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By TINA HARBUCK, Northwest Florida Every day Information
DESTIN, Fla. (AP) — It’s one factor to be 40 and freediving with a polespear, however to be eight months pregnant and nail a pending world file black drum is a complete different factor.
Destin’s Julie Augustine did simply that Oct. 1.
“It was loopy, that’s not how I anticipated my day beginning, however what an journey,” Augustine mentioned.
Augustine shot a 37.6-pound black drum with a 9-foot Bermudian slip tip polespear whereas freediving.
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In response to the Worldwide Underwater Spearfishing Affiliation, the present file for black drum within the Sling/Polespear Division for a feminine diver is a 36.3-pounder shot by Lucie Cardet of the U.S. on July 19, 2018.
‘Do you need to go discover a world file?’
Augustine received the chance to dive when she obtained a name from her good friend Joe D’Agostino, who requested if she wished to exit on the boat.
“It’s wanting actually clear. … You must be capable of deal with the circumstances right this moment, if you wish to come alongside. I gained’t be out that lengthy,” was how the dialog went, she mentioned.
D’Agostino had moved the boat to Joe’s Bayou upfront of Hurricane Ian, however on his manner again he noticed a college of fish that appeared prefer it had some sizeable fish in it. When he pulled as much as the marina to select up Augustine, he informed her to seize the polespear.
“Do you need to go discover a world file?” he requested.
“I mentioned … ‘Sure, I do,’ and that’s what occurred,” Augustine mentioned.
They had been in Choctawhatchee Bay, however like all fishermen, D’Agostino wasn’t gifting away any specifics.
“I don’t need to say an excessive amount of, as a result of we don’t need to give our spot away,” D’Agostino mentioned.
Nonetheless, he did say it was shallow at about 8- to 10-feet deep.
“They weren’t fairly the place they had been, however we went looking and located them,” Augustine mentioned.
She mentioned visibility was troublesome.
“There have been some fish that had been larger than the one I received. On the floor they had been clearly seen, you possibly can see their form, however then once I received within the water, I couldn’t see the tip of my spear,” she mentioned.
“I noticed its shadow. Within the water and from my vantage level it was an enormous shadow. So, I took a shot and it was shot. I introduced it up and I hoped and praying,” Augustine mentioned.
The polespear doesn’t shoot with a set off, Augustine defined. She mentioned it makes use of the drive generated by the discharge of the polespear.
“It’s very primitive,” she mentioned.
Augustine was freediving and down underneath about 45 seconds or so. After she landed the fish, they introduced it right down to the Destin Fishing Rodeo to get an official weight on the fish for certification. Weighmaster Bruce Cheves referred to as it 37.8 kilos.
“It was such a enjoyable expertise,” she mentioned. “We would have liked that licensed scale to make it excellent, nevertheless it was enjoyable to characterize that sport as properly.”
Augustine, who swam in faculty, has solely been freediving polespear fishing for a few years.
She was within the army and stationed within the space a very long time in the past and moved again to the world throughout COVID.
“It was presupposed to be briefly,” she mentioned.
However that summer time she took a stage one free diving course by means of Benthic Ocean Sports activities.
“I fell in love with the game and began freediving. So, I’ve been doing it for the reason that summer time of 2020,” she mentioned.
Over the last couple of years, she has speared a few dozen fish.
About three months in the past, at 5 months pregnant, she went out on what she thought could be her final spearfishing journey till after giving start. She had speared a pink snapper at 70 ft down that was simply shy of the world file.
“What a bummer,” she mentioned. “So, when this chance got here up, I couldn’t say no.”
Augustine, who’s a doctor’s assistant on the Crane Middle in Destin, mentioned her due date is Nov. 15 and it’s a boy.
“I’m going to call him Finn,” she mentioned.
Is she involved about diving at eight months pregnant?
“My child’s well being and security are, have been and can at all times be my prime precedence. I’m blessed to have had a comparatively wholesome being pregnant. I hearken to my physique and work intently with my obstetrician to make sure any exercise I or we take part in is secure for each of us. If at any level that modifications, so will my actions, in or out of the water,” she mentioned.
“This isn’t the yr I used to be anticipating, nevertheless it’s simply been a blessing in so some ways,” she mentioned.
As for the potential file, she is within the technique of getting the credentials and all of the paperwork crammed out to ship in.
However the fish, “we reduce it up and I’ve appeared up many black drum recipes. The meat seems to be incredible on this one,” she mentioned.
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