ESRArecords

EUROPEAN SPEARFISHING RECORDS ASSOCIATION

Anchova

Anchova
Anchova
Referencia : 2012.07.22
Antigo WORLD RECORD (2012)
Nombre cientifico: Pomatomus saltatrix
Peso: 10.6kg
Cazador: Paulo Afonso
Local: Isla de Pico, Azores
Pais: Portugal

It was Sunday July 22. I went spearfishing with my friend Filipe Sousa in my 7 meter boat ‘Pérola Negra’.

The capture hapened nearby a baja no bigger than a tennis court known for holding some nice pelagics. It’s located more or less half a mile out of the midle of the north shore of Pico island in Azores. The depth at it’s top varies between 12 and 17 meters droping vertically to the 30 meters.

It was 13:30pm wen we both got in the water right on top of the baja were we had anchored the boat. It was a bright sunny day, the sea was extremely calm, half tide going up, there was practically no current, 22 degrees centigrade water temperature and visibility
hovering around 20 meters.
My choice of weapon for that particular place and dive was a Riffe Euro 130cm equipped with 3 Riffe Gorilla rubber 9/16” (14mm) x 32” (81,5cm) loop bands, a shaft with 2 large shark-fin tabs and hawaiian point style conected to 2 complete loops of 300lb
monofiliment shooting line and a 30cm bungee with pigtail swivel which is conected to 60 (200ft.) of 272kg (600lb) Spectra Riffe line wound in to a Riffe nylon-fiberglass horisontal reel with a 4 position cluch type drag.

So we got into the water and I immediately saw a big concentration of bait fish right on top of the baja, a good indicator of the possible presence of predators patroling the area. I swam about 50 meters out of the baja where I started seeing a lot of Wellowmouth
Barracudas and some White Trevally circling in mid water (about 15 meters), not what I was looking for so I just stood on top of the fish waiting calmly. Then 2 nice size Atlantic Bonito passed by so i started dropping and wating at about 15 meters trying to attract the Bonitos to me, no luck with that, but on the third dive a big Bluefish came up from the bottom at approximately 20 meters from me. At first the fish was swimming away from me but suddenly he turned and started coming in my direction fast, closer and closer till he turned again giving
me his broad left side at 2 meters from the tip of my shaft. I quickly readjusted my aim and took the shot hitting the fish right in the middle. The shaft pierced him completely all the way through, so I knew the fish was in the shooting line and the shaft was working like a slip tip, a nice holding shot. The Bluefish took off to the bottom and me to the surface working him with the reel, giving some edge but not too much so he wouldent get to the 35 meter rocky bottom were he would try to get loose. Once the surface I understood that this fish was struck in the spine because he was not giving that characteristic hard fight of a big Bluefish. In just 2 minutes after the shot I already had pulled up and ensured the capture with a stab to the head. Then I shouted for Filipe that was about 40 meters away from me for him to come and see this beautiful fish I just caught. He accompanied me to the boat, I put the fish into the boat where I could finally relax and Filipe took some pictures of me with the Bluefish on my hands and a big smile on my face.
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