SpearBlog

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Was really looking forward to making the expo this weekend that is being put on in Fort Lauderdale. It has been a big success in the past with great speakers and a great chance to see all the new products from the best Spearfishing Companies in the world. I was slotted to speak but my schedule for work has me traveling in the Philippines that week and I am going to miss out!
If you can make it there will be Divers from all over the world there and its always a great chance to network and hear everyones spearfishing lies.
Hopefully next year it works out that I can be there and show all our videos and pictures and have the gear rigging seminar I had planned. I think what we will have to do is plan another seminar when I get back in Florida maybe at the end of June or mid-July if anyone is interested shoot me an email. They’ve been a big success in the past drawing a lot of people from each of the areas. The seminars are specific to the area you dive and we always capitalize on your specific questions and areas you want to learn more about.
Looking forward to the rest of the year of diving. It has been a good one so far and we are getting closer every week to finishing up some really great Riffe products. You can check out the Riffe website at www.speargun.com

Cameron

http://www.youtube.com/user/cameronkirkconnell for the full video

It has been terrible visibility for so long in the USA between the rough weather and oil spill it has been a difficult past few months. This day was supposed to be 3-4 ft waves and poor visibility again but as my cousin Blake would say “Cam read the bones” (referring to my less than dependable internet visibility and weather forecasting abilities) and we went out anyways.

After some hunting around we pulled up to a spot with a lot of bait and a 11 ft hammerhead shark on the top to greet us and we slipped into the water to find this. The other guys with me were good enough to have patience and let me take pics and video and shoot a cobia with the pole spear.
It was an incredible day. I think we made about 20 dives on this school of cobia who were more than happy to swirl around each time we made it to their depth.

Earlier in the day at another spot I dove down on a 6ft Silky shark that was coming in for a look and he allowed me a short ride on his dorsal fin. As I let go I looked to my left and a 7-8 ft Bull Shark almost yellow/white came cruising up from the depths. I stopped in the water and threw my arms up in a “What’s Up!” and he came straight to me and then turned only inches away allowing me to run my hand down his side and then grab onto his tail. With my fingertips on his flank he had no problem but as soon as I grabbed him by the tail he did a quick kick and luckily went away instead of snapping back on me. I looked to the surface to see if the other guys had seen what had just happened so I wouldn’t be the only one dreaming and they both had their heads out of the water. Dammit!
I hit the surface and they both said, “You’re and idiot.”
“But you saw that right?!?!?!”
“Yeah you are and idiot.”

Sweeeeeeet.

Diving deep for Grouper on the East Coast of Florida is something usually reserved for Scuba divers. There are a few groups up and down the coast that have the patience and skills to spear these big bottom fish in water 75 feet and deeper and the rewards are usually worth the effort.
While the Scuba guys spend all their time on the bottom and the rest in the boat doing their surface interval, we as freedivers get to spend the whole day in the water and are always hunting even when we are resting on the surface. With the advent of new restrictions on limits and fish species the old way of thinking like a commercial fisherman and shooting as many fish as fast as you can is disappearing quickly. Now you see even the scuba guys buying better quality guns with more range and better line setups so they can save their shots and land those 3-4 trophy fish per dive instead of hurting and losing the big Cobia, African Pompano, Amberjacks and monster grouper shot with a freeshaft or heavy scuba diving gun.
Freediving this week my cousins 11 and 16 years old both had chances at good fish and shot multiple big pelagic fish including a 61lb Cobia. At the other end of the spectrum my Father who taught me to dive freedove alongside me and speared a solid cobia and had 20+ lb Red Snapper around us all day. Freediving is so much easier with less gear and freedom in the water and the amount of time spent hunting is incredible. We are so lucky to have a sport we can enjoy at any age.

