Interacting with Fish
Written by Fin + Forage’s, Charlie Robinton
Other Hunting Techniques to Learn:
Agguato (Stalking), Aspetto (Ambushing), Hole Hunting and Reef vs Blue Water
The ability to read fish behavior and interact with fish in an unthreatening manner is the hallmark of a great underwater hunter and a skill that will put many more fish on your stringer. Often new spearfishers have a hard time getting close to fish because their excitement in the water and aggressive behavior put every fish within range on edge. If you want to get closer, learn to move and behave in a way that convinces the fish you are not a dangerous predator. Along with time and experience, mastering this skill involves developing your understanding of the target species and practicing non-threatening body language.
Understanding fish behavior
Every species of gamefish behaves differently. Their attitudes toward divers range widely, from aggressive and curious, to wary and skittish. Some fish species seem indifferent to the presence of a diver and are easily approached, while others will run at the slightest movement or sound. The first step toward learning how to hunt effectively is to do some research about your target species and observe them carefully when you encounter them in the water.
Fish behaviors and their reactions to you will vary widely, even within the same species, and depend on many factors such as time of day, whether or not they are feeding, competition between fish, water clarity and others. There are, however, some generalizations we can make that will help you get a head start toward understanding your prey. For example, large open-water species of fish such as tuna, billfish and yellowtail are generally aggressive and curious. With the right approach, a diver can usually count on these types of fish coming in for a closer look and possibly offering the opportunity for a shot. Species that live over reefs such as snappers and groupers are generally more cagey and easily spooked. These types of fish usually require a careful approach to get within range. There are always exceptions. Pelagic fish can be easily put off by aggressive movements, and some reef fish are easy to get close to if they are holed up in a cave where they feel secure. This is why getting to know the individual species and spending time carefully observing them in the water is so important.
Body language
Regardless of whether or not the fish is skittish, your behavior and body language will be the biggest factor determining whether or not you can get close enough for a good shot. Paying attention to how you dive, how you move through the water and where you look will give you a big advantage when it comes to learning the correct body language.
Splashing on the surface and sudden movements are alarm bells to many fish, so the first thing you need to do is develop a smooth, silent duck dive. Make sure you bend fully at the waist and use a sweeping motion with your arms along with your downward momentum to slide vertically below the surface before you begin kicking. A steady, graceful movement will always be more effective, and less likely to scare fish.
Once you are beneath the surface, move slowly and keep your extremities (and speargun) tucked close to your body. If it is possible, limit your kicking and use other techniques such as the free-fall or bottom crawling to minimize movements and vibrations that could put wary fish on edge. Large gestures or swift movements should be avoided because they make you look like an aggressive predator. Think about the way a fish or an octopus would look calmly finning or crawling along the bottom just going about its business. Now imagine a sea lion or a revved-up shark swooping and circling erratically. Which behavior do you think is more likely to alert and scare fish in the area? Hint: don’t be the sea lion or the shark!
When you see a fish you would like to get closer to, the best approach is feigned indifference. The first instinct of many new spearfishers is to look and point their gun directly at the fish, even swimming after them as they inevitably turn to run in the opposite direction. This behavior is extremely aggressive, and more often than not results in a missed opportunity. It may seem counter-intuitive, but taking the exact opposite approach is the best way to bring that fish home for dinner.
Even if you have just spotted the fish of a lifetime and every predatory instinct is telling you to go after it, try hard to make no change in your behavior at all. Instead, pretend you did not even see the fish. Whatever you do, don’t look directly at it or point your gun at it until you know you are in a position for a good shot. Use your peripheral vision to keep an eye on it and continue with whatever you were doing before you spotted it. This could mean simply laying still on the bottom and waiting for the fish to get closer, or angling on an intercept path and moving slowly in that direction so that you can close the distance. If you are on the bottom, looking for structure to hide behind can help you get closer. Gently maneuvering your body into a position where your profile is as small as possible is another trick that can make fish less wary of your presence.
By moving slowly, presenting a minimal profile and not looking or gesturing towards the fish, you are sending it a signal that you are not interested in it, and hopefully convincing it that you are not a threat. When fish do not see you as a predator, their curiosity often takes over, and they can’t resist coming closer to have a look at you. Even the ones that don’t may allow you to move closer to them.
A great way to practice these techniques is to hit the water with a camera or even just dive and sightsee. When you find gamefish, try these techniques and observe how they react to your behavior. Because we are such competitive and goal-oriented creatures, it often takes diving without a speargun to remove the aggressive edge from our body language and help us learn how to approach fish calmly. With a little bit of practice and patience, you should be able to get the same results, speargun in hand, and start landing those trophy fish you couldn’t get anywhere near before.