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Question for Spearblog.com
We are planning a trip in October to hunt big tuna. How do you rig your shooting line for large tuna(over 200 lbs)? Do you use heavy mono or cable?
Thanks,
Fred C.

Thanks for the question Fred.
In the bluewater you first need to look at the size fish you are hunting and the gear that you will be using. For Tunas over 200lbs you should have at least a 5/16 shaft and 60″ gun rigged with an Ice-pick Slip tip or similar tip.
The tip should be rigged with 1/16″ coated or uncoated cable although some people prefer to use spectra or Dynema on their slip tips I have seen to many fish lost with this type of rigging due to the bones in the fish cutting the line, accidental cuts in the line in the boat, improper rigging and other issues. Again, I would prefer to use as light of rigging gear as possible to keep the weight of the tip and shaft and the amount of drag low but Cable is very reliable for slip tips on big tunas when crimped properly.
Our group of divers that hunt big tunas with consistency use 400lb Mono. With 400lb we have landed dozens over 200lbs and had no problems. Some people like having double crimps but I have yet to see a properly crimped 400lb mono double crimp allow the line to slip.
So in short the answer is 400lb mono is exactly what I would use for hunting big tunas.
As many tunas have been landed with Cable as with mono so it is personal preference. In my experience and in talking to the 30 or so divers that have hunted and been successful with big tunas in the past 20 years… mono is the way to go for hunting big Yellowfins.
When you beef up to hunting Bluefins over 400lbs… You have to step it up again and rig differently but that is for another day.

White Sea Bass, aka the Grey Ghost
As a West Coaster you have heard of them, hunted them, fished for them, heard them croak eerily somewhere in the distance and painfully smiled as you’ve seen your friends and other boats land them right beside you.
There are many secrets to hunting and fishing for WSB. The most successful divers have paid careful attention for years and taken mental notes each and every time they catch a glimpse of a tail or are lucky enough to glimpse the hazy off white shade of a big Croakers side.
I’ve made two WSB dive trips.
But I’ve hunted them a thousand times over in my mind and been preparing for them long before I first pulled on that 5 mil green camo suit.

Preparation:
Be ready.
When you arrive on the spot, have your gear set. Don’t be messing around with it at the last minute. Have your booties in your fin pocket and your gloves in your other fin pocket with your mask and snorkel around them both and your weightbelt right here with them. Have your wetsuit out and ready to put on and your gun you are going to use already out and ready.
If the space in the boat allows it, find a corner that no one else is using or a spot on the rail you can keep your gear organized and neat.
Now you can get in the water when you are ready knowing your gear is all in one place. This gives you time to help anchor, get other peoples gear, put up the dive flag, and you aren’t stressing at the last minute getting your heart rate up.

Scope it out:
You’ve reached the kelp bed and you are rushing to get in the water but you are about to blow it if you don’t pay attention. When you are approaching the area you are going to dive, do so slowly, quietly and courteously to the other boats that are already there. If you can hear WSB croaking hundreds of yards away imagine how far they can hear the unnatural sound of an outboard, inboard or jet ski engine.
As you approach, look at the direction the kelp stalks are flowing and take note of the current direction. Look for birds working or bait ripples on the surface. Make a mental picture in your mind how the whole scene looks from your vantage point in the boat. Use other boats, headlands, and anything else that helps you pin point where you are in the kelp bed with just a glimpse above the water.

Always hunt:
As soon as you touch the water you are hunting. Within 10 feet and ten seconds I have already made my first dive. Get the bubbles out of the suit, dive to 20-30 ft and cock your gun while you are there, stretch your lungs and work your way over to the area you are diving.
Too often divers, especially bluewater and WSB hunters who spot 90% of their prey from the surface don’t ever dive until they see something because they don’t feel the need. When a fish does come their first dive they aren’t stretched out and they blow a big fart bubble out the back of their suit and in a flash they’ve blown their first shot of the day.

Shut the %$%^ up!
You know where you want to go, go there quietly.

Keep hunting:
On the surface or underwater you are looking above, below, behind, and in every direction. The Kelp forest is 3 dimensional and the fish can be anywhere so keep your head on a swivel and be ready to shoot in any direction.

Soldier up:
Your looking everywhere so you need to be able to shoot anywhere when you do see a fish. Keep the gun underneath you and with both hands on it when the water is dirty. No matter how good you are the fish aren’t always going to be right in front of you so reduce your profile and keep the gun in a position where you can easily swivel to shoot anywhere at any time.
This means even when you are heading for the surface. if your gun isn’t pointing up when you are heading for the surface you might as well have left it in the boat. It is very difficult and way to much movement to change the from trailing a gun to pointing it forward again when a fish is sighted on your way up. Whoops you just missed that sleeper just under the surface.
Remember you are in the water, you are hunting. That means while you are on the surface or diving up or down.

Visualize the fish:
It is rare in dirty or clean water that you’ll see an entire fish. Usually it is just a fin or outline or different movement in the distance.
When I’m hunting my mind is making a fish out of everything I see. Every kelp stalk or shadow or light spot I’m automatically visualizing a fish made from that one tiny part as if I’ve been given the first piece of a puzzle and I have to put the rest of it together.
You are already good it this, you do this every time you see a hot girl or guy and are trying to imagine what they look like with a lot or all (Brandon’s mind) of their clothes off.
This will be one of your most valuable tools as a Spearfisherman or hunter if you can master it.

Fact: WSB are unpredictable as hell
Go up current and see if there are any bait and hunt the edge of the bait on the kelp side for WSB and outside for Yellowtail.
Work the edge of the kelp all the way around from the bottom to the surface looking for the fish. If you spot one at 45 feet then thats probably where the rest of them are so make your dives to that depth and keep your eyes open.
If they aren’t deep then they might be shallow, or midwater, or in the next kelp bed.
There is nothing better than time in the water. Even the biggest Cones shoot WSB and consistently at that. (a derogatory term short for Coneheads used in exchange for the term Touron (tourist-moron), Jackass, Domer, or Kook) They spend a lot of time in the water and eventually you are going to come across a fish. If you are ready you will get a shot.
Listen to reports and network with the divers and fisherman in your area. When the fish are there you need to be as well but its the guys that don’t say anything about it and instead keep their mouths shut and put the time in the water year after year shoot fish because they were there before the crowds putting the time in the water.

Shoot straight, stay out of sight, see clear:
Gear up properly. All the fish I shot were with a 120cm Riffe Euro rigged with a horizontal reel. When the water was clearer, 130 Euro with a 100′ Armor spectra float line with no buoy, I took the clip off the end of the floatline so that the line could slip easily through the kelp and not hinder my diving by catching on everything and anything. Carry a blow up float on your belt so when you shoot a fish you can clip it off to work him and you are set.
I had good shots on all three fish I saw and stoned each one with a shot to the spine from about 12 feet in only 15 feet of visibility. WSB hunters usually use slip tips because of fish wrapping up in the kelp and soft flesh so the Mini ice pick tip is the best choice paired with a 9/32 or 5/16 shaft. 400lb Mono or cable is plenty for anything that he’s going to wrap you up in.
Green water means Green Camoflauge. I designed the Riffe Cryptic camo with this in mind wanting to fade into the distance when fish see something that doesn’t look right, and by then its too late!
I tried both the Amber lens and a clear Naida mask and both worked well. I preferred the clear lens as there is already so much brown in the kelp and the clear I felt didn’t overload my eyes.

On the two trips I’ve made for WSB:
The first time, I made over 200 dives as did one of the best hunters on the California coast that same day beside me and we were both skunked while a relative rookie diver landed one.
The second time I was “lucky” enough to take a limit of three fish over 40 lbs while the other 8 divers on the boat didn’t even get a glimpse of the Ghost.
This just goes to show that no matter how prepared you are there is always a bit of luck involved. Put everything in place so that you can keep luck on your side and you will be successful when the time comes.

I just got an email from Will who just got back from diving in California, here’s his story:

Just returned from Dana Point. Long story short, I lost a shaft on a big AP on the trip to NC with Bullock. Got a replacement, but didn’t have time to rerig the shooting line before I left. I searched for a dive shop around Dana Point when I arrived and realized how close we were to Riffe. We went over to see the shop and ended up having lunch with Jay and Jackie. They came by our hotel the next evening for cocktails, then took us to their house for a tour. Jay found out I was planning to dive in a 3 mil, and demanded I borrow his personal 5 mil. As you can see in the pics, the suit was a bit big, but definitely sealed the deal. Water was 59 degrees, so I would have frozen in my Cryptic 3 mil. Jay and I spent lots of time talking about your recent trip, and his suggestion was to stay silent and work the outside of the bed, diving to 30 feet then swimming in. I did so all day, and it finally paid off with this nice 51-pounder. I tried to repeat the shot placement you discussed on the blog, but I was shooting down on the fish and I missed the spine by 1/2 an inch. I was warned the E100X was a little small for the job, but with 8-10’ vis, it turned out to be the perfect gun. Great penetration, flopper toggled, and the fish tangled up at about 25’ after making a jump out of the water.

Anyway, the Riffes were unbelievable. What a great family.

Thanks for all the pointers on the blog. Keep them coming.

