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SPEAR FISHING
By Capt. Dan Berg
Spearfishing
on the Stolt Dagali. Photo by Jozef Koppelman
 Spear fishing is an art all in itself. This exciting sport is
enhanced through shipwrecks because wrecks attract such a wealth of
aquatic life. Spear fishing on a shipwreck is an exciting change
from open water diving or spearing under bridges. Although I make no
claim to be a world class spear fisherman, I have always found it
quite easy to bring home dinner while exploring the sunken remains
of ships. In the
New York, New Jersey area, black fish are the
prized catch. These tasty fish with pure white meat are very
difficult to catch on hook and line. Fishermen are more than happy
catching fish in the two to four pound class, but divers are a
little more spoiled. In fact, it's been about four years since I've
taken a fish under five pounds.
 The normal catch is one big fish of
ten to 12 pounds. We leave the little ones to grow up and eat the
bait of local fishermen. In 1988, Bill Campbell dove the wreck of
the Yankee, a coastwise steamer sunk in 1919, and brought up
an 18 pound black fish. Although this is not quite a record fish,
it is the largest specimen of this species I have ever seen and is
certainly impressive, especially after hearing the story behind its
capture. First of all, Bill didn't even have a spear gun; he was
just looking around for lobsters when he found the huge fish amongst
some wreckage. Bill took out his dive knife and stabbed the fish,
trying to hold it against the sand bottom so it couldn't escape. The
fish was so strong that it yanked the knife right out of Bill's
hands, and swam away with the knife still in its side. Bill swam
after the fish and soon found his knife sitting in the sand. He was
amazed that he could actually see a blood trail floating just off
the bottom. After imitating a bloodhound for a few minutes, he
relocated his prized fish wedged between two steel hull plates. A
photograph of Bill and his fish appeared in the next issue of the
LONG ISLAND FISHERMAN Magazine.
Photo Dan Berg with a nice size blackfish
In other areas of the world, divers tell similar stories. Of course,
the type of fish is different but the excitement and rewards of
spear fishing on shipwrecks are always the same great.
 A few basic rules to follow are never spear in limited visibility
when other divers are in the area. The line on a gun should be no
longer than one half the visibility.
Caribbean divers who
are used to 100 feet or more in visibility may laugh at this rule,
but let them experience four feet of visibility with the knowledge
that somebody is spear fishing with six feet of line. It's quite
uncomfortable. Move very slowly so as not to spook your prey, or
stay motionless and let the fish come to you. A good friend of mine,
Jim D'Alessio, was always very good at this. I used to watch him sit
inside a tug boat wreck with his spear aimed out a port. When a big
fish came by, Jim shot it, pulled it in and reloaded. My rule is
never to take more fish than you're going to eat.
Seafood
Guide
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The Shipwreck Diving E-Book
Instant Downloadable E-Book
Shipwreck Diving,
by Capt. Dan Berg is a complete how to book about the sport of
wreck diving. This book is packed with information and heavily
illustrated with over 80 sensational color photographs. |
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