Making the most of your vacation...

Text: Cameron Kirckonell

With four days to go and only one shaft on my 110 Rabitech Railgun left, I thought hard
about releasing the shaft on the 125 lb Dogtooth Tuna that was approaching from the
depths.  Was the 75 ft piece of line I scavenged off the beach going to hold?  Would the
two gas can floats keep him from taking me over the drop?  How is it possible that I own
thousands of dollars of equipment from the best companies in the world and yet I find
myself one shot away from ending my entire spearing trip because I have no more gear.


Planning.
I’ve learned many lessons diving and traveling the world and most of them have been
through trial and error. Every trip can be epic, you just have to make sure you give
yourself every opportunity to make it so and understand along the way (that) not
everything is (always) going to go your way. Whether you’re traveling alone or with
family, to a remote island or (to) a big-time tourist destination, there is always
potential for fitting in some spear fishing to your schedule.  Don’t think that just
because you aren’t on a planned spearing trip that you can’t get in the water. Every trip
is a dive trip, as far as I’m concerned. You just need to make the most of what you have
in front of you.
As soon as I decide on a new place that I am going, I try to find out four things; who,
what, when, and where.
Who has been there and when.
What kind of fish are there and when.
Where exactly do I need to be when I am there.
In recent years, the use of Spearboard.com, Deeperblue.net, and Spearfishing.com.au, has
acted as a buddy network throughout the world and showed just how much of a brotherhood
the Spearing world is. Ask if anyone has ever been to the area or somewhere close and
gather any information you can from them. The difference between talking to someone who
has speared there and someone who is trying to sell you a vacation package is huge.


Whether they spent 10 years diving the place or only 2 days, any information they can
offer will get you ahead of the game and make your trip all the more fantastic.
As soon as I have gathered as much second hand knowledge as possible, I look at a
nautical chart of the area and also try to find out what type of fish are in that part of
the world. I spend hours and hours pouring over charts and fishing magazines trying to
piece together whatever information I can to plan a trip and make sure that I don’t get
stuck trying to dive a Reef one mile north of a river mouth in the Monsoon season.
Knowing the currents for the area, as basic as knowing which direction they set
(direction they flow), and what the tide difference is, can make or break your trip. Some
common sense goes a long way in traveling, so when you are going to be diving in an area
that has 15-18 ft tides and there is an estuary or river nearby, you can bank on the fact
that 10-50 miles offshore during that time period, you will experience reduced
visibility. Knowing whether to be north or south of there can make all the difference in
the world.
Ok, so you know where you want to go and what you are shooting. Now what do you bring?


Will I really need a wetsuit in Indonesia in July? That’s summer isn’t it? I know they
have huge Giant Trevally (Ulua) there and that’s what I really want to target, so I think
I’ll just skip the little gun.
As a rule, always bring two guns and extra shafts for both. You are already bringing
something that is oversized and ungainly so the extra 15 lbs of weight isn’t going to
matter much and you will thank yourself when you aren’t stuck shooting 3 lb "Mu" in 10 ft
of water with your "Ono" gun. Bring your normal dive gear that you would for diving at
home and bring a wetsuit that will accommodate the conditions you will be experiencing. I
take a 2 piece 3 mil suit with me at all times so that when the water is too warm I can
just wear half of the suit and a pair of shorts or the bottom and a long sleeve rash
guard if there are lots of Jellyfish in the water. This cuts down on having to bring 3
different wetsuits.

Fishfinder
Now that you are there, where are the fish? A good place to start is to go down to the
docks or to the beach where the local fisherman come in every day and see what everyone
has caught. Look at the kinds of fish that are in the area or the types that you wish to
hunt, then strike up a conversation with the fisherman. Give him a hand pulling his boat
up on the beach or just be friendly and talk to him as much as possible. Try to learn
what you can about where and how he caught his fish. Determine from there your next plan
of action. Fishermen the world round speak the same language. Pick up key words such as
boat, rock, reef, bait, grouper, Shark, Tuna, etc. Understanding people isn’t so much
about the words they speak, as it is understanding and interpreting their body language.
Use pictures, drawings, hand movements, and whatever else you can in order to understand
each other. Find out what types of fish sell for what amount of money and get an idea of
what he might make on an average day.


So all the fishing right now is offshore and your plans for shooting Roosterfish and
Cuberas in the shallows have been crushed because the river has flooded out and the idea
of 3 ft (vision?) and 10 ft Crocodiles doesn’t sound too appealing. Charter boats can be
great, but $1000 a day to dive by myself is ridiculous, and the Scuba Boats aren’t going
to be too stoked on me slaying all the pretty little reef fish... Back to your fisherman.
With the information you have already gathered, come down to the beach, this time with a
plan. Ask them if it would be possible to accompany them on their boat for a day and
offer to pay the equivalent of a good day’s catch plus 10-20%, whatever you feel
comfortable with. In some locales this can be as little as $5 a day and an offer of
double or triple that amount can win you a friend for life. Bring pictures of fish you
have caught in the past and make sure that it is clear that you are going to be diving.
Yes, they will think you are crazy and no matter where you go everyone always says there
are sharks. A good rule of thumb: Taste the water. Does it taste salty? Then it has
sharks in it.