Cheers,

Willie

Subscriber Taylor wrote:
I’m going to cabo next week in pelapas ventana. I saw some pictures of you on the website. What do you recommend bringing? I’m 17 and willing to shoot fish in blue water as big as possible (no bigger than 100# though) and have been diving consistently around the globe for 2 years now. Anything important I should bring down there? Any pointers would be much appreciated. How many float lines do you use if your shooting wahoo and dolphin fish? Also, how thick of a wetsuit did you use down there? I use a 56″ steve alexander gun and have 3 bands on it right now. Your blog is awesome too by the way! thanks! Taylor Thorne

Taylor thanks for the question and you are already on the right track. Your gun is perfect for the type of diving you will be doing and it is versatile enough you can hunt anything you encounter.
You can expect Wahoo from 25-75 lbs, Dolphin 2-45lbs, Sailfish(Pez Vela), Striped and Black Marlin, Amberjacks (Pez Fuerte) in the Bluewater and Pargo (Cubera Snapper), Rooster Fish, and Awa or Milkfish in the areas near the rocks and ledges)
Wahoo video from La Paz way back… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2RJii6WYmQ
For the gun you have I’d take a minimum of 2 shafts, 4 if you can. Rig your guns with 400lb Mono, one and half wraps. That means from the crimp at the back of the shaft, to the front of the muzzle, back to the line release near the handle, back to the front and then to the line release again. When you get about 6 inches from the line release make a loop of line and within that loop put a womens hair tie, or breakaway rig from one of the spearfishing companies that is pre-made.
Attach your float line to that loop and then have at least 50 -100 ft of float line running to your buoy.
When you are hunting blue water there is no substitute for having a good, long bungey. It is even more important than your float. It is expensive but well worth it to land the fish of your dreams. It acts the same as a drag on a fishing reel and when a bluewater speedster makes his first run it will put slow pressure on him instead of the instant shock that happens when a float line comes tight on a fish and usually tears out.
If you have a bungey you can get away with shooting all the above fish with a normal 30+liter float.
If not don’t despair just make sure you have a 75 ft float line and play him lightly.
When you shoot a wahoo let him run his first run and don’t touch anything unless you know you have a good shot.
The following is my La Paz set up for Bluewater
130 Riffe Euro
4 shafts with 400lb Mono (two flopper, two mini ice pick tips)
100ft Bungey
Riffe 2 Atmosphere float
3mm two piece Cryptic Blue wetsuit
1mm Riffe top

The surface temp will be warm and comfortable but if it is overcast it can get cold quickly. Also the water temp on the bottom this time of year can be very very cold so if you are diving 75ft or more you will get cold fast.
Good luck down there and be sure and dive with a buddy especially when you are hunting Pargo. The best plan for them is to have one guy dive and shoot the fish while the other holds on to the float line and pulls on the fish as soon as you here them shoot to keep them out of the rocks. It is the most fun way to dive helping your buddy with the fish and you will be much more successful then you would by yourself and have the story to tell together. The chance for a record Cubera in La Paz is about nil and they kill by far the most people of any fish in the world so be careful. If you get a big one in the rocks. take your time, go down and second shoot him carefully in the head and kill him, then take turns diving down to get him out and do it safely.
If you can’t get him out or it is too deep, cut the line or just unclip the breakway and leave it. Its not worth it.

Good luck and let us know how your trip goes!
Cameron Kirkconnell

[caption id="attachment_633" align="aligncenter" width="550" caption="La Paz mixed bag. Pez Fuerte, Wachinango (sic), Pacific Bonito, Leopard Grouper (golden phase)"][/caption]

With four days to go and only one shaft on my 110Euro left, I thought hard about releasing the shaft on the 125 lb Dogtooth Tuna that was approaching from the depths.  Was the 75 ft piece of line I scavenged off the beach going to hold?  Would the two gas can floats keep him from taking me over the drop?  How is it possible that I own thousands of dollars of equipment from the best companies in the world and yet I find myself one shot away from ending my entire spearing trip because I have no more gear.

Planning.

I’ve learned many lessons diving and traveling the world and most of them have been through trial and error.  Every trip can be epic, you just have to make sure you give yourself every opportunity to make it so and understand along the way not every thing is going to go your way. Whether you’re traveling  alone or with family, to a remote island or a big time tourist destination, there is always potential for getting some spearfishing in.  Don’t think that just because you aren’t on a planned spearing trip that you can’t get in the water, every trip is a dive trip as far as I’m concerned and you just need to make the most of what you have in front of you.

As soon as I decide on a new place that I am going  I try to find out four things; who, what, when and where.

Who has been there and when.

What kind of fish are there and when.

Where exactly do I need to be when I am there.

In recent years the use of Spearboard.com, Deeperblue.net, Spearfishing.com.au, and HSD’s online forums has acted as a buddy network throughout the world and showed just how much of a brotherhood the Spearing world is.   Ask if anyone has ever been to the area or somewhere close and gather any information you can from them.  The difference between talking to someone that has speared there or some flunkie in a cubicle in Tennesee who is trying to sell you a vacation package is huge.  Whether they spent 10 years diving the place or 2 days any information they can give you will get you ahead of the game and make your trip all the more fantastic.

As soon as I have gathered as much second hand knowledge as possible, I look at a nautical chart of the area and also try to find out what type of fish are in that part of the world.  I spend hours and hours pouring over charts and fishing magazines trying to piece together whatever information I can to plan a trip and make sure that I don’t get stuck trying to dive a Reef one mile north of a river mouth in the Monsoon season.  Drop-offs,  headlands that end in deep water, river mouths, coral reefs and pinnacles are the most prominent and productive features to look for.   Knowing the currents for the area, as basic as knowing which direction they set(direction they flow) and what the tide difference is can make or break your trip.  Some common sense goes a long way in traveling so when you are going to be diving in an area that has 15-18 ft tides and there is an estuary or river nearby you can bank on the fact that anywhere from 1-20 miles offshore during that time of the month is going to have reduced visibility and knowing whether to be north or south of there can make all the difference in the world.

Ok so you know where you want to go and what you are shooting.  Now what do you bring?  Will I really need a wetsuit in Indonesia in July?  That’s summer isn’t it?  I know they have huge Giant Trevally(Ulua) there and that’s  what I really want to target, so I think I’ll just skip the little gun.

As a rule, always bring two guns and extra shafts for both.  You are already having to bring something that is oversized and ungainly so the extra 15 lbs of weight isn’t going to matter much and you will thank yourself when you aren’t stuck shooting 3 lb Mu in 10 ft of water with your bluewater gun.   Bring your normal dive gear that you would for diving at home and bring a wetsuit that will accommodate the conditions you will be experiencing.  I take a 2 piece 3 mil Riffe Cryptic suit with me at all times so that when the water is too warm I can just wear half of the suit and a pair of shorts or the bottom and a long sleeve rash guard if there are lots of Jellyfish in the water.  This cuts down on having to bring 3 different wetsuits.

Lets forget gear for now. Everyone has their own opinion anyways and you can show up looking like a Hana Pa’a store with 300 lbs of gear or get away with the bare minimum and still have the time of your life.  We’ll delve into all that another time.

Now that you are there, where are the fish?  A good place to start is to go down to the docks or to the beach where the local fisherman come in every day and look to see what everyone has caught.  Look for fish that are going to be in the area of the types that you are wanting to hunt and strike up a conversation with the fisherman. Give him a hand pulling his boat up on the beach or just be friendly and talk to him as much as possible and try to learn what you can about where and how he caught his fish and determine from there your next plan of action. Fisherman the world round speak the same language. In saying that, whether you are in a foreign country or not there is a good chance the fish names are different than the one commonly used in your home waters.    Cod, Grouper, Cabrillo, Rockfish,  and Coca are all names for a very similar type of bottom fish that is found throughout the world.

Pick up key words like boat, Rock, Reef, Bait, Grouper, Shark,  Tuna, etc. Understanding people isn’t so much about the words they speak as it is understanding and interpreting their body language.  Use pictures, drawings, hand movements and whatever you can to make each other understood.   Find out what types of fish sell for what amount of money and get an idea of what he might make on an average day.   Also make sure of what fish you can and can’t shoot in each locale.  In some places, species that carry Ciguatera poisoning can change from one side of the island to the other and a lack of local knowledge could punish you for months on end if you accidentally mess this up.

So all the fishing right now is offshore and your plans for shooting Roosterfish and Cuberas in the Shallows has been crushed because the River has flooded out and the idea of 3 ft vis and 10 ft Crocodiles doesn’t sound too appealing.  Charter boats can be great but $1000 a day to dive by myself is ridiculous and the Scuba Boats aren’t going to be too stoked on me slaying all the pretty little reef fish in front of the Tourons(Tourist-Morons).    Back to your fisherman.  With the information you have already gathered come down to the beach this time with a plan.  Ask them if it would be possible to accompany them on their boat for a day and offer to pay the equivalent of a good days catch plus 10-20%, whatever you feel comfortable with.  In some locales this can be as little as $5 a day and the offer of double or triple that can win you a friend for life.  Bring pictures of fish you have caught in the past and make sure that it is clear that you are going to be diving.   Yes, they will think you are crazy and no matter where you go everyone always says there are sharks.  A good rule of thumb; Taste the water, does it taste salty?  Then it has sharks in it.

9 times out of 10 a fisherman will go straight to his normal fishing spot and start fishing or go to a place that he has seen people dive in the past.  He will fish, and continue to fish until you make it worth his while to follow you around.  Whether I want to or not my first few dives I always shoot the first 3 food fish I see.  That is $$ in his pocket and food on his table and now you have his attention.  You had better believe he’ll start keeping the boat close when you ask and as long as you keep him satisfied you can pursue the fish you are really after.

Establish some basic signals and rules with boat driver and try to work with them so that you don’t make them feel uncomfortable about you’re being in the water.  Pick me up and pick me up NOW are the most important ones.  Also as far as safety goes tell someone ashore where you are going and when you will be back and leave a name and number of a family member to contact if you aren’t back in the set amount of time.   This may seem morbid but it can mean the difference in drifting 2 or 200 miles offshore before someone finds you.

What you see is what you get when you go feral so bring what you are going to need when you show up at the boat the next morning.  If you want food, bring it, water, bring it, first aid kit, you get the idea.  From experience I can say that there have been a few times drifting with a broken motor in a dugout canoe that I would have paid a mint for a jug of fresh water.  Don’t get in over your head but also don’t overlook some simple necessities that could save you later.  My worst case scenario is having an accident and having to reduce bleeding very quickly when medical help can be hours and sometimes even days away.  If  you ever find yourself in a situation like this get yourself to the biggest or nicest hotel around as they have the best access to competent doctors and also the highest chances of an English speaking person there as well.

Keep a journal while you are there and make mental notes of what worked when,  what types of bait seemed to hold the better fish,  Rocks that were more productive than others, Tides, currents, times of day,  Landmarks and other position indicators that can help you find your way back in the future.  It was 12 months before I was able to get back to that spot with the huge Doggies and with the notes from my journal I was able to hit the spot dead on at the right tide and capitalize the second time around.  I’d like to think that I remember every rock I have ever seen and every fish I have ever shot but memories fade with time and having exact notes can mean the difference between 4 days of scouting and 4 days of hunting.  Make a list while you are still there of gear that will need on your return as well as notes on people and fish’s names,  the prices you paid for different things and anything else that you think will help you in the future.

You better believe I took that shot.  The fish turned broadside at 12 feet and I hit him high in the shoulder. And no,  just like the other 2 I had already lost that week the fish took my entire rig down so deep that all I could see was my gas can floats at 120 feet and knew that he was wrapped up in the rocks far below that feeding yet another pack of hungry sharks.  My boat driver just smiled and turned the Outrigger  Canoe towards the island shaking  his head, “Terlalu Besar! Terlalu Besar!”  Too big!  Too big!

