Sad Story for the other Billfish

[Mike]

Twinge of sadness as spearfisherman kills record marlin

13.04.2004
By ANNE BESTON
A two-hour battle between a spearfisherman and a marlin ended with a world record and a vow never to kill another of the giant gamefish.

David Mullins of Auckland expects to hold the striped marlin free-diving spearfishing world record after his ordeal landing a 156.6kg giant, 22kg heavier than the previous record a New Zealander set in 1997.

Mr Mullins' adventure began during a dive for snapper on Good Friday at South East Bay on the remote Three Kings Islands, 64km northwest of Cape Reinga.

The 2m-tall 23-year-old is a "bluewater" free-diving spearfisher, a sport growing in popularity where divers in only a wetsuit and fins use a manual speargun to hunt gamefish such as marlin, tuna and swordfish.

To qualify for a world record they have to subdue the fish alone and underwater. They can't hold on to a boat but can hold on to a float attached to the line.

"I dived down for kingfish and this thing [the marlin] must have cruised up behind me. He was all lit up. He was an impressive sight," Mr Mullins said.

"I took a small dive over the top of him, lined him up and shot him. I tried to kill him outright because I thought I'd lose my gear."

He shot the marlin near the shoulder and it rose to the surface.

"I was just going to grab him and get the knife into him but I thought maybe he was just changing gear, so I backed off."

Mr Mullins swam back to the float and held on while the marlin plunged to the bottom, using all 30m of line and pulling the diver 3m under.

"I tried really hard to stay near the surface. Any further and I would have had to let go."

The fish towed the diver for two arm-wrenching hours at up to 9km/h.

"At times it was a bit frightening. When the line went slack and you could see it curving off I was sort of wondering if he was coming back around, but there was no serious danger. It's all in your head."

Crew aboard the launch following the pair eventually threw Mr Mullins a bigger speargun, allowed under the sport's international rules.

This time he hit the marlin through the head and then dived 15m to retrieve it.

Official weighing at Houhora in the Far North confirmed the world-beating weight. "It's bloody great. I still can't quite believe it," Mr Mullins said.

But along with the elation there was also a twinge of sadness. "I'll never shoot another marlin. They're a really impressive fish. You don't want to go killing another one. One's enough."

[Barf]

Anyone willing to wait just outside the glow of a hydroglow for a swordfish to show up? 8O

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Barf

Anyone willing to wait just outside the glow of a hydroglow for a swordfish to show up? 8O

As agressive as Swordfish are with baits, I think they would mess you up bad before you got the shot off. I've seen the way they slash baits at the boat and not eat them. Why wouldn't they do it to us if we are in there dark waters?

There are some people who do it though. I'll try to find the pictures... Anyone who sits next to the hydroglow with a speargun is a BAD DUDE!

Mike

[Mike]

Divernet News, dateline 24 May 2003

Underwater researcher speared by swordfish

Whale researcher Mark Ferrari found himself on the wrong end a 5m-long broadbill swordfish which was trying to escape an attack by a pod of 'false killer whale' dolphins off the coast of West Maui, Hawaii.

52-year-old Ferrari was following and filming the pod of pseudorca crassidens dolphins as they hunted and began to attack a large fish. As he videoed the teamwork of the hunting dolphins, their prey, which turned out to be a large broadbill swordfish, broke away and speared him close to the collar bone before tossing him aside and making an escape. The bill, which is well over a metre long, went through his right shoulder, missing his carotid artery by a quarter of an inch. The entire incident was captured by his video camera.

Fortunately Ferrari was close to his research vessel and could be helped aboard by his wife Debbie, who is also his research partner. Surgeons at Wailuke Medical Centre worked on his damaged shoulder and declared him 'lucky to be alive'. He suffered serious nerve and tissue damage, and broken bones, but has since recovered some feeling in the area and is able to use his right arm. If his carotid artery had been severed he would almost certainly have bled to death.

The Ferraris are determined to continue their research on humpback whales, which has been ongoing since 1975, and have so far refused lucrative offers from US TV stations to air the film of the attack. They intend to keep the footage for a scientific study on the behaviour of the pseudorca dolphins.

[CaptKen]

In order to qualify for a world record for a swordfish spearfishing,no artifical light source such as a hydroglo may be used,It would have to be done before darkness,or not use a light.
Swordfish catorgory is wide open last time I checked,first leagal fish you spear would be a world record.I have already looked into this.
Ken
Swordslasher send me your Phone number IM,I have an answer for you homemade hydraglow.I have built several.

[Barf]

I was joking. The only way to get me in the water offshore at night is a sinking or burning boat. Guy Harvey had a run in with a swordfish off of Venezuela when he tried to take its picture. While it didn't spear him, it did make an aggressive move. There was also a recent cover of Sport Fishing magazine with a swordfish in the daylight and over a reef in 45ft. It was taken in the Indian Ocean somewhere but the same diver saw the fish on 3 different dives and on the last dive the fish gave him a good whack on the shoulder.

[Anonymous]

Originally Posted by Barf

Anyone willing to wait just outside the glow of a hydroglow for a swordfish to show up? 8O

I don't think so, 2ndchance DragonBait and I had a 12-15 foot Mako come into the light at the boat. So do what you want, I will not jump out of a perfectly good boat.

Tight Lines,

Scott

[Barf]

Again, I was joking. I don't think anyone should be offshore and in the water at night. I hope nobody took it as encouragement to do so.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Barf

Again, I was joking. I don't think anyone should be offshore and in the water at night. I hope nobody took it as encouragement to do so.

We are not aiming this at you :lol:

Definitely an interesting topic though!

Tight lines

[CaptKen]

I was serious,I had looked into it as a world record attempt,swordfish was wide open,nobody had done it.
I was going to get a lawn chair,tie on about a 100' foot of rope like a bostmans chair, get about 2 dozen cylume lights and tie them all over it,wait till the bite turned on, drop down to 100' and hang out and wait till one swam by.Have a buoy to the surface with another cylume from your spear..lol {joke}
Ken

[Barf]

Actually, I would go to the Pacific or New England, find one basking on the surface, free dive down to 50 or 60ft, swim horizontally until I was underneath him and rise up like a mako would. I would aim for in between his fins and hope to hit the spine.

I'd thought about it too.