The International Underwater Spearfishing Association

International Underwater Spearfishing Association

World Record

18.7 kg. , 41.2 lbs.

Yellowtail, S Pacific Seriola lalandi grandis

Record Category: Men Sling / Polespear

Diver:		Giovanni Vitalie
Date:		2/25/2018
Location:		NEW ZEALAND

Our first day of our dive trip didn't start off too well with two of our four divers having to bail on the charter because they were so sick. On the second day they were feeling well enough to give it a try, but I woke up feeling like I had strep throat. Not wanting to miss the dive I powered through. The first few hours and spots turned up no kingfish but the bait was very active. On our 4th spot we hopped in over a big pinnacle about 1/4 mile from shore and immediately saw kingfish swimming around. I did a drop and aimed at one but he veered off and I knew I couldn't make the long shot with my pole spear. When I surfaced I saw my dive buddy fighting a nice sized one on his float line. I took a couple breaths and dropped down again, and a nice kingi swam right over my right shoulder into my sights. I let my pole fly, and heard the thud of a nice shot that buried the shaft up the the hilt. As I came up my slip tip came off and I saw a great center mass deployment with a fish solidly on my line. I thought I finished him off with one shot as he sank to the bottom barely moving, so I did not hurry to pull him in to brain him. About halfway up he came to life and spun me like a cork wrapping me in line. I tried to pull him in quick to brain him but he was not having it. As he towed me around I ended up next to my dive buddy and a giant bronze whaler shark turned up and was cruising toward us. My dive buddy poked him and he took off. After the kingfish wore himself out a bit I pulled him up and brained him and then swam him over to the boat stoked on my second pole speared kingfish that was much bigger than my first. Big thanks to Blair Jones of Oceandiversity for making our trip to New Zealand unforgettable for the second year in a row.