Whether you catch anything or not I can promise you that an adventure planned from the ground up outside of your local haunt will give you memories for a lifetime and a much better respect for the conveniences of diving at home.  Any trip is a good one when you are diving and exploring new places.  It never ceases to amaze me that a certain species of fish will act completely different in three oceans and the excitement comes in finding the 3 different ways to hunt that same fish.  Plan a spearfishing trip to the next headland, the next island or halfway across the globe and enjoy the diversity that our oceans have to offer us.

Cam’s Feral Spearfishing Gear list

130cm Riffe Euro gun rigged with 400lb mono and breakaway rig with 2-10 extra shafts

110 Riffe Euro gun, 2 shafts rigged for a reel and 2 shafts straight to gun/buoy

Reel rigged with 500lb Kevlar or spectra

2 Riffe 2Atm floats

50’, 25’, 10’ bungey’s

75 ft float line(Armor Spectra from Riffe is the smallest and strongest)

mask, fins, snorkel, booties, gloves, dive knife, fillet knife, wetsuit, rashguard

leatherman tool for minor repairs and sharpening spears

gun bag and fin bag

Underwater video/camera  (no one believes you unless you video it)

Extra Mono and Crimps and rubbers

IUSA WR application, Official Scale and measuring tape.  Curse the day you need this and don’t have it.

First Aid Kit

Whistle

Extras: Mosquito net, spray, spark plugs to give as gifts to boat drivers, Hat, sunglasses, wife/girlfriend,  Wasabi,  2 x Gallon Ziploc Bags for stowing wallet/camera and also a select piece of fish for dinner,

 

 

 

 

 

Back to La Florida we have been waiting for a good weather window to make the long run offshore to hunt Yellowfin Tunas.   Brandon Langel from Fort Pierce has the fishing for them down pat and when the seas lay down we were poised to go long.

Weather the night before was less than appealing with solid 15-20 knot winds while we were catching bait and it kind of set the standard for the next day. ie. If it could go wrong it would….

First things first, we had planned to catch a bunch of bait so we had chum but of course it was blowing a gale and the bait was running scared as hell and we only got about 150 or so.  

 Next morning we wake up to find calm winds and plenty of left over swell and only three of the original 6 man crew showing up therefor assuring us of a hefty gas bill. Bastards.

We slammed our way out and hoped that when we hit the gulfstream it would calm down but I think it was more mental than anything else and we got punished for 3 straight hours.

Once on the tuna grounds it was so rough that we had trouble hitting the pods of birds with the radar and ended up finding only some small schools of tiny yellowfins and lots of skipjacks.  

Excitement spiked when we were putting out the baits enroute to one of the schools and I caught a movement in the wake out of the corner of my eye and immediately identified it as a big blue marlin!

I freespooled the bait he was looking at and after seeing him turn pushed it up slightly and he immediately took to the air as Josh  set the hook when I handed it to him.  The sight of a solid 250 lb Blue Marlin clearing the water and tailwalking for 100 yards had us all hooting and enjoying the lack of Tuna for a few minutes.  As soon as it began it was over with only 60 lb Fluorocarbon leader the big fish and rough bill wore through and left us laughing at the spectacle. 

 

 

 

Giving up on the tunas in the building seas we headed in and crossed an excellent weedline and before long came upon a good looking spot.   

ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!

That wonderful sound of a screaming reel and a nice bull dolphin dancing at the other end and we were back in the game.  Gaffing it and bringing it into the boat thinking our luck had changed I held the gaff while Brandon removed the hook and four foot of golden fish came alive and smacked me in the face sending my Costa Del Mar sunglasses sailing into the purple blue.

Son of a !!!!

 

“Go Go GO! Dive in there!!!”  As Brandon is screaming at me to go I’m trying to figure out what I need to take off before I dive in. Fumbling around for a quick few seconds I realize that the only thing I need to take off  IS MY SUNGLASSES and they are already gone so I dive in fully clothed and with my shoes on and start stroking down and catch them at about ten feet which luckily is only a fraction of the 2500 ft of water that we are in.

Good guys that they are they stopped the boat and I jumped in water logged but determined to get in as soon as possible with the proper gear and actually enjoy the good vis.

Working the weedline with the baits we caught sight of a huge shape below the surface and as I went in to turbo mode and started putting on my gear a 12 ft Tiger shark coasted under the boat and wouldn’t stick around for me to film despite copious amounts of chum being thrown in the water.

Back trolling another 200 yards down the weedline we come across a good school of Dolphin and within seconds of the first strike, the boat is in neutral and I’m in the drink avoiding a trio of hooked fish looking for the big bull which I know to be amongst the 20 or so fish 15 lbs and greater surrounding me. 

Brandon and Josh are yelling at me to shoot and I’m doing my best to hold off as 20 and thirty lb Dolphin surround me and the other hooked fish.     Just as I’m about to cave in and shoot a great fish on the outskirts I see the one I’m looking for and he makes a Bee line straight for one of the hooked fish just meters away from the boat.  INtercepting him to the guys on the boat are cheering as I pull the trigger in full view of them both and the big Bull is in my hands in seconds and raising hell on the surface!

Trophy in the boat and some quick pics and I’ve got Brandon in the water with the 120 EuroX and a float line and he is swirled by the school and selects the best one taking a practiced shot in the head and securing a solid 30 lb bull!

Over the next hour we landed 10 fish from 12-40 lbs and enjoyed some crystal blue waters below the giant weed patches. The bait wasn’t nearly as thick as I would have like to have seen but the fish were there and the day was definitely worth the run across.

here is the video from the trip 

 

 

Gear:

Riffe Euro 130 with new Horizontal Reel and Riffe Green Cryptic Rash Guard for Cameron

Riffe Euro X 120 for Brandon with a 100 ft bungey and single 2 ATM float. ( this is the rig that I had brought  to use on the Yellowfins which we had guessed would  be in the 40-110 lb range)

 

When I was a kid I heard about people shooting Wahoo and Tuna and I could never fathom how it could even be possible.

When fishing, I can only remember hooking them and the line peeling off the reel faster than anything we ever hooked. In every magazine all you hear is how fast they are and these blistering runs so how could it be possible to ever chase one down and put a spear into it!?!?

 

I think I shot my first one when I was about 17 yrs old or so and I was super stoked.   We were in the Florida Keys in the summer for lobster season fishing for dolphin and I jumped in on a weedline.  A school of Hoo’s came by and I was so excited I could barely contain myself and steadied for a shot on the closest one.  

As the spear hit him and he took line on the reel faster than I could believe!

I was so pumped when I got him in my hands I knew that I was hooked on hunting these for the rest of my life and shooting grouper would never be the same again.

That first “WAHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!” scream when I hit the surface is still one of the most rewarding sounds in our sport and it never gets old.  

My first wahoo weighed  4 lbs and had I not been so excited I’m sure that my family would have used it to troll for dolphin seeing as it was just a shade bigger than the ballyhoo and mullet we were using anyways.

 

Cut to a dozen years later.

GR Tarr and I have been on the hunt for a 100lb Wahoo for a number of years and have been carefully studying where, when, and how of Monster Wahoo.

One of my goals for last year was to shoot a 100lb Hoo and I concentrated my efforts on being in  the right place at the right time and waiting for the right fish.

Every time I’ve seen a fish that was even close to 100 lbs I’ve had my hands full with another fish, sharks eating another fish, or its been laying on the dock and someone else has killed it.

We landed 80 lbers and 90 lbers and dozens in the 50-60 lb class but couldn’t break that fabled 100 lb barrier.  Craig Clasen, Brandon Wahlers, Bill Delabar, and our other buddies all smashed good ones but the right one wasn’t there yet.

When it finally came together was one of those days that should never have happened. 

The electronics on the boat were screwed up. The fog was so thick we almost ran aground multiple times. The water was dirty and nasty and there weren’t that many fish around.  

When we finally found the school of fish, the boat fishing near us hooked up a 500 lb Mako Shark and broke it off so we knew that somewhere in that murky water was something hungry for anything unsuspecting swimming in that murky water…. Not cool. Not comforting but the sight of 60-80 lb fish swimming all over was better than any liquid courage I’ve ever had and both Bill and Chad had secured 65 and 75 lb fish within the first half hour.

Breaking through the murky layer at 30 feet it takes you a few seconds for your eyes to adjust to the clear dark water below.  When they do the sight of two, five or fifty wahoo is insane and I don’t have to tell you the strength it takes to be patient enough to wait for that one big fish to start teasing them in from the back of the school.  

After 5 dives and no big fish I dropped into the murk to find a group of 60-70 lbers directly below.  Dropping right at their backs to 50 feet they were past the chance for a good shot.  Angling towards them the lead fish turned stiffly and the rest followed presenting a shot with my custom Riffe (Wahoo Whacker) 150 cm Eurogun.

The fish sped off with the ice pick tip clearly visible in the dark water as he flashed into the depths.  

A few nervous minutes later I worked him up not being able to see 4 inches in the dirty surface water and lifted him into the boat to join another pair of Chad and Bill’s in the 60-80lb class!!!  What a day!

Trying to relax on the surface, I found that closing my eyes gave me a few extra seconds of clarity when I broke through the murk. My eyes were relaxed but getting your heart rate down with no reference point, no visibility, not able to see any fish from the surface, and knowing there were toothy critters about was unnerving to say the least.

Leave the surface,

Five long hard kicks

Open my eyes

Murk Murk Murk

Clear Water and there are 50 Wahoo from 50-100 lbs all around me. 

The only way to describe it is to picture one of the old World War two movies with the dog fights and the planes flying all over coming from every angle, above, below, and at different speeds.  Pure overload of the senses and a Spearfishermans dream.  Nearly within arms reach is a quad of 70 lb fish. To my right and 20 feet out is a stud that must be 90+, Coming down out of the murk is 10 fish that look like torpedos dropped from planes falling from the clouds above.  Everywhere I turned were fish and I knew that this was the dive where I was going to have the one chance to land that one fish that we had all been searching for.

And there he was. 

At the edge of visibility, huge shoulders, mouth slightly agape, staying way out.  Between us were more than half a dozen fish that any other day would be the fish of the year and were much easier to take.  He was at the back of the school, not interested…..

