The International Underwater Spearfishing Association

International Underwater Spearfishing Association

World Record

8.2 kg. , 18.0 lbs.

Snapper, Gray (Mangrove) Lutjanus griseus

Record Category: Men Speargun

Diver:		Valente Qunitero Baena
Date:		5/22/2016
Location:		MEXICO

I was out with my crew for a normal day of spearfishing. Conditions were varsity level with a heavy chop, poor visibility and an intense thermocline in the bottom 15'. Our well-used 5mm Pursuit wetsuits were barely getting it done. We had a successful morning, pulling black groupers and mutton snappers off of some familiar ledges and shipwrecks. By midday we decided to scout some uncommon areas and went to a remote location we call the Aztec Pimple. It's a small mound that is lighter in color than the surrounding area. While we don't visit it often, there are usually hundreds of small mangroves hanging around and good size muttons that come in when we lay on the bottom. The spot is very small, only good for one dive due to the steady 1.5 kt current and 87' depth. Due to the poor visibility, I could not see the spot from the surface. I had the captain shout out the distance and direction to the spot and I made my dive. I had a good breath and went straight to the bottom. While I was laying there I could see the school of mangroves hanging in the current behind the pimple. I saw a 5 kg black grouper sitting about 30' away and started to move toward him. He decided to move away just before I was able to make a shot. I stopped and waited for him to come back when a large mutton started to come towards me. I waited but he also decided to turn away. I then decided to head back to the surface. I was about 30' from the bottom when I saw a large mangrove come through the school. I decided to turn back to the bottom and was able to put my spear through him with a shot from a few feet above. I was using my Rob Allen Tuna 1300 with open muzzle and Meandros reverse trigger mechanism. My 7.0mm Rob Allen spear was connected to 8' of Rob Allen 1.8mm dyneema and 130' of Ace Hardware 11/64" nylon starter cord that was coiled in my weight belt. The mangrove was stoned and it was an easy ascent where I was met by my safety diver. I brought the fish up and we immediately thought that this could be a world record. We kept the fish on ice in the cooler on the boat until the end of the day. Throughout the remainder of the day our minds were playing with us. We thought the mangrove was big but talked ourselves into thinking that it couldn't possibly be a world record. I decided to clean the fish at the cooperative. It was then that we decided to check the IUSA record page and realized that the mangrove was larger than the current record even after it had been gutted. I later checked with the IUSA to make sure that I had a mangrove snapper by sending photos of the inside of the mouth. I was told that it was in fact a mangrove and that it would be acceptable to submit for a record. It was a great dive that was thoroughly supported by my crew. Great job all around.
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