The Bare Bones of Spearfishing
The Bare Bones of Spearfishing is an informational guide into the world of spearfishing. Whether you’re new to spearfishing or you desire to learn new tips and tricks from the experts, this 120-minute DVD covers it! You will learn about the equipment needed in great detail from choosing the right type of speargun, bands, tip selections and more! Learn new techniques for lineshafting and freeshafting plus watch real hunting examples along with raw bonus footage with commentary.
Behind the Scenes: It all began while I was working in a Florida dive shop for nine years selling scuba gear and spearfishing equipment. Spearfishing is extremely popular here in Florida with freedivers and scuba divers alike. I sold a lot of guns, but every time someone asked about taking a class to learn how to spearfish, or if we sold any books or DVD’s, I had to shake my head no. I always wanted to produce a well-made informational DVD for divers just getting into spearfishing, or interested in learning more about the equipment. So after getting into the television industry and doing a lot of underwater videography, I thought it was time, so finally last year we began production.
There isn’t a lot of good underwater hunting video out there. I find that people who buy cameras want to shoot pretty fish and coral reefs and not the shooting of fish, and spearfishermen want to shoot fish and could usually care less about video.
Our first shoot took place in the Dry Tortugas for four days aboard the Ultimate Getaway. The water clarity was superb for shooting video and we did about 15 dives. There were some fantastic fish out there--big black groupers, hogfish and snapper. After returning home and reviewing the footage I realized I would need a lot more video, and with a lot more examples to do this DVD right.
A few months later I was introduced to Captain Ben Bateman, who is a phenomenal spearfisherman. He was exactly what I was looking for to demonstrate his skills on camera and share his extensive knowledge with viewers. We decided to start shooting in the Gulf of Mexico about 50 miles offshore from Steinhatchee, where the fish are plentiful. During the summer we set out and returned with video that’s more exciting than I ever could have imagined.
The first time I tried to shoot spearfishing in the Dry Tortugas I learned a lot. I knew it would be a challenge to follow spearfishermen and actually capture the shot on tape, but it seemed like every time I lined a shot up, something would interrupt it, Either that or the excellent divers I was following would shoot the fish before I could get close enough to shoot video. Heading out with Ben was a whole different experience. In the video, he shares a lot of tips about body language while spearfishing. His non-threatening body language, along with mine, made for good teamwork.
We would get to the bottom and swim around a few minutes non-aggressively, then when the fish began to come out he’d look at me and then look at a certain fish, letting me know that he was going to shoot it. I hung over his shoulder and filmed him at work. Stoned fish after stoned fish, I kept getting amazing shots along with close ups of everything I needed. Demonstrating line shafting in wrecks and in holes, free shafting and using spare shafts, tips, speed rigs and tricks on how to attract fish, along with close ups of stringing and stoning fish and much more. It was an exciting few days and I was surprised to get my long shot list completed.
We then went to Tampa to interview another expert, Kevin Bruington about equipment and choosing the right speargun for where you’re hunting, and learning about guns, bands, shafts, tips, stringers, safety and regulations. His knowledge is extensive and he was amazing on camera. I’ve done a bit of spearfishing over the years but interviewing him and then editing this together, I learned so much more than I ever knew was out there.
If there was one thing that I really learned from diving and shooting this DVD with Ben and Kevin, it was there are so many tricks that make spearfishing more enjoyable, and make you a more efficient hunter. For me it was spending time with people that know what they are doing, and could teach me what they’ve learned over the years. Since I had my trusty camera with me they weren’t just sharing their expertise with me, now I can share it with you too. — Becky Kagan, LiquidProductions.com