Scuba diving in the Cayman Islands, Cruise Ship Excursions, Private Charters, Cayman Scuba Training Class. Website Created in 1996 - New Content Added Weekly
: Marine Awareness
Artifical Reef Awareness Spearfishing the Texas Gulf Rigs.
Spear
fishing and safety and
what to consider.
Spear fishing in the Texas Gulf can give divers an adrenaline
rush like no other type of hunting can deliver. There are potential problems
associated with spear fishing like getting tangled in the cables, losing
track of air supply, bottom time, depth and shooting a fish which is to
large to handle and being dragged off. Spear fishing requires a buddy team
of one spear fisherman and an assistant to remind you of depth, bottom
time, air supply and is there to help if you get tangled in fishing line
or you get a bad shoot. Planning as a buddy team will help prevent accidents
from happening.
Spear
fishing on the Oil rigs and ship wrecks provide abundance of Red Snapper
and other large schools of Amber Jacks. Usually divers will spear the 15
to 20 pound sizes and usually only spear one per dive. There are larger
Red Snappers which I have landed a few weight more than 30 pounds. Usually
the snapper stay in the lower water column of 70 to 120 feet which ranges
from 2 to 10 feet of visibility. By hiding around the rig legs the snapper
come very close to see what the bubbles are about. Waiting for the larger
one takes a few minutes and the effects of the magnification of everything
by 25% larger can result in judging size a little difficult. There will
usually be about 20 or 30 snapper in your field of vision and selecting
the larger and getting the correct shot is a skill which takes lots of
practice. Once a fish is shoot start ascending out of the muck layer and
pulling the fish up only after the fish clears the layer. Sometimes we
have problems with larger groupers swimming up an swallowing the fish off
the spear and by dragging the fish on the cable will allow you to observe
in the 70 foot visibly other predator that might decide your fish is their
next meal.
The Amber Jacks are usually in large schools an come very close to the
divers, usually within two feet especially when one has been speared. The
schools will vary from 20 to 50 fish and will move about in the 30 to 80
foot depth range. Visibility ranges from 50 feet to as much as 150 feet
on an exceptional day. Most are around the 30 pound range and you have
to watch that you don't shoot a large one or get a bad shoot. They are
real fighters like the 55 pound I landed in July 20th, 1997. It is best
that you stay next to one of the pipes where if you do get a bad shot or
shoot to large of a fish a diver can use the rig leg as a brace to prevent
being dragged around. I use a stainless steel cable with a quick release
where I can loose the spear, cable and fish without losing the gun if I
start being dragged. Double check the the State length law because they
keep changing.
Another great fish to hunt is the Cobia also known as the Ling. This fish
finds divers curious creatures which they swim directly at divers to check
them out. To the diver this fish looks like a shark until it turns sideways
and will give a diver a startle if observing only in front. They will sneak
up to the side of a diver and are usually loners or swimming along with
two or three others. When any fish is speared they will appear from not
where and the next spear fisherman can get a great shot once they turn
sideways and coast. This fish ranges from 10 pounds upwards to 70 pound.
The largest one I have speared was 42 pounds and I shoot the fish through
the gills and It dragged me from 30 feet to 70 feet within seconds. then
it relaxed and I swam it up to the boat and handed up the spear gun where
the real fight and splashing took place. It was just like a hook and line
battle, except there was a steal cable with a spear in through the gill
plates. The biggest problem was the Igloo 162 quart Ice Chest was not big
enough to hold a fish over five feet long.
Some of the good fish which are good for eating and learning
to judge size / aim a spear gun is the Spade fish which schools on the
up current side of the rig and swim in schools of 500 to 1000 moving as
if a marching band changing directions. They range in size from 8" to 24".
They will dart when you shoot which is good for developing the skill of
leading a fish. These fish tend to be hard to get the kill shot and will
give a diver a good fight.
