Shark Hunting

[zeN]

No offence to you Miles, I am sure you are a fine spearo, we all have our opinions
Powerheads aren't about killing a lot of fish, I have sizes from .22 to 44 mag depending on the need, I rarely take but a few fish at one time no matter what method I use, as far as sporting, frankly I don't hunt for 'sport,' though it may seem semantical to some, I hunt because I am a hunter, I also want to take fish for food, and esp. with larger fish it is safer with a powerhead, and a necessity for dangerous game. It prevents you from getting dragged to the bottom or wound up in line, but if you are spearing for the fun of the fight then simply don't use them; I usually do hunt with regular tips (mostly actually), but I love using powerheads, and if you spearfish solo it is also an edge in a prickly situation, and other than that I could care less about the taboo that many seem to place on the use of powerheads..

As far as personal attacks I think you should address that to the user who called me a dumbass.
Happy spearfishing, zeN

 

[miles]

Hiya

Sorted out then!!!

On a ligher note, where are you from Zen??

Regards
miles

 

[zeN]

California Miles, I usually spear along the Ca. coast, you are in Africa? I hear you get some big gamefish along with big sharks zeN

 

[miles]

Hiya

If using powerheads is legal in your domain, and thats what you enjoy, NO PROBLEM.

How-ever, there is the question about it being sporting. Whether you take one fish or many fish, how sporting is a powerhead. When hunting big fish, the greatest part is the fight!! With a powerhead, you lose possibly the greatest part of the hunt. If you're hunting for the table, as THE only means of placing food on the table, then it isn't a sport any more.

Regards
miles

 

[miles]

Hiya

Not many gamefish, but BIG tuna's and inshore BIIIIIGGGGG Great Whites. Its not that bad though. We still manage to get some spearing in!!!

Regards
miles

 

[zeN]

OK Miles,
Perhaps this is crux of the debate, our reasons and definition of hunting and sport. From your point of view you spearfish as a sport, with rules and a certain code, for the reasons you spearfish, that makes sense.
On the other hand, I am a hunter, and the act of gliding thru the water and hunting my prey is what fuels my brain chemistry, it is not a sport to me, but what I do, who I am. There is a great deal of skill in finding and getting the perfect shot for the creature I am pursuing; I am also simply hunting my dinner.
I frequently hunt solo, so having some extra firepower is just prudent. Try hitting a fast moving fish, esp a shark with ANYTHING, that is a challenge in itself. I don't use poweheads for most fish, but in my thinking they are very useful pieces of my arsenal, frankly, they are just F* cool
To be continued zeN

 

[zeN]

So Miles, tell us of any encounters with Great Whites, they look absolutely terrifying! zeN

 

[miles]

Hiya

Heres a couple from my neck of the woods:

http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=58983&highlight=great+white
http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=61600&highlight=great+white
http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=58648&highlight=great+white
http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=56909&highlight=great+white
http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=49793&highlight=great+white

Some Mako stories and Blue shark photo's:
http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=59977&highlight=mako

Regards
miles

 

[zeN]

Well Miles, after reading those posts it's obvious you are a very experienced spearo, I can understand the groupie mentality now later zeN

 

[Amphibious]

Well Miles, after reading those posts it's obvious you are a very experienced spearo, I can understand the groupie mentality now later zeN

rofl you sure are a funny one. groupie? I think not. Seeing a new guy (You) tell an old salt (miles) that he knows nothing of spearfishing? you;re damn right I'm going to call them a dumbass. just because I'm a Team Leader doesn;t mean I don;t stick up for the Regulars.

and if you think a regular spear tip is adequate for protection against bull sharks or larger you need to spearfish in the lake zeN

Been spearfishing around sharks (bulls, Tigers, reef) for almost 15yrs and never needed a powerhead. ever. sharp senses and good decision making has always kept me out of harms way when it comes to big predators. either way I have no problem with people shooting sharks, providing they EAT them. there is nothing sporting about a powerhead. that doesn;t mean every fish speared needs to be sporting, but every fish shot needs to be recovered and eaten. to many "shark hunters" I've bumped into in my travels have hunted solely for the Pictures. makes me sick.

 

[zeN]

Dude, I'm not wasting another keystroke on your ilk-zeN

 

[zeN]

You need to check your ego at the door, esp. being a team leader, I'm sure Miles can speak for himself, and I gave him his due, and this is largely a board to discuss varying opinions, philosophies and approaches, if you insist on getting hostile at least have the class to take it pm, I'm not wasting another keystroke on your personal thread :duh zeN

 

[crusty]

Just got to work and on the computer and found this thread and thought i might give it my 2cents worth.
Sorry Zen but you are way out of line .
I spear in Western Australia we have Great Whites, Big Makos, Whalers etc and power heads are only used as the last form of defence. ( i dont carry one at all )
I certain areas that we fish we often get harresed by sharks while we spear. it is not uncommon to have 10 or so black tips a Tiger and a few others try to steel you catch of the Spear tip or rip them of the float line.
Its part of the hunt for us sometimes we have to compete with the sharks for the Fish and if it gets to unfreindly we get out and go somewhere else.
In other places we may never see a shark but you know they are around.

We dont hunt for sharks there are better fish in our seas to test yourself against like big Spanish Macks,Yellow tail kings etc most around the 20 -30 kg mark.

