Plug this

[SolOmoN]

Again .... forwarded from another forum......

(Here is the fish out of water, to gauge the weight. Sure is a cow, eh?

World Record 60.49 lb BI October 05)

sorry I had to resize the immage.

sol...

[Rappin Mikey]

Dang! Thats a big one.

[tattoobob]

Looks like a boat fish to me

[Headhunter]

Slob for sure. Anyone that thinks free diving isn't a sport should try it and they will quickly change their mind. I'm pretty sure he paid his dues for that fish. Try watching and hold ur breath for the entire vid just sitting there!

[Pete_G]

I don't question the "sport" aspect of spearfishing, I do sometimes question the efficiency with which it removes larger breeding class fish.

I just NEVER see a spear fisher holding a 15 to 20# dinner fish. A friend of mine used to spear fish every day and sell them commercially. He never came out of the water without a fish over 30#'s. Maybe he was just unbelievably good, I don't know.

Are there any regular spear fisherman here? And if so what do you really take from the water and how often?

[MAC]

Originally Posted by thefishingfreak

nice job.
thats a sport in my book any day.

i for one don't swim in the salt. i know whats out there

I agree on both counts. I don't like going above my knees in the salt. I've seen what swims out there too.

[Jamie K]

That was sweet.

Only way it could have been better is if he used a hawaiian sling. Spearguns can make it too easy.

[Fish_Eye]

Like a well-executed shot in billiards, it looks so very easy...then you go and try to accomplish that same three bank shot and all of sudden it’s a lot more difficult than it looks. The new breed of freediving spearos (including veterans that are 60-73 years old) are taking the sport to a whole other level.

The guys and gals that are competing and blue water hunting these days are serious athletes that put their lives (quite literally) on the line each time they make a dive. Some divers can work at depths over 100 feet and many local divers work 50 and 60 feet in places like the SW Ledge at Block and the rips off Watch Hill and Race Rock. Most anglers wouldn’t want to fall in the water there, never mind diving down 50 feet in current that wants to rip your mask off, in visibility that’s sometimes measured in inches not feet, and where the rocks are festooned with super braid and wire line. Pete “The Greek” who shot the record bass, is a good friend of an old teammate of mine, John Warnock, and he said Pete works hard at shooting only quality fish and pursues them with the same attention to detail that any savvy angler would. It’s all about reading the water, understanding the tides, knowing your boat, having the right equipment and knowing your capabilities. Is this a sport? You bet it is.

[libassboy]

many local divers work 50 and 60 feet in places like the SW Ledge at Block and the rips off Watch Hill and Race Rock. Most anglers wouldn’t want to fall in the water there

Thats what i was thinking about when i saw that clip, u do alot of diving in these places Fisheye, have you ever had any close encounter of the shark kind? That part at the end of the clip when he was swimming up and dragging that bass to the boat, i wouldnt wanna look behind me.....

[Squibby17]

Originally Posted by libassboy

Thats what i was thinking about when i saw that clip, u do alot of diving in these places Fisheye, have you ever had any close encounter of the shark kind? That part at the end of the clip when he was swimming up and dragging that bass to the boat, i wouldnt wanna look behind me.....

from my experience scuba diving when you intitially go in the water thats when your a little scared of your surroundings, after your down for a few minutes you become more comfortable. I have never been real scared underwater and the only sharks I saw were of the dog fish variety. Granted I wasn't free diving like that guy.

People think its crazy to go out in the water and claim they never would meanwhile you see them dodge several cars on boylston street everyday when they go to lunch. Pick your poison. I would rathe be eaten by a shark than killed by some cab driver who doesn't speak english

[JoeP]

Originally Posted by Pete_G

I don't question the "sport" aspect of spearfishing, I do sometimes question the efficiency with which it removes larger breeding class fish.

I just NEVER see a spear fisher holding a 15 to 20# dinner fish. A friend of mine used to spear fish every day and sell them commercially. He never came out of the water without a fish over 30#'s. Maybe he was just unbelievably good, I don't know.

Are there any regular spear fisherman here? And if so what do you really take from the water and how often?

I agree with Pete's take. I have no problem with the sport - its like hunting. I have a problem with the ease of taking the biggest fish by this method in a time when I think its pretty clear that we have a big fish deficiency compared to years past.

Its like comparing deer hunting to the hunting of any threatened species. They are both hunting & therefore sports - but hunting deer with a huge population is obviously widely accepted while hunting, say wolves or whatever threatened species, it prohibited.

[Rockport24]

I don't think spearfishing is really going to contribute to the depletion of big fish. I mean, how many guys are out here doing this? It seems like quite the hardcore sport. I can see spearfishing in the nice warm waters of the florida keys or Hawaii, but to put on a wetsuit and go after stripers in 55 degree water seems a little extreme.

[smac]

I go fishing from the beach hoping I will be lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. I am thinking these guys float around a reef or some other structure till the fish finder goes crazy, jump in, pick out a cow and blast it in the frigging head. Swim to the surface and fire up the grill. Maybe I am just jealous.