Hi guys about a year ago i got got my SCUBA ticket, on a recent trip to the south coast i got the oportunity to use a mates spear gun and shoot the first and only fish i have ever shot in my life. We had a Great time and brung in a seafood feast of the likes i have never seen before. After doing a shallow dive (11m) and getting a few green lips and a mixed bag of southern and western crays and enjoying the spectacular seenery and abundent marine life around the reef including Pink Snapper, Queen Snapper, Western blue grouper, we fed a big healthy vibrant Blue and his two girl friends an abb that my mate had broken the shell on and couldnt be mesured properly so would more than likely be eaten by fish anyway if released, it was one of the best dives ive done since getting my ticket.

After this dive it was decided to head out deeper (21m) and see if we could get onto a few fish for esky and find some more productive cray ground. Due to the depth the hooker could only suply air to one diver so my other mate stayed on the boat. Ryan got a few Queenys n some more crays while i followed. I spoted a good size Queeny n started to follow but Ryan was too quick  chased after it as he went after the Queeny i spoted some movement out of the corner of my eye and turned to see a big old blue sitting under a Ledge on his own, i was in awe of this fish n just sat and watched him for a minute, as i did i noticed the diference in conditon of this fish compared to the other Grouper we had seen in the Shallower ground.

I thought about the arguments i had seen from people online some arguing its better to leave "old breaders" alone and others saying if a fish is close to the end of its life cycle why not take it and let the younger fish go to continue breading for longer. Thease arguments between wana be self educated "marine bioligists" have always amused me, im pretty happy from what ive seen that fisheries are doing a good job.

So weighing up my options this old boy was still just sitting there unlike his younger brothers n sisters that swim off in a hurry once spooked, that i have seen countless numbers of since ive started diving. I took my shot n made the first fish ive speared a cracker, that all off the 19 people who had a share of it and the rest of the days catch say it was delishous.

So now im looking to get a gun of my own, One mate had a Cressy n the other a Rob Allen both 1200 rail guns but not sure i want to splash out $400 for one yet can anyone recomend anything around the $150-$200 mark that is amy good or should i hold out till next year n spend the extra?