The International Underwater Spearfishing Association

International Underwater Spearfishing Association

World Record

7.6 kg. , 16.8 lbs.

Sheepshead, Atlantic Archosargus probatocephalus

Record Category: Men Speargun

Diver:		Quentin Turko
Date:		6/2/2019
Location:		UNITED STATES

It was a beautiful morning with the ocean being dead calm and the winds hardly blowing offshore. Me and my brother knew we had to take advantage of the conditions and get out there as soon as possible. When I swam out, the vis wasn't great but it was slowly improving the further out I got. I finally came across a school of sheepshead and took a dive on the edge of the school. When I got down I realized just how big this school of fish was. Everywhere I looked it seemed the fish just kept getting bigger and bigger. It was definitely the largest school of big sheepshead I've ever seen! It seemed like no fish was under 7 pounds and multiple fish looked to be over 10 pounds. I held myself back from shooting these fish with the hopes that a monster would come out of the murk. Just as I was about to head up I got the glimpse of what appeared to be a truly giant Sheepshead down deeper. He seemed unfazed by my presence and came straight at me. All I could see was his massive head as he came directly at me. Right when it turned broadside I knew that this was the biggest sheepshead I've ever seen. I took the shot and it headed straight to the bottom and for a piling. I knew if he got around the piling I could loose him so I didn't give him any slack and pulled him up to the surface. The look on my brothers face was pure shock when he saw pull this guy up out the water. it was a day me and my brother will never forget.