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Sharks and Spearfishing

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Your right Fuzz. I admit that me saying that last part is not credible for me to recommend. So I do recommend that anyone disregard that comment "everyone else should do the same". Sometimes I don't carefully analyze what I write and it comes out wrong. I also take back my comment about the 20ft(you guys know what I mean). Me being a noob I don't think that I know how to measure distance underwater accurately yet. So please disregard that information as well. It is also true that not all sharks attack. The guy I dive with has had hundreds of shark encounters both here in So Cal and at Guadalupe Isl., Mexico. Whites, Makos, Blues....etc he's seen em all.


He told me a story of a GW he ran into while freediving at catalina island. The very spot we were about to dive. He was floating on the surface breathing up and searching with his eyes for yellowtail. As he was floating he saw from the corner of his eye a mass rise from the depths. Charging the surface with speed. Turns out the est.17-18ft GW was charging his riffe float. He said it stopped 2 feet prior to reaching the float and bumped it, probably thinking what the hell is this thing. Then it noticed him for the first time. He said it swam around him checking him out and dissapearing in and out the blue while he headed for the boat. After both divers made it to the boat they could see the shark on the fish finder passing under the boat multiple times.

The shark was probably more curious than anything.
I would love to see a shark even a great white, but damn you whitey keep you teeth to yourself.
 
You're also more likely to see a leopard, soupfin, horn, or blue shark before you see a GWS or mako.
 
Hiya

Polystigma, notice the UNLOADED gun in this crazy spearo's hand!!!
 

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We don't have too worry about sharks spearfishing in the UK....they are there they just stay away..but would a loaded gun make any difference if that GW wanted to attack....
 
Fascinating thread. Information of this quality would be hard to find outside of Deeper Blue.
I am truly amazed at the determination of certain spearos in their quest to hunt the larger pelagics. To be able to share in your experiences, though be it through these pages, is an experience in it's self. I mean no disrespect to these extrem sprearos, in fact the opposite. I have met Mr Tiger myself! Scared the s--t out of me, swam back to shore for all I was worth!!
Maybe it is a matter of perspective or experience, maybe your desire to hunt overrides any potential fear? Maybe I am just a wimp? I wonder how many of the 7000+ members of Deeper Blue would of acted the same way as I did? Maybe I am lucky to be a humble cold water spearo who hunts in relatively shark free waters! Anyway thanks guys for a really good thread.
 
Is that André Hartmann in that pic Miles?
I don't care who it is they have big Cojones!!
 

...enough to get my attention, and ignore the ignorable.
Thanks for your usual honourable and helpful expertise.
Peace,
Erik Y.
 
Shot 3 fish today. Took 1 home.

The first was a Blue Morwong, smashed by a Whaler of some kind in midwater and ripped clean off the shaft, the second a ~10kg Silver Drummer (museum specimen) that was taken by a 3m Wobby on the bottom. Not that the greedy pig could swallow it whole, but he tried.

I spent a lovely 5 minutes cutting my shaft free while the shark was rolling with the fish...

Never again...:rcard
 

i love wobbegongs :inlove

Have you read the book on sharks by Richard Martin and his experiences with wobbegongs as a kid?
 
Reactions: miles
Hiya

That is indeed Andre Hartman in that picture. For those not in the know, he is a nationally selected spearo, who now runs shark charters. He specialises in free-diving with large GW's. He's the guy you see in the documentaries push the sharks away from the boat on their noses, with the sharks jaws wide open!!

Polystigma, during your diving career, you WILL bump into a large shark. As you can see from the above pictures and story's, not all shark encounters result in a fatality, for either YOU or the SHARK!!

We as spearo's have to accept sharks as part of the whole spearfishing package. Very much like a guy jogging in the neighbourhood has to accept the dogs in the area!!

I've been in the water with large great white, hammerheads, mako's and obviously the notoruis bull sharks. Not forgetting the smaller sharks, (under 3m) which are generally aggresive critters!! Keep calm and ALWAYS stand your ground. NEVER show fear!! Turning and trying to swim away is pretty much similar to turning around and running away from a dog. He WILL chase you!! Its their natural reaction!! By standing your ground, you're showing the shark that you're not his normal prey, which would be fleeing!!

I've said this before and i'll say it again, I'M PETRIFIED OF SHARKS!!! Any spearo who says he isn't afraid of sharks is lie-ing!!! How-ever, this doesn't mean that i'll shoot a shark when i see him!! RESPECT is the key issue here!! Shooting a shark is a ABSOLUTE last resort!!

