Dear Fellow Team Rabitech spearos,

The time has come to award the first Team Rabitech award for 2006. I must say that since the launch of the Team Rabitech website, the fish + stories submitted have been awesome. Although we are only receiving a fraction of the possible entries/ stories from around the world (ie Azores, Hawaii; Greece, USA etc....) the action on the www.teamrabitech.com page can only get better!!

It has been very difficult to make a decision on the winner of this months prize. I mean you just have to look at the entries, most of them a fish of a lifetime!!

To Summarise:

• Simon Latta: 37.2kg Jewfish Port Macquarie- Australia
• Innes VDR Vyer: 70kg Yellowfin Tuna off Cape Point
• Doug Hanning: 26kg Spanish Mackerel - Queensland - Australia
• Ismail (Miles) Sonday: 75kg Yellowfin Tuna off Cape Town, South Africa,
• Ritchie Zacker: 4 x Wahoo :22.7kg, 21.8kg, 20.4kg and 19kg, 34kg Amberjacks, 3 x Kingfish and a new World Record Black Grouper of 53.5lbs (24.3kg) All shot with 1 x 130cm Apex Carbon and a New World Record by 1.68kg.

Ritchie's catch can only be described as the catch a lifetime and also proves that the Rabitech Apex Carbon can deliver the goods. Of course it does help when spearos like Ritchie are behind the sights!!

Based on the quantity of large pelagics, combined with a World Record fish, we decided that Ritchie will be this sector's winner, and also a great way to start off 2006! He will be receiving a Team Rabitech promo pash as well as a 50% discount on his next purchase with Sumora. (The USA Distributors for Rabitech)

Well done Ritchie and lets keep the entries coming!!

What I also see is that we are building a data base of likeminded spearos from around the world. For those travelling spearos like Cameron Kirkonnell (another Apex supporter) I envisage our community not only growing but maybe even coming together in 2006!

From my side, I have been taking some time off to do some spearing myself the last couple weeks. Apart from boating quite a few "shoal" Spanish Mackerel on a recent trip, yesterday I had a chance at an 80-90kg Black Marlin. With my Rabitech Stealth c/f 120cm in hand I was dozing off owing to the significant "lack" of pelagic action, when this marlin swooped in and broadsided my flasher!! A quick duck dive later I had an opportunity to place a mid body shot, but then hesitated as I had flash back of nearly losing all my gear with a similar shot placement several years back! The hesitation was crucial as the marlin did a quick turn and started moving out to sea, the whole time gaining on me. Another opportunity lost and the lesson to be learnt is maybe just take the first opportunity rather than wait for the perfect "kill" shot because it might never happen again!!!

Safe Diving out there
Cheers
Tim Theunissen
(SA Spearfishing Supplies)
http://www.spearfishing.co.za