Spear fishing and safety
and what to consider. 
 

Spear fishing on the Oil rigs and ship wrecks provide abundance of Red Snapper and other large schools of Amber Jacks. Usually divers will spear the 15 to 20 pound sizes and usually only spear one per dive. There are larger Red Snappers which I have landed a few weight more than 30 pounds. Usually the snapper stay in the lower water column of 70 to 120 feet which ranges from 2 to 10 feet of visibility. By hiding around the rig legs the snapper come very close to see what the bubbles are about. Waiting for the larger one takes a few minutes and the effects of the magnification of everything by 25% larger can result in judging size a little difficult. There will usually be about 20 or 30 snapper in your field of vision and selecting the larger and getting the correct shot is a skill which takes lots of practice. Once a fish is shoot start ascending out of the muck layer and pulling the fish up only after the fish clears the layer. Sometimes we have problems with larger groupers swimming up an swallowing the fish off the spear and by dragging the fish on the cable will allow you to observe in the 70 foot visibly other predator that might decide your fish is their next meal. 

The Amber Jacks are usually in large schools an come very close to the divers, usually within two feet especially when one has been speared. The schools will vary from 20 to 50 fish and will move about in the 30 to 80 foot depth range. Visibility ranges from 50 feet to as much as 150 feet on an exceptional day. Most are around the 30 pound range and you have to watch that you don't shoot a large one or get a bad shoot. They are real fighters like the 55 pound I landed in July 20th, 1997. It is best that you stay next to one of the pipes where if you do get a bad shot or shoot to large of a fish a diver can use the rig leg as a brace to prevent being dragged around. I use a stainless steel cable with a quick release where I can loose the spear, cable and fish without losing the gun if I start being dragged. Double check the the State length law because they keep changing. 

Another great fish to hunt is the Cobia also known as the Ling. This fish finds divers curious creatures which they swim directly at divers to check them out. To the diver this fish looks like a shark until it turns sideways and will give a diver a startle if observing only in front. They will sneak up to the side of a diver and are usually loners or swimming along with two or three others. When any fish is speared they will appear from not where and the next spear fisherman can get a great shot once they turn sideways and coast. This fish ranges from 10 pounds upwards to 70 pound. The largest one I have speared was 42 pounds and I shoot the fish through the gills and It dragged me from 30 feet to 70 feet within seconds. then it relaxed and I swam it up to the boat and handed up the spear gun where the real fight and splashing took place. It was just like a hook and line battle, except there was a steal cable with a spear in through the gill plates. The biggest problem was the Igloo 162 quart Ice Chest was not big enough to hold a fish over five feet long. 

Some of the good fish which are good for eating and learning to judge size / aim a spear gun is the Spade fish which schools on the up current side of the rig and swim in schools of 500 to 1000 moving as if a marching band changing directions. They range in size from 8" to 24". They will dart when you shoot which is good for developing the skill of leading a fish. These fish tend to be hard to get the kill shot and will give a diver a good fight. 

Some of the other fish which are good eating usually swim along the rig legs which can cause problems in getting a shot where you do not ruin a spear tip or shaft. These fish are the small grouper type of fish, Sheep head, Big Eye Snapper, Vamlinium Snapper and several others. There are no size limits or quantity limits on these and usually use a small band gun or a Hawaiian type sling. 

Consideration for Safety: 

1) Always keep the gun on safety until ready to shoot.
2) When loading the gun point gun away from other divers and load underwater.
3) Always look beyond the fish to see what else might be in the way, like another diver.
4) Never spear fish which you do not plan to eat and remove speared fish from the water as soon as possible.
5) Never dive or spear fish without a buddy to help and monitor time, air supply and depth limits.
6) Never shoot a fish which is larger than your experience level. Develop technique before taking on fighters or deep water spear fishing
7) Make the shot count because it takes up valuable bottom time to reload.
8) Always ascend to shallower depth if a fish is fighting and remember to breath slow and deeply. Never hold your Breath.
9) Always pull the trigger as you breath in. 
10) Remember to do your safety stop before surfacing.