# Sharky out there fellow Spearos!!



## Cajun Spearit (Jun 3, 2011)

Had some very "Sharky" dives yesterday. Saw sharks on just about every dive so we stopped the solo dives and started going in pairs. In this video, watch as I load my second band, Greg shoots a nice snapper and 4 bull sharks move in. Freakin hilarious when Greg reaches down to turn on the shark shield!! Luckily the snapper swam into the coop or we could have had some issues. Once the shield was on, they still got close, but their feeding mode seemed to turn off. I watched Greg's back while he worked on getting the fish up on a lift bag. BTW, biggest bull shark I've ever seen...the video doesn't do his size justice. Make sure you are in 1080p...enjoy.


----------



## watergator (Apr 5, 2016)

I don't see many people up here using lift bags, but where I learned to dive in South Florida we sent practically every fish up. It's definitely the way to go with sharks around in my opinion 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## polar21 (Nov 5, 2007)

Same thing for us on Friday. Saw sharks every dive, including the biggest bull I have seen!


----------



## Telum Pisces (Sep 27, 2007)

One shark, I'm good! Two sharks, I get cautious! Three sharks, I tend to abort since it's usually more than me and a buddy can keep an eye on. Four sharks and I'm out of there. I am not afraid of them at all. One I will usually chase off myself. But when there's that many, they WILL gang up on you to get your fish!!!!

I always swim as fast as I can at them to give them a jab and they tend to back off after that! The big ones don't scare me as much as the little young punks that don't have fear like a teenager. The big ones take a jab to the nose and learn. The smaller punks keep coming back even after a jab from a spear point.


----------



## Fishing Grandpa (Jul 2, 2017)

Man, I didn't realize there were so many lionfish!


----------



## FenderBender (Oct 2, 2007)

Grandpa that's not even that many lions!!! There are a couple of spots I'm scared to drop down in the sand to reload my gun or string a fish, they are so thick I'm afraid I'll land on one and poke my knee!


----------



## watergator (Apr 5, 2016)

FenderBender said:


> Grandpa that's not even that many lions!!! There are a couple of spots I'm scared to drop down in the sand to reload my gun or string a fish, they are so thick I'm afraid I'll land on one and poke my knee!




Get an SPL and pay for a few trips on those spots. All the buyers I've talked with can't get enough to keep up. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## jeremyledford (Jun 24, 2012)

With Snapper as crazy as they are now I just want to eat some lions!


----------



## jspooney (Oct 2, 2007)

We saw a big bull on Friday as well.


----------



## troygem (Jul 27, 2015)

I just want to know if anyone has had to actually shoot one because he was getting too frisky...


----------



## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

You guys are crazy, screw that!


----------



## Orion45 (Jun 26, 2008)

watergator said:


> I don't see many people up here using lift bags, but where I learned to dive in South Florida we sent practically every fish up. It's definitely the way to go with sharks around in my opinion
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


My practice is never to send my fish up with a bag. The only time I use a bag is when I send my homemade lionfish container up because it becomes way too buoyant when full. I made it from two Kentwood 5 Gal water bottles.

I turn my Sharkshield on when I hit the water and never have any problems. One time, I was shooting snapper on one of the tanks with three bulls circling around. They would try to go after the snapper after I shot it but as soon as I brought it closer to me they veered off. 

Never had any shark get closer than 9-10' feet from me while the shield was on.

I think handing sharks your fish or sending it up with a bag will only get them used to it. They'll come to associate divers with free meals...just as Flipper hangs around and waits for the released snappers.

Then, there is always the powerhead option for that persistent shark. :whistling:

All that said, would I jump in the middle of a bunch of sharks in a feeding frenzy with a Sharkshield? Hell...NO!


----------



## Orion45 (Jun 26, 2008)

troygem said:


> I just want to know if anyone has had to actually shoot one because he was getting too frisky...


Never spear a shark. If you do, make sure your spear is not attached to your gun. :whistling:

Haven't checked the fine print in quite a while but I think it is still illegal to spearfish sharks.


----------



## Orion45 (Jun 26, 2008)

Nice video. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## Orion45 (Jun 26, 2008)

FenderBender said:


> Grandpa that's not even that many lions!!! There are a couple of spots I'm scared to drop down in the sand to reload my gun or string a fish, they are so thick I'm afraid I'll land on one and poke my knee!


...and that is NO exaggeration!


----------



## Cajun Spearit (Jun 3, 2011)

Orion45 said:


> My practice is never to send my fish up with a bag. The only time I use a bag is when I send my homemade lionfish container up because it becomes way too buoyant when full. I made it from two Kentwood 5 Gal water bottles.
> 
> I turn my Sharkshield on when I hit the water and never have any problems. One time, I was shooting snapper on one of the tanks with three bulls circling around. They would try to go after the snapper after I shot it but as soon as I brought it closer to me they veered off.
> 
> ...


