Marco Caballero Gómez, raised by the sea and with a life marked by freediving, is an Ibizan spearfisherman, winner of this year’s Master and Spetton athlete. In this interview he talks about his beginnings, technique and competitions.
Valentina Prokic: When and how did your passion for spearfishing begin?
Marco Caballero Gómez: My passion for fishing and the sea started when I was very young. Since then, I have lived all my life near the coast and, besides, I was lucky enough to be born on an island, so the sea has always been part of my daily life. I think it all started thanks to my father, who at that time practiced spearfishing as an amateur. Eventually, at my constant insistence, he began to take me with him, even when I was not even able to load the speargun.
Techniques, competition and national selection
VP: What are your favorite spearfishing techniques and what fish do you like to catch?
Marco Caballero Gómez: One of my favorite spearfishing techniques is the aspetto. In Ibiza, with the conditions we have, it is a modality that requires good technique, stealth, physical fitness and, above all, a touch of luck. It is a very fine fishing, where every detail counts. However, in the last few years the drop in the number of fish has been very noticeable, something that has changed the way I approach the days. On the other hand, I also really enjoy deep fishing. When the free fall finally begins, that moment when everything calms down, it’s pure peace. It is a very personal moment, when you disconnect from everything and there is only you, the blue and the bottom; a feeling that is difficult to explain if you have not experienced it.
VP: When did you start competing and why do you like to compete?
Marco Caballero Gómez: My first competition was about 20 years ago, when I participated in my first championship. I have done quite a few competitions here in Ibiza, although, to be honest, few of them I have faced in a really serious way. Even so, I like the championships. It’s always a good excuse to meet up with people you haven’t seen for a long time and share sea and experiences. Besides, I’m very attracted to all the previous work. It’s essential to think about the approach, study the area and draw up a fishing strategy to try to do a good job. It is a modality that requires a long and constant work. However, it is not always reflected in the final result, because luck is not always with us. Even so, it is part of the game and that is precisely what makes it special.
VP: You won this year’s Master in Palma de Mallorca, will you defend your title next year?
Marco Caballero Gómez: Yes, of course, my intention is to defend the title next month. Although it is true that this year I have not been able to be as much as I would have liked to be at sea and that in the last month, between a sinusitis and the weather conditions, I have hardly been able to train. Even so, I face next year with a lot of desire and motivation to return to my best level.
Spetton and sports objectives
VP: Do you have the desire to be part of the Spanish national team?
Marco Caballero Gómez: Of course I do; anyone who likes to compete is excited by the idea of being part of the national team. Even so, I am aware that to get there you have to pass several filters: get good results in the regional and national championships and devote a lot of time to preparation. Currently, for reasons of availability and the dates on which the competitions are held, it is difficult for me to devote the time necessary for this goal.
VP: Are you a Spetton athlete, which Spetton winter products do you particularly like and why?
Marco Caballero Gomez: Without a doubt, my favorite Spetton winter product is the Select JK wetsuit. It is a full smooth open cell wetsuit, seamless, without elbows or knee pads, which gives it a spectacular feeling of freedom and continuity.
It is a very comfortable suit, extremely elastic and, above all, very warm, which is essential for long winter days. Since I’ve been using it, it allows me to focus solely on fishing and forget all about the cold and discomfort.
An unforgettable catch
VP: What has been your best and most emotional capture – can you tell us a few words about it?
Marco Caballero Gomez: I don’t know if it will be my best catch, but it could be the most emotional. I’ll take a 19.2 kg white grouper I caught this Summer. About a year ago, fishing with a good friend, while we were sailing from one point to another, the depth sounder marked what looked like some rock with some fish on top of it, very close to the bottom. We decided to look at it. When I went down, I saw two groupers: one of about 5 kg and another of about 12. Just when I went to shoot the bigger one, I saw something I didn’t expect: a huge target, about five meters further back. I changed targets and tried to reach it, but there was no way; it disappeared offshore.
We checked that marker many times afterwards, always hoping to find it again, but never had any luck. Until this summer, when, checking a marker about 400 meters from that first encounter, my surprise was enormous to see such an animal parked in the hole again.
Once I saw it outside, I was absolutely sure that it was the same fish I had seen the year before. I had never seen one so big.
