Hunting Technique

[Wishbone]

Spearinhand, great post!

I only have to add that this actually works both ways! I became a dry land hunter long after I was spearfishing and I passed my tests with outstanding results only because I had the underwater training!

Cheers!

 

[sailsoon28]

speaking of waves-in tidal zones things can get really scary during the change-like Hawaii 5-0-In Okinawa-Onna point- sometimes if caught at the turn of the tide I would just intentionally trap the spear (point) in a crevice-hanging out on the surface-diving between waves(the big ones) until the tide came in. Sometimes twenty minutes between phases before the rip would slow down. I learned this after watching two scuba divers-one a marine the other japanese-die-Our rescue attempts failed-they insisted on coming in though we warned them to wait till the big sets passed and the rip slowed down-1985-I think-this could save a life under similar conditions

 

[greendiver]

Awsome!!!!!!...got really inspired....got to go and try..( not kidding)!!!

 

[Mark Laboccetta]

I hope this is not too basic but I continue to be surprised at how many spearo's have not had the opportunity of dry land basic hunting expertise.
I have been able to hunt underwater successfully by using all of my dry land experience that does translate to underwter tactics.
SAspearo has outlined a few, but there are some general do's that define hunting vs casual swimming around with a spear gun in hand.

These are some very wise pointers from what you can tell comes only from a seasoned diver. Points C and G you pointed out especially ring true as valuable witnessed with my own eyes lessons in my experience.

I introduced my brother in law to spearfishing last few years, he symbolizes the guy you mentioned taking a crap in his blind who end up killing the monster in the woods. He's so non chalant in his demeanor when he's hunting that he naturally gets himself right into the thick of the pack, some call it beginner's luck but there's more to it than that.

Mark

 

[Amphibious]

I started out as a spearo and later became a land hunter. Now, as a Professional Hunter (guide) many of the skills and ethics I learned as a spearo seem to directly translate into land based hunting. I think spearfishing completly ruined Stand/blind hunting for me. if i'm not creeping around the forest, stalking, I'm not having a good time. I'll mirror what was said above.

the more you hunt the more you relize hunting has very little to do with killing. ask anyone who has just come back from a sucessful hunt to tell you of it. the last thing they will describe is the kill, and it will be the smallest part of the story. the enviroment, the sounds, the smells, the stalk, the extreme highs and lows of emotions, the good times shared with good friends. hunting is about the journey, not the destination.

 

[Oldsarge]

And I'm from the other direction. The very first trip into the ocean I had two fish within 10 minutes and gtb about lost it when I scored on a grouper on my first day's diving. Move sllooowwww. Remain calm but alert. Silence is not golden, it's everything. And as to the difference between hunting and killing, Colin says it all.

 

[Murat]

The sea is not quite calm here for some time, and i had been shooting birds today with my over under shotgun and hopefully will shoot fishes with my speargun tomorrow Thats what the LIFE is all about

 

[icarus pacific]

Re: Hunting Technique-General tips

...hunt when you are thinking you are cold, hunt when you are tired...

Yes, but only after you've spent a great deal of time gaining the insight as to how you work in the water when you're cold and/or tired. For someone without a lot of time, this is a easy way of making the papers. Also for someone with a lot of time on those occasions when you're not in control of everything, meaning always. :martial

Being cold and tired is the body's way of saying "kick back in, but keep your eyes open."

 

[aesop]

BUMP! Every noobie spearo should read this, what a great thread.

 

[Mr. X]

... sometimes if caught at the turn of the tide I would just intentionally trap the spear (point) in a crevice-hanging out on the surface-diving between waves(the big ones) until the tide came in. Sometimes twenty minutes between phases before the rip would slow down. I learned this after watching two scuba divers...die. Our rescue attempts failed-they insisted on coming in though we warned them to wait till the big sets passed and the rip slowed down...this could save a life under similar conditions

Wow, Sailsoon28, never heard of this trick before -- you are right, it could be a life saver. I have heard of an experienced spearo using a kelp/reef hook to anchor himself to while he waited for the tide to change when caught out by surprisingly strong tides once.

 

[Mr. X]

Re: Hunting Technique-General tips

...

c) Be comfortable, be part of the enviorment,vigilant and cognizant without putting too many "predator vibes" in the water. It is a documented scientific fact that quarry feel it when you are overly aggressive and over stimulated in a predator mode. Fish know it when sharks turn it on, and deer and elk know it in the woods on opening day, plains game know it when the big cats turn it on. It is why the first timer, or the camp cook, or the guy taking a crap at his blind kills the monster of the woods..it never fails and I have lived it and seen it. Same natural thing applies in the water.

d) Prepare and do your homework. keep a log of tide, time of kill, wind, temp etc. It works. Talk to the locals, especially the hook and line guys, and share your insights and spots. Google earth is a free down load and it is my map for finding the spots no one thought were there. I map my spots with a red dot and file them, then hit them hard and repeatedly.
...

G) Honor the quarry, and the game laws. Hunting is not killing, and killing is not hunting. The more you hunt, and succeed, the more you instinctivley know the difference. ...and your peers will know the difference as well.

