Spearfishing

[imwright1985]

I usually hunt close to structure, we have enough and they provide cover for fish to hide so they tend to hang around them a bit. I only had that one instance with that bull so maby it was hungry. since then i run a float bag since were on drift and boat can grab since we rotate divers there is someone to drive and someone to pull fish, but if im on an anchor dive in the keys or shore dive i use a tether since id rather loose my fish than a chunk of my leg or hip and that got me real paranoid

 

[JPENDERGRAST]

I haven't done much diving in the southern gulf and I'm certainly no scientist, but I agree with Hetland on this. The sharks we've seen in P'Cola and Destin certainly didn't seem shy and I would be willing to agree that they associate spearos with free meals. I don't know the exact number but I want to say we've had Bulls or Sandbars interested in our fish on 6 or 7 of the last dozen dives. We would have been, without question, one lift bag and several fish short at the end of the dive if we had sent them up the anchor line.

I've yet to let go of a stringer and have had two very personal encounters with tax collectors. However, I could see someone letting go of fish out of being scared. Especially when you're on the last 10 feet and can't see more than 3 feet.

 

[wjefferis]

Why don't most of you use those blood bags (not sure of actual name) that you can put your fish in and prevent the blood from floating around getting the sharks excited?

 

[Hetland]

imwright1985: We have a few spots around here where the fish hold tight, and our longer guns are worse then useless in those spots. We usually break out the polespears for the close in stuff, but if we had more places like that to hunt there would be more shorter guns sold around here I'm sure.

Walter: We're experimenting with bags now.

This is all just personal opinion: I don't think it's the blood that excites the sharks as much as it is the wiggling of the wounded fish, and those bags are not hiding any blood from a shark's nose either (any more than dog food hides the smell of marijuana from a drug dog). It seems like the shark accepts that we've "eaten" the fish if he can't see it, so he's less likely to pick a fight with a diver if he can't see the fish in the open. I try to spike my fish if they put up more than a tail jerk or two, and I seem to see less sharks than my boat-mates, but there's no scientific study involved in that observation.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Stick the fish in the bag, and the shark doesn't know what to aim for. It'll circle, but won't know what to shoot at.

All that being said, you don't always have a big enough bag






Get the biggest gun you can band up underwater... I use a 54" and with my reach, I'd suck as a boxer.

 

[Zieg]

Stick the fish in the bag, and the shark doesn't know what to aim for. It'll circle, but won't know what to shoot at.

All that being said, you don't always have a big enough bag

Get the biggest gun you can band up underwater... I use a 54" and with my reach, I'd suck as a boxer.

But many times the shark IS following the scent. I've had a shark brushing he and nudging me looking for fish while I was doing an ascent and my buddy, who was just above me, had the fish.

I believe that the gun should fit what you are hunting. I used a huge gun when I hit the rigs. It was big, heavy, and powerful. I took big fish. I moved down to S. Fla. and that gun was too big and bulky. It didn't swing worth a damn. I went to a lighter gun, put a long shaft on it and have been having a blast. I'm keeping the big gun in case I ever get back to the rigs.

 

[walke121]

I haven't done much diving in the southern gulf and I'm certainly no scientist, but I agree with Hetland on this. The sharks we've seen in P'Cola and Destin certainly didn't seem shy and I would be willing to agree that they associate spearos with free meals. I don't know the exact number but I want to say we've had Bulls or Sandbars interested in our fish on 6 or 7 of the last dozen dives. We would have been, without question, one lift bag and several fish short at the end of the dive if we had sent them up the anchor line.

I've yet to let go of a stringer and have had two very personal encounters with tax collectors. However, I could see someone letting go of fish out of being scared. Especially when you're on the last 10 feet and can't see more than 3 feet.

You and hetland hit the nail on the head. The bulls in the area are pretty bad but nothing a powerhead won't take care of. I keep my fish close to me so I won't lose them. Sending fish up with a liftbag is a terrible idea. Nothing but lost fish and liftbags. Most are just curious but some get much to friendly. That's when things get fun and they get killed...

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

If you can't fish without the use of powerheads, you shouldn't be in the water. I can't think of a bigger waste.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I disagree with both of you. Powerheads can provide a certain level of security. Also, sending fish up on lift bags has been shown to be an effective method to reduce the loss to sharks. But it is a pain for the boat captain and it can't be done when diving from an anchored boat.

 

[Zieg]

I've never used a powerhead, never felt the need for one. Even with that hammerhead brushing and nudging me, I didn't feel the need to kill him. I walked on water once I got to the surface. I've butted with my speargun I don't know how many sharks, but never felt the need to shoot one.