# Any tips on Spearing a 100+lb Cubera Snapper



## Capt. Mickey Locke

The biggest thing I have ever shot is about a 20 lbgag. If any of yall has any tips on spearing a 100+lb Cubera Snapper they would be greatly appreciated. Hes in in 50 -60 ft of water. Im goin after him this Saturday!


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## lobsterman

Right behing the gills where the lateral line runs down. That is the motor room.


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## Capt. Mickey Locke

Thanks George Im gonna admit Im scared If he was any deeper I prolly wouldnt try but I gotta get this thing....He is a god awful Monster!


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## Capt. Mickey Locke

Im gonna be using a 48 Biller with 3 bands yall think that will be sufficient?


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## Clay-Doh

Few suggestions....

sharpen your tip on your bench grinder to a lethal sharp edge. I would use a tri-cut tip because they split bone better with the 3 cutting edges (IMO) than a pointed tip that "pushes" an opening thru the bones. Also, I would make sure it is a spearfishing specialties tip that has a 1" larger wingspan than a biller or jbl tip. A fish that big..you want as much meat holding as possible so he can't shake loose.

Also...a riding rig on something that size. If you aint sure what a riding rig is let me know. I got pics of my gun, and video of shootin big AJ's with it to see how it works.

And 3rd...most important tip.....



INVITE ME!! INVITE ME!!!!!

Or, if you want we can go in my dive boat, 32 foot, enclosed cabin, running water and head...etc

I got some "alternative firepower" that would definately make sure you get him in!


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## Clay-Doh

Make sure your bands are super fresh...any older than 6 months...replace em...they degrade very quickly. And make sure you guy 5/8", and not 9/16" bands. Preferabally 2" shorter than what they come with stock

Good luck man!!


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## Capt. Mickey Locke

Clay if I didnt have a boat load going to fish I would say come on! Im fishing most of the day and hitting this spot with a tank on way home. Thanks for your advice. It is greatly appreciated!


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## Clay-Doh

Rock on man! I hope you get him! I see it was saturday too...thats the day of the big bash here at the house..so I wouldn't be able to.

Give him hell though!


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## BuckWild

I'd go for the stone shot. 2 inches behind the eye and a little bit down. Nighty night if you are accurate, if not, well just hold on. If you're not comfortable with that then do what lobster said, it's the boiler room. You can borrow my magnum 450 for some more punch if you are headed out of destin. just replace it if you lose it.


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## Capt. Mickey Locke

Buck I appreciate it I got a Biller and goin to get new bands for it Friday. Thanks for the offer. I all about the stone shot....thats what Im gonna go for. Whats the closest distance I need to shoot for the best penetration?


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## naclh2oDave

For a fish that big I'd bring help. I would definately dive with another spearo, have them locked and loaded. If you don't stone him right away have a buddy sink another shot, like immediatly. 

The kill shot will be one inchbehind the point of the gill plate up to directly behind the eye. Getting to no less than one shaft length for the shot will ensure the most momentum gained by the shaft. No more than 2 shaft lengths for full penetration. 

Then have some of those japanese fish prints made for posterity, hope to see pics. Good luck.


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## Capt. Mickey Locke

Yeah Im def. not goin solo. I got my bro and another buddy goin down both with 48 Billers. I def wouldnt tackle this task SOLO!


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## lobsterman

You definitely want to get a slip tip or a big winged tip like mentioned above. The flesh on a Cubera is soft and if you don't stone him he will pull off and I speak from experience. The distance you want to be away is just one length of the shaft out of you gun, if he will let you get that close. If not drill him once he is in range.


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## Capt. Mickey Locke

Yeah he let me get really close Sunday.....Close as in a foot from the tip of my gun to his sweet spot. I hope he is still on the wreck, I think he has made it his home. Hes only got 2 more days to leave!


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## Clay-Doh

Dude...I'm all exited...and I'm not even goin!

Man I hope you get him!


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## Capt. Mickey Locke

Me to Clay this is the biggest fish I ever seen besides a Goliath and theres one of them there to. When I first seen him I thought the Cubera was a Jewfish but I was way wrong. Honestly I dont know how big this beast is. Im not good at judging underwater Ijust know Im 5'11 and hes about 2/3 to 3/4 as big as me!


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## BuckWild

id say less than 10' with my gun, but 1-2 shaft lengths sounds good. you dont want to be too close as you need a little distance to get the full power from your bands. good luck and stone him dead. i wanna see pics!


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## sealark

A powerhead anywhere in the head


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## rdholi

Be sure to take a pole spear as well. If he is in a wreck or simply pulls off, you will have a quick option. Most importantly, do not get your hand in his mouth. I have serious battle wounds.