Some of the other fish which are good eating usually swim
along the rig legs which can cause problems in getting a shot where you
do not ruin a spear tip or shaft. These fish are the small grouper type
of fish, Sheep head, Big Eye Snapper, Vamlinium Snapper and several others.
There are no size limits or quantity limits on these and usually use a
small band gun or a Hawaiian type sling.
Consideration for Safety:
1) Always keep the gun on safety until ready to shoot.
2) When loading the gun point gun away from other divers
and load underwater.
3) Always look beyond the fish to see what else might
be in the way, like another diver.
4) Never spear fish which you do not plan to eat and
remove speared fish from the water as soon as possible.
5) Never dive or spear fish without a buddy to help and
monitor time, air supply and depth limits.
6) Never shoot a fish which is larger than your experience
level. Develop technique before taking on fighters or deep water spear
fishing
7) Make the shot count because it takes up valuable bottom
time to reload.
8) Always ascend to shallower depth if a fish is fighting
and remember to breath slow and deeply. Never hold your Breath.
9) Always pull the trigger as you breath in.
10) Remember to do your safety stop before surfacing.
Spear fishing is a great sport as long as the diver remembers to follow
safe diving practices, State wildlife laws, and seeks training on developing
the proper skills for the sport.
Spear
fishing on the Oil rigs and ship wrecks provide abundance of Red Snapper
and other large schools of Amber Jacks. Usually divers will spear the 15
to 20 pound sizes and usually only spear one per dive. There are larger
Red Snappers which I have landed a few weight more than 30 pounds. Usually
the snapper stay in the lower water column of 70 to 120 feet which ranges
from 2 to 10 feet of visibility. By hiding around the rig legs the snapper
come very close to see what the bubbles are about. Waiting for the larger
one takes a few minutes and the effects of the magnification of everything
by 25% larger can result in judging size a little difficult. There will
usually be about 20 or 30 snapper in your field of vision and selecting
the larger and getting the correct shot is a skill which takes lots of
practice. Once a fish is shoot start ascending out of the muck layer and
pulling the fish up only after the fish clears the layer. Sometimes we
have problems with larger groupers swimming up an swallowing the fish off
the spear and by dragging the fish on the cable will allow you to observe
in the 70 foot visibly other predator that might decide your fish is their
next meal. 
The Amber Jacks are usually in large schools an come very close to the
divers, usually within two feet especially when one has been speared. The
schools will vary from 20 to 50 fish and will move about in the 30 to 80
foot depth range. Visibility ranges from 50 feet to as much as 150 feet
on an exceptional day. Most are around the 30 pound range and you have
to watch that you don't shoot a large one or get a bad shoot. They are
real fighters like the 55 pound I landed in July 20th, 1997. It is best
that you stay next to one of the pipes where if you do get a bad shot or
shoot to large of a fish a diver can use the rig leg as a brace to prevent
being dragged around. I use a stainless steel cable with a quick release
where I can loose the spear, cable and fish without losing the gun if I
start being dragged. Double check the the State length law because they
keep changing. 
Another great fish to hunt is the Cobia also known as the Ling. This fish
finds divers curious creatures which they swim directly at divers to check
them out. To the diver this fish looks like a shark until it turns sideways
and will give a diver a startle if observing only in front. They will sneak
up to the side of a diver and are usually loners or swimming along with
two or three others. When any fish is speared they will appear from not
where and the next spear fisherman can get a great shot once they turn
sideways and coast. This fish ranges from 10 pounds upwards to 70 pound.
The largest one I have speared was 42 pounds and I shoot the fish through
the gills and It dragged me from 30 feet to 70 feet within seconds. then
it relaxed and I swam it up to the boat and handed up the spear gun where
the real fight and splashing took place. It was just like a hook and line
battle, except there was a steal cable with a spear in through the gill
plates. The biggest problem was the Igloo 162 quart Ice Chest was not big
enough to hold a fish over five feet long.
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