The methods and techniques of World Competitor
Harolf Dean

The techniques you will be reading about in this guide were not taken from any book, they are simply ideas perfected by means of trial and error throughout many years of spearfishing outings and countless hours of fishing and research.

For anyone who practices the sport of spearfishing, the presence of a grouper or “aguaji” evokes a strange feeling within us. Many believe this feeling is a result of the primitive predatory instinct that remains within us from our earliest evolutionary stages and is exhibited when we find ourselves facing a fish or any other prey. Controlling this feeling and using it to our advantage is of great importance while hunting.

Groupers can display several different behavioral characteristics when in the presence of a diver. In some cases they will be aggressive, in others apprehensive, and in many cases a mixture of both as they curiously and cautiously approach a diver. Recognizing these behaviors and responding appropriately will be the number one key to your success just as ignoring them will quickly lead to failure.

Every spearo develops particular fishing techniques over time that he or she believes to be the most effective. In my case, I have studied the behavioral characteristics and general traits of groupers and I have been able to combine and perfect many tricks and techniques of this sport that have resulted in excellent results while hunting groupers. The following list and a little practice will guarantee improved success while hunting grouper!

1. Aggressive Grouper: When fishing in slightly deeper than average depths, 80’ – 100’ for example, groupers tend to display odd, aggressive behaviors when in the presence of a diver. This should be used to your advantage as it will allow you to get closer than usual and present the opportunity for a much more accurate shot.

 

2. Apprehensive Grouper: In depths between 30 and 50 feet, groupers respond to the presence of a diver in a much more apprehensive manor. In these depths it is very seldom that you will dive and happen upon one with ease. These groupers will keep distance from the diver and attempt to escape to the nearest shelter (cave, rock, wreck, etc) as quickly as possible. But, once they are in their shelter they feel safe from the presence of any predator, in this case the diver, and that will give you the chance to capture it. The key to this type of hunting is to equip yourself properly by having a good light source and a 50cm to 75cm gun; the most advisable weapon in this case.

   While hunting for sheltered grouper it is best to do so in an inverted (head down) position as this will give you a much greater chance of seeing the grouper and placing a shot before you enter its field of vision and it has a chance to recognize your presence and escape deeper into the shelter or flee to a new shelter.

   It is also of much greater importance to land an accurate shot to the head, spine or other vital part of the body when a grouper is “holed up” in a shelter as this will spare you a lot of time, effort, and bent spearshafts while retrieving your catch.

 

3. Lie flat and Wait: Quite often during a dive a grouper will see you before you see it, and by the time we finally notice its presence it is a bit too late as it is already fleeing. When this happens, it is a big mistake to chase after it. All you will end up doing is scaring it more and pretty much remove any chance of ever getting a chance at it. Instead, you should continue your dive all the way to the sea floor, lie flat, and wait. You will find it very common that the grouper will be curious as to what just entered its territory or home, and it will return to check you out as you have removed the obvious threat of being a predator. Upon its return you will be briefly presented with a good opportunity to place a shot. You must react diligently but quickly as to not waste this opportunity as you probably won’t get another chance. It is advisable to lay flat with your gun pointing in the anticipated direction of the groupers return so that you can correct your aim with minimal movement, thus increasing your odds of getting your shot off before it gets spooked and flees for good.

 

4. Stalking: This technique is combined with the previous “lie flat and wait” technique. After you have been laying in wait on the bottom, the grouper – feeling apprehensive due to your presence, may stop outside of your gun’s shooting range. In these cases, you should attempt to approach the grouper by easing along the bottom with slow, smooth movements while utilizing rocks, plants, and other structures as camouflage. This should allow you to get within shooting range without spooking the fish, but don’t push it too far; once in range, take your shot.

 

5. Poor Visibility: Many fishing outings do not meet the conditions that we hope for and we often find ourselves in a situation where visibility is poor. In these limited visibility situations we must get much closer than usual and we need to use a short, powerful gun. A grouper’s behavior in murky waters tends to be a combination of both aggressive and apprehensive characteristics. The grouper will sense or perceive the presence of a diver and approach them suddenly and aggressively, but just as quickly as it approached the diver it will flee! This offers you only one shooting opportunity and if you don’t take advantage of it is unlikely that you will get another chance at it. It is also important to note that the poor visibility might diminish the accuracy of your shot with range, so extra care should be taken, and the closer the better.

   Limited visibility also presents other scenarios. It has happened to every spearfisherman that during a dive, a few feet from the bottom, the diver notices the presence of many groupers. In most cases this situation catches the diver by surprise and results in a great deal of indecision and excitement. While the diver tries to decide which one to shoot, and figure out how he/she can catch all of them, they end up scaring them all away without even taking one shot. This is why I recommend the following: you will only get one chance or one shot on this dive, so it is advisable to shoot the grouper that comes closest to you, or if you feel that you have a much larger grouper within immediate range then shoot that one. Either way it will be almost certain that this dive will not have been in vain, and you will probably get a chance at a second dive and an additional grouper.

Any spearo that utilizes the above ideas and techniques while spearfishing for grouper should certainly be able to end the day with many trophies in his freezer. Good luck and safe diving!

Harolf Dean is an accomplished Freediving Spearo. Harolf can be found competing all over the United States and is a member of the US team representing the United States in the World Freedive Spearfishing Championships on October 23-26th at Isla Margarita in Venezuela.

The following list shows some of Harolf’s many accomplishments:

• 2004 Rookie of the Year & Club Champion – Longfins Spearfishing Club
• 2004 US Nationals Hawaii - 9th Individual, 3rd Place Team
• 2005 Club Champion - Longfins Spearfishing Club
• 2005 US Nationals Missouri - 12th Individual and Largest Fish
• 2005 Club Champion - Miami Freedivers Club
• 2005 Spearboard Open - First Place Freediver and Largest Grouper
• 2006 Us Nationals Ft. Lauderdale - 9th Individual, 2nd Place Team
• 2006 Club Chamnpion - Longfins Spearfishing Club
• 2007 Spearboard Open - First Place Freediver and Largest Trigger
• 2007 US Nationals Fort Brag - 12th Individual - Qualified for US World Team
• 2008 Club Champion - Longfins Spearfishing Club
• 2008 Florida State Championships - 2nd Individual and 2nd Place Team