are if you spot an unusual amount of these, there is an octopus lurking in the pools near by!
Be sure to check for ledges and holes that might not be visible at first.
It is a good idea to use gloves, as they have a beak that can deliver a nasty bite!
