Disclaimer
While the act of spearfishing is legal in Tennessee, it’s illegal to spearfish for game fish, leaving carp your most likely target. Carp aren’t particularly smart or challenging to shoot. Newman says they would work for “target practice.”
Want to go?
Those interested in taking a trip and trying spearfishing can contact Choo Choo Diving at 423-899-1008. Newman says the business works very closely with spearfishing guides in the Gulf area to ensure Chattanoogans who want to try out the sport get a good deal and the best possible trip.“When we go down there to dive, if these people weren’t diving with us, they would probably be spearfishing,” he says of the contacts he’s made in the Gulf.
Species to target
The Gulf is packed with interesting and exotic saltwater fish compared to what’s available locally.Flounder, in particular, are popular for spear fishermen in the Gulf. However, flounder are regulated, with a minimum length of 12 inches and a maximum of 10 per day.Lionfish are an invasive species in the region that damages the environment, similar to what carp do in Tennessee’s rivers and lakes. Unlike carp, though, lionfish are pretty to look at and their light, flaky meat is tasty.
There’s something primal about diving underwater, spear in hand, hunting for fish like a modern-day Captain Ahab. While whaling is decidedly illegal (and impractical), spearfishing is not. In fact, it’s particularly big in the Gulf, and the experts at Choo Choo Diving regularly refer local would-be spear fishermen there to try their hand at hunting in the sea.
Why spearfish? The challenge, of course. James Bond-esque spear guns that propel spears hundreds of feet to effortlessly take out their target aren’t grounded in reality. Most spearguns are operated using large rubber bands, and only have an effective kill range of a few feet. Stealth and precision are of the utmost importance.