How to Freedive for Southern CA OCTOPUS: Catch & Cook!

Find two spot octopus freediving on Southern California jetties + wild oyster mushroom foraging and a delicious new recipe for octopus-scallop-mushroom pasta!
The octopus simmer/sear method of preparation came from this video • Cooking Octopus with K...
Interested in a spearfishing or foraging guide? Hit me up! catchncookca@gmail
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[@scottchristie4367]

Kevin, a very nice octopus recipe indeed! That was the most tender - and flavorful - octopus I have ever eaten. And finishing off on the grill - genius and absolutely crazy good. Two spots beware!

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

So happy to hear that Scott. I was absolutely stoked when you brought that one up from the sea floor! That was only the second octopus caught by a client on my guided dives. Very cool!

[@silmyfasy6696]

Watching from Sri Lanka 🇱🇰, really enjoyibg your videos. Great info and very calming background music too. 👍

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Awesome!

[@JunkyardFox]

What an absolutely incredible video! All the underwater footage, the colorful flora and fauna, the thrill of the hunt, the delicious meal. Goddamn, now this is some excellent content!

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Thanks James! Hope we can get you guys out here this year so you can see it with your own eyes and experience it with your own spears!

[@mae982]

Ahhh the seafood pasta looks so damn good!! Loved seeing the process leading up to the meal too. There's always new and cool information to take away from your videos 👍💯 Also that cute moment with Diane loll 21:25

[@JohnSmith-pz7vy]

Socal diving is bucket list

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Its pretty fun!

[@sgt.dinger4248]

my mouth opened every time you guys took a bite....

[@youtubeuser3182]

the end of this video had me salivating!

[@davidsung8598]

Always good to see your video.

[@davidsung8598]

I live in central Oregon coast. You are welcome to come over and stay with us.

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Thanks!

[@JorgeAvalos-py1eh]

Lots a good info bro. Thanks

[@NB.867.]

Rock on brother. Can’t wait to spear my first octopus

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Remember, it is illegal to spear octopus in CA! They can only be taken by hand.

[@betzaidavazquez5579]

Great video DR. K. Always cool to follow you and learn so much from the depths of the oceans to the mountain tops. Love your content and style you bring to learning about nature and being in nature. The meal looked delicious , looking forward to the next one. 🥰🐾✌

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Thank you!

[@rudysison9010]

It's just like going to your Seafood market and pick what's on the Menu of your choice, just awesome.

[@divinebluesky]

Thanks for explaining about the octopus lifecycle and why you eat them.

[@ironmonkey4o8]

That dish is next level. Looks amazing...and with all of the ingredients you threw at it I'd imagine it taste better than it looks.

[@tj3589]

This is so rad

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Thank you!

[@yahwehskid4819]

I wonder how much that bowl of pasta would run you at a good seafood place? That was a great vid brother.

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

I often wonder the same. It was so freaking good!

[@rvierra7235]

Two hundred million gazillion bucks!

[@GardenForaged]

That final dish looks amazing. With the wild harvest ingredients. I love it. I grow lots of my own food and forage for mushrooms here in the east coast and when you cook a meal with your own gathered food it hits different

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Thanks! Absolutely!

[@mikearsenault9244]

Love the content. Love to see more of the cooking process as well so I can pick up some of the tricks of the trade as they say. Great vids love the voice over while you are diving. I watch a lot of vids like this and you are on the right track. Keep them coming!!

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Good to hear that Mike!

[@happytimes724]

Thank you

[@Ichigomochi88]

This is perfect timing, I was just looking for freediving for octopus videos. Thank you!

[@marke.1021]

Once again am stuck enjoying another fun video- Thanks Dr Kev. Love seeing you take us along on an diving adventure- each trip is more and more encouraging for us to jump in. Was fun seeing all the different fish available to "take" if so choose to, or not. Thanks for making this one and am as are most awaiting the next adventure even if a break from series. Oh remind folks summer is near so join a class so can enjoy the summer as well.

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Glad to hear it! Will do!

[@Katarjana]

Love the little biology chat over dinner!

[@julialichtblau7796]

Such a cool video! Really enjoy seeing all of the unique underwater ecosystems you explore up and down the coast. The octopus catch was neat, I love their little den porches covered with the shells of their meals.

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Hope you enjoyed the cooking music!

[@desertfairychickres4021]

Hey Kevin, We had snow three times here in Oro, Valley Arizona in a week and a half. Just outside of Tucson. Woke up Thursday, last week, too 4 inches. The following Saturday our high was 71°. Crazy times. Love your vids. Many Blessings, K.T. P.S. Lordy, I would about kill for that pasta dish. My best too Diane.

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

That is crazy! It is dumping rain out here but a friend in the mountains of Southern CA said her area usually gets 33 inches in a year and they got SEVEN FEET IN TWO DAYS!!!!!! Apparently the local grocery store roofs collapsed under the snow's weight too! Crazy times indeed!