I appreciate your comment, but the sharks didn't get the fish. The boat grabbed it up before they knew it was gone...as you can see, they never left us. I disagree, sending up fish on a lift bag is a great option when sharks are around...especially on solo dives.


----------



## Orion45 (Jun 26, 2008)

Wirelessly posted



Cajun Spearit said:


> Orion45 said:
> 
> 
> > My practice is never to send my fish up with a bag. The only time I use a bag is when I send my homemade lionfish container up because it becomes way too buoyant when full. I made it from two Kentwood 5 Gal water bottles.
> ...


I have no problem diving solo and I always dive with the Sharkshield. Been on the bottom alone quite a few times with sharks and have never used a lift bag to send up my fish. 

I could feel differently about the issue were I alone, in murky water, and no Sharkshield. 

In the end, it all boils down to what one is comfortable with.


----------



## polar21 (Nov 5, 2007)

So is a sharkshield worth $600?


----------



## FenderBender (Oct 2, 2007)

polar21 said:


> So is a sharkshield worth $600?




That's very subjective. How worried are you when sharks come around? They aren't going to bite you. Try to take your fish- maybe. They can see you and will not try to eat you. They always leave when you poke them. You have to be the aggressor. 

Now if I was in the Guadalupe islands or South Africa- yeah. I'd have a shark shield. Or a CAGE. Big difference between our pesky bull sharks and a true man eater.


----------



## Orion45 (Jun 26, 2008)

Wirelessly posted



polar21 said:


> So is a sharkshield worth $600?


To me it is. 

Like FenderBender stated, these sharks are going after the fish.

I'm more concerned about getting accidentally bitten by a shark trying to get the fish on my stringer. That is particularly of concern to me while ascending in murky waters. The shark might take a bite at the fish and in the process...take half of my ass with it. 

Getting bitten by a large shark will result in a severe loss of tissue and massive bleeding. 

Is that conjecture on my part? Absolutely not.

A few years back while fishing, I reached to grab the leader close to a snapper we had caught to bring it aboard. My hand was a couple of inches from the snapper's mouth when I started lifting. 

I had barely gotten the snapper's head out of the water when a good sized shark bit the snapper. All that was left was the head and about an inch below the gills. 

I was so concentrated on getting the snapper that I never saw the shark until it bit the snapper's body off. 

The sight of that shark on its side with the snapper in its mouth made quite an impression on me. It wasn't until a few minutes later that the full realization of what could have happened sank in. Had I also reached in with my other hand to grab the snapper....it probably would have been bitten off. 

Never did ID the type of shark because of how sudden it happened. Based on where I was on my boat and on what I saw, I would guess it was in the 6'' range. 

So again....Yes, it's worth every penny of the $700 it cost back then.


----------



## sealark (Sep 27, 2007)

Cajun, Pop one of those sharks with a powerhead and they all get the word fast.


----------



## jspooney (Oct 2, 2007)

polar21 said:


> So is a sharkshield worth $600?


It's not worth it until you see it work, then you're sold on it. It totally changed my comfort level when diving.


----------



## Cajun Spearit (Jun 3, 2011)

I don't know, that dude running shark dives out of Jupiter would disagree...his as got bit!!

I am more terrified of trigger fish...those things will bite indiscriminately. Had one take a chunk out of my head.


----------



## Orion45 (Jun 26, 2008)

Cajun Spearit said:


> I am more terrified of trigger fish...those things will bite indiscriminately. Had one take a chunk out of my head.


Ain't that the truth. :yes:

Had those bastards take chunks out of a snapper I shot. Looked like a bunch of piranhas.

One got me on my thumb while I was getting it off my spear. Had gloves on. Felt the bite but did not see any cuts on the glove. When I surfaced, I took the glove of and I was missing a small piece of skin and flesh from my thumb print area. No blood and no holes in the glove.

Friend of mine got bit on the top of the ear.

Vicious little bastards.


----------



## jspooney (Oct 2, 2007)

Today I saw the biggest triggerfish I've ever seen. He was simply massive!


----------



## salty_dawg (Mar 21, 2013)

Thanks for the video. I've been spearing for just over a year and have learned a lot through trial and error and watching videos like yours. I've already had a few shark encounters and handled it in similar fashion to your video. That said, I have NOT had 4 bulls circling and agree with the previous comment about aborting the dive. 

After my first shark encounter I was searching on-line and ran across the sharkshield. I wrote it off as a gimmick but you've renewed my interest after this video. Thanks again!


----------

