How to Shoot Bigger Fish While Spearfishing: 5 Rules That Actually Work

Every spearfisher wants to land bigger fish. But consistently connecting with trophy-sized targets isn't about luck — it's about preparation, discipline, and making smart decisions before you ever pull the trigger. The divers who regularly bring home impressive catches all follow the same core principles, and once you understand them, your results will change dramatically.

Whether you're chasing pelagics offshore or hunting reef species in close, these five rules will help you shoot bigger fish more consistently. They're simple, proven, and applicable to every style of spearfishing.

Rule 1: Use Spearfishing Gear That Matches Your Target

Don't bring a knife to a gun fight. If your goal is to shoot a 100-pound grouper or a 50-pound wahoo, you need a speargun with the power, shaft thickness, and band configuration to get the job done. Underpowered gear leads to poor penetration, pulled shafts, and lost fish. Worse, a wounded fish that escapes is a waste.

Match your speargun length and band setup to the size of fish you're realistically targeting. A small gun with a single band might be perfect for reef fish, but it won't hold up against a serious pelagic. Think about shaft diameter, slip tips for larger species, and whether you need a reel or a floatline setup to handle a powerful run. Gear selection is the foundation — get it right and everything else becomes easier.

Rule 2: Stop Shooting Small Fish

This is the hardest rule for most spearfishers to follow, but it's the most important. If you want to shoot bigger fish, you have to stop pulling the trigger on small ones. Every time you shoot a small fish, you create noise and commotion that pushes larger, more cautious fish out of the area. Big fish didn't get big by being careless — they're wary, and they'll disappear at the first sign of trouble.

Discipline yourself to pass on anything that doesn't meet your personal size standard. If you're after a trophy, act like it. Let the small fish swim and keep your gun loaded for the one that matters. Patience is the single most valuable trait a spearfisher can develop, and it pays dividends every time you enter the water.

Rule 3: Learn to Read the Water and Find the Right Structure

Bigger fish tend to hold on bigger, more complex structure in deeper water. They need adequate shelter, consistent food sources, and enough space to patrol comfortably. Shallow, featureless bottom rarely holds trophy-class fish for long. Learning to read the water — understanding how currents, temperature breaks, and structure interact — puts you in the right place at the right time.

Study your dive spots with bathymetric charts, sonar, and local knowledge. Identify the deep ledges, pinnacles, wrecks, and drop-offs where big fish are likely to stage. The more time you spend learning your local terrain, the more consistently you'll position yourself near the fish that are worth shooting.

Rule 4: Improve Your Shot Placement

A clean, well-placed shot is the difference between landing a big fish and watching it tear off with your shaft. On larger species, shot placement is everything. Aim for the spine just behind the gill plate — this is the kill zone that immobilizes the fish and prevents a long, gear-destroying fight. A body shot on a big fish often means a bent shaft, a pulled tip, or a lost animal.

Practice your aim on every dive, even on smaller fish. The muscle memory you build shooting accurately at close range translates directly to those critical moments when a big fish presents itself at distance. Take your time, wait for a broadside shot, and put the shaft exactly where it needs to go.

Rule 5: Dive Where the Big Fish Are

This sounds obvious, but too many spearfishers keep hitting the same convenient, heavily pressured spots and wonder why they never see big fish. Trophy fish live in places that are harder to reach — deeper water, further offshore, more remote coastline. If you want to level up, you need to expand your range.

Invest in boat access, join experienced dive crews, and explore new territory. The willingness to put in extra effort to reach less pressured water is what separates weekend divers from serious spearfishers who consistently land trophy fish. Combine the right location with the right gear, patience, and solid shot placement, and you'll start putting bigger fish on the stringer.

Hunt Smarter, Shoot Bigger

Landing bigger fish while spearfishing comes down to preparation and discipline. Use gear that matches your target, stop wasting shots on small fish, learn to read the water, perfect your shot placement, and put yourself in locations where trophy fish actually live. Follow these five rules consistently and you'll see a real difference in the size and quality of your catches. For more spearfishing tips and strategies, visit SpearFactor.com. Tight lines!