I'll never forget my very first shark encounter. We were shore diving and more than a kilometer from shore. I had just shot my very first yellowtail kingfish. The viz. started dropping from 8m to about 4m when a large 3m shark glided by under me!! I was so dumbstruck by the beauty and gracefullness of that shark, that i forgot to be scared!!!

Regards
miles
 
Reactions: island_sands
Solid comments Miles and Fuzz, and those are awesome tiger photos!

So much of the time shark stories are full of BS so thick there's no useful advice.

It's good to hear from divers that have dealt with the type of sharks rarely seen in the Gulf of Mexico, and not frequently even on the Atlantic coast.

I've often suspected that they would not behave hugely different than our common sharks, and that I should not stray from my usual position of respect with strength towards them.

Here's one unusual shark encounter I'll never forget, because it's on video and because of the impression it had on me.
A nine foot nurse shark was lying in a ravine between coral structures, facing away, about 10'/3m beyond and below me. I saw it's gills start to flare and quickly it turned and swam damn fast right at me. It's nose touched my camera's dome port softly as it stopped and turned with the same agility and speed as it had advanced. I'm glad I had no time to think about it! I never stopped taping and followed as it swam out of site. Obviously the camera's motor noise and vibrations agitated it. This was in gin clear water, somewhere in the Caribbean. I'll have to watch the video again to remember where.

Sometimes the seemingly harmless creatures prove they have the potential to be otherwise!

Chad
 
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miles said:
Any spearo who says he isn't afraid of sharks is lie-ing!!! Regards
miles
Click to expand...

Miles, I know a couple who truly arent, in fact they have sought them out and hold many records. Stna Smith, a helldiver in Louisiana has the top 3 Loiuisiana sharks on spear...up to 500#. Im not here to get into the ethics of it b/c its a whole different ball game in Louisiana. That being said these guys truly believe THEY are the top of the food chain. They have taken large tigers, sand tigers, and shot a rare GWS in the gulf. Nuts for sure but super nice guys. Chad can back me up as he's dove with them.
 
not even just a little afraid? must have a hellofa poker face too!

Shooting a great white...not too many can claim that! Not here for ethics either as I know it is definatley a different ballgame in your neck of the woods but I'd like to hear that story!
 
Hey Chad,

Was the nurse incident in August or close?? That is mating season for them. I know of several instances (one of my own) where divers were approached by big nurse sharks (all males?) during that time of year. Maybe you looked like his sweetie. Good chance their eye sight isn't too good.
Mine came up out of 60 ft of water, all the way to the surface and didn't turn until I poked him in the nose with the shaft. He wasn't going fast or at all agressive. It was just surreal to see a nurse do that.

Connor
 
I had a massive guitar fish attack me once, but I was trying to ride it at the time....

won that bet
 
Hiya

rigdvr, for experienced spearo's, the fear isn't so great, simply becuase you've become accustomed to seeing sharks and argueing with them over who's fish is on the end of your spear!!

How-ever, 500lb sharks are puppy's!!! GWS are mean buggers that become VERY AGGRESSIVE when provoked!!! Quite a few guys here had their boats damaged when they tried gaffing a large GWS , when fishing for them was still legal. Any guy that claims he isn't scared of a 5m+ GWS, thats 3000-4000lb's of pure PREDATOR is NUTS!!!! rofl rofl

When i saw my first 5m+GWS, my first instict was : Wow look at this cool whale passing under me!! Your mind simply cannot accept that a shark can grow THAT big!! Its not just the length, but the GIRTH of such a large shark that scares the daylights out of me!!! I was so scared, i couldn't even put a powerhead on!! Simply kept the gun pointing at the shark. He couldn't have been bothered, and simply swam past me and my dive buddy and then diss-appeared.

Regards
miles
 
I've said this before and i'll say it again, I'M PETRIFIED OF SHARKS!!! Any spearo who says he isn't afraid of sharks is lie-ing!!! How-ever, this doesn't mean that i'll shoot a shark when i see him!! RESPECT is the key issue here!! Shooting a shark is a ABSOLUTE last resort!!



Regards
miles[/QUOTE/]


Miles, I feel the same exact way. I don't mind them if they keep there distance. But I sure wish this had never happened. :martial Seen her coming from a long way away too. Beautiful Fish! Make sure you have big guns and dive buddies with nerves of steel.

Eric
 

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