What's your spearfishing technique?

[yellowbeard]

I'm keen to hear from spearfishers about their firing technique. I'm trying to fit some real-life pieces together that involve the skill and coordination of the sport and the relationship, if any, to similar skills on land, such as shooting. I'm happy to PM more info on the project to anyone who's interested.
Firstly, is it out-of-the ordinary for a left-handed person to shoot right-handed and
vice-versa?
Also is it customary to shoot with the arm fully extended, half-bent or to shoot from the hip?
Is shooting from the hip wide-spread?
In competition spearfishing events do the most successful competitors all use a similar shooting technique (like most successful tennis players serve, volley and play ground shots in a similar way).
Is it necessary to change hands to tend to scuba equipment?

Thanks in anticipation.
Yellowbeard:)

[Marlin_Mike]

dont you just aim and shoot, and hope the hell it hits the fish?

Never spear fished sorry, dont know jack about it.

Mike

[jtpython]

Arm fully extended. Thus giving you the best straight aimed shot
JT

[nigelr]

Agree with jt, full extension brings your target more into range also.
Can be difficult to achieve when close-quarter reef hunting, in which case a bit of fore-thought may be required as to how best approach your target.
Always well worth the effort though.
Yellowbeard what I'm saying is that IMO, time-developed hunting skills are infinitely more important than any technical shooting skills per se, at least for the reef work I do.
A person who has superb shooting ability, may have no underwater hunting craft, and therefore literally may never be in a position to fire an effective shot at a target fish.
Combine the two abilities and you have the incredible talents of the world's elite underwater hunters, as readily viewed on u-tube etc.
Cheers.

[kokomo]

agree with above.. 60% hunting skill 20% accuracy 20% luck

almost everyone i know shoots straight arm. there is almost no other way to shoot. with a bent arm my spear would fold you in half with recoil :)

[Luke G]

One thing i've learn't is don't anticipate the gun shooting - be relaxed when you pull the trigger. I also keep my arm straight when I shoot.

[BARRAkid]

strait arm and most important i think is a quality gun if you are serious about doing this sport it is much to your advantage to buy a quality gun first up.
A rob allan or a edge gun is quite good priced and they are fantastic guns shoot strait have a good amount of power.
Also i think it is better to not rush a shot many times i have rushed a shot and put the shaft in the sand or reef instead of the fishes head >:(

cheers BK

[Richard]

Scuba equipment while spearing ??

[warti]

Not in queensland. Bottom time is essential, bit of burley doesnt go astray if you have big enough goolies.

[boney-leg]

Agree with jt, full extension brings your target more into range also.

Yellowbeard what I'm saying is that IMO, time-developed hunting skills are infinitely more important than any technical shooting skills per se, at least for the reef work I do.

A person who has superb shooting ability, may have no underwater hunting craft, and therefore literally may never be in a position to fire an effective shot at a target fish.


Agree totally. Getting to know your prey is most important in separating the men from the boys. When you first start spearfishing you tend to look everywhere and under everything as you swim an area. The experienced guys will speed off until they find some country that looks right and then they'll hang. Looking right might mean particular bait gathered, or with trout a cleaning station. Experienced divers tend to cover more area than new divers and use their diving more effectively.

[boney-leg]

agree with above.. 60% hunting skill 20% accuracy 20% luck



Do you reckon 20% luck?? I'd be interested to hear from others but here is my quick guestamates:

Coral Trout 90+ % (for every ten shots you should land 9)
Cod 90%
Spanglies 10 - 20 %
Venus tusker 60%
Red Emperor 95% (as long as you don't panic they will always hang around)
Mackerel 70% (but you may only get to shoot at 50% of the ones you see)
Cray 99%

These are based on when you believe that you have the right shot (ie not when you just see a mackerel and squeeze off a shot as it is moving away from you;) ). Interested to hear others' thoughts ...

[spearking]

Yellowbeard I agree with the straight arm technique, aligning the length of the spear and sights from your eye to the target takes practice. I also try to adapt other techniques from my target rifle shooting like: maintaining a controlled trigger squeeze and not 'pulling the trigger', follow through on the trigger squeeze, controlled 'breathing' were the shot is taken when the body is most relaxed, and controlling the 'flinch' from the anticipation of the actual firing. Anyone else who is a sporting shooter would probably be aware of how important these techniques are when shooting over a distance, and even though spearing is short distance it can make the difference in making a humane shot or ruining a good fillet.
Not sure that I explained the ideas well enough but hope it helps.

[yellowbeard]

Thanks to all who participated.

[nickstock]

Bit of burley doesnt go astray if you have big enough goolies.

Berley is a great trick but this is what often happens when you have burlied a tad too much;D

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff241/viridis1/BigJewie.jpg

Nick

[nigelr]

Hey nick, feel free to give us the yarn on that pic, mate!
Cheers.

[nickstock]

Hey nick, feel free to give us the yarn on that pic, mate!
Cheers.


Hi Nigel,


That is my best mate Luke. He lives at the Gold Coast and has dived all around Australia and N.Z.


That lad is a freak; he is only 22 years old and has been diving since he was a kid.


He speared a nice Jewie only to have a 10 foot Bronzy snaffle it from under him. Not my idea of fun, but I try to tag along whenever I get the chance (big sharks around and I am in the boat though)


He has no fear what so ever of the water. He often dives off the Swains and Bunker group and has some amazing captures. He is not all egos and has passed up shots on many trophy fish whilst being in awe or their presence.


He will shoot a big 'cuda or something similar and then sit mid water (approx 20 meters deep) and start cubing it up for burley. He gets 30kg Trout come up the burley trail wondering where the free feed is coming from. He truly is a freak of nature when it comes to his ability to dive. He regularly dives the bottom in 70 + feet of water. His biggest fish to date was speared when he was just 18 years old, a 45.5 kilo Yellow Tail King from N.Z. I will organise a few pics and hopefully some video footage and post it up as he is not a member.


Some of the fish he has speared is incredible. He also has some incredible footage of monster Hammerheads and schools of Bronzies over 10 feet long swimming around him.


The stories and footage he has is inspiring, he speared a Spanish that went 28 kilos (I have the head taxidermied on my wall) only to have a much bigger Spanish around 30 kilos smashed off his spear by two monster GT's within a few seconds all that was left was the head.


Enough of a rant from me,


I will get some more photos as you know the saying.......pics speak a thousand words...........

Nick

[nigelr]

Great story Nick, thanks for that!

[nickstock]

This is some good youtube footage from W.A. This shows the burley technique.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvYSxs3JUJs&feature=fvw

Cheers,

Nick