Shot my first yellowfin tuna

[freediver74]

I just got my rabitech 110cm gun and went bluewater hunting with some of the boys. We got onto a good school of yellowfins and I saw the one I wanted. Not a giant but I'm damn proud for it being my first. I took a shot from about 15 ft. with a float line. Anyway long story short the son of a bitch weighed in at exactly 50 pounds. I have pictures soon to come. I have to admit I'm absolutely hooked on bluewater hunting. I'll post as soon as possible. I'm so frickin stoked.

[IB Boyd]

Thats very cool. I just had my first bluewater dive on thursday(with mt new RA 120), and it was an incredible experience. 50 pounds is a nice fish. I took a lot of pride in grilling up mt first blue water yellowtail.
Congratulations,
Boyd

[RabiSpear]

AWESOME!!!!!!!!! The railgun is the only way to go!!!!! Good fish boys. Did it bend your spear? The 110cm spear is a bit harder to bend.

[freediver74]

No it didn't bend my shaft luckily. Probably because I was using a float line and buoy set up. I'm so proud of myself. Thanks to all you guys for your input and help on all my questions.

[kmoose]

Where around here can you shoot yellowfins?

[keyspearfisher]

Behind Shrimp boats.

[kmoose]

Legally

[Big Pig]

I would love to shoot one, but I'm pretty sure it is illegal to shoot them in state or federal waters. I do know you need a HMS permit in order to keep it. This permit is about $24 and available from the feds. No HMS permit + yellowfin tuna in fish box = big fine.

[freediver74]

Oh I was out of the country in costa rica guys. No problem with shooting them offshore there.

[Big Pig]

Yea Costa Rica thats it. Perfectly legal there and in most of Mexico. Personally, I always take some trolling gear with me when I head offshore. You never know what you might run into.

[freediver74]

Yeah big pig we just wanted to do some shooting. But we also did some fishing too. You really don't have to go very far offshore down there to reach the bluewater.BTW I've seen some of those big AJ's you shoot. That is awesome.

[snooker]

A shaft and a gaff make about the same mark, don't they:confused:

[freediver74]

Don't worry. Like I said I have pictures. Yeah they do make similar looking holes.

[snooker]

I know they do. Always bring a fishing pole and gaff on board.

[apexpredator]

...the picture of this tahitian hooked, straight gaffed, costa rican born Ahi tuna. I would love to see it. I knew as soon as I saw the post everyone would chime in about the legality issue. Start another post about the rod and reel ahi you caught and post the pics of your "fire tuna". Happy Hunting!!

[Freedro]

Are you seriuos? You guys really can't shoot Yellowfin Tuna on the East Coast? What are they, endangered or something? Here on the California Coast we can shoot just about anythingthat is legal to catch on rod and reel, except trout, salmon, striped bass, or broadbill swordfish. Yet, commercial boats may take broadbill with a harpoon. Speargun vs. broadbill sure seems like a fair fight to me. Go figure...:confused:

[freediver74]

I've got to get up to my parents house as I don't have a scanner yet. Gimme some time.

[Bahiano]

where tha heck are the pics??????

[edfitzfish]

Originally posted by snooker
I know they do. Always bring a fishing pole and gaff on board.

for what reason, to make your poaching look legal?

[Screen Name]

Originally posted by edfitzfish
for what reason, to make your poaching look legal?

If I were you, I would watch myself dude. You are not half as cool as you think you are.

[rigdvr]

13 posts and thats one???? You might want to cruise the site a little more before you decide to stick around, this might not be the board for you:rolleyes:

[TheMackDaddy]

i don't get why the hell they would make it illegal to spear a species (especially yellowfin, which your average jackass w/ a speargun is not going to go after b/c of the skill/risk involved). in terry mass's book it said that spearfishers take less than 1% of fish while anglers take about 6-7% and the rest is commercial. IF they want to cut down on the killing of a species they should make hook and lining them illegal or commercial b/c that is what kills more of them. also, i think most spearos have more respect for the oceans resources and beauty b/c they are under it and see it and learn to appreciate it more. not that anglers don't...but i must admit that alot of people out there fishing even tho they suck still can catch fish and they don't care so they keep everything. if u suck at spearing u won't get anything and if you are good u probably go after trophies or bigger fish b/c the little ones don't do it for u anymore and u have enough respect not to just kill everything.

can some one explain this law to me i don't see how it makes sense.

[apexpredator]

Tuna (yellowfin and bluefin) on the east coast is classified as a highly migratory species. To harvest them you must purchase a HMS permit. Those permits are available from NOAA. The regulations also stipulate the allowed methods of harvest. Currently spearfishing is not allowed. Everyone here thinks the rule is stupid specially since you can hapoon them but not shoot them underwater. On the west coast there isn't any regulatory body managing the resource..and although it is nice to be able to spear them there many folks are concerned that the stocks of these fish are being decimated by overfishing. The best thing you can do is to support groups like the FRA who lobby to bring about change in the regulations. The subject is complex and this is just the tip of the iceberg re the issue. Hope it helps a little. Happy Hunting!!

[edfitzfish]

Originally posted by Screen Name
If I were you, I would watch myself dude. You are not half as cool as you think you are.
if you were me, you wouldn't be such a jerk.

[Rolo]

Originally posted by edfitzfish
if you were me, you wouldn't be such a jerk.

Congratulations Big Guy! It took you 14 posts to call a member of the board a "jerk". Nothing really wrong with that, except the guy you called a jerk is one of the more stand-up guys on this forum. Perhaps, if you would have called me a "jerk", others would agree, but being a smart-ass won't get you too far on this board. Perhaps you'll evolve and have something worthwhile to say some day. Perhaps not.:D

[Powerhead]

Has anyone heard any info on the HMS ruling for tuna? Does anyone one know when it comes up or came up for review?

When the NMFS had their meeting in the Key West a few months ago, about 7 divers showed up to voice our opinions. We where the only people at the meeting besides the two NMFS gentlemen. The one NMFS guy seemed pretty cool about the whole concept of diving for tuna other then the safety issues. The other NMFS gentlemen wanted to know why at every meeting so many divers kept showing up to voice their opinions on being able to spear tuna. We kindly told him everyone who wanted to take a tuna was able to except the spearfisherman. I guess he may have thought there was some kind of a conSPEARacy among the diving community to go out and butcher Thousands of metric tonns of Yellowfin & Bluefin tuna and to decimate the entire Eastern Seaboard population.

The 9 of us talked for a good 2 hours. They asked all kinds of questions about the skill levels needed to hunt Blue Water fish and the equipment needed to do so. The divers all gladly answered all question asked with strait forward information and everyone on both sides of the table walked away with a smile.

Now we are all waiting to see if our opinion really counted.

Maybe Screen Name, Keezdiver or Rich Taylor could find out for us?

Rick Gage

[Screen Name]

Originally posted by RJVeloso
Congratulations Big Guy! It took you 14 posts to call a member of the board a "jerk".

Thanks for watching my back RJ! I probably dont deserve the support on this one, I did kind of stoop to the guys level with my response to him. :D

Denny, do you know anything about the tuna issue? Powerhead (Rick Gage) and Steven Rodger are friends of mine, and I know they represented spearfishermen well at the Key West meeting.