Turning, eyes locked on him, I changed my posture and the reaction of the fish around was instantaneous.  Half of the school seemed magnetized and started zipping in and out around me doing their best to be as close as possible without actually being on top of me. The Big fish came in steadily and at the magic moment a 90+lb fish came to his side and paralleled him effectively blocking my shot!   Milliseconds felt like minutes and at the last possible moment I pulled the trigger at 18 feet shooting over the top of the 90 lb one hitting the monster just behind the pectoral fin.

 

Hitting the surface I yelled to Chad that I had just shot “the ONE!!!!”

With a 100 ft bungey and Riffe 2 Atmosphere float he ran hard but never took the buoy below the surface we gave chase and loaded a backup gun and feared for both the fish and our own legs while I worked him up from the depths. When he was 50 feet down I made a dive to check him out and found the shot secure.

Working the shooting line closer I had my hands on the shaft and still couldn’t see the fish the water was so dirty.  Seeing the massive shape appear I pounced on him and wrapped my arms and legs around him screaming with excitement at the monstrosity now in front of me. 

In the boat the fish on the deck was literally twice the size of the 65lb one we had just landed so we knew that it was a potential world record and by far the biggest any of us had ever seen.  

A half hour later the remaining buoys in the water take off and disappear below the surface and its a full 3 minutes before they surface 300 yards away and Bill works a 95 lb fish to complete our cooler(s) for our 9th Wahoo of the day over 60 lbs.  

 Back at the dock we are bouncing around ideas on the size and are blown away when the official scale reads 118.4-119 lbs.  

Just a few lbs shy of the world Record but by far the biggest Wahoo I’ve ever landed.  After a little research, there have only been about 12 fish landed over 100 lbs that anyone has bothered to talk about. The “ONE” is still out there. We are going to find him. It is only a matter of time. There is more than one place in the world so expect some hard core trips in the coming years and some serious striped speedsters being landed.

 

STEVE BENNET’s story

I want to start this email off by giving God all the glory right now, the fact that I’m even around right now is nothing short of a miracle. Without Cameron Kirkconnell’s quick thinking and actions, I’m sure I’d be laying in 180ft of water off the west coast of Florida. This is my account of the incident, and much of it will overlap with Cam’s which I will include at the end of this email for those who have not read it. This all occurred while freediving, there were no tanks involved whatsoever. I was wearing board shorts and a rashguard, no wetsuit and no weightbelt, water temp was around 85*F.
We had planned this to be the last dive of the day, 70 miles offshore of Englewood, FL, in 180 ft. of water and it was approaching 6:00pm. On a previous dive, we had spotted a cubera snapper in the 100lb class, between 75 and 100 ft, and discussed our tactics on the surface prior to the drop. We’d always joked around about rigging a fishing rod directly to the shooting line on the gun to reel the fish in, and for one time out of the thousands of combined shots that we had taken, Cameron decided to give it a try. After a thorough 5-7 minute surface breathe up, I dropped down to somewhere between 75 and 100 ft (I was not wearing a freediving computer) to look for the fish. After about a minute of searching, I decided to head for the surface as I could not find the fish. Cameron observed much of my ascent and dropped down to look around for the cubera with his “fishing reel Hawaiian-breakaway setup.” I remember swimming upwards and seeing ripples on the surface appx. 25 ft away in the crystal clear water, and instantaneously, bam, I was out cold, shallow water black out. As Cameron lined up the shot on the cubera, the white handle of my speargun sinking past him caught the corner of his eye, moments before he pulled the trigger. At this time, he looked up to see me sinking head first, unconscious and convulsing, about 60 ft away from him laterally in the water. 
He immediately dropped his weight belt and swam full speed at me with hopes to get a shot off at the meat of my thigh for a good holding shot, but could not be confident that such a shot would hold at a distance. His second thought was to shoot my calf, but the bones of my lower leg blocked the shot as I was facing him. For a split second, my fiberglass longblade fins turned broadside towards him and he squeezed the trigger, wham, a perfect penetrating shot to the center of my fin. Cam has said that, at this point, it was the closest he had ever been to blacking out himself. However, he made it to the surface and proceeded to instruct everyone on the boat to cut the achor line and reel in his shaft, because I was on the other end and had drowned. 
When I reached the boat, I had been under water for appx. 3 and a half to 4 minutes at depth; my body was limp and completely blue, I was also bleeding out of my eyes, ears, nose and mouth. I had a faint pulse but was unconscious and not breathing, and my airway was not opened. This is what is known as a “dry drowning” because the glottis in the back of my throat had closed, not allowing air or water to enter or exit. Cam tilted my chin back and head to the side, blowing air across my cheeks and under my eyes to stimulate breathing as you would an infant. 
At this point, still unconscious, some foamy, blood-like fluid (called “sputum,” the result of a pulmonary edema) leaked from the side of my mouth. After a short time I sputtered a small cough and took what Cam described as a 1% lung capacity breath. Another 30 seconds later, I did this again with more sputum foaming from my mouth, and after 10 minutes or so of this repetitive action, I had about 15% lung capacity. This entire time, Cameron and the others on the boat were on the radio with the Coast Guard to get oxygen out to us ASAP. I can’t say that I was aware for much of the time prior to this, but I remember hearing Cam’s voice assuring me that everything would be okay as I drifted in and out of awareness in my own mind. Another 5 minutes later, after a total of 15-20 minutes of unresponsiveness, I finally slurred out some words and could lightly squeeze his hand. From this point on, as the boat was speeding towards shore, I slowly regained motor functions and lung capacity (up to about 30%), until the Coast Guard helicopter arrived, 45 minutes after the original accident, still 55 miles offshore. They lifted me in a basket into the copter, and I was at Tampa General Hospital within 30 minutes.
I still had very little lung capacity as they were filled with the sputum from the pulmonary edema, I was throwing up blood that was in my stomach, and my entire body ached. Luckily I dodged two other bullets which were of concern: the blood from my ears and eyes. The blood from my ears was caused by the fact that I had not equalized as I sunk from appx. 25ft to 80ft, but somehow I did not burst my ear drums and my hearing was not affected. The blood from my eyes was a result of the massive mask squeeze on my face caused by the fact that I had also not blown air into my mask to compensate for compression as I was sinking, but once again I escaped without injury. I spent a total of one day in the Trauma Center, two days in the Intensive Care Unit, and one day on the hospital floor, with the majority of the time spent concentrating on reducing the amount of fluid in my lungs. There was absolutely no long term damage to my body or brain, and my lung capacity is back to nearly 100% after only days.

I can not stress enough how amazingly fortunate I was. I am not aware of anyone else surviving a shallow water blackout after being retrieved from such depth without major physical and mental damage. Every little thing worked out perfectly, and if anything was different, I can say with 100% confidence that I would not be here. If I had watched the whole thing from a third person standpoint, I would also say that there is no way I should have survived. Why we decided to rig the gun to the fishing reel on the boat for this one shot out of the thousands we had taken in our lives, I don’t know. How my gun sank right next to Cam, I don’t know. How he saw the gun before pulling the trigger on the fish and thus not having a shot left for me, I don’t know. Why the shaft penetrated my fin perfectly without cracking it or breaking, I don’t know. Why my fin didn’t slip off while I was being reeled in resulting in me sinking, I don’t know. Why my ear drums didn’t burst and my eyes sucked out of my head, I don’t know. All I do know is that I’m here, and God is great. Cameron’s multiple freedive spearfishing world records speak for themselves as far as his diving ability is concerned, but I’m sure he would agree that this was the best shot of his life. There is nobody else on the planet that I would trust more to take a long range shot directly at me to save my life in 200ft of water. 

The scariest part is that this could happen to anybody at anytime, and those with more experience are even more susceptible to shallow water blackout. If this email and my story saves one person then everything that has happened was more than worth it. To everyone, dive safe, always dive with a buddy, and don’t push your limits because NO FISH IS WORTH YOUR LIFE!

Steve Bennett
sbennett1127@gmail.com

 

CAMERON KIRKCONNELL’s story

Sad but rewarding story from yesterday diving. I am going to write it all out in full but am stil la bit shook up and need to help out his family in the hospital today.
Was diving in 180 ft of water with a friend Steve Bennet who is a 21 year old from Tarpon Springs. We were diving on an area of broken bottom in strong current from an anchored boat. Making one dive down and getting swept away each time before swimming back to the boat and resting to make another
he dove to down and was on his way back to the surface, I watched and he looked fine and regretfully left the surface myself and headed down. I dove and while I was down at 75 ft his gun floated past me,
i immediately looked around and saw my friend upside down drifting unconcious and convulsing about 60 ft away at that same depth.
With a strong current and no one else in the water and one chance I ditched my weight belt and swam hard towards him extending the gun to shoot him. I was well past my breath hold limit and knew that there was no point of us both dying but there was only this once brief glimmer of hope to even get his body. I couldn’t get close enough to be confident of penetrating his meat in his leg shooting him in the fin
headed for the surface and was as close as I have ever been to blacking out in my life. before the dive, by pure luck we had secured my gun to a huge fishing reel on the boat in anticipation of me shooting a 100 lb Cubera snapper which we had seen at depth.
I screamed for the boat to cut the anchor line, reel up my gun because it had Steve on it.
Suffice to say despite my yelling of orders and trying to tell them quickly that steve had drown and we were about to have to perform CPR on him they had no idea the gravity of the situation.
we pulled him to the boat and he was completely limp, bleeding from his eyes, nose, mouth and ears and was completely blue.
I put him on the back of the boat and checked his vitals immediately found a faint pulse and no breathing. From freedive and medical training, opened his airway while talking confidently and softly to him and blowing lightly across his cheeks just under his his to trigger the breathing reflex like a new born. within the first minute and just before I was going to start rescue breaths, some foamy blood leaked from the side of his mouth and i turned him on his side and supported him so as to ease the flow of fluid from his lungs. 
a short while later he sputtered a bit and was able to take in what i would estimate was a 1% capacity breath.
20 seconds later he made another one and expelled more foamy blood from his mouth and nose. with each sputter he expelled more and within 10 minutes he could take about a 15% breath but was still completely unresponsive and from what i could see in a comatose state with only his body barely functioning. 
The whole time we are on the radio with the coast guard and are 70 miles off shore.
After 15 minutes he started to slurr and for the first time was able to squeeze my hand slightly letting me know that he could hear me.
From there i sat him in my arms and over the next 20 minutes as we sped in as fast as the boat would go he regained more and more motor functions and was able to talk more and more. 45 minutes from the time it happened and still 55 miles off shore we rendezvous with a coast guard helicopter and airlifted him to Tampa General hospital.
He has severe lung damage but is alive and has no noticeable brain damage. He is stable and will live a lot happier having not been shot in the leg or having sunk to 180 feet never to be seen again. The best shot I have ever made
This is the single heaviest thing that was ever happened to me or any diver I’ve ever talked to. Throughout the ordeal if i was looking at it from the outside i would have told anyone with a 99% certainty there was no chance he would ever regain conciousness or be able to be recovered from that depth or the fin would have stayed on or the second diver would have been able to get him or the fin dould not have split. Once in the boat… the worst sight I’ve ever seen. NO one should be able to live through that. the human body is an amazing thing and that he came back is a miracle. 
Thank your lucky stars tonight because it is possible for everything to align perfectly and work out sometimes
Cam

 

 

CAMERON KIRKCONNELL’s story

It has been 3 weeks since this happened with Steve and I am only now able to talk about it without fighting back tears. For the first week I couldn’t sleep worth a shit or close my eyes without having flashbacks about it. The most painful image that I couldn’t shake was the moment before I pulled the trigger when his body turned to face me and in that split second realized I couldn’t penetrate the bones in his legs and would either have to shoot him in fin or somewhere in the torso. At 20 feet and with no air there was no room for error. 