Great post SpearInHand. The comfort point caught my eye. I read an interview with an unassuming non-star mountaineer who has done most of the 8000m+ peaks in the world (prob. done them all by now). His secret? He did not even consider himself a mountaineer or climber but a high altitude camper. Being able to spend long periods in remote, high altitude conditions comfortably allowed him to achieve far more than many more skilled/talented, fitter/stronger/better financed mountaineers. If you are uncomfortable, you will not stick with an activity ... obvious really but easily overlooked.

Another Alison thread, sigh...

 

[Mr. X]

This is a pretty awsome thread ... I find in the heat of the moment I dont always have time to aim properly and as a result I seem to shoot high but how high depends on the amount of paralax (Im looking slightly down at the tip so in relation the spear is aiming slightly upwards). So as a means of avoiding this, of late Ive been tilting the gun over to 90 degrees, so that the hieght axis of the gun is in line with the body length of the fish, so now all I have to do is get the new vertical axis of the spear in the middle of the fish (easy) and aim just behind the head and bingo my hit rate is near perfect on a slow moving fish nearly always a head shot and so fast.
Im pretty chuffed with the technique anyway, probably find out now that everybody does it but they werent going to tell me

Aiming down the side of the gun (rather than over the top), as described in the Len Jones booklet achieves similar results. Although I've seen pictures of Alison's Bass catches -- her technique obviously works too. sigh

 

[sailsoon28]

Yes-the self mooring idea with spear and point works well because it is what you have on hand as free-diver (spearfishing) or scuba(spearfishing). It wouldn't work on a sandy bottom but there you are generally not in danger-it is in the rocks and edges of the reef face(where you get pulled through or lifted up onto and dropped).
I am choosing to use my reel on my offshore gun with sufficient line(100 ft) to tie off here in the gulf-if I ever get left by the boat or had to hold onto a buddy in the water for a length of time-it would be much easier to be found at a site(underwater wreck on charts) frequented by many-than a nameless patch of open sea between wreck sites that motor boaters may not frequent-on straight line path--got "left" once-boat didn't move far-but from low vantage point in the water could not see it,tied off with my buddy or would have been sucked out to the S. China Sea. I mentioned this to experienced divers and some had thught of it so I can't claim this as my own idea-just passing it along-Dan

 

[aesop]

Has anyone made the float that SASpearo posted? If so could you post actual pics of it? Also, where do you get latex tubing? I've never even heard of it.:head



Thanks,
Chris

 

[Mr. X]

Speargun rubbers are probably latex(?)...so maybe bulk rubber (try those RA links I sent). Alt. maybe that stuff they use on bunsen burners in school labs?

There are a lot of threads on floats, inc. making them (the norcal link I believe has a description of good boogie board based one). I like the look of Tommy Botha one Miles uses -- I see one of the Oz sites is selling them now (for big game fish). It uses a very large, very thick piece of foam (looks like wall insulation) with modern camming yacht cleat, heavy duty bungee cord & polymer sheet reinforcement; no doubt heavily field tested on huge SA yellow fin Tuna. More conventionally, Omer have a great selection. RA too, with some interesting options for big fish. Most spearo companies offer something.

 

[aesop]

This one is quite nice, it's the same idea that SASpearo posted. Seems it would be much easier to make, no stretching tubing.I've been looking on ebay for a decent bodyboard. I'm pretty much gonna copy it. The only thing I don't like about it is the size of the platform. Could be a few inches longer and wider. A bodyboard is generally around 42"x 22". Dont know what that is in cm, sry.

I'm excited to get all my parts to make my float, it's much more fulfilling than buying one.

Chris

 

[aesop]

Forgot to post the link....

http://www.spearfishinggear.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=6248&Category_Code=FFFL



Chris

 

[Mr. X]

I really like that Omer float board, they have a great range of floats.

Float boards...how about this one: http://www.norcalfreedive.com/catalog/tips.php#diveboard
The others are shots of the Tommy Botha (South Africa float), which is also being sold in Australia. For big fish - I reckon this would be "the business". Miles uses one - nuff said. There is a great picture of Tommy in a RIB holding a huge tuna (they fill the boat) on a couple of websites. The SA gear is real...meaty (for want of a better word)...it has to deal with some huge fish so it is built tough. [Click on images to expand].

 

[SEDATE]

on the left side is really good and brillant idea to cary the tools ..reallly like it! cary drink water-keys-shoes....did you do it yourself?

 

[Pastor]

Aiming down the side of the gun (rather than over the top), as described in the Len Jones booklet achieves similar results. Although I've seen pictures of Alison's Bass catches -- her technique obviously works too. sigh

I use that techinque to, the Rob Allen website recomend it I think. Which of course is fine if your using a Rob Allen like You and I do. But having seen and used her guns I can see where she was coming from. Wooden guns can be much wider than the pipe guns which can give a little uncertainty couple this with rubbers that have a greater angle in relationship with the spear than pipe guns and it can get a little confusing to the eye. So as you say her technique obviously worked for her but remember she had 20 or so years of spearing experience behind her which had got to help to