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.

Three Amigos. Big White Sea Bass always look good on the deck

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.

Riffe Euro 120 with horizontal reel

Willie

Jill Riffe working the Cryptic Camo Bathing Suit from www.riffeapparel.com

Cameron, Kelsey Albert, Jay Riffe, and Craig Clasen with big Calico Bass and huge California Halibut

So thats what a White Sea Bass looks like! My fish from the first day. Thanks Jay for the pep talk!

Choose your partner... for diving wisely. Don't trust them with an open bottle of Petron in the boat at night though

Notice the same exact shot placement on each fish, I stoned the first one so I figured that must be a good spot to shoot them, its worked every time since and doesn't mess up the meat so I think I'm on to something!

Mark with the Flying fish of his life.

Big Halibut and stud Calicos

The last thing many an unlucky Hogfish may see in the Bahamas if you take Lisa with you. No wonder they are fooled in to letting her get so close.

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

Peacock Flounder. Take some notes. 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

Its a long way down, slow down

3. Choose the Right Gear

Choose wisely and take care of your gear

4. Shoot to Kill

She's deadly and beautiful. Great combo, Lucky for Bubba:) Nice Stone shot on a big Hogfish for Lisa

5. Be Realistic

Pelagics, midwater, strong and tough to stone, water deeper than you can freedive

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)

Good Size Mutton Snapper and average Bahamas Hogfish ready for Ceviche

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

La Paz Dorado from the NW side of Cerralvo. Craig Clasen

La Paz Sailfish

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!

Cameron Kirkconnell

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.

Its hard to not want to be a Spearfisherman with huge fish and lobsters at your feet as a one year old. Mom and Dad are still in the water whenever they can and I still wish I could have a day like this with a 10+lb Lobster and Giant Dog Snapper in the Caymans

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!