While it was happening, from the moment I saw his gun… There was no thought. It was complete focus and calm and instinct. My close dive buddies and I have talked about this for years as the kind of diving we do is extreme and we have to take everything into account and every scenario to make sure we don’t have to think in times like these…

That image flashed for 3 solid days without fail. 
With it my mind second guessed every time it appeared and ate itself up reflecting on what could have been. Tears welled up in my eyes and I closed them again to shake the image from my head.

The pressure of the shot was felt. 
The wrong decision to grab him and drown myself contemplated.
The decision to go to the surface without trying to reach him.
What if’s:
had I not been patient and only shot the medium sized Cubera Snapper in front of me instead of waiting for the 90 lb one with the white spot on his face that I mistook the butt of Steve’s gun for.

If I missed… and grabbed him… I would have died alongside my friend never to be seen again. 
… and if i didn’t grab him… it would have haunted me the rest of my life having not tried to save him.

What if we hadn’t been able to revive him in the boat. What would I tell his parents? My parents? My friends? Myself? You cannot let your friends die without doing everything in your power to save them.

As selfish as it is… a friend of ours tells a story of growing up in South Africa and a group of four divers working 100+ deep water off the remote coast of Mozambique. One guy passes out on a deep dive and his partner dives down to recover him… and blacks out as well on his way up from depth. The third diver descends and grabbing his freind on the bottom heads for the surface and on the way up blacks out and now all three bodies are on the bottom in 120 feet of water. One guy left. On the surface. 500 miles from help. 
I can’t imagine the mental strain he had to go through deciding not to dive to help his three friends. 

Debate it, but he made the right decision. He lived. Anyone of us would have to be in a straight jacket after the mental abuse you’d inflict upon yourself swimming then driving back to tell their families that you just couldn’t help them. The most helpless feeling in the world. 

I got dozens of phone calls and emails from friends and family and random people from all over the world. 
I didn’t answer most. But appreciated everyone’s heart felt support for what Steve and I went through. 

Through the calls I heard many a story of friends who had recovered others or had friends, sons, brothers or fathers die in their arms. These are the people I called back if I could stomach it.

Too often people are embarassed by blacking out. It happens and you hear a rumor about it and it goes away. We’re afraid that our peers will think less of us. They’ll question that we’re a good diver. That we were doing something wrong and are a kook.

This needs to change. 

By not learning from our mistakes and informing everyone of what happens we are contributing the problem. 

Steve is going to be the hero for years to come. 

Through his honesty and selflessness in bringing this story to the mainstream he will both shock and calm all who this story touches. 

Diving deeper and longer will always have its allure. It is possible to do safely, with the right training and most importantly with the right maturity. 

Whether you are 15 or 50 that maturity is still the most important thing.
You need to know your body. You need to be humble. You need to know your limits and be happy with them no matter how deep everyone else is or says they are going. You need to be in shape for the diving at hand. You need to know that you will get another chance to shoot a fish. That you can let your gun go even though it is $1000 and your favorite but not worth your life. You need to know when to cancel your dive plans due to the visibility, current, sharks, boat traffic, rain and fog and visibility out of the water for recovering divers. You need to let someone know where you are going and when you will be back and trust them to make the right call to send help when need be. 

You need to be mature enough to know…

how to make that most difficult decision when the time comes to save yourself when a friend is already dead or dying and there is no hope of recovering him without killing yourself. 
I would like to think that he will watch over you from heaven but I for one would never be able to forgive myself if someone died trying to save me.

My friends that have saved someone from blacking out all have had the same reactions.
In their minds they have seen their friend or loved one die right in front of them. They know that it is up to them to keep them alive and all the while a thousand things are running through their mind preparing for the worst. They have just witnessed the most tragic thing imaginable and had the entire weight of that persons life on their shoulders even if it is only for a few brief seconds. 
When the victim recovers consciousness, they usually only remember seeing the surface or taking one breath and now are confused as to where their gun is or why you are looking at them so upset and scared and have them in your arms. While you were stressed out more than you have ever been in your life they have taken a brief hiatus from consciousness. 

When Steve finally came to and was able to talk… 
One of the first recognizable things he said was Thank you. ( and I Love you as well but I don’t want to get his girlfriend jealous) 
That is the single most comforting thing I have ever heard in my life. If you have never done this for someone that has recovered you from blacking out or a Samba, make a point of it. I don’t know if I have a weak heart but it is imperative that you realize what that person has been through in the past few moments. The bond between divers is a strong one and we need to be there for each other. 

Upon hitting the shore that day I immediately called Steves Father. 
When he picked up the phone the wave of emotion that had been built up for the past few hours broke and I cried uncontrollably as I told him how sorry I was. As i write this wipe away tears and replay it in my mind I’m still so sorry. I wish I had watched Steve closer and never had to go through all of that. I’m so thankful that he is alive. I’m so thankful that he and his family didn’t blame me and welcomed me with open arms and thanked me and hugged me at the hospital and continue to help make sure that we can keep this from happening to more of the amazing people in our diving lives that mean so much to us.

Save lives starting with your own. Become a better safer diver and those around you will follow.

Cameron Kirkconnell

Video:

Why you need an Official Scale. World Record Dogtooth Tuna

Yesterday I was moved to tears by the most incredible fish i have ever seen in my life. 
Diving in Indonesia is one of the most frustrating and difficult projects I have ever embarked on and without an amazing amount of patience, stamina and skill there is no way that you can be successful in a diving environment such as this.
Starting the day we jumped in to a mere 4 knots of current and drifted for 4 hours landed two Dogtooth tuna 40 and 100 lbs which are both excellent fish in any locale. 
Taking a break during the day we went and visited a deserted beach on a faraway shore and as we explored teh little spit of sand and the surrounding countryside Craig and I gave thanks for such a beautiful and unspoiled place on earth that we were able to enjoy.
With the two fish in the boat and our time expired we decided to head back to the mainland 2 hours away. Something in me felt wrong though and I persuaded the boat driver to stay another hour ($15 more) so that we could dive in the ever increasing current for one last shot. 
With a rain squall coming hard on us and the visibility darkening we decided on one last drift. Craig had just broken one blade on his fin and told me, “This is the last drift, make it count, I’ll ride shotgun and bring the second gun so you can shoot your fish twice…”
5 minutes later i was relaxed and diving down through the warm surface layer to the cooler water below relishing the change in temperature that these type of Tuna love so much. At 50 feet i stopped kicking and glided down to find a school of dogtooth tuna surrounding me from 15 to 120 lbs. Patiently i glided deeper and caught sight of the black back of a slightly bigger one on the bottom at 90 feet. Passing the other smaller tuna the big fish turned slightly just as i reached the end of my float line and i squeezed the trigger.
Thunk!
The fish immediately shook his gills and then made two circles on the bottom banging the shaft against the coral in an attempt to break free of the object now lodged in his after half. 
As the great fish strained for deep water i pushed hard for sunlight and grabbed my passing floats on the surface just in time to tell Craig, ” I shot a TOAD!!!!”
Nervous the the fish would pull out i fought him as gingerly as possible and within a few minutes we had him in sight. As he neared the surface I could see he was hurt bad but there was no way i was going to lose this fish and I grabbed my 115 Omer America with a reel from Craig, cocked it, dove and approached him. At 12 feet my lungs were screaming for air at the exertion of the last few minutes and I prayed that my shaking hands would aim true.. whoosh! The fish went stiff and i surfaced pulling the ever growing fish to me.
Oh my god. Oh my god.
I can’t wrap my arms around him! I have never screamed so loud in my life. The rocky cliffs a mile distant reverberated with the sound of my voice and then mingled with that of Craigs and the boat driver. 
With a raging 10 kt current approaching I handed the tail of the fish to the boat driver and jumped in the boat to relieve him but even with Craig and I pulling we could not budge the fish from the water. Trailing the fish to calm waters the three of us pulled the beast into the boat and then there was complete silence.
Looking at the 6 ft long fish at my feet my mind shut down and I was flooded with emotion at what I had before me. Never in my life could i have imagined this possible. Craig and I stared in utter silent disbelief. 
Dogtooth Tuna. What I have always preached as the most challenging and difficult fish in the world to land. Diving 30 miles from civilization in 6-10 kts of current. The whitewater rafting we had done the week before doesn’t even compare to the whirlpools and down currents and 5 ft standing waves we encounter every drift here. 
I can’t describe to you how incredible this day is and how meaningful it is to me. Of all the fish in the world this is the one record i have coveted the most. 
200.6 lbs. 6 feet long and 4.5 feet in girth.
I am the luckiest man alive. 
Cameron

VIDEO:

World Record Dogtooth Tuna on boat

[caption id="attachment_505" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The coolest and the wettest boat at the same time. Silvio\'s 70 year old Dugout canoe"][/caption][caption id="attachment_501" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Atlantic Cubera Snapper 86 lbs "][/caption]

After working in Brazil for the past few years watching Tuna and Marlin and Mahi swim all around I finally got the chance to do some hunting and get back at them.
The first few days were spent in the Blue water and we landed 5 Big Bull Dolphin from 25-46lbs and lost a Blue Marlin around 400lbs that broke the Cable on the slip tip. The shot was good in his head but he turned and ran back through the bungey and put some weird pressure on the rig and likely cut it with the bones in his head.
We found a good school of Dorado and took 5 of the 25 that were there and then played it cool waiting for a Big White Marlin we had seen to get a shot that would never come. Lots of Small tuna too but didn’t bother with them knowing the billfish were there.

Next few days were spent hunting in the deep caves amongst the boulders shooting Dusky Grouper which proved to be 1000 times smarter then their American Cousins the Red Grouper. As soon as they see you they haul ass to a “small” cave which upon closer inspections turns out to be part of a massive network of caves and you rarely see them again. It was about 50 dives to see one fish looking in caves with the light. Unlike us spoiled here in the US they have to work hard to find their fish. It was rare to see and shoot one out of the hole.

Silvio and Carlos were on top of the best diving and put me on it and were great guys to have. Thank you so much for taking care of me and sharing your waters.
Our three days Silvio took me out in his 30 ft Dugout canoe that was carved out more than 70 years ago from a single tree in the Brazilian Rainforest. He bought it to restore it and on a whim threw an outboard motor on there and it ran great. We cruised in flat seas at 20+knots and received a constant shower of spray as if we were in a hellish gale with 10 ft seas.
I loved every minute of it even when it did get rough and we were bailing buckets of water out of the bottom of the boat wondering which landmass would be the easiest swim if we went down.

Last stop on the trip was Cubera Island.

Rumor had it there were some monsters there and it wouldn’t disappoint.
First dive on the pinnacle the water was a bit off and I’m hovering at 80 ft looking into nothingness when I see a shape on the edge of visibility. Hunter that I am I start in that direction but quickly change my mind when the shape gets bigger, and bigger and BIGGER! I’m already heading for the surface praying this isn’t the last dive I ever make. 10ft? 20 ft? How long is this damn thing and why is it coming closer still!!!
At 50ft I’m starting to bring my gun between us when I realize that at more than 40 feet long it can only be a whale and seconds later a monster Fin Whale comes coasting by eyeing me as he cruises past.
Once my heart started pumping again and I cleaned out my wetsuit and made another dive.

at 50 feet I could make out some shapes below in the mid water with still no bottom or the pinnacle in sight. With 180 feet of water all around and the top of the rock at 90 and only the size of a car the chances of hitting it were slim to none in the middle of the ocean.
I can see fair sized Cubera Snappers slowing milling around another big White one that is just below them. The smaller ones begin to swim away as I coast closer revealing the monster and by the time he sees me its too late and I put a near perfect shot just behind the head.
Did I mention I was only using a Riffe 130 with a reel? Whoops. Not the usual choice for hunting big fish in bluewater and within seconds I was kicking hard for the surface and he was pushing hard for the bottom with the new Horizontal Reel proving its worth.

With the right amount of pressure and the easy to adjust drag I made it to the surface and kept him on the bottom and within a few minutes had the 86 lb Cubera in my hands.

There are more there. They aren’t easy to get but I know there are bigger ones there and we’ll be back. I hope that I never have to shoot another at 85 feet with a reel and don’t suggest it to anyone as it more often than not ends in lost gear or a blackout.
Thanks to the guys in Brazil I can’t wait to get back!

[caption id="attachment_514" align="aligncenter" width="550" caption="Yep those rocks continue into the water and they are what makes the caves so damn challenging"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_516" align="aligncenter" width="550" caption="Yes I\'m tall. It takes a big fish to look big in my arms but if this little Brazilian cook from one of the restaurants was holding it it would look gigantic"][/caption][caption id="attachment_518" align="aligncenter" width="550" caption="miniature African Pompano. The trailer fins were almost 3 times the length of his body. Would have been awesome to have in a fish tank"][/caption]

There are some really good dive knives on the market in recent years but I’ve always been partial to a serrated blade. They can cut through 400lb Monofilament and stainless steel cable just the same and I can cut chum/berley with it and even through the bones.
Every knife I’ve ever seen has the serration on only one side and we never use the other side of the blade so its wasted… until the Riffe Terminator.
Finally I have a knife that is double serration so when you pull it out of the sheath and use it when you really need it, its going to slice through and set you free no matter what it is that is holding you and which way it is facing.
This has been a long time coming. I don’t even think it is legal in some countries but I’m damn sure going have two if these on every trip from here on out. These things can cut through anything.
The metal from the blade runs all the way through to the hilt of the knife so you can beat them to death if you don’t want to cut em! New sheath, new handle, new blade.
I love new dive knives!

[caption id="attachment_690" align="aligncenter" width="550" caption="Julie Riffe, Suited, Smiling and ready to slay"][/caption][caption id="attachment_692" align="aligncenter" width="550" caption="Thanks to Yeti Coolers for keeping my first limit of White SeaBass happy in their badass coolers. www.yeticoolers.com"][/caption]
Same old story.
Big fish, hot ladies and good times.
I really do enjoy my vacation!
We had the Riffe Team in California this past week with Jay Riffe presiding over the daily design and hunting Forum. The opportunity to have some of the best divers in the world together to dive and use all the gear and put our thoughts on paper and into the new equipment is invaluable.
It is amazing to hear each of our varied tastes and techniques from around the world from five of the most travelled and experienced guys and girls and have everyone wanting the exact same equipment for the job.
Hearing and seeing the future of spearfishing equipment and putting it to use is something that I could only have dreamed of when I was still shooting Blue Tang and Slippery Dicks in the Caribbean with a three prong. Knowing that the Riffe Equipment that goes on the shelves is exactly what we want and the thought and patience it takes to design it is all worth it in the end.
DJ Struntz flew in from Costa Rica to document the week and as usual captured the striking photos that he is so well known for. www.djstruntzphoto.com
Mark Healey took some time off surfing 30ft waves to break the Croaker Curse and shoot a 45lb White SeaBass and some big Calico Bass at over 100 feet. He’s got some sick videos of 50+ ft Waves on the internet if you haven’t seen them and has had more tiger shark encounters than anyone I’ve ever met. Check it out: http://www.surfline.com/video/webiso…rfishing_22430
Kelsey Albert showed us all up by turning herself into the Hali-ho and shooting the hell out of the Halibut and landing a PB and potential WR for Halibut. Watch out for this one she has the mindset and the skills to be a contender for National Champ in the coming years.
Craig Clasen was his normal humble self quietly finding the biggest Bass each day and smiling each time he climbed out of the water knowing they were bigger than the ones I had. Dammit!!!
Jay Riffe shared his knowledge of each spot he has gathered over years of experience and networking through hundreds of spearos on the West Coast to put us on the best spots each day. With his guidance he led me to my first, second and third White Sea Bass within a few hours of each other on our first cold calm morning last Sunday.
All the White SeaBass I shot were stoned with a 120 Euro rigged with a 9/32 shaft with a Hawaiian Flopper.
The rest of the ones were stoned as well by the other guys with either the same 120 Euro or a 130 Euro with a mini icepick tip.
Those are big powerful fish but with the right techniques and patience in the water we were able to take 12-15ft shots and roll each of the ones we saw.
The Calicos on Catalina are some of the smartest I’ve seen so we were psyched to get our biggest ones there.
Kelsey used her Pole spear to land a good one at Bird Rock which is historically one of the areas that has the smartest ones in California.
Thanks to Beach City Scuba and the Sun Diver and Joel Olenik for getting us on the water and letting us do our thing. Can’t wait to do it again!
Pics courtesy of Rebecca Walker (Riffe cousin) and Richard Holbrook.
DJ’s photos will be in the Mags in a few months
The Riffe Life continues…
[caption id="attachment_695" align="aligncenter" width="550" caption="White Sea Bass. Big, good eating, hard to find, dirty water loving fish."][/caption][caption id="attachment_697" align="aligncenter" width="550" caption="Having a 5 ft fish on your belt in Great White Shark land isn\'t the wisest idea "][/caption][caption id="attachment_699" align="aligncenter" width="479" caption="Calico Bass can make you feel like a total ass. They are the #1 choice for all of us to hunt there because they are so challenging and fun to pursue"][/caption][caption id="attachment_701" align="aligncenter" width="129" caption="The haul of Halibut. Most of which were slain by Kelsey Albert, that girl is a killer"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_667" align="aligncenter" width="550" caption="Tiger Grouper in a typical hiding spot"][/caption]

Don’t trust her.
She’s good with kids, smiles a lot, and looks good in a bathing suit.
She also happens to be a determined underwater hunter and doesn’t take it very well on the odd occasion that a fish eludes her.
Over the course of the week we were in the Bahamas, I watched Lisa Rollins transition from just trying to get fish, into actually hunting them.
There is a difference. You can go out with a spear gun and power around the reef or wreck and chase down something in most cases. Fish will scatter and on occasion will take a look over there shoulders on one side or the other to offer you a running away shot but this is not hunting. There will always be dumb ones that don’t move or wait too long to run for cover that you can pull a shot off on.
In the Bahamas, most people that are diving there are making the transition from diving with Tanks and Guns to Freediving and Pole Spears or Hawaiian slings.
Your bottom time is limited, your range is cut to less than a quarter of what is was before.

Its time to get tactical and think a bit more into your diving and turn yourself into a Hunter.

1. Blend in

You need to be able to get close to the same fish that you are hunting back home but you are going to have to think more into it. Get yourself in the mindset that you are supposed to be there, and fish are supposed to come close to you. Get a Camoflauge wetsuit and when you are heading for the bottom don’t be frantic, if the fish isn’t right underneath you angle to the bottom and lay there, “Like a Turtle” or shark or Sting Ray but don’t be a predator, be a friend or something neutral that won’t scare them off.

2. Slow down

You are freediving, time is of the essence. The less you work the more you achieve when holding your breath. Spend 2-3 times longer on the surface then you do on the bottom. When you are kicking down, as soon as you can freefall, do so. Save your energy your breath hold will increase.

3. Choose the Right Gear

Having the right pole spear makes a big difference. I prefer a 8-9 ft one that is fast and still has plenty of punch. The Carbon fiber ones on the market will all snap if you don’t take care of them and the aluminum ones will bend and the fiberglass are usually too short but all can be effective if you take the time to learn the advantages and disadvantages of whichever you own. Shooting Pelagics with a 3 prong fiberglass isn’t going to work and I can promise you will snap your carbon fiber one if you shoot a grouper that is heading into a hole and don’t stone him…

4. Shoot to Kill

You don’t have the luxury of long shots or high powered guns so you are going to be up close and personal. Even with the best pole spears and with a hawaiian sling you aren’t going to be able to get any power or penetration over 10 feet away. On any fish, you need to be looking for a stone shot, in the head. Any fish over 10 lbs and you are going to have to be close, 4-6 feet for any luck at all, and anything over 25 lbs it has to be a shot to the head.
If you don’t stone your fish they are going to take off with your gear so choose your battles wisely and don’t take low percentage shots. If it is a big fish, let him run he will hole up or battle him right then and there and risk tear off or broken gear. Your choice it depends on the situation.

