# 10-8 trip



## Berry (Mar 8, 2011)

Nice little mid week trip. We dove the ydt plan was to hit up a couple of snapper maybe a Aj then move on and look for trigger. The ride out was smoother that predicted and the vid was great 40 plus feet. Weird dive didn't see a snapper on the ydt it was mainly covered up in barracuda like 60 something just hovering. I only saw 3-4 lionfish I killed two of them. Next dive was on some black water bridge rubble tons of life here I got my limit of snapper. The little one is 17-18 inches long


Question about sharks they have become more than the occasional nuance they show up with the first shot of a gun and just pester your like a dam begging dog. I had a sand shark circle all around while I strung up my snapper. We just locked eyes on as he swam in small circle off to the side of me. I went ahead and sent my fish up anchor line with the lift bag and he left me to pester my buddy. Anchor rehung in rubble so we made a third dive there as well. We planned to put both stringers on anchor line pop two fish shoot it up pop two more and shoot up stringer. As soon as we got down two sand sharks are checking us out my buddy took a poor shot on a snapper (lead him a little to much and blew off chunk just forward of his eye) I am know watching 5 sharks chase at and cut each other off trying to get this snapper. We bailed on out and started up rope.
Now my stupid question. Do you guys pull the trigger when sharks are already hanging out? It seems asking for trouble but on the other hand pretty much every dive we have shot fish on they appear as soon as the trigger pops, it doesn't matter if I am on tanks or privates little sites smaller than cars or big ships. Only time I haven't seen any lately was a trip we took in July just bagging flounder in bridge rubble, the only difference that was all of us had pole spears. It almost seems to me the sharks zone in on the pop of the guns and head towards them any thoughts?


----------



## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

Yeh,.........get yourself and underwater camera plus a rod and reel. Problem solved.

Shark numbers will continue to grow under protection but it has been like that since I started diving in the 70s. It's not the pop of the gun, it's the vibration of a distressed fish.


----------



## aquatic argobull (Mar 2, 2009)

It really depends on what site you're spearfishing. You were at two very public reefs. Especially the bridge rubble, the site is known for having a lot of sharks. 

I hate to blame the man or the gov't, but it's probably due in part to all of the snapper regulations. Fisherman are sending back down a lot of tired snapper fish and sharks are getting a lot of easy meals. So they're making that site home. Smaller private reefs you won't see nearly as many and the ones you see aren't as aggressive.


----------



## aquatic argobull (Mar 2, 2009)

Invest in a gopro, it's the best shark repellent you can buy :whistling:


----------



## Berry (Mar 8, 2011)

I wish I had the gopro it was in the counter at home. Definitely more frisky in the public numbers but they always show up in some little private stuff as well. In regards to the distressed fish I know it attracts them but what I have see is they always appear when gun fires and rarely when we all have pole spears anybody else notice that.


----------



## WhackUmStackUm (Jan 31, 2010)

I agree that many sharks trigger off the sound of a speargun being fired, and certainly they come a-runnin' when they sense a struggling fish.

If I feel threatened by sharks, I attach my stringer to a 15 lb lift bag, shaped like a safety sausage, and send it to the surface. With very few exceptions, sharks ignore as soon as I do this. I often carry two or three stringer/lift bag setups.

Folks on the boat are on the lookout for the bags and pick them up. I've never had a shark or barracuda mess with my lift-bagged fish on the surface.


----------



## jspooney (Oct 2, 2007)

A 15 lb lift bag wouldn't even lift one of my fish...let alone the whole stringer.......


----------



## Berry (Mar 8, 2011)

So do you guys still take a shit with one interested (not aggressive just lazily doing circles) nearby


----------



## jspooney (Oct 2, 2007)

Berry said:


> So do you guys still take a shit with one interested (not aggressive just lazily doing circles) nearby


Can't...stop...laughing. Dang spell chick


----------



## aquatic argobull (Mar 2, 2009)

jspooney said:


> Can't...stop...laughing. Dang spell chick



When ya gotta go....ya gotta go.


