The International Underwater Spearfishing Association

International Underwater Spearfishing Association

World Record

17.8 kg. , 39.2 lbs.

Jobfish, Green Aprion virescens

Record Category: Men Speargun

Diver:		Eric Bohn
Date:		12/7/2022
Location:		AUSTRALIA

Finding a Unicorn in the Ocean We had left ballina and drove all night. Yes, this was a strike mission with two mates-Captain Dean and free dive instructor Angus up north. We were hitting deep water reefs this trip, diving between 25m-35m. Conditions weren’t prefect with some wind out of the north east chopping up the dying southerly swell but the visibility was good. The first day we put some good fish in the boat with Angus landing his PB green jobfish of 10.8kg bled. It was now the second day and there was a bit of an up welling that has taken hold of the area, causing a layer of sediment to form starting about 15 meters down but then it cleared up below around 22 meters. So under the sediment layer was cooler clear water. In my eyes this was perfect to hunt these deep reefs. The fish wouldn’t know we were dropping down to wreck their world. It had been a pretty good morning of day two, we had two cobia, a few smaller jobbies, and I had landed my first ever African Pompano. But no one knew what was about to take place. We had moved to our third spot of the morning and the capt. and I were in the water lining up our drift on this deep ledge. Dean was up first and made his drop onto the front of the ledge and returned to the surface discussing what he’d seen that drop. Now it was my turn. While I was breathing up I noticed a school of small mackerel schooling below us just on top of the thermocline. I figured this would be a good place to dive. So I took my last breath and descended calmly slowly through the school of macks, into the sediment layer and eventually through it into the clean water. I have now entered the arena still in full tuck not moving a muscle but scanning with my eyes. As I drifted deeper I was greeted by surgeon fish but past the surgeons I could see the shape of a big jobbie off in the depths and coming towards me. As it got closer and the surgeons left it was just me and the green jobfish, which by now I could see was not like anything I have ever seen before in the wild. At this point I was 26m down and the color pattern was extremely unique, with patches of black on its head/body and the rest was a shimmering white. He still wasn’t in range so I remained tucked and tried to seem uninterested as he kept getting closer and closer. I didn’t think he would come within range, as is the M.O. for big jobbies. But he made a mistake and was finally within range so I started extending my gun, which caused him to spook and turn away from me. I thought my chance was gone but I had not given up. I slowly angled away from the beast and kept extending my gun hoping he would become interested again. Luckily, my plan had worked and when I turned away from him he had also turned and headed back towards me. I noticed this out of the corner of my eye, swung the 1.1m roller gun lining up my shot. Squeezed the trigger and booom, the shaft fired through the muzzle and landed right where it was meant to