Before I ask my question let me throw my spearfishing profile out there. I've been diving (scuba)\ spearfishing for a little over a year now. I line shaft mostly medium sized fish on artifical reefs and ledges in 40 to 100 feet of water. I see all of the pictures of these monster fish you guys land and it makes me wonder, How do you safely land \ subdue these huge fish? Thank you in advance.

Chris

I know where you can get some experience.
Go to the bayronto, hold onto the anchor line and shoot the biggest amberjack you see right in the tail. After he cirlcles you several times prepare to fight off several huge Jewfish. If you put the fish in the boat, you will be hooked. Or you could just powerhead him in the head. :toast:
You can't beat freeshafting for those reef fish, no matter what the size.

First off, let me preface this with stating that I am no expert. Secondly, the number one reaons that most of these larger fish are landed is due to shot placement, which only comes with time.

Get rid of the leash and it will force you to become a better shot. Take your time and learn placement.

Powerhead to the dome. :BoomSmilie_anim:


It's the safest, the most efficient and the most humane.

Powerhead to the dome. :BoomSmilie_anim:


It's the safest, the most efficient and the most humane.

It is the safest, but definitely not as fun or as sporting. ANYONE can powerhead a big fish.

It is the safest, but definitely not as fun or as sporting. ANYONE can powerhead a big fish.

Yes, but seeing how many big fish you can powerhead in 15 minutes is pretty damn entertaining.:D

Get rid of the leash and it will force you to become a better shot. Take your time and learn placement.[/QUOTE]




then where would all the fun be? being drug around by a 100 lb aj is awesome. try free shafting in 300 to 600 feet of water, gets to be pretty expensive.

No matter whether it's scuba or freediving, if you have a big fish fighting on a line shaft, things can get messy. The key is come down off the adrenaline hit of shooting the fish and concentrate on getting control of the line and the fish. The last thing you want is to be wrapped up with mono or ss cable with a big amberjack on the loose. If you swim slowly in one direction, that will pull the loose line away from you as you are retrieving. If you're shooting a fixed-tip shaft, once you get ahold of the shaft, it's a good idea to grab the shaft at the fish's body, pinning it to the tip. You can then get a hand in the gills and you've got him. A quick knife to the brain and it's finished.

Get rid of the leash and it will force you to become a better shot. Take your time and learn placement.




then where would all the fun be? being drug around by a 100 lb aj is awesome. try free shafting in 300 to 600 feet of water, gets to be pretty expensive.[/QUOTE]

I guess I probably should have specified a bit more, depending where in the water column you are.

Sometimes you need the leash, unless you are Ben. :2gunsfiring_v1:

Before I ask my question let me throw my spearfishing profile out there. I've been diving (scuba)\ spearfishing for a little over a year now. I line shaft mostly medium sized fish on artifical reefs and ledges in 40 to 100 feet of water. I see all of the pictures of these monster fish you guys land and it makes me wonder, How do you safely land \ subdue these huge fish? Thank you in advance.

Chris


Shot placement is key. Experience is a major factor. If you don’t have the right shot on a big pelagic often it is better to pass on the shot. When i shoot big jacks i prefer to ph them for safety reasons. I don’t need to prove anything to myself anymore.

In tournaments where ph'd fish aren’t allowed,

Deep water/ mid column. I will try to stick my line shaft in a jack behind the eye out the gill plate or through both gill plates. It isn’t a kill shot by any means but it is normally is a shot the fish can’t shake out. I then let the fish fight/drag me through water tiring it out. I will often put an additional spare free shaft in the fish for good measure. Then i will work my way to the end of my line grab the fished throat wrap my legs around its tail and slip my knife in it brain.

On a wreck or shallow water where bottom time isn’t as big of an issue, i will do the same as above except i will try to point the fishes head into the bottom or the structure and let the fish fight against mother earth while i slip the knife into its brain.

Hope this was helpful, every situation is different though. Like someone said previously don’t get overly excited till the fish is in the boat, stay calm and deliberate while fight/working the fish.


Chris

A BIG ELECTRIC REEL:whip: