THarrison01
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What kind of hunting can you do while SCUBA diving?
What kind of hunting can you do while SCUBA diving?
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It's not very sporting to spear while on scuba but I know many people do it. In some places you can only get lobster while on scuba. In Northern California you may only take abalone while free diving. Check regulations before getting in the water.
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THarrison01
Registered
ok thanks
[Sarcasm]Yes generally grouper and other fish will swim right to you on scuba because they love the sound and bubbles. So if you spearfish on scuba you are likely to get so many fish it will be hard to surface with a smaller sized wing. It really takes no effort, skill or luck to do it on scuba so it is not sporting. My friends generally compare it to if your local zoo would allow you to hunt in the enclosures.[/Sarcasm]
CuzzA
Wetwork for Hire
^ Yeah, they basically just jump on my stringer.
Not sporting my ass. You shoot a fish like a big cobia or amberjack there's no float line to help you out. You fight the fish at depth.... I could go on, but I don't hold someone's preferred way to harvest a fish against them.
Not sporting my ass. You shoot a fish like a big cobia or amberjack there's no float line to help you out. You fight the fish at depth.... I could go on, but I don't hold someone's preferred way to harvest a fish against them.
CuzzA
Wetwork for Hire
Check out www.spearboard.com. You won't catch crap for hunting and there's tons of knowledge from experienced spearos and likely a forum for your area.
There are a lot of photos on Spearboard of speared California sheephead. They do come right up to you on scuba.
CuzzA
Wetwork for Hire
And they come up to freedivers too, I'm sure.
Blowing bubbles spooks a lot of fish. Makes them run and swim erratic so you have to chase and be a good marksman. Especially if you're freeshafting (no line connecting your gun and spear).
Shot disincline and good marksmanship become important, unless you like losing fish and $50 shafts.
Last edited:
oldschoolto
Contributor
If you think spearing on scuba is easy.... You have NEVER done it.....
jim
jim
Eric Sedletzky
Contributor
Short answer: it depends on your local and state regulations.
Here in California hunting and gathering are legal only for the game listed than you can take while on scuba or surface supplied air. If it's not listed you can not take it.
Many here in Norcal do hunt on scuba because we're after food more than a sporting event. There are limits and as long as the we are operating within the law we see nothing wrong with harvesting on scuba. Freedivers may see it differently, but their motives are slightly different too. I feel freedivers are way more destructive to a particular area when they have their fish killing competitions when hundreds of applicants go out and the motive is to kill as many fish as possible during a set time frame to win an award. There are no sanctioned scuba spear fishing competitions in my area that I'm aware of.
Scuba divers in my experience only gather what they can eat and tend to boast about it much less. We feel because it is considered less "sporting" we don't do it for sport, we do it for the food. The more effectively we can get the food and get it back home the better. After all, a dead fish is a dead fish, it doesn't really matter how it died.
I only take what I know I can eat within a few weeks because I don't like fish that has been frozen too long and has freezer burn. Plus I don't like to clean fish for hours after I get home so that will limit may take.
Regardless what the diver was wearing when he speared the fish whether on scuba or not, spearfishing still remains the most responsible method of take of all fishing methods.
Don't even get me started on commercial fishing!!
Here in California hunting and gathering are legal only for the game listed than you can take while on scuba or surface supplied air. If it's not listed you can not take it.
Many here in Norcal do hunt on scuba because we're after food more than a sporting event. There are limits and as long as the we are operating within the law we see nothing wrong with harvesting on scuba. Freedivers may see it differently, but their motives are slightly different too. I feel freedivers are way more destructive to a particular area when they have their fish killing competitions when hundreds of applicants go out and the motive is to kill as many fish as possible during a set time frame to win an award. There are no sanctioned scuba spear fishing competitions in my area that I'm aware of.
Scuba divers in my experience only gather what they can eat and tend to boast about it much less. We feel because it is considered less "sporting" we don't do it for sport, we do it for the food. The more effectively we can get the food and get it back home the better. After all, a dead fish is a dead fish, it doesn't really matter how it died.
I only take what I know I can eat within a few weeks because I don't like fish that has been frozen too long and has freezer burn. Plus I don't like to clean fish for hours after I get home so that will limit may take.
Regardless what the diver was wearing when he speared the fish whether on scuba or not, spearfishing still remains the most responsible method of take of all fishing methods.
Don't even get me started on commercial fishing!!
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