In my experience with grouper (only one invasive spp. in HI) they are living Ass h&les..ahem...Anchors.
I wonder if a flopper tip would have been a better choice?? I can see the upside to a slip tip (fish has no leverage on the spear, much stronger connection..etc. ) but at the same time, with a flopper you have more control over the fish as well. Ive shot (comparatively small) grouper in cracks and they pretty much just flare their opercular plates and hunker down. Sometimes they are just too large to fit through the crack you shot them in, and unless you can break the coral (which i try to avoid) the fish is gonna be lost.
Awesome story btw. Shitty deals!! Youll get your trophy one day bro. :thumbsup2::thumbsup2:
Yea a flopper would've definitely put more pressure on the fish (and been easier to control him) but I'm worried a big guy like that would have snapped the gatku in half. But I have seen the composite front section on it bend about 90 degrees before without breaking soooo I'm not sure. I should've just yanked on him as hard as I could during the initial struggle but I wasn't expecting him to get off after. Ahhhhhh man just thinking about it still tears me up lol oh well you're right there's always more out there for me