Using only some bands

[Michael Guerrero]

So I've been watching a lot of spearfishing videos the last couple weeks and may times I notice the people using all the bands of their gun, and many other times they use only one band of their gun.

How do you decide how many bands you use?

Also, sometimes the spears go all the way through a fish, and sometimes they just get stuck in the fish. Which is better and why?

Thanks.

 

[Water Boy76]

This is a gross over generalization:
If you are on SCUBA freeshafting: 1 band
If you are on SCUBA lineshafting: 2 bands
If you are freediving: 2-3 bands

I feel that many guys over power their guns which may effect accuracy. The more you spear the better feel you will get for what's needed.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

On your jbl gun you probably want to use both bands.. It came with 2 right? If you are shooting into a hole at close range, then it is advisable to unload one band. If you use 2 bands and miss the fish or easily go through it an it hits 2 inch thick steel, the spear can be damaged, or ruined or can get stuck, really bad such that you can not get it out...

Generally you want full power when shooting fish that are in the open water. The issue with the shaft going through or not is basically associated with the back stop. If you line up the shot where the fish will be penetrated and then hit a wreck or a rock or the sand bottom, then this will stop the shaft. This will not hurt the shaft if you have a normal speartip.

This type of line up is very important when you are freeshafting, but when using a line gun, i really pay no attention to it. In general, it is a royal pain when the shaft goes all the way through and the fish is on the line and then spins around making a tangled mess. Much easier if they are impaled on the shaft itself.

This video from last weekend shows shots where the shaft does not go all all the way through and the last shot of the video, shows a cluster-f from a 2 lb fish. That fish spinning around like that is not speeded up in the video and the dorsal spines will destroy your hand when you try to grab the bugger.

You want to be concentrating on placing precise kill shots, rather than worrying about pass through shots. that is you focus, you must target a location on the fish and of course you need to learn the optimal spot. If you hit the perfect spot, the fish will be dead, even if the shaft goes all the way through. When the fish is on the line, generally you unhook the loop of line from the muzzle bungi and slide the fish off that way.

[video=youtube_share;InWRO0lPzuc]http://youtu.be/InWRO0lPzuc[/video]

 

[Belzelbub]

So I've been watching a lot of spearfishing videos the last couple weeks and may times I notice the people using all the bands of their gun, and many other times they use only one band of their gun.

How do you decide how many bands you use?

Also, sometimes the spears go all the way through a fish, and sometimes they just get stuck in the fish. Which is better and why?

Thanks.

What Waterboy said. I freeshaft greater than 90% of the time. So, it's usually it's one band.

To answer your other question, it's best if the spear goes into the fish far enough to engage the flopper(s), but not so far that it goes all the way through the fish. Though, you can get away with going all the way through if you are lineshafting. If freeshafting, unless you stone the fish, there is a very good chance of losing the fish if it goes all the way through.

Also, there is an optimal angle. You don't want to hit the fish broadside, but instead want to get it when it's quartering away from you. This has a better chance of immobilizing the fish. If bottom fishing, you'll also want to shoot from above a bit.

If you can find a copy of the Barebones of Spearfishing, pick it up. That will explain it better than I can.

Seeing dumpster's video reminded me of a better way to explain this. Video from a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately, there are a few shots that aren't optimal, but the shot by my buddy on the grouper at around the 8 minute mark is just about perfect. Notice how the fish just twitches, but doesn't really swim anywhere? That's what you want. Lights out.
His hand positioning on the gun is not right. I noticed during the editting and told him about it.

[video=youtube;3C7mJhfv4VE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C7mJhfv4VE[/video]

 

[Michael Guerrero]

Mine has 3 20" x 9/16" bands.

Sawed-Off Magnum - JBL Spearguns

I want to be aiming right behind the eyes at an angle (depending on orientation) that passes through the brain, right?

And I guess I'm wondering should I only load the third band if the shot is far or the fish is big? I feel like 3 bands would blow through a small fish at relatively close range and lead to the well documented cluster-F.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Try two bands then.. I normally don't use three bands - takes too long to load and I normally use a longer gun, so it has more band pull and more power and the shaft has more mass. You want to generally shoot from the rear of the fish and have the shaft exit more forward of the entrance hole.

 

[100days-a-year]

I use 1 band at a time,I have a 20mm or 3/4 band for freeshafting big fish and lineshafting.I use a second smaller 5/8 band for freeshafting small fish.Even at a high production rate it is not difficult to select the proper band for the current fish.

My tip selection prevents much blowthru but it can happen if I shoot a thin fish broadside at full power.Like maybe 3 times in the last 10 to 20k fish.