Improving your Spearfishing Technique:

We’re all looking for quick and easy ways to improve our Diving and Hunting technique so that we can catch more, and bigger fish. As you become more of an experienced Spearo, the scope of ways to improve your technique grows smaller and smaller. But alas, there are always new things to learn! For new Spearo’s struggling to land their first fish, some of the techniques on this list could be the difference. So if that’s you, be sure to check this list of my 7 easy tips that will improve your Spearfishing technique

Tip 1 – Remove The Snorkel From Your Mouth As You Dive:

Just as much as this is a Health and Safety Tip, removing your Snorkel from your mouth as you dive help with your hunting. Not removing your Snorkel from your mouth can actually spook fish in the immediate area. When you dive with a Snorkel in your mouth, more often than not air bubbles will rise from the spout towards the surface. These bubbles have the potential to startle fish. And as i’m sure you’re aware by now, it doesn’t take much to spook fish. Spooked fish will bolt, and depending on the size of the fish, can create a lot of noise in the process.

To read more about the Health and Safety aspect of this, click the link to check out our Spearfishing Health and Safety page!

Tip 2 – Learn How To Duck Dive Correctly:

This overall, maybe the t tip here to adopt into your Spearfishing technique. Learning how to perform Duck Dives correctly is one of the best ways to improve your hunting and breathe hold. Unless you’re hunting an inshore shallow reef from the surface, every chance you have of catching fish begins with a Duck Dive. It is one of the only things that you will consistently do every dive, which just screams why it is so important to get right.

Performing Duck Dive’s incorrectly will cause excess noise, and cause you to use more energy than needed. You want to be able to perform this as efficiently as possible to ensure that you aren’t spooking fish before you’ve even reached the bottom. And aren’t using up all of your energy and air so that you don’t have to surface immediately when hitting the bottom. The best way to perfect your Duck Dive is to research the correct technique and put it into practise when in the water. Spend some time perfecting the technique to make sure you’ve got the hang of it!

Tip 3 – Use Weed & Rocks To Your Advantage:

This is honestly one of the most important tips I can give to improve your Spearfishing technique! The Seabed is littered with structure such as Weed Beds, Gullies and Rocks that can, and should, be used to your advantage. When you reach the bottom of the seabed, you’re going to appear as a large, foreign object to fish in the area. Something that they aren’t going to be sure of at first. Some fish are naturally more inquisitive than others, so you’ll likely find Wrasse and Pollock will come to check you out quite happily. But for those target species such as Bass, Cod and Bream, you’re going to have to work harder to get them to come close to you.

One of the most effective ways to get these fish to come closer is to use the natural structure of the seabed to your advantage. Use your dive to scan the terrain of the seabed. This is the perfect time to asses the area and choose the best location to sit. Looking out for deep weed or rocks which you could use as cover. Tucking yourself into the sides of rocks and into weed beds as much as possible will ultimately make you less visible to the fish in the area. Thus, making it much more likely that those target species such as Bass and Bream are going to swim by not knowing that you’re even there.

Tip 4 – Reduce Your Movements on The Seafloor:

This one is dependant on a few things. Things such as the species of fish you’re hunting, and the general layout of the area. However, as a good rule of thumb, it’s always good practise to limit the movements you make on the seafloor.

Going back to the last tip, reducing your size in the water will help to make fish more comfortable with your presence. Reducing your movements can also have the same effect. Finding a good position that is well hidden and shielded from tidal swell will help you catch most species of fish available in the UK. Including those big Bass we all dream of!

There are certain other techniques that go against this method. Such as swimming over deep and tall weed beds to look down through the strands searching for large Bass and Pollock resting up. This is however, circumstantial and can obliviously only be used when such weed beds are present. So generally, reducing your movements on the seafloor and waiting in a good spot will yield better results.

Tip 5 – Don’t Watch The Fish Constantly:

This is another of the most impactful tips that will improve your Spearfishing technique from this list. It may take some time to adopt and get used to. But once you do you’ll notice the results! So, we all know that feeling. When you see that big, dark shadow cruising towards you and you’re heart starts pumping. It’s hard to take your eyes off from it. That however, is often the best thing to do. If a fish is swimming directly at you, chances are it knows you’re there but is coming in to check you out. That fish will be able to see whether you’re looking at it or not. And that’s when it can become unsure and skittish. When you see those fish swimming straight at you, or see something coming in the corner of your eye. Try not to give it your full attention. A way to do this is to keep track of the fish in the corner of your eye. Ignore the fish as much as possible, whilst knowing where it is. And at the same time, slowly moving your gun into a position where you can line up the shot.

Tip 6 – Stay Calm Once You’ve Shot A Fish:

This tip mainly applies to shoaling fish, but it’s still a good rule of thumb to follow. So, you’ve lined up the shot, taken it, and hit the fish. Great! Now you need to get it up to the surface to dispatch and string up. Luckily for you, the rest of the shoal are still hanging around. Or perhaps you see something else in the corner of your eye swimming into visibility. So, what can you do not to scare them off whilst this fish is flailing around on your spear? The answer. Stay calm and move slowly. Slowly bring the fish in whilst slowly surfacing. If, for example, you’ve shot a mullet in a shoal and its going absolutely bat s*** crazy, bringing in that fish quicker is going to increase your chances of keeping the shoal around. But still be mindful of your movements.

Now, this is circumstantial. If you’re at the end of your breathe hold, then ignore this completely and get to the surface as quickly as possible! But if you’re diving in shallow water, or in a competition where every fish counts, this could be a big help.

Tip 7 – Don’t Fin Directly Off The Bottom:

This is one of the first things I was taught when my Dad was teaching me to Spearfish! When you’re done with your dive, don’t push off the bottom with your fins. There are several reasons why this is something you’re going to want to avoid. Such as making too much noise, disturbing the sea bed, and making sure you don’t break your fins. Even if you haven’t seen a fish during your dive, that doesn’t mean there isn’t one close by. So treat the end of every unsuccessful dive as the start of the next dive. Because you’re next dive may only be a few metres away, and that could be where that 10lb Bass is waiting.

And that’s all she wrote! These are my 7 easy tips you can try to improve your Spearfishing technique. But if you can think of anymore be sure to post them in the comment section below!