The International Underwater Spearfishing Association

International Underwater Spearfishing Association

World Record

7.4 kg. , 16.3 lbs.

Margate, White Haemulum album

Record Category: Women Sling / Polespear

Diver:		Andrea Cahill
Date:		10/17/2020
Location:		BERMUDA

I was diving with my friend Jiri Heinz, who was looking for lionfish. We headed out pretty late that day and got lucky on the first reef we stopped at. Jiri was swimming in front of me and spotted the big margate first. The fish was swimming along the edge of the reef at about 30ft and was conscious of our presence, looking for a hole to hide in. Then it briefly stopped in a corner between two reefs. I took my chance and started to descend, but the fish got spooked and shot under a ledge just a few meters away. I lined myself directly over the ledge, breathed up and went down with my spear loaded. As I looked under the ledge, the fish moved quickly and stirred up the sand, but it had nowhere to go. It turned slowly to look at me and I shot it right behind the head. The fish started flopping like crazy and I wasn't sure if the spear tip went all the way through and how long it was going to hold. I swam up with the fish, trying to grab it by the gills, which I managed on the surface. I knifed the fish and swam back to the boat with Jiri to celebrate. I was super stoked as it was my biggest fish to date and then got even more excited when I looked up world records and found out I beat it! Good times!