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Hey there, spearos. This is The Stone Shot, your weekly dose of spear content (and maybe some fishing, but we try to keep it below the water line)

Here’s what we have for you today:

• Hole Hunting: How to succeed

• Alien Invasion: Giant cuttlefish aggregation

• Weird Fish Of The Week: Bigfin squid (another alien?)

• Video: Wrestling a goliath grouper

The Question

How To Succeed When Hole Hunting

Hole hunting is a skill that sets advanced spearos apart from intermediates. It requires a good breath hold, a dialed eye and a bit of acrobats. In our opinion it’s the most rewarding type of spearfishing.

In short, it involves actively searching for fish hiding in caves, cracks and crevices. Certain fish love to use these “holes” as hiding spots. It allows them to let their guard down and rest.

That’s where we come in.

Look For Signs

If you’re diving at a new spot, you could be going down and up for hours, only to find empty holes. Sometimes, this is the reality of hole hunting (and why it’s so much more rewarding when you do finally succeed). BUT, a trained eye will know what to look for while hole hunting. A few telltale signs:

Prey = Predator: Many marine predators are often found near their preferred food sources. So, if you find a school of your targets species food, chances are there’s a hole holding a big fish near by.

Disturbances In The Water: Fish can often detect you and flee before you ever spot them. Watch for sand disturbance or nearby fish movements. When you see a hole with disrupted water, be ready to shoot, as a bigger fish likely caused it.

Technique

By far the most important technique for hole hunting is the ability to be stealthy. Your success will be a result of how good you are at playing ninja. A ninja moves slowly and quietly though the water. They don’t bump rocks or stir up the bottom. When swimming in front of a hole, you are silhouetted against the light behind you. This makes it easy for the fish to see you. Be a ninja and work in the shadows.

Second most important technique is being persistent. Hole hunting is like an easter egg hunt. Every spot you check, you should assume that there will be a fish. This takes endurance and an optimistic attitude. Stay positive.

The Prize

“This all sounds like a lot of work”

Well, it is. But the prize is worth it. The best holes often hold the best fish, and removing a dominant fish from one results in another taking its place. So next time you dive that spot, chances are high that there will be another shootable fish in the same hole from last time.

Alien Invasion

Australia’s Giant Cuttlefish Alien Invasion

While we may be veering off the spearfishing topic, there's an underwater phenomenon along Australia's southern coast that deserves our attention.

Every year a region of southern Australia hosts the only known gathering of giant cuttlefish. Now, we could certainly dive into the marine science behind this gathering and the reasons for their aggregation, but presenting our argument for these fish possibly being aliens is way more fun.

Suspicious Cuttlefish Facts

The giant cuttlefish, often referred to as the "chameleons of the sea," is one of the world's largest cuttlefish species, reaching up to 60cm in length and weighing as much as 5kg. These remarkable creatures possess unique characteristics that might just prove they’re from another planet:

• They have three hearts and green blood. Strike 1

• A 360-degree field of view with no blind spots.. Strike 2

• Instant color and shape-changing abilities for camouflage…Strike 3! You’re an alien.

• Additionally, research has shown they have the ability to count…

Obviously we’re joking. We don’t think they’re actually aliens. BUT, they are some of the most unique fish in the ocean. And apparently pretty good eating as well.

Weird Fish Of The Week: Bigfin Squid

Speaking of extraterrestrial vibes, check out this eerie creature of the deep: the bigfin squid. These remarkable creatures inhabit depths deeper than any other known squid, descending to astonishing depths of up to 3 miles below the surface. The largest recorded Bigfin squid measured a spine-tingling 21 feet in length…yikes.

If Giant Cuttlefish aren’t from another planet, theses guys have to be.

Video

World champ spearfisher, Julie Higgs, strong arms a goliath grouper trying to take her catch.

That’s it for us! We’ll see you back here next week.

PS - Reply to this email with any crazy spearfishing stories, photos or videos of your own, we’d love to feature you!