This was such a cool spot with Amberjacks and Cobia and big Red Snapper all the way to the surface. We had the Big Snappers chummed up to where they were hitting the baits as soon as it hit the surface. Incredible and painful to see at the same time. I took the three prong and sat inches from their heads counting the days until the season opens. Good times can’t wait to get out there again.
Cameron Kirkconnell

We scouted a few days before the opening this year and despite gorgeous weather the visibility was terrible and we didn’t see that much in the way of fish. For the first time in as long as I can remember we shot… one fish! A .5 lb Yellowtail snapper. Weak. I had filled up my new 155qt Yeti cooler with Ice in anticipation of a typical day on our boat but ended up using none of it so we closed the cooler and left it on the boat and three days later it was ready for opening day.
We made the decision to drive up to North Florida and put in early Saturday morning and headed out into 3-5′ seas.
First spot I freedove in 75′ and while dark the visibility was 20′ horizontal. My Cousin Aaron and I dove one up and one down for the first 45 minutes passing up 20lb Groupers and laughing in the face of 20 lb Red Snappers that knew they were safe until Fisheries Management gets their heads out of their asses.
On one dive I saw a solid Gag in the 30 lb Range and hunted around in the wreck with a light on successive dives but could never get the head shot I wanted.
Meanwhile in the boat the elders were restless and before long we were out of the water and headed straight into the seas another 15 miles in search of greener pastures….
Which turned in to Browner Water.
Next spot had 3′ visibility and lots of fish but with the bad visibility it was difficult to distinguish a 15 from a 30 lb’er and my cousin Greg and my Dad ended up with two in that size range. BAckdiving the spot to look for a lost stringer I tanked up and found another three fish in the 12-20lb range. In the poor vis I had to use a bright light and was inside the wreck at 85′ and down one level. When I found the first Gag I took a look at my escapes, shot the fish. Went outside of the wreck and tied the line off, went back in and killed the fish, then unclipped the shooting line and removed the entire rig. I’m not a big fan of insertions on big wrecks especially with all the braided line that is so commonly used for fishing wrapped up all around them nowadays. I have been caught a few times freediving and it is down right terrifying to look back and not be able to see what it is that has you caught and be 70′ down and slashing with your knife at an invisible foe.
The weather was picking up and the vis was less than desirable so we continued in to some shallower bottom and my 50 year old Cousin Greg commenced to teaching us all a lesson about diving. At the end of it all he claimed 3 Cobia for the boat and worked harder then anyone to get us on the fish. With his and Mr. Pat coaching all day i think I was on overload of good advice and resigned to let the previous generation whip up on the fish.End of the day had a limit of Grouper and Three nice Cobia, six Flounder and 6 very tired crew from rolling around all day in the rough water.

For some reason I always seem to miss the FSDA Florida Spearfishing Freedive tournament held each year in Tarpon Springs.
I think for excuses I’ve blamed weather. Girls. Warm beds. Dirty Water. Small fish. Cold Water. Big fish somewhere else. Work etc etc. Girls is the only excuse that I ever thought was any good but those are the ones that get you in the most trouble and catch the most shit from my friends.
This year it worked out though and I listened to my cousin Blake Gaylord and Charter captain Ed Walker and teamed up with them to participate in the yearly tournament. We watched the weather the week before and I cursed the bad vis I was seeing and predicting black out conditions and that no one would show up and blah blah blah.
Preparing for the worst I packed my 5mm suit, three prong pole spear and 75 cm break down Riffe gun thinking I’d just make the most of the day and try out the new equipment.
Morning of the tourney found that I was wrong.
Thank god!
We had 9 teams of three and a good mix of new and old divers from around the state. After a shotgun start with Pit’s 38ft Intrepid leading the way with his triple 350 Yamaha’s throwing a roostertail way way way up ahead of us all, the rest of us followed as fast as we could but even running at 55 mph we were no where near catching him.
Fast or slow everyone had an equal chance this year with the species list reduced by taking Amberjack and Cobia off.
Now we had to concentrate on a solid stringer of good fish but couldn’t really hope for anything massive to even the score except the wild chance of a big King Mackerel to jump away from the pack.

On the menu were:
10 sheepshead
5 Mangrove Snapper
5 Hogfish
2 gag Grouper
5 spanish mackerel
2 king Mackerel
1 red grouper

By taking Cobia and Amberjack off the smaller boats were saved long runs trailing the bigger faster boats who could get to the best spots first and shoot those key fish. Now it would just be a solid days catch with as many species as possible to fill a 20 fish limit. Each fish counts one point per pound plus one point per fish with a maximum of 20 lbs for fish therefore a 20lb Grouper and a 100 lb Grouper would both count for only 21 points.

