Costa Rica Mayhem: All fish shot with a 140cm APEX!!!

By: Cameron Kirkconnell

Well Costa Rica has been pretty insane and it only seems to get better by the day.My friends landed and their first night in San Jose there was an earthquake and a riot so big that they couldn't even get to their hotel.  Next they met me at the beach and in the 30 minutes they were out surfing with me they had all their bags stolen and were left only with the clothes on their back and our spearfishing gear luckily.  Not good.  So what do we do.. Celebrate. and what better place to celebrate than a Rodeo in a town of 200 in the middle of nowhere.  It was awesome.  these Tico's (Costa Ricans) were just getting worked by these bulls and the whole time we are sitting on the edge of the corral inches from the action with the rest of the town.  After the bullriding they shifted gears and it turned into a big discotec and we were all dancing and having a blast with every Tico within 50 miles out there with us.
Yesterday and the day before we went diving and I can honestly say it was one of the best days of my life.  When you jump into the water 40 miles offshore into a school of 1000 yellowfin tuna and as many spinner dolphins it is truly unbelievable.  The first day Brad shot a 185lb Tuna and it dragged him 1 mile and took him 2 hours to get it in.  As he was fighting it another one around 250lbs came up and I had him on for about 5 mintues before he tore off and disappeared.  With Brads fish in the boat and Jason and I both shot 40 lb ones and the day was over.  Yesterday I shot a 45lb on in the morning and Jason another as well.  Halfway throught he day after god knows how many drops in front of the approaching School I dove down through a school of 300  fifty lb fish and at 55 ft was greeted by the sight of a massive Tuna coming out of the deep.  I kicked hard at him and pulled the trigger and he was off like a shot.  30 mintues  later I had him close enough to see him 75 ft down but was so tired I could barely get down to shoot him again.  With another shaft in the fish I pulled him up to me and as I wrapped my arms around his body, or tried, the first shaft fell out and the other was just barely holding on as well.  Too tired to pull him up I had to let go of this gigantic fish and Brad said when I swam up past him I was on the verge of tears.  Ever so lightly I pulled the deadweight of the fish back up to me and buried my hands in his gills and it was over.  190 lbs.  My biggest fish ever and there is no chance of wiping this smile off my face any time soon.  Awesome awesome fight and we are resting today so that we can go out again on Friday.  Unbelievable how fun this is.  The hardest battle you can imagine fighting  these fish in 1000 feet of water in the middle of nowhere.  I love it. i love it i love it!!!!!