Fish Steeler
07-28-2003, 11:33 AM
As promised in my very first post, something was getting speared at the Tarpon Rodeo. I bought my first speargun 3 weeks ago and this weekend it got its first kill, or wound, I should say.
We left the dock at 7:00am Friday morning to beautiful blue skies and flat seas. Four of my buddies and me would be fishing in my boat all weekend. Since I would be the only one spearfishing, I only put one tank and my pony bottle in my boat. (Mistake #1)
We headed about 30 miles southwest of Grand Isle and stop at a satellite rig in 160 feet of water. My buddies dropped their lines and I geared up and jumped in to take a look. The water was green and there was a good current ripping on top. Once I got past 20 feet the current was gone and the water was beautiful. I loaded my gun and dropped down to 125 feet. I saw Spades, Triggers, some small snapper but nothing worth shooting. Since I figured this would be my only dive I took my time and enjoyed the view. (Mistake #2)
Thirty minutes later I was back in the boat listening to how my crew lost a 60# Cobia at the gaff. Too bad I didn’t see him! We unhooked and headed south another 10 miles before we saw the next set of rigs in 200 feet. All of them were occupied so I picked the one with only one boat on it. It just so happened that boat was spearfishing. They said the rig was covered with Amberjack at 75 feet. So we dropped our lines and fished. After watching the second set of divers come up with their catch and not catching any in our boat, I decide the 1000 pounds of air left in my aluminum 80 will be enough to “go down and spear one.” (Big Mistake #3)
I jumped in and loaded my gun while hanging on to the rig hook rope with my legs, to save air. After kicking through the swift current on top I checked my air at 30 feet, still close to a 1000. Plenty, I thought! I swam straight down as fast as possible with one hand on my gun and the other on my nose. The vis was great and sure enough there they were at 70 feet. Knowing I didn’t have time to mess around, I lined my gun up and shot the third one in the pack. Well this is when the fun began! My spear went straight through Mr. Amberjacks belly and he didn’t seem too happy about it! He gave me a ride down to 95 feet before I could wrap the cable around a rig leg and stop him.
While watching him put on a show at the end of my cable, I see the spear about to pull out. I left the gun wrapped around the rig and with one hand on the cable I grabbed the fish by the gills. As I’m trying to pull his gills out, which didn’t work, the spear pulls out making a nice green cloud. Then it happened!
I’ve been diving for 15 years and I’ve never sucked the last few breaths out of a tank, but that’s what happened and its not a good feeling at 95 feet! I knew before I jumped in that that was a possibility so I wasn’t completely surprised. I let go of the gun and with the fish in one hand, grabbed the pony bottle reg with the other. Air is good!!! My gun was still wrapped around the rig so I collected that and proceeded to drag my catch to the top. Needless to say I was in a hurry to get to surface!
About 35 feet from the top the pony bottle was getting difficult to breath from. I didn’t panic; I quickly wrapped the gun around the rig and just stopped. I got control of my breathing, which had been very heavy since I speared the fish. I had to decide whether to leave to leave the speargun, the fish, or both. Well in that short period of decision it got easier to breath so I decided they were both coming with me! When I broke the surface my buddies said I had a worried look on my face. That was a relieved look.
When I handed the fish up it was still kicking! Obviously I know I made some mistakes…some of them big. But I think I’ve learned a few lessons. And man what a rush!!
Fish Steeler
We left the dock at 7:00am Friday morning to beautiful blue skies and flat seas. Four of my buddies and me would be fishing in my boat all weekend. Since I would be the only one spearfishing, I only put one tank and my pony bottle in my boat. (Mistake #1)
We headed about 30 miles southwest of Grand Isle and stop at a satellite rig in 160 feet of water. My buddies dropped their lines and I geared up and jumped in to take a look. The water was green and there was a good current ripping on top. Once I got past 20 feet the current was gone and the water was beautiful. I loaded my gun and dropped down to 125 feet. I saw Spades, Triggers, some small snapper but nothing worth shooting. Since I figured this would be my only dive I took my time and enjoyed the view. (Mistake #2)
Thirty minutes later I was back in the boat listening to how my crew lost a 60# Cobia at the gaff. Too bad I didn’t see him! We unhooked and headed south another 10 miles before we saw the next set of rigs in 200 feet. All of them were occupied so I picked the one with only one boat on it. It just so happened that boat was spearfishing. They said the rig was covered with Amberjack at 75 feet. So we dropped our lines and fished. After watching the second set of divers come up with their catch and not catching any in our boat, I decide the 1000 pounds of air left in my aluminum 80 will be enough to “go down and spear one.” (Big Mistake #3)
I jumped in and loaded my gun while hanging on to the rig hook rope with my legs, to save air. After kicking through the swift current on top I checked my air at 30 feet, still close to a 1000. Plenty, I thought! I swam straight down as fast as possible with one hand on my gun and the other on my nose. The vis was great and sure enough there they were at 70 feet. Knowing I didn’t have time to mess around, I lined my gun up and shot the third one in the pack. Well this is when the fun began! My spear went straight through Mr. Amberjacks belly and he didn’t seem too happy about it! He gave me a ride down to 95 feet before I could wrap the cable around a rig leg and stop him.
While watching him put on a show at the end of my cable, I see the spear about to pull out. I left the gun wrapped around the rig and with one hand on the cable I grabbed the fish by the gills. As I’m trying to pull his gills out, which didn’t work, the spear pulls out making a nice green cloud. Then it happened!
I’ve been diving for 15 years and I’ve never sucked the last few breaths out of a tank, but that’s what happened and its not a good feeling at 95 feet! I knew before I jumped in that that was a possibility so I wasn’t completely surprised. I let go of the gun and with the fish in one hand, grabbed the pony bottle reg with the other. Air is good!!! My gun was still wrapped around the rig so I collected that and proceeded to drag my catch to the top. Needless to say I was in a hurry to get to surface!
About 35 feet from the top the pony bottle was getting difficult to breath from. I didn’t panic; I quickly wrapped the gun around the rig and just stopped. I got control of my breathing, which had been very heavy since I speared the fish. I had to decide whether to leave to leave the speargun, the fish, or both. Well in that short period of decision it got easier to breath so I decided they were both coming with me! When I broke the surface my buddies said I had a worried look on my face. That was a relieved look.
When I handed the fish up it was still kicking! Obviously I know I made some mistakes…some of them big. But I think I’ve learned a few lessons. And man what a rush!!
Fish Steeler