The International Underwater Spearfishing Association

International Underwater Spearfishing Association

World Record

15.1 kg. , 33.2 lbs.

Jack, Horse-Eye Caranx latus

Record Category: Men Speargun

Diver:		DIEGO SANTIAGO BALTAZAR
Date:		11/23/2021
Location:		BRAZIL

"Last month I had the privilege to dive with Diego Santiago. It wasn't the first time, since I basically learned everything I know about free diving and spearfishing with this fish/human hybrid. Having arrived in Brazil with my family for a holiday, Diego throws me an invitation to one of his secret spots off the Rio de Janeiro coast. My wife knows that when these opportunities come I just need to take them. So Diego and I are off to a secret spot off the coast of the northern part of Rio de Janeiro. This stretch of coastline is trechearous, with harsh winds, rough seas and mostly poor visibility; but that day the conditions were perfect. We dove a wreck where dozens of species of game fish were mingling but the dive was tricky because the current was ripping, we had one, at most two drops and that was it. I saw Diego dive among the schools of fish, he had his eye on something but from above I couldn't make it out. I shot a nice blue fish but he held back, obviously waiting for something bigger among the shcool of horse eye jacks and blue fish that were hovering on the front of the wreck. On the next drop he went down among the horse eyes and kept waiting, after about a minute thirty he pulled the trigger and what I thought was a GT turned on its side, tried to swim and just went limp. It turned out to be the biggest horse eye jack I have ever seen. Not wanting to be out done, I also dropped down took a shot and took the second biggest, about 2 pounds lighter than his. Second place to Diego is definitely something to be proud of. That day more fish would follow, a 80 pound Cobia for me and a 120 pounder for Deigo, I have never seen so much fish and such variety in my life." By Joseph Carter