----------



## Berry (Mar 8, 2011)

Damn phones but that's funny as hell


----------



## Berry (Mar 8, 2011)

Fat fingers and phone keyboards


----------



## reefcreature (Oct 3, 2007)

I will depending on the shark. Take a shot that is.


----------



## WhackUmStackUm (Jan 31, 2010)

jspooney said:


> A 15 lb lift bag wouldn't even lift one of my fish...let alone the whole stringer.......


Jeff, I know you only shoot monsters!

For everyone else...since fish are neutrally buoyant at depth, 15 lbs of lift will easily take dead fish on a stringer to the surface. I recommend that you kill any fish over 25 lbs before sending it up.

*Important Safety Tip:* Please make sure that the lift bag is not clipped to you when you inflate it, and stay clear of the bag and stringer when you release it. If you get tangled up, you'll be heading to the surface too. :help::hurt:


----------



## WhackUmStackUm (Jan 31, 2010)

Berry said:


> So do you guys still take a shit with one interested (not aggressive just lazily doing circles) nearby


Yes, I do have friends that _*shart*_ whenever a shark shows up!

When I encounter sandbar, lemon and silky sharks, I generally do nothing until a shark gets close enough to poke with my gun or pole spear. One good poke and most sharks keep their distance. If a shark comes back after several pokes, or if I am concerned that it will come up from behind and I can't keep my eye on it, I'll shoot the fish to the surface.

For encounters with more dangerous sharks such as bulls and tigers, and when there are two or more sandbar sharks after my fish, I send the fish up on a lift bag right away.

SharkShields (also known as the Shart-Shield) work well too. However, since the lift bag technique works so well for me, I rarely use my SharkShield these days.


----------



## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

jspooney said:


> A 15 lb lift bag wouldn't even lift one of my fish...let alone the whole stringer.......


I hate to tell you but a fish in the water doesn't weigh anything. Plus he gets lighter when coming up.


----------



## jspooney (Oct 2, 2007)

sealark said:


> I hate to tell you but a fish in the water doesn't weigh anything. Plus he gets lighter when coming up.


I know, I was just messing around. I humbly bow with respect to the spear masters on this forum (of which I am not one of them.) I am a lowly youngster in the spearo world.


----------



## WhackUmStackUm (Jan 31, 2010)

jspooney said:


> I know, I was just messing around. I humbly bow with respect to the spear masters on this forum (of which I am not one of them.) I am a lowly youngster in the spearo world.


Be mindful of your jokes young Padawan learner. Serious spearfishing is never fun!


----------



## SaltAddict (Jan 6, 2010)

I believe the "pop" of the bands when a gun is fired is a dinner bell for sharks. 

As for taking the shot, that depends on the situation.


----------



## Berry (Mar 8, 2011)

Agree on the lift bag they lose all interest once it heads up and never had them follow it. I had several shots but it just felt really wrong to pull the trigger with them swimming around. Although the realty is they are almost always there when you pull the trigger. I was just wondering what others did thanks


----------



## WhackUmStackUm (Jan 31, 2010)

Berry said:


> Agree on the lift bag they lose all interest once it heads up and never had them follow it. I had several shots but it just felt really wrong to pull the trigger with them swimming around. Although the realty is they are almost always there when you pull the trigger. I was just wondering what others did thanks


For what it's worth... I don't hesitate to shoot when sandbar sharks are around. I rarely shoot when I know there is a bull or tiger shark nearby.

The thing that worries me the most when sharks are snooping around is how others will react. Fear can quickly lead to panic, and panic can kill a diver quicker than any shark.

Just my two cents.


----------



## jspooney (Oct 2, 2007)

WhackUmStackUm said:


> Be mindful of your jokes young Padawan learner. Serious spearfishing is never fun!


Then I shall seek to have no fun tomorrow morning! Game face...ON!


----------

