Yellowtail Snapper - quite the challenge, more tips?

[John Marr]

Hello,
so in my area I have quite a lot of medium and bigger sized Yellowtail Snapper which live up to their reputation a sbeing quite clever.
Interestingly enough though, the ones I caught were very easy to get, so I must have done something quite right, but hard to say what, since it was always different.
Usually they are quite visible and close and once I dive, no matter how quiet and slow, they disperse far out. When waiting at the bottom, hidden, they usually come closer after about a minute but most of the time not close enough, keeping a safe distance. However once I fell down to the ground not moving and one came straight at me with high speed.
I also usually try to hide with the sun in my back but yesterday I got one being fully exposed and the light coming from the front.
In my area we have a lot of lousy non-diver spearfishermen who shoot at anything that moves. So I guess most of the bigger fish have been shot at once, so they are more wary.
I also had one swim up to me superclose and very relaxed at around 20m yesterday, and I was seriously considering if it knew that my gun was not loaded ( I just went down to look at a beautiful sponge-biotope ). But I rather think that they feel if I am in hunting mode or not.

My accessible area is from shore with dispersed stone and coral blocks interrupted by sandy patches. Medium steep drop to around 60m.
Any good tips here? Time of the day, light, distractions, attractions?

Thanks a lot.

 

[HooSlayer]

they are a very hard fish to shoot. I have only been able to shoot them when they were in a feeding frenzy in a chum line we were diving in

 

[cdavis]

Yellowtail are just naturally wary. Getting shot at would make it worse, but the ones I've shot probably had not been shot at. My best results came in 60 ft approximate, falling slowly and not moving otherwise. The bigger ones will sometimes do what you have seen, make one pass close, somewhere in mid water. I don't thing hiding makes much difference. They know you are there. I shoot a sling, so staying cocked and falling slowly isn't very easy. I don't target them much. You might do better at sun down. They are primarily night feeders.

and yes, they absolutely know when you are in hunting mode. My trick with this is to think nice thoughts about how pretty they are and not about dinner. Works surprisingly well.

 

[John Marr]

My best results came in 60 ft approximate, falling slowly and not moving otherwise.

Thats also my experience. However, did you try significantly deeper as well?

and yes, they absolutely know when you are in hunting mode. My trick with this is to think nice thoughts about how pretty they are and not about dinner. Works surprisingly well.

indeed. I tried to just focus on any other thing I see. Says a lot about cunning humans ...

 

[cdavis]

Once took a big one out of maybe 80ft bottom, half way down. Deeper than I could dive at the time so it was an iffy shot with a free shaft. Big ones tend to be on deeper drop offs with good vertical structure. Any of those should work. A line gun might work best.

Most of mine have been targets of opportunity, I have not tried targeting them in a long time. One of my dive buddies is getting them with a pole gun. He is the smoothest diver I've ever seen. Makes me want to try again.

 

[John Marr]

He is the smoothest diver I've ever seen. Makes me want to try again.

Yes, that is what interests me the most. Getting better while trying and finding out what works.

 

[John Marr]

Aha. So obviously I just have to post my desires on db and I get the results a day later ...

 

[cdavis]

nice one!