Spearfisherman at Ulua scores a nice catch!

[Shaka Doug]

I was diving Ulua Beach a week or so ago when I suddenly caught a quick, light colored flash out of the left side of my tri-view. I was half expecting to see a manta coming at me and when I focused on the action I discovered it was a rather large Ulua and it was headed right towards me! We were in about 20ish feet of water, a couple minutes into the south side of second reef, and the Ulua had just been speared by a local friend of mine (Keoni) who is a very avid spearfisherman. I didn't expect to run into him there (I didn't even recognize him) and the whole thing came as a surprise to my guest too. (She was of Japanese descent and she loves eating and hunting fish so she was cool with the whole thing.)

We watched for a couple of minutes as Keoni tried to tire out the fish. It was a good shot but the ulua wasn't giving up easy. After a few minutes of rushing around in circles, Keoni pulled it in for the kill. I taped the whole thing and got a call from him a couple of days later asking about the footage. (He knew it was me because of my dive flag.) I told him I'd put the video clips up on YouTube so he could check them out and show his friends.

Since I just posted these up there, I thought I'd share them with you all as well. I know some people will not like to see this, sorry but they don't have to watch. For the rest who understand, know that this fish (Keoni called it a Big Eye Ulua) fed his family and he said it was delicious! Personally I'm afraid to eat any type of jack or ulua for fear of Ciquatera poisoning (had it once from a jack a friend shot in St Thomas. Not fun at all!).

Do any of you participate in spearfishing here in Hawaii? I see tourists in the water all the time with three prong Hawaiian slings. Most of them appear to not have a clue as to what to shoot. I watched a kid chase around some small surgeon fish just two days ago at Palauea Beach. He kept trying and kept missing. I figured he was pretty harmless (to the fish) after watching his technique but it proves that there really ought to be some requirement of training or education for people attempting to spear fish so they stay legal, safe and pono.

Here's the video clips:

Part 1



Part 2



Part 3

 

[spoolin01]

Great vids, and nice catch. There's something primally elegant about freedive spearfishing. I've tried a couple of times with a pole spear, but those Hawaiian fish are smart buggahs and move off when they see the spear. I got a manini once, and a couple of the red nocturnal ones (Hawaiian bigeye?) just to try them, but they're kinda small and it seems a shame to take them for so little meat. Now, lobsters are another story...

 

[KrisB]

Nice video, Doug... good to hear the take was responsible (feeding his family).

It is, though, still a little disappointing that the tourist attraction spots like Ulua are still getting fished -- the fish there are, in general, so small, it would be nice to let the area recover.

 

[ccredifo]

No offense, I'll always be rooting for the fish...... Of course, if I was local it might be a different story.

 

[beepbird]

Aloha Shaka Doug!
That was me diving with you. I haven't had time to troll scuba board!


I didn't know you were filming video. I have a couple of stills from the catch. Pleasure diving with you!


Lindy

 

[Black_3000psi]

thanks for sharing that. what i like to term "sweet action" thanks again. i do a bit of scuba hunting. there are occations where im willing to hold my breath but that aint one of them and there are those who saw well give the fish a sporting chance. and i say i am . im shooting at him with a spear gun instead of a 1911, i take my hat off to those guys that can go down there holding there breath but i just aint one of them.

 

[bmrwizard99]

Cool vid. Doug!