Spearfishing

Spearfishing is a form of fishing that has been popular the whole world over for centuries. Early civilizations are familiar with the custom of spearing fish out of rivers and streams using sharpened sticks as a means of catching food. The sport of spearfishing however involves holding one?s breath and sinking to great depths with the assistance of a weight belt. In place of a simple spear that would serve little purpose underwater, a spring-loaded speargun is used to strike the hunted fish. Spearfisherman have been known to hold their breath for durations of 2-4 minutes. By sinking to reefs and sunken wreckage (locations which larger fish normally occupy) spearfishing yields significantly larger catches than by the standard Rod and Reel method.

History

During the 1960s a campaign was led by Ralph Davies, to have spearfishing recognized as an Olympic sport. This never came to be. There is a long list of World Records for the largest catch by species carrying on to the current day. The