Bluewater Spearfishing with Lisa Stengel
When visiting our friends in the Florida Keys, every time is always the best time. We woke up to an absolutely azure day from top to bottom; the water shone like glass, with the horizon only distinguishable by a few reflected clouds. The wind was absent and gave us everything we could ask for, including crystal clear water. This was our opportunity to make the long run out to a place where all of the fish come in size large. We passed over a wreck with all the ingredients for our favorite fish, African Pompano, and dropped anchor. Delightfully sweet meat with an iridescent sparkle, they are as pretty as they are delicious, and more exciting for me than anything on the reef!
The rush to be first in the water can be advantageous. I was hoping to capitalize on the brief moment of curiosity a fish has with your initial presence before they alter their behavior. I eagerly splashed in with my 47 Riffe Marauder while the others unhurriedly geared up. My first glimpse at what lay beneath produced the unmistakable glisten of our target species. A pair of African Pompano in my right peripheral noticed me too, and intended to leave the area. My decision-making process is put into overdrive; what I want is right in front of me and another chance may not eventuate. With no proper breathe-up, I inhaled as deeply as possible and made the first plunge of the day. I intercepted their swimming path as they moved away from our boat into deep blue nothing; they were determined to leave, but not without a brief investigation. I gently finned closer to continue closing the gap between us. I waited until they were extremely close before making any movements, close enough to see their eyeballs scanning my existence.
Because this was a quick Bluewater pit-stop, I hadn’t brought my preferred breakaway setup with slip-tip. What I had was a double flopper, and for a moment I considered not taking the shot. I always try, but most likely I wasn’t going to stone this fish. I envisioned it peeling off with my limited amount of reel line while the flopper carved a hole large enough to slide off the shaft. A float line would have provided additional resistance to tire out the fish, plus the reassurance that at any time I could let-go to save my fingers and gear. I once had a shark ambush a wahoo I had on a reel line; for a fleeting moment I looked like a towed wakeboarder. Just as the gun was about to escape my grasp, the line shredded. I was lucky to keep my gear, but not the wahoo. After that incident, my preference for any pelagic species is a breakaway float line and float with a slip-tip.
My proximity to these African Pompano ousted the “what-if” thoughts in my mind and I pulled the trigger. The shot hit well but didn’t end the hunt; the fish bolted for the bottom with my reel line while I focused on getting to the surface for a fresh breath — and to check my buddy’s progress on entering the water. I shouted “I shot one” just before shoving the snorkel in my mouth to focus on the fight. African Pompano are powerful swimmers, and despite how strong any of us think we are, it would be foolish to underestimate the fight for its life. I tried not to let my excitement outweigh some precautionary actions. The current was strong enough that we had set out a tagline. Before even attempting to recover the fish, I swam to the tag line and connected it to my speargun. I was now free to focus on line management, slowly pulling up the line while swimming forward. Even with the AP surrendering, I was combating the water’s drag against the fish’s wide surface area. I nearly had the spear shaft in my hand when the fish made another attempt at escape, quickly undoing my premature excitement. I released my grip on the reel line as it made its retreat to the bottom, apprehensive of the risk of entanglement. Once again, I painstakingly recovered the reel line.
Luckily, the sharks would keep their distance. I welcomed assistance from my buddy as the fish came back into view. The adrenaline and eagerness to secure dinner provisions had me weary. I continued to reclaim the reel line hand-over-hand and was thankful to see my buddy make a dive to grab the fish below. And just like that, the first drop of the day was my personal best diamond.
Despite success with my reel gun, my credo for bluewater spearing in Florida will always be to use a breakaway float line setup. Regardless of how you choose to rig your gear, leave the ego at the dock. Securing a large pelagic fish using a reel gun doesn’t make you better or worse at spearfishing. Everyone has their own preferences, it’s most important to maintain awareness of your situational limitations. Calculate your risk and never abandon your caution. Your role as a dive buddy is the most important of all. A good spearo should have accountability for their choices every time.