Moreton Jobfish Debacle

People that are truly good at spearfishing do three things;

1. They go spearfishing
2. They go spearfishing again
3. They go spearfishing all the time

While you and I both know there is more to it than that, we must agree that time in the water is the biggest factor to improving your spearfishing.

If you don’t go, you don’t get better.

I’m pretty sure that’s why I struggle at times.

Specifically I struggle with;

• Breath-hold. You know when the good fish are all on the front edge of the reef and you need to swim up, breathe up and dive down to get in the right spot? Against current my dives look like a fat man's hand into a box of popcorn, down and up...kind of pathetic.
• Scaring fish. Have you had the experience of finally seeing the fish you've obsessed about emerge from the edge of viz only to be instantly spooked by the sound of your speargun handle striking a lead weight on your belt? You're not alone.
• Equipment Malfunction. Have you changed out your mono shooting line the night before? then gone on to shoot your first fish of the day and the spear pulls up short because you crimped the linebehind the line guide? Yes, yes I’m a certain kind of special. 

Can you relate? Or am I alone?

These are just a handful of the tragedies that befell me on a recent fateful day out spearfishing off Moreton Island, Brisbane. 

I put most of these mistakes/difficulties down to not going diving enough. At the moment, I get out once or twice a month at most and it shows when I get out.

Anyway on the 15th drift over the front of this reef….

I timed my drop right.

I pulled in close to the reef (in about 12m) and steadily pulled myself back towards the dropoff.

I concealed most of my considerable bulk and peeked over the edge.

Nothing…

Scanning, scanning through the 15m viz.

There right in front of me. Three HUGE Green Jobfish. I raise my gun slowly as the fish comes closer. A grey sawtail Surgeonfish swims interference and blocks me while the closest fish swims out of range. I switch targets, pull myself off the reef, take 3 fin strokes and let fly.

Tiiiiicccttthhh… 

The shaft enters the 7kg Jobfish mid-body on the right side and exits near the gill plate on the left. Zzzzz.Zzzzzz the reel line spools off like I’ve shot a Spanish or Kingie and I head rapidly to the surface. I try to put pressure on the line but this fish is strong and at this stage I’m not 100% on the shot. 

The current pumps and I’m swimming up current to watch the Jobfish swim under an outcropping of Reef. I must swim up-current to free this fish. I scream (manly-like though) for my buddy Danny to come help. He's 15m and down-current though sono help. I start trying to breathe up as I furiously kick up current….pathetic. I feel like the out of shape POS I am. 

Danny swims up just in time. He sees the fish kicking futilely laid out on the sand between rocks tethered. He also witnesses the two BULLSHARKS approach;

They annihilate my fish.

I weep. 

Morale of the Story: Go Spearfishing More

• Isaac ‘Shrek’ Daly fromthe Noob Spearo Podcast

P.S watch the video here