International Underwater Spearfishing Association
World Record  
4.0 kg. ,   8.8 lbs.
Walleye    Stizostedion vitreum
Record Category: Women Speargun

Diver: Karena Ferguson
Date: 6/4/2017
Location: UNITED STATES


We have great friends who introduced us to the world of spearfishing two years ago. We are now hooked! My husband and I took our son and his friend out to the lake for a day of spearing and tubing. We had to brib the kids to drive the boat while my husband and I speared, for time on the tube! We speared all morning with only one trout (my husbands) to show for our numerous dives that morning. He was able to make a lucky shot on the trout while chasing it to a dept of about 20ft. I missed the only two walleye that I saw that morning. The first walleye I missed, I rushed the shot! The second walleye I tried to take more time but I was at the last of my breath hold so I just took a shot! Missed again! I was very frustrated at this point. We had chalked up 60+ dives and every shot counts! The lake we spear have walleye but given the emense size of the lake they are hard to find! The big ones are even harder to find as they move up the canyon to spawn. The boys were getting antsy to get on the tube and I was frustrated and wanted to be done. My husband assured the boys they would get on the tube soon and talked me into a couple more dives around a rock corner. On my second dive, I blew it again! Missed! As I was floating in the water reloading my gun, I could see two huge white fins pass below me and looked as if the walleye had laid on the bottom. I knew this walleye was huge! As i am frantically trying to pull my last band back, my husband swims in front of me holding a nice sized walleye! I could still faintly see white tips of this huge walleye laying on the bottom (10-12 feet) so I push my husband to the side ( which later he said he thought I was mad and pushed him aside) and took a deep breath and tried to decend slowly. The walleye took off quickly but started to slow the pace and decend. I was able to catch up on the decent and as I am decending I am walking myself through the shot process! I took my time, lined up the shot and pullled the trigger! The fight was on! I was at the last of my breath hold but I still managed to take a few extra hard kick to grab my spear with this huge walleye trashing. I held onto my walleye with a death grip on the accent! As I made my way to the boat, my husband was on deck holding his walleye with a huge smile and telling the boys how huge his walleye was . The look on his face when he pulled MY walleye on deck is a look I will never forget! Needless to say the boys got extra tubing time for sticking it out and driving the boat! It's a day we will never forget and is still always talked about!

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