Arriving at the first spot we found good vis and cool water and not another boat in sight. We anchored up and within seconds the three of us were in the water and fish were on the stringer steadily for the next few hours. After shooting the first one with the gun I was restringing and fiddling with the stringer and float line and got frustrated and put the gun in the boat to give it a go with Three Prong Riffe Pole spear.
First dive a solid 6lb Sheepshead swims past at speed and I track him lining up the shot when he is only 5 feet away. It hits him in the head and his momentum carries him a few more feet as I swim forward to catch him. By the time I hit the surface he is already off the spear and on the stringer and 45 seconds later I’m ready to leave the surface again for another. This is the way to go!
Next five minutes found 2 more good sized sheepshead taken in similar fashion.
Meanwhile Blake and Ed are filling their stringers with Big Sheepshead and their grouper within the first two hours in the water!
On one dive I was cruising down and saw a 20lb Gag slipping through the rocks on his way out. I approached as non confrontational as possible and almost had him but at 7 feet away and a quartering shot I held back and surfaced to tell the other guys who had guns.
Next dive down I find two other gag grouper cruising and this time anticipate their path and am able to stone my biggest fish of the day from only 4 feet away! Stoked.
Ed and I found one good spot for a while and both managed to take 3 Spanish mackerel each mine with the pole spear (except for one) and he with the Euro taking the largest mackerel of the trip and tourney at a modest four lbs.

We hit a few more spots and were in need of snappers, hogfish, and another grouper so we made a move only a few miles away and hit pay dirt. The vis was in and out but Blake quickly had a few mean looking little hogs who despite their 3 lb actual sized fully believed with their dark snouts and markings they should have in the Middle Grounds shouldering other 20lber’s out of the way.
Watching Blake as we did one up and down working a ledge taking a Hog on almost every other dive. As he is coming to the surface with a nice hog at the end of the line I see him look to the right and instantly kick harder and try to bring his gun up as a 7 ft shark rushes up to him. The shark veers off and swims wide and he continues to bring the fish up as the shark streaks in again. I dive to intercept and the shark changes direction and comes straight up to me at speed and turns only a few feet away to continue his circling. Blake pulls the hogfish out of the water as the shark circles and with some convincing I get him to give it to me and stuff it in my wetsuit and continue down the ledge instead of losing the spot and heading back to the boat.
We continue for the next ten minutes taking 4 more hogs and don’t see the shark again and then move to another spot.
Ed and Blake have their 20 fish so Ed puts me on a “grouper” spot as they position to Anchor. First dive I shoot a legal gag and have him in my hands on the surface taking the shaft out. I was kind of in that zoned out mode where you forget everything around you when a movement underneath me instantly materializes into a 7 foot shark blasting up and into me and the fish. I always push to fight sharks for your fish and this time I had no choice but to toss it as the shark was already only a few feet away and coming so fast I thought sure he was about to take my hands and the fish.
As I tried to push the fish away it scared the shark and he turned on a dime and was so close his wake pushed me sideways through the water.
The guys got a good laugh at me wussing out with only a 7 ft shark but the aggressive little buggars seemed to hit almost every boat in the tournament so we weren’t the only ones who the tax collectors visited but like most we denied any requests for handouts.

We take an easy run back the dock and then see the blue bullet (Pit on the Intrepid) coming up from the horizon and despite Ed hammering the throttle down a bit further they pass us with ease and we are only able to catch up by running across the flats at 50+ and backing off only fifty yards behind the others.

At the dock all the boats are there and everyone is visiting and comparing catches and it looks like most everyone has about the same stringers.
I think my favorite part of tournaments is catching up with all the divers that are together and have shared a good day on the water. The vibe is good and everyone is stoked just to be there and everyone is catching up and giving each other flak from trips gone past.
We weigh our fish and there is a bit of a buzz that it is solid and the best so far.
Ed Blake and I were all only a few lbs difference so as a team we knew we had a chance and there was no one that really stood out. We worked together and during the day called each other over when we found a good spot and it paid off steadily shooting good fish hoping that we would get a monster but not throwing it all to luck.

