International Underwater Spearfishing Association
World Record  
3.4 kg. ,   7.5 lbs.
Wiper    Morone chrysops x Morone saxatilis
Record Category: Men Sling / Polespear

Diver: Ryan Peterson
Date: 7/29/2017
Location: UNITED STATES


After covering several hundred yards of shoreline and seeing nothing but murky green water we had pretty much given up. After several minutes of sitting in the shallows watching green sun fish swim in and out from under rocks, we decided to hunt to a rocky point that was another 50 yards or so up the shore line. I kicked back out to where i knew the bottom started to level off at about 20ft deep, and made a dive. After staring into the murk for about 45 seconds seeing nothing I started to push off the bottom, that's when I heard 2 very loud booms right behind my head. Recognizing it as the sound of a powerful fish taking off I grabbed onto a rock and hunkered down, slightly turning my body towards where the sound came from. After just a few seconds I started to see the striped white silhouettes of wipers darting in and out of vis. Twice I tried to move my pole into position to make a shot only to be answered by the boom of the fish spooking and taking off. Out of breath I resurfaced and began my breath up, hoping the school would stick around. I dropped back down loading my pole spear as I settled on the bottom. After just a few seconds a fish passed on the shallow side of me, but as before it bolted as soon as I started moving my spear. I pointed my spear the direction the first fish had passed and waited. 3 or 4 more fish came into view going in the same direction as the first and as soon as one crossed my spears path I released it. The fish turned away resulting in the shot entering the side of the fish and going into the back of the head, stoning it. We were then able to land 2 more fish from the school before it moved on and we swam back to the car.

©Copyright 2013 International Underwater Spearfishing Association