Spearfishing Giant Marlin on a Reelguns

 What are your thoughts on targeting extra large fish with reelguns?

Over the past few years a number of XL Marlin have been landed on spearguns using reels. I personally was lucky enough to have shot and landed a Black Marlin of 230kg using a 130 Rob Allen reelgun. I had a perfect opportunity, and landed a kill shot stoning the large fish. But it has always intrigued me as to what would have happened if I did not stone the Marlin with a lethal shot. 

230kg Black Marlin

Over the past few years a number of XL Marlin have been shot and landed with reelguns. Many of them were also killed on the first shot. The most notorious is Albert Prinsloo's 374.8 kg / 826.3 lbs IUSA World Record Black Marlin. 

Albert Prinsloo's 374.8 kg / 826.3 lbs
IUSA World Record Black Marlin. 

But what happens when you don't kill the giant fish on the first shot? 

Guy Le Meme's 253kg beast Black Marlin shot with a std Rob Allen 120 reelgun, was one of those fish that put up a fight. Taking 2 hours and multiple shots to subdue the fish. 

Guy Le Meme's 253kg Black Marlin

Shooting giant fish like these on reelguns normally means that you run out of the spearguns reel line pretty fast and you need to have a beltreel or access to a float and buoy line to land the fish. 

Probably the best blow for blow example of this is the Black Marlin Cris Dillon shot in Mozambique.
The marlin quickly emptied the gun reel and Cris's belt reel. Fortunately his friend Jamie was there to clip his belt reel to the spooling line. This gave them enough time to get a large float attached to Jamies line.
From there the fish towed them 5km before they could get the fish close enough to get a second kill shot to kill the fish.

Watch the a blow by blow video here: Spearfishing Marlin on a Reel Gun

So would you take the shot if you only had a reel gun in your hands when a giant fish swims up to you? I think if you are prepared with beltreels and a float ready to clip on then, yes. 
Maybe one day I will have another opportunity to shoot a giant fish like this, and have adrenaline rush of battling the fish with out killing it outright. 

Coatesman

Spearfishing Mozambique - Spear Junkies Ep1

 

Spearfishing Mozambique Black Marlin

Spear Junkies is a spearfishing journey that follows host Cris Dillon traveling the world on a year long adventure chasing 12 dream fish. Join Cris and his guest divers as they travel to some of the world's most spectacular spearfishing destinations in search of 12 specific fish.

12 Spear Junkie fish and weights to 'Tick' off.

Some fish speared were not on the list like this very special 10.5kg Rock Salmon near Maputo.
0.5kg over the current IUSA World Record.

Cris Dillon with an excellent Black Marlin and a well deserved "Tick" on the shirt

Executive Producer Cris Dillon Camera & Edit - Barret Harvey (@African Spearfishing Diaries ) Camera & Guide Chris Coates (@Coatesman's Spearfishing ) Produced by Apnea Productions. Watch the first episode here: Spear Junkies - Spearfishing Black Marlin in Mozambique