Weigh in complete Ritchie makes the announcements and Team Running with Scissors (Blake, Ed and Cameron) is on top by a good margin and I’ve taken 3rd place individual.
Stoked!!!
Thanks to all the guys that came out and making it a good fun tournament.
So many good and beginner divers alike shy away from tournaments after witnessing the craziness and unsportsmanlike attitudes that has infiltrated the sport in years past.
We all spearfish because we love it and tourneys are a way of having fun, getting everyone together, and testing our skills against our friends.
When guys cheat, trade fish, argue at weigh ins, make up lies about others in the tournament and get them disqualified, run to the Bahamas or shoot outside of the boundaries it takes away from the value that everyone gets from the sport.
This was a solid tournament with good quality divers, well run, fair, and fun.
I hope that the success of this one brings more divers next year!
Cameron

Final Results

Top 3 Shooters:
1st- 102.25 points Ritchie Zacker
2nd- 99.55 points Austin Burneo
3rd- 95.20 points Cameron Kirkconnell

Biggest Fish:
Austin Burneo-18.90lb Grouper

Teams:
1st- Running with Scissors- Ed. Walker-89.15, Blake. Gaylord-93.05, Cameron Kirkconnell-95.20 =277.40 points
2nd- Red Tide- Sasa. B-58.55, Ritchie. Z-102.25, Eric. G-85.40 = 246.20 points
3rd- TBSC Apollo Beach- Aaron. S-93.25, Bill. V-78.25, T.A. M-70.05 = 241.55 points
4th- Fintrepid- Pit. G-77.25, Jason. W-92.95, Ben. F-65.40 = 235.90 points
5th- E-Searider- Pat. B- 48.55, Chris. H-79.05, Austin. B-99.55 = 227.15 points
6th- Pescasub- Jose. S-62.30, Eric. S-80.55, Ciro. L-81.80 = 224.65 points
7th- Stinky Pinky- John. P-66.65, Conner. E-66.30, Bill. F-63.05 = 196.00 points
8th- Seals#1- David. S-62.55, Skip. L-64.80, Gary. D-60.10 = 187.45 points
9th- Scales- Bryan. A-57.55, Trey. S-72.00, Chris. G-35.15 = 164.70 points

Quick trip week before last with Ritchie Zacker, Ed Lunsford and some other solid divers from Jupiter.
We left early and checked in at West End and were on our way north not ten minutes out over the Sand flats when one of the guys spotted a big Tiger Shark cruising on the surface.
We spun around to check it out and with four sets of eyes were started seeing more and more tigers in every direction!
As we slowed down we found the attraction and there was a big Loggerhead Turtle floating very unhappily with no front flippers and no less than 8 Tiger sharks from 10-14 ft within 100yards.
I wish I had gotten in the water and filmed it but we had fish to chase and decided to let nature run its course. I know it happens in the real world but I am against the feeding of sharks anywhere in the world but especially in the Bahamas where more and more people are getting bit and having run ins with sharks daily.

First spot of the day we hop in to find decent visibility and the first hole I looked in had a solid 16 lb Dog Snapper peering out for just a second too long and he ended up in the boat.
For the next six hours we bounced up and down the break from 25-85 feet of water picking up hogs and Groupers and seeing lots and lots of sharks.
Some of the Reefs we stopped at we jumped in to find 5-10 sharks milling around without us having shot anything yet. We saw more a dozen Tiger sharks, Big Bulls, Lemons, and lots of Reef Sharks. Twice I dove to block a big shark from hitting a diver on the way to the surface and everyone had close calls with them. It is really scary how they associate us and boats with food and I know it is worse here and up towards Walkers because of it. I understand people wanting to get close to these animals and getting video and the people wanting to profit from it but it is no wonder so many people are getting attacked with them so used to people providing free food and Divers spearing fish are getting pushed over an already fine line between safety and serious injury.
We had a good day and everyone dove close watching each other and pushing away the occasional toothy Critter.
Having used a pole spear so much for in the past year and so confident in that being the weapon of choice over there I was blown away by Ed and the Jupiter boys shooting dead accurate with the Hawaiian slings fish after fish.
End of the day had some good fish with the largest being a 35lb Black Grouper shot with the Three prong pole spear and Ritchie landing his personal best Tiger Groupers at 13lbs.
Thanks again to Ed and look forward to diving with you all soon.

