Your thoughts on spearfishing?

[neilinov]

Spearfishing definitely seems to be a growing sport. I am a certified diver and agree with the fact that free diving would be a lot more challenging and bring much more skill and challenge into the equation. Does anyone have any experience spearfishing off of ocean city, maryland?? It seems the clarity of the water would throw another difficulty aspect/challenge into the equation?

Yes we go on the Fenwick shoals and the lumps outside Sea Colony Water clarity is not what it is in the Bahamas where I learned but it is still awesome.

[Deep C]

My take? I did it for years and if I had the permits to do so I would possibly consider a quick dive for a dinner fish still today. That being said... I don't call it spear fishing. I call it poking dinner. Its hunting more or less. There is no release. It all about kill... I was always free dive and none of that spear gun shit. Pole spear or sling for me.
I've had some wonderful times doing it. Some thogh kind of scarry. I have the memory of a great big black grouper popping that cavernous maw open when I stuck him and hitting me in the jaw and balls at the same time! My buddy came rushing in as I regrouped and caught my breath. He got drilled too... My then boss joined the party and cracked its skull with a straight up and down shot.
Have had run ins with jaws down there eating fish right off the shaft but nothing really life threatening...
The one that really slowed me up on it though was just plain stupid on my part. I knew I was good to forty feet and fifty was getting near the end of my capabilities.. I was near Staniel key and the water was gin gin clear... I figured I was about fifty feet when I spotted a yellowfin grouper...Seemed like forever to get there. And it was bigger than I thought when I got to him. I poked, held on , and headed for the top. Again it felt like forever to get there. When I hit the surface I thought a grenade went off in my head. All I could do to get back in the skiff. I marked the spot with a jug.
The next day on the big boat I saw the jug... 90 feet of water...
After that I was a lot more careful...

[waterman482]

Spearfishing on scuba is a joke!!! I have been freediving and spearfishing since i was 12 yrs old with a polespear off the jetties and since have gotten pretty heavily involved in everything from inshore stripers to bluewater anyone who doesn't think its a challenge well then i would love to see you dive 95ft down on one breath and slither into a cave to shoot a giant trevally and come up with it.