5. Be Realistic

Are you realistically going to be able to land a 25lb Permit in 100 ft of water with a Hawaiian sling or a Pole spear? I like to think big but even if you stone them their momentum is will likely carry them to the bottom with your gear and lose both.
Chose your shots.
If your max freedive depth is 50ft and you shoot 25 lb Mackerel as it swims by on the drop off from 60-100ft, you aren’t going to get him. Let him go.
If you are in 50 feet of water and shoot a grouper in a labyrinth of caves and all you can see is his tail when you shoot through a 2 inch hole and there is no other entrance within 10 feet you just lost both the fish, valuable time, and your gear.
Make smart shots. It takes time to land fish with a sling and pole spear and if you spend all your time chasing Cuberas and Freeswimming fish that never stop or tend to deeper water you are going to waste your day with nothing at the end to show for it except lost gear and frustration.
Dive as shallow as possible, shoot fish you can handle, and shoot to kill.

Remember! Bahamas Spearfishing tips
1. Blend in
2. Slow Down
3. choose the right gear
4. Shoot to Kill
5. Be realistic

Dive gear on this trip courtesy of Riffe International
Riffe Spearfishing gear
Mask (Naida amber lens)
Snorkel (Stable snorkel for towing behind boat)
New Riffe Composite Fins
Blue Cryptic Rashguard with hood (part of rashguard full body cover up)
8 ft Riffe Three Prong Pole Spear
6 ft 3 prong Pole spear (fiberglass)

[caption id="attachment_674" align="aligncenter" width="550" caption="Stone shot at the top of the gill plate to the eye along that dark edge "][/caption]

We do so many trips that are just full on all day long and leave you exhausted at the end of the day having made 100+ dives to absurd depths and then leave you with a gigantic cooler of fish to clean at the end of the day.
Not that its a bad thing, but it is nice for a change to go and have a relaxing trip and just take it easy.
Dive 40-50 feet for a few hours, take some pictures and shoot the exact fish you want for dinner that night. Head in to 5 feet of water and grab a half dozen conchs for ceviche. Cruise back early in the afternoon to find a pod of Dolphins waiting for you to swim with them for a half hour or so. Clean a dozen fish and feed 30 people while you have some fruity drinks and some cold Kalik Golds on the beach watching the sun set.
This past week we ran the boat across to the Bahamas and had an incredible trip. We found some hogfish spots that made it a bit more challenging then usual (even using the pole spear) and had enough sharks to keep it interesting when we found the best of the Tiger Grouper we have seen in a while. With a few Tiger Grouper just shy of the World Record it kept that spark of “EPIC” just out of reach and after 5 days it was just a perfect trip to relax and enjoy friends and the Bahamas.
The sharks that are always so prevalent over there gave us only a bit of grief. I think we had only about 5 cases where they came all the way to the surface to try and take fish or a chunk of flesh from us and we didn’t let them have either so we made out ok.
On one of the better spots Chad would push the sharks away while I inserted most of my body into a bloody murky cave to recover one of the better groupers of the trip and team diving is always more fun especially when it keeps you from getting chawed by the toothy ones.
Enjoy:

[caption id="attachment_648" align="aligncenter" width="550" caption="Only three more weeks til lobster Season!"][/caption]







[caption id="attachment_657" align="aligncenter" width="550" caption="Black Grouper and a stud Dog Snapper"][/caption]

There is nothing better than good bait. If you are a fisherman you have likely spent thousands of dollars and hours through the years making sure only the best is in your cooler or livewell when you leave the dock.
As Spearfisherman somehow we forget everything we learned from fishing when we should be using it to our advantage.
Fish are going to be where there is bait and you can adjust your tactics as the time of year and conditions allow to maximize your chances and capitalize on what is going on beneath the surface.
We’ll start with two scenarios:
You are offshore working a weedline and want to shoot dolphin or Wahoo but don’t know where to start. If you aren’t seeing any flying fish or little baitfish under the weeds I’d run down the line a few hundred yards and see if I could find anything floating like a bucket or Pallet. Check for bait there and if there is some jump in and spend 15 minutes in the water watching their reactions as you swim around and look for the larger predators. If there bait comes out and swims with you chances are there isn’t much around and they are overly brave from lack of predators. I’ll give it a few more minutes then run further offshore in search of the next weedline and start working that one.
If once in the water the bait is acting shy and won’t leave the shelter of the debris I’m on high alert and will usually spend a little more time then at the last spot. If the Dolphin are there sometimes you can shoot them straight away but there are times when they roam up to a few hundred yards away and have to wait for them to come back. Be patient, look up along the surface no matter how bad it hurts your neck and be constantly looking behind you for the ones that sneak up. Make a few dives to 30 then 50 feet deep below the structure if your cojones will let you and keep an eye out below for Wahoo and tunas. More often then not a school of Dolphin will have a few Wahoo with them even if it is just the summer snakes of Weehoos. My first wahoo was about 4 lbs and I could not have been happier having shot him out of a school of equally miniscule peanut dolphin while bouncing around from weed patch to weed patch off the Florida Keys.
For bluewater paddy hopping or Bluewater hunting for Dolphin in Wahoo like this anywhere in the world where you are in and out of the water constantly I use an easy rig that I can shoot almost anything that comes by from 20lb Dolphin to 100+lb tunas and the occasional Billfish.
I use either a three banded 120 or 130 Riffe Euro for most areas with Dolphin, Wahoo and tuna less then 125 lbs. When I know there is the chance for bigger Tunas and Billfish like in Central America I usually take the Riffe Island with three bands and a flopper shaft. This lets me reload quickly and shoot almost anything that comes through at 12-15 feet and feel confident of a penetrating shot.
A single 2 atm Riffe Buoy can land any of the fish above as long as you rig it with a bungey so it doesn’t put too much pressure on them too fast. a 50 ft Bungey is usually the easiest for jumping in and out of the boat all day. ( a 50 ft Bungey has a hollow bungey tubing that has 150 feet of 500-1000lb Tuna cord inside so it can stretch to triple its original length therefore “playing the fish” like the drag on a fishing reel)
More to come….

I need your help, those of you that do a lot of boat trips or have lists that your check before you head out please let me know what I’ve forgotten!

Planning another trip the Bahamas and I have a few weeks to make all the preparations… except I’m on the other side of the world and when I get back I will have less than a few hours to pack the boat, my gear, girl, food, water, gas, etc etc etc for a week long trip.
So what have I been doing to get ready?
Sending a ton of emails and being a bit bossy apparently but it seems to be working.
The number one ingredient for a good trip is the crew you pick to go with you.
Most of us have a short list of people that we ask to go depending on where and when the diving will be. There are guys I call when I want to go international and try new things that are iffy, third world, off the beaten track, malaria ridden, and sometimes down right foolhardy.
Thanks to all the guys that indulge me and usually come up with some of the same ideas or even gnarlier. That is part of the fun is planning the trips and gathering information and talking about gear before we go.
Then there are the last minute guys. The ones that you know will drop everything the night before when the weather goes perfect and the conditions come together and be there waiting with plenty of ice, guns, beer, lunch and more gas money then they should be paying. They are good houseguests, they clean up after themselves and thats why they get invited back.
Obviously those are the ones that get invited back the most and I wish that I could say that I was one of those people all the time but I’m definitely not. I have pissed off more than one friend leaving early and not helping clean the boat enough or leaving my credit card in another state or messing up the house or shooting their fish. Sorry doesn’t do it so I hope to make up for it in the future!

So back the Bahamas…
I will get home, load the boat with my mental checklist that I say over and over in my head when I’m trying to concentrate or relax (works better than thinking of baseball actually)
Mask, snorkel, fins, booties, weightbelt, gloves, knife, floatline, gun (pole spear in this case), float
1. Naida Mask with Amber and a spare with a clear lens (low volume great vision and amber lens makes things stand out better in lower light and blue water hunting)
2. Stable snorkel for choppy water
3. Riffe Carbon and Fiberglass fins
4. Riffe booties
5. Rubber weightbelt with good stretch, 1 lb Adreno weights and black nylon pin type buckle
6. Riffe kevlar glove with extra pair
7. new (unnamed as of yet) knife we have been working on… don’t know if it will even be legal in the states its pretty badass though and exactly what I want…
8. Armor Spectra Floatline 50 and 100ft
9. Pole spears:
a. Three prong 8 ft hybrid
b. Riffe Slip tip rigged 9 ft Hybrid
c. Same as above but rigged for pelagics
d. Mr Miyagi Japanese pole spear 12 ft
e. three prong 6ft Lionfish killer

10. Riffe 2 atm float

Thats my basic list then I start adding on depending what time of year it is
11. Green cryptic Rash guard
12. Blue Cryptic two piece rash guard/jelly fish suit (don’t know if these are out yet)
13. 1.5mil Blue Cryptic full suit
14. 1mm Riffe Top with cocking pad
Thats a lot of gear for one person. When we dive deep I get cold easily but would prefer to just wear the 1.5 mil top.

For the boat I make sure we have a full fuel tank as soon as we get within a few miles of the dock because I don’t want to fill up to early and be driving on the highway with all that extra weight.
Plenty of extra Outboard oil.
Foul weather gear
2 bean bags
Safety gear: EPIRB, flares, etc.
Boat documentation for customs

2 long sleeve shirts
1 short sleeve shirt
one nice button shirt for dinner out one night
light pants for mosquitos and hot nights
2 pairs of boardshorts
Yeti Baseball cap which is my favorite right now
and absurdly large straw hat for sahara hot days in the bahamas sun
basic toiletries:
1. tooth paste and tooth brush
2. deodorant
3. 2 in 1 shampoo
4. bodywash (also use this for cleaning suits to get the smell of fish and me out)

Supplies:
figure 6 waters per person per day so a few cases of water
case of gatorade
case of beer
pre made mojito mix
few dozen Uncrustables for easy meals
ceviche mix pre-made. just add fresh fish for on the boat
chips and crackers for ceviche
Spices, butter, tin foil, tongs, sauces, for grilling fish and steaks
Steaks
We also try to plan out at least half of the nights meals and pre-make most of it so we don’t have to do much more than throw some stuff on the grill or heat up some pasta at the end of the day.
2 gallon and 1 gallon Ziploc bags

Cleaning knives (serrated blade Dexter Russell and Riffe Filet knife)

Three trolling rods (Penn 30′s for Tuna)
2 light spinning rods for Yellowtail
1 heavy spinning rod for dolphin and tuna on poppers
rigs for all three types of fishing

Yeti 155 cooler with 6 slabs of dry ice and the rest filled with regular ice. Try and save this for at least the first day or two.
Yeti 65 cooler with 6 blocks of chum, 3 boxes of squid, and ballyhoo if the Tuna are around

Suntan lotion!

