Outdoors

Daily fishing report

By CHAD CARNEY
Published February 19, 2005

Skindivers in the early 1950s used a Hawaiian sling - a device that shot a spear not connected to any line - to catch fish in the clear waters of southeast Florida.

Today, free divers - those who hold their breath and don't use air tanks - use a spear gun with a line attached. The guns are more powerful and accurate, and the line secures pelagic fish that would take off when speared.

But when used on bottom fish, the line can be a danger. So some free divers use free spears fired from guns when targeting fish such as grouper, snapper and hogfish. These fish swim for shelter rather than bolt for open water after being hit, allowing retrieval without any danger from the line.

This week on the Orange Tug in 45 feet of green water I speared a 15-pound gag grouper that rapidly swam my spear into the side of the tug. As I grabbed the spear to control the fish, it pushed off onto the line and quickly wrapped the 400-pound monofilament around my legs. Before the line could tighten I dropped the spear and slipped out of the noose.

While swimming to the surface I imagined what might have happened had I tried to control the fish. Could I have grabbed its gills and dragged it out? Not likely with the line wrapped under part of the wreck as well as around my legs.

Could I have cut the line quickly enough? Maybe my sharp titanium knife could have prevailed, but all this happened after I was underwater 30 seconds to a minute. It could have required another minute to free the line, so I was happy to bail out of the problem.

In two minutes my breath was recovered and I dived back to the grouper. It took only 30 seconds to reach and grab the tiring fish, free the line and ascend with my prize.

Chad Carney teaches diving and spearfishing in the Tampa Bay area. Call 727 423-7775 or e-mail chadcarney@verizon.net

[Last modified February 19, 2005, 00:57:17]