The International Underwater Spearfishing Association

International Underwater Spearfishing Association

World Record

6.4 kg. , 14.1 lbs.

Amberjack, Lesser Seriola fasciata

Record Category: Men Speargun

Diver:		Paulo Afonso
Date:		9/27/2014
Location:		PORTUGAL

On September 27, 2014 at around 16:30 pm me and Marcelo arrived on my boat (7 meters semi-rigid named Pérola Negra) to this seamount located 2 nm from the north side of the west end of Pico Island. Seamount with a relatively small top area with depths hovering between -20 to -30m, falling abruptly to -60m on some points. Cloudy sky and a bit of breeze. Calm sea but strong current, visibility 17 / 18m and temperature 21º. I was expecting to find wahoos and so was equipped for them with my bluewater gun, bungee and float. But after a while with no sign of them I decided to go to the boat and switch this equipment for my Riffe Euro 130, with reel, and try to catch one of the big but very elusive amberjacks I spotted near the bottom, in a previous dive. I went down landing in the seafloor at -25m, right on the edge of a very steep drop, facing against the current. Almost immediately appeared in the distance this fish approaching cautiously. I realized that it was a Lesser amberjack (not very common in the region), big for the species, so I went for the catch. But when I moved the gun to place the shot he reacted and very quickly was out of range. Collected the gun and tried to hide as much as possible in an attempt to arouse the curiosity of the fish again. It worked! He came back in, this time much more confidently exposing his lateral very close to me. I reached forward the gun and shot him just below his dorsal fin right on the lateral line. He was on the shooting line and for a moment it seemed a stone shot, but soon woke up with a bit of a struggle to give. I took advantage of the reel to reach the surface, releasing only enough line to swim up without too much traction and at the same time not allowing the fish to go down to the rocks. Once at the surface pulled the fish to me. Got him on the boat and only then came the thought: “maybe a record here”!