[@hendosmom9415]

I really enjoyed your videos. This channel is so under-rated; a fantastic channel to me. Continue the good work Kevin. Better than outdoor chef's life and fisherman's life.

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Thank you for the positive feedback. I like how we all bring something a little different to the table but are still united under the same general theme of wild food and outdoor adventures.

[@footnassfishermen8817]

Drooling after that pasta recipe

[@kawai_marin_photos]

these videos legit make me want to be your friend hahaha

[@JohnSmith-pz7vy]

Keep it up love the diving videos, so cool to see the bottom of where I fish!

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Thanks! Will do!

[@Mrlivebubblehash]

I drooled like a Mexican dog at a meat market in mainland Mexico while you guys eat that pasta dish. Next time in SoCal hit me up. Like minded, I got a skiff we can hit local islands.

[@MountainTopher]

That pasta looks amazing

[@k4x4map46]

excellent!!! all delicious!!

[@SDfisherman]

I was just in Hawaii hunting octopus with a guide, you can also shake them around to disorient them, then bag them.

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

I bet that was a great time! We are not allowed to "tickle" the octopus like they do over there, but I would love to go there sometime and see how that is done. So cool!

[@SDfisherman]

@@catchncookcalifornia1574 so we cannot use a spear even to lure them out just a little to grab them? It’s 100% hands only?

[@Bigmike84]

Nice

[@loganl5408]

Very wholesome and hunger enducing haha

[@stanf9898]

Kev with another banger!

[@rileyjones650]

Looks delicious!

[@davidbutterstein4616]

I really hope your channel blows up

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Thanks!

[@broomstickcowgirl]

That meal looked absolutely DELICIOUS (I love Steve Rinella)!! And I'm so glad to see your beautiful Diane. I was worried that you guys weren't together anymore.

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

The Meateater is definitely a favorite of mine as well. We are doing great! Diane was just very busy with work this last season so she was not making many appearances on the channel. I will try to get her (and Mochi) out more on these adventures and in these videos soon!

[@genboomxer]

I recently discovered your channel, thanks also from discovering Fisherman's Life & Outdoor Chef Life, great content and fellowship all! I'm retired now and want to add surf fishing to my growing list of hobbies (Brewing, Beekeeping, Pottery...), so I keep looking for practical, educational content on KZbin. Your channel is excellent in providing the what, when, why , and how answers that I'm looking for. Now you have me interested in foraging too. I live in Ventura Co. and I'm finding a paucity of coastal content that takes place near me. All the action on KZbin seems to avoid anything south of Pt Concepcion and north of San Diego. Am I living in a dead zone? Keep making great content, I'm learning so much!

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Thanks for watching and for your comment! Not a dead zone at all! There are all kinds of opportunities down that way. I will be guiding freedive-spearfishing and coastal foraging down there next weekend! Hit me up if you are interested. catchncookca@gmail

[@genboomxer]

@@catchncookcalifornia1574 - Wish I could join you, but Easter weekend is booked with the family. I will look forward to the video to see how it went. I will also contact you via email to find out other particulars that I'm interested in re: guided outings. Thanks!

[@totinbigwait852]

Awesome vid as usual

[@GravInducedSleepTrac]

BEAUTIFUL DOG! Would be considering to do one of your guided coastal foraging & maybe mushroom too. :)

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Thanks! Please email me and let's get you booked! catchncookca@gmail.

[@richardso3226]

Kev what a great great video. Every aspect of it. From everything you teach, to the wildlife to the cooking. Excellent work. Taku watch your back haha jk.

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Thanks Richard. Lol would have loved to see what sushi Taku could have made with that catch. I guess it's high time we do another collab!

[@kittyhawk348]

Freaking awsome video. Really informative.

[@bretthumphries7911]

Good stuff. That looks killer. Time to start planning the "airgun hunting" series. Safe travels

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Thanks! Probably should! I have another series that will likely drop before that one though. But I think this spearfishing series might just remain as a permanent on going one.

[@mdevil12]

Kev, You're gonna have to make a recipe book!

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Might have to include the uni-topped scallops we made after you, me, and Richard went spearfishing last time!

[@GregAlbrecht]

Hi Kevin, what are your rates for the foraging adventures? I have a friend who loves mushrooms. Also thanks for making these videos!

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Greg, hit me up at catchncookca@gmail and we can chat details. Mushroom season will not last much longer (even with all the rain that we have been getting) so I may not be leading many more mushroom identification courses this season so we should try to get your friend scheduled asap!

[@surkularsinisism1989]

I’m curious…in Hawaii, we were taught to use the spear to gently agitate the octopus out of the hole, then grab it by hand and dispatch by biting the eyes. But we never use the spear to stab the octopus. Are you allowed to do that, instead of trying to ninja snatch them at the opening of their holes?

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

A great question. The "tickling" technique as practiced in HI would still rely on a spear rather than hook and line or hands and I believe that means that it is then prohibited in CA. It's rather unfortunate as it would be awesome to try out here.

