If you are looking for a next-level adventure, Top Shot Spearfishing in Lahaina, Maui, and Kona on the Big Island is worth adding to your vacation itinerary. Suffice to say that this is one of the most unforgettable spearfishing excursions in all of Hawaii. Once you sign up and show up for your excursion, the beginning of your experience will start in the classroom. This open-air setting provides the perfect backdrop as the Top Shot guides introduce themselves and explain how they came to be involved in spearfishing.
After this introduction session, Top Shot moves to their spearfish training system which focuses on three primary elements of spearfishing, spear, and gear, breathing and relaxing, and ending with hunting and stalking theory. The professional guides will show you have to handle the Speargun or Three-Prong Polespear. Throughout this instructional period, you will focus on learning the most important element of spearfishing, muzzle control. This is basically where the speargun or polespear is pointed. You will learn how to aim, fire, and reload and how to safely engage a target species.
At Top Shot Spearfishing, safety is the name of the game. This company proudly has trained over 10,000 guests in the art of spearfishing and still enjoys a 100% accident-free rating. There is also no sharing spearguns at Top Shot, which is common practice with other spearfishing company tours. This can lead to accidents due to improper training. At Top Shot, you are trained on how to operate the tool you will use, safely, and don’t share it with anyone else.
In addition to being a fun way to spend a day and a neat skill to add to your arsenal, spearfishing is also a good way to remove invasive species from the beautiful reefs of the Hawaiian Islands. Therefore, when fishing with Top Shot, you will be targeting some of these troublesome species, such as Roi, a Peacock Grouper. There is no minimum size with regard to Roi, and it is considered Public Enemy #1 on the islands. This fish was introduced in the 1950s as a way to potentially add another food source to the region. The idea completely backfired, and the fish now has become a silent killer as it is a voracious predator that consumes 150 reef fish per year.
It’s important to note that although the Roi is number one on the target list, this fish cannot be consumed as they carry high rates of Ciguatera Toxin. Instead, Roi caught on an excursion are donated to local farmers to use as fertilizer. In fact, the Roi fish is the only fish targeted by Top Shot that is not consumed. The next fish up for grabs during your spearfishing excursion is the Toau, a Blacktail Snapper that likes to hang out near caves, rocks, and around ledges. It is a fast and skittish fish that utilizes camouflage well. No minimum size is required to target the Toau.
All Top Shot Spearfishing trips are shoreline spearfishing experiences as all Hawaiian reefs are accessible from the shoreline. This means you won’t be boarding a boat. The excursions enter from shore and then spend the entire rest of the time training and then enjoying the act of spearfishing. When planning your trip, make sure you are prepared for the day. You will need to bring along a swimsuit and towel, and it’s also a good idea to eat breakfast prior to arrival. Top Shot will provide water and granola bars throughout the experience. Also, while you don’t have to be an Olympic-level swimmer to take part in spearfishing, it is beneficial if you are comfortable snorkeling for extended periods of time. Thankfully, the Top Shot introduction class will ensure you have the skills you need to enjoy your excursion.
Insider Tips:
-All the gear you will need is provided at the cost of the excursion. This includes a 90cm Aimrite speargun, full body wetsuit, weight belt, regulation buoy, a professional instructor/guide, speargun loading pad, snorkeling fins, low volume spearfishing mask, snorkel, and gloves.
-You are not required to have a fishing license to book a spearfishing trip with Top Shot. Hawaii only has licensing requirements for its freshwater fish.
-The minimum age for the intro group dive at Hot Shot is 14 years of age.