From my experiences here on the Central Gulf Coast of Florida, as we have watched the rapid return of a species (Jewfish) we have also seen that, on wrecks and reefs where Jewfish are particularly numerous, the resident population of red, black, and scamp grouper has rapidly and regularly diminished.
I've also had Jewfish grab a freshly shot 60+ lb Amberjack still attached to my shaft/line/speargun and retreat back into his hole in a wreck nearly taking me with him. I would have lost the gun had I not been able to stop its progress by bracing it against the hole in the hull of the ship the jewfish swam into. After some stuggle he snapped the 120lb Mono line and took my fish and my shaft with him. Had the gun ended up going into that hole he would have gotten the whole gun too.
The people who make the rules state that there is no evidence that jewfish eat other sport fish and live mainly on crustaceans; however, having caught and shot many of them prior to it being illegal I can state for certain that I have found about every species of fish found in a given area in the belly of a jewfish when it was gutted. Man, oh man, they are delicious too. A single flake of the meat is enough for a 3 inch think Grouper filet.
Also, while on most wrecks around here, about the first time you or one of your dive buddies shoots his speargun you start hearing a thunderous advance of thumping Jewfish...nothing fun. I personally prefer to deal with several bull sharks than several Jewfish when I am hunting. And we have had a lot of experiences with them as well so that is no bull (pun intended).
Someone made a very good point earlier in this thread...NEVER ever ever attch your stringer to your BC once there are fish on it.
In any case...as long as it is protected I would never go hunting FOR a Jewfish But if one came at me, and I had time to react, he would have a heck of a sore spot and a big metal splinter hanging out of him somewhere.
I repsect the animal, I respect his environment, and I respect my life. In the amberjack incident above, had he been thumping and made his presence known I would have surely been able to posture myself in such a way to at least keep the Jewfish away from me while I got my AJ and strung him up for ascent, but this one came out of the blue so fast without warning that there was no chance to avoid it. No fun at 172 fsw.
I've also had Jewfish grab a freshly shot 60+ lb Amberjack still attached to my shaft/line/speargun and retreat back into his hole in a wreck nearly taking me with him. I would have lost the gun had I not been able to stop its progress by bracing it against the hole in the hull of the ship the jewfish swam into. After some stuggle he snapped the 120lb Mono line and took my fish and my shaft with him. Had the gun ended up going into that hole he would have gotten the whole gun too.
The people who make the rules state that there is no evidence that jewfish eat other sport fish and live mainly on crustaceans; however, having caught and shot many of them prior to it being illegal I can state for certain that I have found about every species of fish found in a given area in the belly of a jewfish when it was gutted. Man, oh man, they are delicious too. A single flake of the meat is enough for a 3 inch think Grouper filet.
Also, while on most wrecks around here, about the first time you or one of your dive buddies shoots his speargun you start hearing a thunderous advance of thumping Jewfish...nothing fun. I personally prefer to deal with several bull sharks than several Jewfish when I am hunting. And we have had a lot of experiences with them as well so that is no bull (pun intended).
Someone made a very good point earlier in this thread...NEVER ever ever attch your stringer to your BC once there are fish on it.
In any case...as long as it is protected I would never go hunting FOR a Jewfish But if one came at me, and I had time to react, he would have a heck of a sore spot and a big metal splinter hanging out of him somewhere.
I repsect the animal, I respect his environment, and I respect my life. In the amberjack incident above, had he been thumping and made his presence known I would have surely been able to posture myself in such a way to at least keep the Jewfish away from me while I got my AJ and strung him up for ascent, but this one came out of the blue so fast without warning that there was no chance to avoid it. No fun at 172 fsw.