[@Brad-ku9yu]

Oof, I did that. Thought I could just stop by a scuba shop in SD on the way to Mexico to pick up some weights thinking they would be like $40-$60 and wound up having to unexpectedly pay $180 for the amount of weights I needed. The belt I got wasn't even nice, it was the worst nylon one they had.

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Sorry to hear that! Yeah, rubber weight belts are the way to go and it's all about used lead in my opinion! Guess I should discuss this in depth in a future vid in this series!

[@KN-xl6lw]

👀 Sand dollars are vertical!? 🤯

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Isn't that crazy?! I will try to get a closer shot of them next time. Not only are they vertical but they are furry!

[@Jarom.M]

When you bite the octopus, do you use your incisors or molars? I've always heard that you "bite the nut" to dispatch them, but never the technique of doing so.

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

I do it with my incisors. But I only learned how by reading what the Hawaiians were doing in the old pages of Hawaii Skin Diver magazine in articles by folks like Kimi Werner. So I do not know if I bite the octopus exactly the same way that they do. Good question!

[@haroldtakahashi8875]

💛...yum...

[@Jenniferlsweet]

good to learn to put vinegar in the water

[@m.t.02]

So we’re not going to pick up the trash after you found it?

[@NinjaLifestyle]

Saw you on fishermans life. had to subscribe

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Thanks for joining me!

[@blkaudiofan]

Hmm can’t lobsters be caught and kept by conical hoop nets? I see ppl do it all the time in the mid coast and socal.

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Yep. But when diving we are only allowed to take them by hand.

[@BananaAfterlife]

do the octopus not bite? great vid

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

They do for sure! A beak on a Pacific Giant octopus could take your finger off!

[@theathea7683]

An another one haha yeee

[@ItsChristina7]

That octopus dispatch was metal AF

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Wasn't sure if I should film doing it or discuss it first and film doing it in a future vid so the audience is prepared for it.

[@ItsChristina7]

@@catchncookcalifornia1574 I mean, I'm totally here for it, but I get why you might be hesitant to include it for a more squeamish audience (... although I'd like to think that subscribers here wouldn't be the type to go crying to YT about it)

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

@@ItsChristina7 I agree. Yet it has long been in the back of my mind. I showed cleaning a wild turkey in the episode where Fishing Chef (Chensi), Martijn and I shot a wild turkey with an air rifle and cooked it on an open fire and that was the only episode I have ever had that was flagged and de-monetized. It made me question whether I should be showing the cleaning of game, but at the same time if the whole point is to teach people how to sustainable and humanely dispatch fish and game and how to process their catch for a meal to share with friends and family, you would think that would be encouraged rather than demonized. I might start showing this stuff again but with fair warning.

[@ItsChristina7]

@@catchncookcalifornia1574 Ugh. That's demoralizing. Well, hopefully some sort of warning allows you to post in the future without having to worry about all that bother (even if I personally think the necessity for it is silly.. oh, people!)

[@rudysison9010]

No chop sticks for you?

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Lol just with Asian food.

[@johnhuey9912]

Mushroom meat curtains

[@chillirun]

Are you guys married yet? And if not, when are y’all getting married?

[@user-sf7kl9uh7k]

"wait, why are you trying to kiss me????....."

[@carolynallisee2463]

OK, this isn't aimed at the content maker who has no control over this aspect, but is aimed at whatever idiot is responsible for inserting 'ad breaks'. Didn't it occur to them that knowing what a moving boat sounds like underwater might be important for safety reasons? And that keeping that section of the video intact might be equally important for keeping people safe? And if ad insertion is computer controlled, doesn't anyone check to make certain important safety info is kept intact? Catch N Cook California is doing his best to educate interested people how to free dive safely. The very least KZbin can do is make sure sections of video containing vital information pertaining to health and safety aren't disrupted by ads for things like Pizza and clothing!

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Agreed!

[@tariqansari8749]

i dont care the octupus but man you look like (good half face)dwigt from the walking dead yo

[@ncmartinez_his]

Jealous of your life, dude!

[@boogieheads]

very informative video, ive learned so much from you!

[@boogieheads]

i found the biggest two spot ive ever seen the other week in laguna beach

[@boogieheads]

also i got a urchin spine very deep in my thumb, im scared to dig it out but i know i must

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

Nice! I am sure that you know (but in case another viewer reading this does not know) much of the Laguna area has very specific regulations about what can and cannot be taken. Pretty sure much of that area would not allow for the take of octopus! Such a pretty place to dive though!

[@catchncookcalifornia1574]

@@boogieheads OW! I have been there. They are particularly frustrating to get out too as the spines are so brittle!

[@boogieheads]

@@catchncookcalifornia1574 yes i know most of laguna is a marine protected area but you can fish a beach called “Thousands steps”, most pristine water in socal thanks again for the videos!

[@seans7451]

@@boogieheadsyikes, 1000 steps is finfish, urchin, and lobster only, don’t be a kook that ruins it for everyone