I dont spear solo unless i have to and if i do its only for small reef fish that dont draw to much attention from the tax men but i still wouldnt use a P/H


I dont see how useing a power head is at all enjoyable to me if i cant kill the fish with a spear them i have to improve my skills until i can not just blow a big hole in it with a P/H .

Sorry cant see the Sport/Fun in Powerheads to me its Cheating i dont know any one who uses them apart for self defence and then only when your life is in danger.

Zen your are in Zen with nothing useing a power head

Crusty

 

[gonetobaja]

Q

Zen,

The best eating sharks I hear are Makos. They can be found off the coast by Dana Point. Even though it would seem that hunting sharks is sporting, my opinion is that the other pelagic fish (yellow tail, White Sea Bass, etc.) as they are much harder to locate and stalk. I had a friend who used to hunt bears in Idaho. He would leave a bait at the same spot every week for a month. Then when hunting season came he would sit in the bushes by the trail and wait for the bear to come and shoot him with a high power rifle. They made salami out of the bear because the meat had so much fat in it. He got a bearskin and a story to tell. Some would not consider my friend a sportsmen, some would say he should have stalked it and shot it with a bow, then others would say that shooting bears in general is not as great an idea as shooting a deer or elk, or even a rabbit.

Sharks are hunted in much the same way as bears. In most situations, true predator sharks are chummed in. When the target nears the boat you jump in and shoot him in the gills. I have never heard of a shark that has been shot by a speargun attacking the shooter, they are usualy trying to escape.

If a large shark comes in on me or my customers we will leave the area. If he insists on pushing the confrontation he may have a problem.

I would have to say though hunting a shark is not all its cracked up to be. Its better to hunt tuna in the blue and play keep away from the sharks. Thats more of a rush than shooting one.

I helped a friend of mine bring a 6ft lepoard shark to shore after he shot it. The thing kicked our asses and almost drown both of us. He cut the whole thing in steaks and used to BBQ it with lemon pepper. I though it tasted like #@@$ and felt bad about the whole thing.

Now when I see a shark I feel lucky. Its better for me to say that I was swimming with sharks than hunting them.

Hunting sharks could be considered sporting, but I wouldnt consider it a challange.....

But if yer gonna shoot one, shoot a mako!

I would have to agree with Mr. Amphib though, there are alot of people who are going to read this and think that spearfishermen,(spearos, spear women, shooters, freedive hunters, blue water hunters, apeanic assasins, breath hold divers, underwater hunters, snorkelers with spears....etc) just want to kill things with spearguns, like sharks and other scary things. And they will not agree with your research into your shark hunting foray. You will also find that most spearfishing records commities do not have a catagory for sharks.

After spending much time in the ocean I have learned that it is better to respect the way the food chain works and eat the eating fish and leave the other stuff alone.

Its harder to hunt hallibut than sharks....

GTB

http://www.spearfishingvideos.com
http://www.gonetobaja.com

 

[crusty]

Re: Q

Zen,

''The best eating sharks I hear are Makos.''


The best eating or the Best at Eating ??



Crusty

 

[gonetobaja]

Both....

But hey, if yer gonna hunt sharks.....hunt a mako.

GTB

 

[Amphibious]

Re: Q

Its harder to hunt hallibut than sharks....

GTB

you have that right! a 40lb pacific halibut can kick my ass! they also like to bite back!

 

[zeN]

Gonetobaja-spoken like a good Spearo, I appreciated your good post-I never worry about the harassment I get, which is primarily generated by people that don't like, nor understand hunters, they are very humane, much more than a speartip, and in a confrontation with a toothed critter I will take a ph anytime, I don't kill anymore fish with a pw than I do with a speartip, though as I said I ususally hunt with a shaft/tip.
I must say I am suprised so many blue water hunters have large sharks swimming around them, often even harrassing them, and don't feel the need to carry a ph, no offense, but it seems like machismo to me, as if part of the thrill is tempting fate, and most blue water hunters all have harrowing tales of sharks bumping/nipping at them on the way out of the water. Sorry, but if I had an 8 ft bull nipping at my fins I would blow a whole in his head as big as Amphibious' mouth
Later spearos zeN

 

[sickbugs]

i havnt even seen a shark in the water, a bit weird actually, so im not sure if im really qualified to post in this thread, but i'll take a chance at it.

a powerhead seems like a good thing to keep with you in the water, i dont have one, its illegal to have bullets here without a firearms license, and i really dont think i'd want to have a powerhead out there with me anyways, where do u keep them? in a pocket? if a shark was hungry and coming for me (why i dont know, im sure i dont taste very good) im not sure i'd be able to get it onto the speartip in time anyways. if i did see a shark in the water, and he was hanging around or looking at me the way i look at food on the bbq grill, id try to leave the area as calmly as possible.

as for shark hunting? ive caught a few on rod/reel, some small tigers, a big tiger, a small hammerhead and some small ones with spikes sticking out their back in deeper water, they all went back apart from one small tiger (6 feet long) he went on the grill, not bad tasting, but i didnt really enjoy it as much as i thought i should, so i have no real interest in putting a spear in one. (heck, dont have any interest in even seeing one)

the ethics of shark hunting? hmn.... if you enjoy the taste of their meat, then i can argue with you for hunting the occasional one, but if you enjoy the response from uneducated people who admire you for killing a "ferocious man eating monster" then i dont think i'd have much respect for you.

 

[Huan]

Don't feed the Trolls.