Fill the rest of the spaces on the boat with Ice and dry ice and try to keep it as long as possible. Ice is hard to come by in the Bahamas and it is as expensive as Gasoline and sometimes more so it sucks to buy it!

Lastly your camera, charger, batteries, tapes, cards, underwater housings etc.

There is so much stuff that goes into a trip we tend to forget how giant the list can get. When you add 9 people on the ride across it makes you try and think of everything because it gets crowded fast.
A bit of planning goes a long way. We have been dividing up the jobs of getting stuff ready and I’ll think of more stuff to bring and let you know…
Cameron Kirkconnell

I appreciate you helping me out. I’ve been to the Bahamas a few times this year but there are boats that run over every weekend and any help or suggestions that you have are always welcome from those that take long trips in their boat or plan meals for the boat etc.
Can’t wait to hear the words of advice and put the plan in action!

I’m so honored that you are visiting my blog and hope that the pictures and stories here will bring you closer to the feeling that we as spearfisherman, divers and fisherman enjoy in our lives. As of now we have more than 30 stories and dozens of pictures on the site as well as a good youtube following. I wanted to give you a bit of background on myself and how I started into this sport, working for Riffe, and traveling the world spearing so many places and so many great fish and meeting so many good people.
In brief:
My family is from the Cayman Islands and diving, fishing and ships have been at the center of our lives for almost as long as the islands have been on the map.
I’m 33 years old and work as a Captain on huge ships getting paid to travel around the world and with a four months on and off schedule I’ve been able to spend months at a time in the best known dive spots in the world. Even better, I’ve been able to travel with my friends and family and discover the newer and better dive spots that have been the envy of the rest of spearfishing world.
We are always looking for that which hasn’t been done, specializing our gear and finding the perfect recipe for every location and fish we pursue.
I work year round with Riffe International (www.speargun.com) developing the latest and most hard core spearfishing equipment so that I can have the best gear perfectly suited to our hunting and abuse we encounter in third world countries and in less than ideal conditions.
I’m lucky to have scored some great fish along the way with my top ten favorites being:
#1 has to be Steve Bennet. 155 lbs. Speared at 75 feet after he had blacked out and was sinking to his death. Luckily the shot was true and the story you’ve likely already read. Steve glad you are with us my friend.
50 lb Wahoo shot by my father this past year diving together and I got it on video. One of my favorite days in the water ever.
119 lb Wahoo
Blue Marlin 280 lb (WR) (shot in the open water NOT TROLLING)
280lb Yellowfin Tuna
201 lb Dogtooth tuna (WR)
102 lb Spanish Mackerel
105 lb Amberjack
60 lb King Mackerel (WR)
28 lb Blackfin Tuna (WR)
35 lb African Pompano (Diamond Trevally) with a Hawaiian Sling
I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of the original hosts of the show SPEARGUN HUNTER by Terry Maas. I took the team overseas to a secret spot and within the first two days shot and landed a World Record sized Pacific Blue Marlin. On that first trip we also landed more than a dozen big Dolphin (Mahi Mahi), Wahoo, giant Trevally and Yellowfin Tuna. Terry captured all of the action on video and but the video has never made it to TV and I obviously am not the host. It was a great experience but my refusal to let the video of shooting the record Marlin be shown on National TV did not go over well with the producers. It worked out good, they have a great host and I believe we kept even more restrictions and bad publicity for the sport from coming down on us by keeping the fish private. I have nothing against shooting billfish, but the hypocritical Sportfishing World will only bring more harm upon our sport we value so much.
It also worked out well because I can still go to all the best spots in the world and not worry about giving them away on national TV!
Over the years I have always written for different magazines and put videos up on the web and through Riffe, Spearboard, Spearfishingplanet, Facebook, my seminars in dive shops and emails answered hundreds of question on everything from gear to girls around the world and the best combination in between for spearfishing.
I don’t know everything there is to know about the sport but I have gathered information from every corner of every ocean and retained it and I hope that I can help every diver out there dive safely and enjoy the sport for years to come.
I will constantly work to make the blog better, more navigable, more informative and useful to you. As my internet connection allows while I am traveling overseas (which is about 8 months out of the year) I will download pictures and video for you to check out and enjoy.
I encourage everyone to participate in the blog and ask questions and get out of it what you want. This is my way of sharing my life with you and sharing my knowledge with you as well to make you a better, happier and safer spearfisherman or woman.
You can email me at cameron@speargun.com
On the Riffe Website: www.speargun.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58&Itemid=32
On YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/cameronkirkconnell
Thanks for visiting and stay in touch. The best part about this sport is all the people you meet around the world and learning from every diver you encounter whether they are in Alaska or South Africa or an inland lake in Missouri.

More long winded about me:
My parents had us in the water at and early age and we started freediving for conchs and lobsters in the shallows and holding on to our parents while they searched the reefs and drop offs for hours on end hunting Groupers and Hogfish in the crystalline waters of the Caribbean.

As I got older we continued to spearfish and scuba dive in Florida from Jacksonville to Key West and up to Tampa.
When I was 14 years old I started saving for my first speargun and after two years I bought my first gun, a Riffe Hawaiian with a reel. One of the first days out on the water we found a school of cobia and I jumped in to be surrounded by more than a dozen and shot a 45lb one.
I self proclaimed myself a bluewater hunter on the spot and knew that there was nothing more I wanted in life then to be near the water and enjoying all it had to offer.
With my cousin I applied to the US Merchant Marine Academy and after a long selection process we were both accepted and began 4 years of military school life studying the sea and how to be professional mariners. I graduated in 1999 and went to work as a third officer on a cargo ship and set off to the Indian and Pacific Ocean. With all the charts of the world at my fingertips for 4 months at sea I saw the world of spearfishing shrink to a million possibilities and my mind started racing at the potential.
With no car, no house, no girlfriend I paid the ships agent $100 when I disembarked in Singapore and convinced him to delay my ticket back the USA for two months.
A new ticket in hand I set off for Bali Indonesia and fell in love with the incredible waves and huge fish that lived there.
For the last ten years I have traveled to spearfish in Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and half a dozen islands in Indonesia searching for bluewater fish and learning techniques and meeting the best in the world in their home waters. Whether it is your first day or your 60th year there is something to be learned from everyone you meet.
Diving in Australia I met Robbie Lewis and Tim Neilsen of Adrenaline Spearfishing in Brisbane and Robbie and I became instant friends. they set me up with my first sponsorships and quickly my emails to my friends telling them the latest tall tales of big fish and crazy shark encounters started showing up in Spearfishing Magazines which I had no idea even existed.
For so long we had dove just to hunt dinner and to think that there were spearfishing clubs and competitions seemed completely foreign to us.
I made a lot of friends and slept on a lot of couches and didn’t pay rent for about 8 years and owe more favors to more people in more countries than I can possibly ever repay.
From all of it I gathered more knowledge than I ever would have imagined from so many different situations and waters that have led us to be able to plan trips any month of the year any where in the world and with high rates of success.
In my travels I’ve been blessed with some memorable fish and a handful of world records and record size fish that were just short of the mark or disqualified for one reason or another. The most common cause was being in the middle of nowhere in Fiji or Indonesia without a proper scale (or refrigeration.)
Some of the most memorable records or near records: King Mackerel 58 lbs, Blackfin Tuna 27lbs, Hogfish 21lbs, Golden Trevally 34 lbs, Pacific Blue Marlin 272lbs, Wahoo 119lbs, Blackfin Tuna 32lbs, Spanish (Narrow barred) Mackerel 102lbs, Dogtooth Tuna 201lbs, and a few other close ones.
We’ve figured out how to be in the right place at the right time. How to read the weather and water and where to be in the water and how to approach fish and how to get the biggest one to come close to you even in the middle of the blue 100 miles from land.
I’ve only entered a few tournaments but have had decent success.
In three visits to the Hatteras Bluewater open in Cape Hatteras North Carolina I’ve won twice and finished 4th on the other. I enjoy tournaments for the main reason that it brings together like minded people together and gives you a chance to rag on your friends and for them to give it right back to you.
No one believes me but I am happier when someone else gets the fish of their lives or the fish of the day then I am for myself usually. Through my work with Riffe, dozens of dive shops and thousands of divers around the world I’ve had a smile on my face doing what I love for as long as I can remember. Even when I’m not there every email from a young diver telling me how stoked he is on my new camo pattern or some bands or a tip on shooting black groupers that helped him get the fish of the day makes me so happy.
I can’t wait to meet every one of you and hope that each can get something out of these pages if only a laugh or a temporary escape from normal life.
In the coming months I will be opening a few other sections of the website that are VIP access. This will be How-to videos and detailed trip advice for divers around the world who are ready to take it to the next level. Planning trips is one of my favorite things and doing it right and being successful having done it with your friends help and all your hard work is by far the most rewarding way to go. It pays to have someone on your side that has been there, done that, and has the scars and fish scales to prove it.

Dive safe and send me pics of your adventures anytime

Cameron Kirkconnell

One of my first memories is of the East End of Little Cayman in the Cayman Islands. I must have been about 3-4 years old and small enough that I couldn’t keep up with my father and mother who were snorkeling on the surface on either side of me. Holding on to my dads arm as tight as possible my eyes worked quickly across the bottom trying to spot a grouper or snapper or the massive hogfish that lived there.
If you asked me then if I believed I’d ever be able to dive 90 feet and spear fish as big as my dad I’d probably boast and say I could only hope to be as good as him and my mom one day but hopefully better.
In those days their were no records, no float lines and no reels in our vocabulary and each fish was shot and dragged to the surface on the same breath of air. That we never had any blackouts is amazing and a testament to how good of shape we were in each summer visiting the Islands and diving for lobsters in the Keys.

This blog is a work in progress that I’ll try and keep you up to date on our trips and adventures around the world. Bear with me I do have a real job!