Read the article with FishingTheSpot: underwater fishing
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See the fishing tripsUnderwater fishing
Below are some tips and explanation to fish successfully with the underwater fishing technique.
What is underwater fishing?
Underwater fishing, also known as diving, is a sport fishing that involves catching certain fish, mollusks and cephalopods underwater with a harpoon, as well as taking certain crustaceans, mollusks and echinoderms such as sea urchins by hand. With the exception of a few countries, underwater fishing is only practiced in apnea.
What species can be fished?
It is possible to fish almost anything using this fishing technique, but it is the subject of many laws that differ from country to country and region to region. It is therefore necessary to contact the federation of underwater hunting according to the place where you wish to hunt.
What equipment should be used for underwater fishing?
The Mask
The mask will protect your eyes and nose while allowing you to see properly underwater, it's up to you to try it. Tip: do not overtighten it, the water pressure will take care of it when you go down deep.
The Suit
If you only have to choose one suit for the year, choose a 5mm black suit. If you only hunt in summer, choose 2mm, and in winter 7mm. As for colors, blue suits are ideal for depths, while camouflaged suits are suitable for hunting on rocky surfaces.
The Steel
The bungee cord (it is the tensioner that will propel the boom) must be neither too hard nor too soft, otherwise the boom will vibrate in the first case and in the second it will dive too quickly.
The arrow (or harpoon) must have a length adapted to the length of the crossbow and a diameter adapted to the power of the bungee. If the arrow is to be straight, the barb (the end of the arrow) must be very slightly twisted so that it can rise after piercing the fish.
For the wire that connects the arrow to the crossbow, opt for a single stranded wire, because it is a wire that does not get tangled (does not make knots) and does not slow down the arrow.
The size of the steel will depend on the fishing technique used:
- Indian fishing (consists in surprising the fish by swimming slowly near the surface or bottom): 90-100 cm.
- Casting (consists in catching the fish by letting itself go down directly from the surface towards it): 110-120 cm.
- Hole hunting (consists in searching for fish hidden in holes and cracks in rocks): 75cm.
The Ballast
The ballast must be sufficient so that the diver can immerse himself without difficulty. It will vary according to the weight of the diver, his equipment, the salinity of the water, etc. It can range from 0 (for a diver without wetsuit) to 12 or 15 kg. If you do not dive more than 10 meters and have opted for the 5 mm suit, the ratio will be about 1 kg of ballast for 10 kg of your weight.
The Diving Buoy
Essential safety, the diving buoy is a float topped by a red flag with a white diagonal. This flag indicates to the ships around the presence of divers, which in accordance with the 1988 law, requires them to reduce their speed and not to approach within 100 meters.