9 times out of 10 a fisherman will go straight to his normal fishing spot and start
fishing or go to a place that he has seen people dive in the past. He will fish, and
continue to fish until you make it worth his while to follow you around. Whether I want
to or not, in my first few dives I always shoot the first 3 food fish I see. That is $$
in his pocket and food on his table. Now you have his attention. You had better believe
he’ll start keeping the boat close when you ask and as long as you keep him satisfied you
can pursue the fish you are really after.

Establish some basic signals and rules with the boat driver. Try to work with them so
that they do not feel uncomfortable about you being in the water. "Pick me up" and "pick
me up NOW" are the most important signals. Also, as far as safety goes, always tell
someone ashore where you are going and when you will be back. Leave a name and number of
a family member to contact if you aren’t back in the set amount of time. This may seem
morbid, but it can mean the difference in drifting 2 or 200 miles offshore before someone
finds you.


First Aid (BOX)
What you see is what you get when you go, so bring what you are going to need when you
show up at the boat the next morning. If you want food, bring it; water, bring it; First
aid kit...you get the idea. From experience, I can say that there have been a few times
drifting in a dugout canoe with a broken motor that I would have paid a mint for a jug of
fresh water. Don’t get in over your head but also don’t overlook some simple necessities
that could save you later. My worst case scenario is having an accident and having to
reduce bleeding very quickly when medical help can be hours and sometimes even days away.
If you ever find yourself in a situation like this, get yourself to the biggest or nicest
hotel around. They have the best access to competent doctors and the highest chances of
an English speaking person there as well.

Notebook (BOX 2)
Keep a journal while you are there and make mental notes of what worked when, as well as
what types of bait seemed to hold the better fish, Be sure to note any rocks that were
more productive than others, tides, currents, times of day, landmarks, and other position
indicators that can help you find your way back in the future. It was 12 months before I
was able to get back to that spot with the huge Doggies. With the notes from my journal I
was able to hit the spot dead on at the right tide and capitalize the second time around.
I’d like to think that I remember every rock I have ever seen and every fish I have ever
shot but memories fade with time. Having exact notes can mean the difference between 4
days of scouting and 4 days of hunting. Make a list while you are still there. Note the
types of gear that will need on your return, as well as notes on people and fish’s names,
the prices you paid for different things, and anything else that you think will help you
in the future.

...You better believe I took that shot. The fish turned broadside at 12 feet and I hit
him high in the shoulder. And no, just like the other 2 I had already lost that week, the
fish took my entire rig down so deep that all I could see was my gas can floats at 120
feet and knew that he was wrapped up in the rocks far below that feeding yet another pack
of hungry sharks. My boat driver just smiled and turned the Outrigger Canoe towards the
island shaking his head, "Terlalu Besar! Terlalu Besar!". Too big!.. Too big!


Whether you catch anything or not, I can promise you that an adventure planned from the
ground up outside of your local haunt, will give you memories for a lifetime and a much
better respect for the conveniences of diving at home. Any trip is a good one when you
are diving and exploring new places. It never ceases to amaze me that a certain species
of fish will act completely different in three oceans. The excitement comes in finding
the 3 different ways to hunt that same fish. Plan a spear fishing trip to the next
headland, the next island, or halfway across the globe! Enjoy the diversity that oceans
have to offer us.

Cam’s Feral Spear fishing Gear list (BOX)
140cm gun rigged with 400lb mono and breakaway rig with 2-5 extra shafts
110 cm gun, 2 shafts rigged for a reel and 2 shafts straight to gun/buoy
Reel rigged with 500lb Kevlar
2 X 33 liter floats and small bike pump to inflate
50’, 25’, 10’ bungee cords
75 ft float line(small polypropylene to save space)
mask, fins, snorkel, booties, gloves, dive knife, fillet knife, wetsuit, rash guard
Leatherman tool for minor repairs and sharpening spears
gun bag and fin bag
Underwater video/camera  no one believes you unless you video it.
Extra Mono and Crimps and rubbers
IUSA WR application and measuring tape. Curse the day you need this and don’t have it.
First Aid Kit
Extras: mosquito net, spray, spark plugs to give as gifts to boat drivers, hat,
sunglasses, wife/girlfriend, wasabi, 2 x gallon Ziploc Bags for stowing wallet/camera and
also a select piece of fish for dinner...