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## BuckWild

> *sealark (16/06/2010)*A powerhead anywhere in the head


The best option yet!


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## Capt. Mickey Locke

Is it legal to use a powerhead?


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## lobsterman

Which pass are you leaving? They are closing the pass in Destin tonight. Oil is on the beach at Okaloosa Island Pier this afternoon. Federal waters are closed as of today and State waters are going to close at 6 pm tonight.


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## Capt. Mickey Locke

Well that takes care of that situation...guess I dont have to worry about him now.


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## BuckWild

> *lobsterman (16/06/2010)*Which pass are you leaving? They are closing the pass in Destin tonight. Oil is on the beach at Okaloosa Island Pier this afternoon. Federal waters are closed as of today and State waters are going to close at 6 pm tonight.


Is this confirmed, or just what you're reporting? Just want to know where this information is coming from? I saw the tar balls that washed onto OK IL today, but haven't seen anything about closing the pass or state waters.


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## lobsterman

Sorry, I was hoping to see pictures of a big Cubera.


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## atlantacapt

noaaclosure map - fed waters


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## Clay-Doh

Well if yuo gotta reshedule 911, pleeeaaase count me in! And when I said in my earlier post "alternative firepower"....sealark hit it on the head...i got a .223 powerhead. brain milkshake


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## spear em

like the ole man said, no jab intended, power head that mo fo and fold his ass up like a cheese sandwich. boom !!!!!!!!!!!!! its over, string his ass up and then go kill hiss mom and dad. sorry if that is cruel, but that is the way the Mobile Rig Divers roll. and if you dont have a power head i will give you my Ray Odor 44. mag power head for keeps. send me anaddress and i will mail it to you and the shipping is on me.







MRD out.


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## Capt. Mickey Locke

Ok I havent seen where state waters are closed if I have to Ill run from Panama City to kill em! If anyone knows any different keep me posted. Thanks Mickey


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## sealark

Just remember if you use a power head and get stopped make sure you got him in federal waters. State waters are a no no with power heads. If that's a problem tell them you were being bitten and were protecting yourself.


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## hit man

Well, did you go? Did you get him?


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## finfever61

Shot a 90lb Jewfish in the late 70's off of Big Pine Key, as someone said earlier what a ride. Took over an hour and ended up having to use a bang stick.


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## Capt. Mickey Locke

No i didnt go to Destin I heard that the pass was closed and then after I went to PC and got back home I found out it wasnt closed. So yeah I was pissed. Gonna try to get out there Friday.


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## JFG

I hope your cubrea wasn't on a M-60 tank off destin. If so I shot him 6/14/10. He was exactly 50#. My advice for shooting a large fish is behind the gill, level or slightly above the eye.


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## Capt. Mickey Locke

Nah he wasnt on a tank....he was much bigger than 50lbs.


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## Lyin Too

Well, what happened?


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## Nopierpressure

Read the whole conversation..... WHAT HAPPENED!?? Did you get him yet? lol


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## mdrobe2

I don't spearfish but from the sound of it you might need to borrow my Sig 556 assault rifle to get that cubera. It would probably fire under water! In all seriousness that sounds cool. Hope you get your fish. It's like the old story of the diver trying to shoot this massive grouper that is holding in an old VW van body that someone sank as a reef. When asked why he couldn't get the fish, the diver states that every time he lined up a shot the grouper rolled up the window on the van...


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## mdrobe2

The current world record for cubera is 121 lbs or so by the way. i have heard of people using live lobster as bait for them during the spawn in south florida...yikes


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## Capt. Mickey Locke

I never got a chance to go.....if they open Snapper season back up Ill hit it up again.


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## ghost95

I wouldn't shoot a cubera that big. The meat doesn't taste all that good and that fish is a MAJOR spawning fish. There are not many of those left around.


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## Deep South

Dont need to wait for snapper season to open. That Cubera is fair game anytime.


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## ghost95

If you do decide to shoot this fish make sure you're ready. New bands, LARGE and SHARP breakaway tip, cable and a good buddy that you trust with your life. Make sure that your cable has a release that you can opperate with one hand. You might want to also consider a tether to the gun that is at least as long as the depth of the water. I'd ptobably go with 100' of 550 cord either on a reel or a bouy. I've pulled a couple buddies out of tight spots after they got wrapped up with a fish that was way beyond their experience level. Finally, if you do decide to take this fish, please, don't take the shot unless you are 100% cretain that you can kill AND retrieve her. It would be a shame to shoot her and then have her pull off and swim off to be eaten by crabs.


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