here's a question for the spearos out there

[heebes]

i have often wondered what to do if placed in this situation:
you are diving and have had a reasonably successful day (you have speared enough fish for you to eat for a few days) and on your last dive before heading in, you spot the fish of a lifetime. you know, the fish you know exists but is always stays just out of sight. well it finally comes within range and you are faced with a dilemma to shoot or not to shoot. this fish would easily make the books, but you have harvested enough fish to eat in reasonable time. what is one to do in this situation? i am interested to see your responses. -Greg.

 

[SASpearo]

Dilema .....

Yo Greg .... welcome the the Forums dude.

Tough one ....

It all depends, I guess. I've been in similar situations a couple of times, and let me tell you one thing: There's never been the same thought in my head twice.

A couple of times I shot it. Once it was a 37Kg Yellowfin Tunny - and I had a full stringer of Yellowtail, Red Roman and one or two Rockcods. I nearly had to dump the stringer to get the Tunny on the boat ... luckily I didn't.

Another one was coming back from a shore dive, on the 28th of Feb, the season for Galjoen opening on the next day .... Galjoen grows to average of 3.5 Kg's, so imagine my dilema as I saw this very inquisitive 4-5Kg Fatty lurking there. I didn't shoot it.

It's nice to get good fish, to better your own personal bests, hell even world records. But it's sooooo satisfying to let that one go ....

Regards,
Riaan Coetzee

 

[Iyadiver]

And where the hell have you been Riaan ????

How come no update on your fankeguns ???




WELCOME Heebes........

 

[Abriapnea]

Fish of a lifetime ? You shoot it .
If you have enough fish for your needs , give it to someone else .
Personally have never even entertained the possibility of thinking that particular question .

 

[Jay Styron]

I think I'd have to shoot it. With the wonders of refrigeration, you could freeze what you aren't going to immediately consume or as Abriapnea said everyone loves free fresh seafood, so you could give it away. Just MHO.
Jay

 

[icarus pacific]

Interesting dilmemma...:head

The biggest lingcod I've ever seen (and I have witnesses) I didn't have my gun, but then I don't know that I'd have even tried to shoot it.. This thing was a phone pole in size...

I think that the responsible thing to do is grab the camera, log the location and come back when the larder's a tad barer. Definite good Karma.


sven

 

[Skindiver]

wack it

I agree with Abri, and its not even a tough one for me.

Wack it dead centre.

We dont all hunt just for food, but its nice to be able to eat what you hunt.

If you hunted just for 'food' there would be easier ways of getting it. Its the element of sport that makes non commercial spearo's do it.

Skin.

Ps. You do have a deepfreezer dont you ? friends?
and if you feel really baaad you say 3 hail Mary's and stay out of the water for an hour the next day, ok? or.. let the very next one go.

No dilemma whilst staying within the bag regulations of the country you are fishing in.

 

[Dolphin Girl]

:naughty

Skindiver...... I am watching you......no killing the fishies !!!!

It will bring you bad karma......the fish will take revenge......

 

[Murat]

Originally posted by icarus pacific


This thing was a phone pole in size...


sven

What? Is it the one on the streets near the roads? The size of our phone poles are 4 meters.

 

[Murat]

Originally posted by Dolphin Girl
:naughty

Skindiver...... I am watching you......no killing the fishies !!!!

It will bring you bad karma......the fish will take revenge......

Let me guess you don't eat fish, right?But i like it much.Just let me tell, the fishes in the markets hunted also.I can not understand. When someone hooked the fish and cause hours of pain for the fish he is great but when you put a spear in its head that cause instant death, you are butcher. I think i am a bit out of the topic

 

[andrsn]

Yeah, Skindiver hit it. If you've maxed on your bag limits, then it's a no brainer. But, it doesn't mean you can't go down and feed it. Maybe buy it a beer, name it, make him think he's your friend, and wait till tourney time! :t

I always stay clear of my bag limits when I hunt, for this specific circumstance(yeah, that's it!). Aquiles and I normally pass up quite a few legal ones and gamble on a bigger one. Kinda like good economics... conserve the ice and space in your cooler, conserve the time spent fileting one GOOD fish instead of multiple lil ones, and get one smooth pic of something pushing for a shot at the title.

Cheers,
Anderson

 

[rigdvr]

Originally posted by andrsn
[I always stay clear of my bag limits when I hunt, for this specific circumstance]

ok...keep telling yourself that A...

 

[icarus pacific]

Originally posted by Murat
I think i am a bit out of the topic

ya think??


sven

 

[icarus pacific]

Originally posted by andrsn
I always stay clear of my bag

stay clear of mine too, please.


sven

 

[Murat]

Originally posted by icarus pacific



ya think??


sven

Think? Who? Me?:duh

 

[SASpearo]

Originally posted by Iyadiver
And where the hell have you been Riaan ????

How come no update on your fankeguns ???

Been running around on temp assignment, serving notices on guys in townships .... gr8 fun.

Frankengun .... yeah ...... mmmmmm .... oooohhh .... aaaaahh ....

Busy perfecting my Rob Allen Rollergun mechanism .... ran into more problems with it .... sigh.

Skin .... when're we going divin', mate? Oh yeah, Dolphin girl's welcome as well ... he he he ..... I'm goint to Kosi on a scouting trip first week in Jan ... Bhanga Nek campsite ..... Pelagics only. Last time I shot there got a 20K Kingie .... was eaten the same day ... it fed the whole campsite ... grin

Oh yeah ....

From Spearfishing SA
Ryan Burmester landed a 38kg prodigal whilst spearing off Durban on Tuesday 19 November. The old record of 33.5kg shot by Paul Kolenda, has stood for over 10 years

 

[Abriapnea]

Hell , that time of year at Bangha you should see a few 40 kg + iggies .
I plan to be in Sodwana from middle Jan for a couple of weeks ...