Capt. Dan Berg's Wreck Valley Collection   

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

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.

All photographs, sketches, images and text

Copyright Capt. Dan Berg / Aqua Explorers Inc

2745 Cheshire Dr
Baldwin NY 11510
E-Mail Wreckvalle@aol.com