With terrible weather throughout the SE United States we have been waiting for a weather window to run across to the Bahamas to practice with our Riffe Pole Spears we have been developing. The water has been so cold for so long at home no one has even been in the water for the last few months.
When the weather finally broke we left at 0400 in the morning on a 34ft Yellowfin with Twin 275 Outboards and hauled ass across the Gulf Stream to the Bahama Bank. 4 hours later we were at our destination, checked through customs and assembling our pole spears for the week.
Over the next few days we saw plenty of good fish and dove patiently together videoing and diving safely together taking the time to work each fish out of the holes and only shoot the ones we really wanted.
The very first dive I dove to 30 feet to clear the bubbles out of my wetsuit and turned to find a 10ft Hammerhead checking out my fin tips. “Ok so its going to be like that,” I’m thinking the whole trip is going to be shark infested but amazingly we only saw a few others the rest of the week.

It is so cool hunting with a pole spear. With the guns we have now anyone can take a shot from 20 ft away and get fish but with a pole spear you have to learn the fish and gain their trust to get within 3-6 feet to get a good shot on them. Then when you do get them you have to get your hands on them and wrench them to the surface before the sharks get there or they carry all your gear over the drop off into the Abyss.
This is a lot easier when you have hogfish and lobsters that most people shoot in the Bahamas but we always push the limits of what people deem possible and I want to see what my gear is capable of.
Turns out, almost anything is possible with the right patience and equipment.
I watched Brad in 2000feet of water stalk a school of Wahoo that until a few years ago I’d never believe possible to take with a Pole Spear. On the video you can see Brad dive and the one fish he has picked out come off the rest of the school to within only a few feet of the end of the spear and then in a flash the fish is gone and the float line is running through his hands and the buoy screaming by. That shooting pelagics with a pole spear is possible still blows my mind. That is two wahoo I’ve seen shot with a pole spear in the last year and this one I have on video!!!
The drift before that the same drama had unfolded with Brad shooting a nice Dolphin (Mahimahi) stoning it with a shot to the spine in the open blue.

Another day found us on the reef breathing up to shoot a nice hogfish in a hole. Just as I was to leave the surface an Amberjack comes past and I dive to only twenty feet and wait as he changes course to investigate. If it had been two minutes earlier I would have easily shot him with the float line attached and just fought him from there but hunting in the holes we had already detached it.
Got to stone him. Got to stone him. Got to stone him.
Thats all that was going through my head as he comes close and I can see those strong shoulders flexing for a fight.
Whoosh! I release the pole spear and the tip hits him just behind and above the eye.
STONED!!!!!
Oh shit. Never mind. He takes off spiraling down to the bottom 50 feet below with me hanging on to my precious equipment. As we are falling I’m working my way down the shaft to the tip and the fish and first try to grab him at about 45 feet. Immediately he head butts me and my mask is now affixed to the side of my face over my right ear and I’m blind. On the video all of this is captured perfectly but I think Brad was either laughing or coming to help either way he doesn’t get out of the way and the fish knocks the camera from his hands and all you can see is whitewater on the surface as I skull drag him to my precious air. IN the midst of it all he also managed to impale my leg with the spear puncturing my leg and wetsuit in the process.
That was the first and last amberjack we shot on the trip. At only 25lbs he was small but feisty and I was kidding myself thinking it was a good idea to shoot him without a float line.

[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]

[caption id="attachment_482" align="aligncenter" width="550" caption="32lb Blackfin Tuna shot with the pole spear. NEW WORLD RECORD!!! Super stoked. even more so because it was with a pole spear and I had the video camera in the other hand. I\'ll put it up on here asap so you stop calling BS on it. (For good measure I shot a 24 and 27 lb on video too. Not a bad day!)"][/caption]