Spearguns, Which One????

[TRUETEXAN]

I am thinking about buying a speargun and none of my dive buddies or instructors I work with know very much about them. I will only be using it to shoot rough fish since almost every fish in TEXAS is considered a gamefish and can't be taken with a speargun. I would like to know what to look for in a speargun, such as wood or metal, what length, how many bands and the pros and cons of the different types. It will only be used in freshwater most likely. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Originally posted by TRUETEXAN
I will only be using it to shoot rough fish since almost every fish in TEXAS is considered a gamefish and can't be taken with a speargun.

What?
What does that mean?
I used to hunt the rigs off Corpus for Grouper and Snapper all the time - are they off limits now?
Rick

 

[devjr]

TT, since you will be SCUBA diving in fresh water lakes I recommend a fairly short rubber band gun made from metal. JBL makes a line of guns which should include the type you need. Get a gun which can accept 2 rubbers. If vis is at least 10 feet, then an arrow length of about 3 feet should be right. Get a 5/16" hardened steel arrow if possible. A thicker shaft is too slow. The metal barrel and grip will sink or can easily be made to sink which is better for a bottom diver. Get a detachable head(not slip tip). The JBL head is hardened steel and will last. Make sure you get the rounded rock point and not the faceted open water point. The JBL Explorer 22 fits the above.

The JBL gun is a "beater". It will work no matter what. Should you decide to use in salt water, remove the SS screws and apply grease. If you decide on a different type, such as a pneumatic, remember that it will have to be kept very clean, no sand or mud.

 

[Zagnut]

Rick,

According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife regulations for freshwater and saltwater, a speargun may be used to take nongame fish only. Although, when I look at their definition of gamefish, I do not see grouper or snapper listed as a gamefish. I am not as familiar with saltwater fish ( I'm a freshwater fisherman) so unless they are a "hybrid or subspecies" of any of the fish on the list, I would assume you could take grouper or snapper with a speargun in saltwater (although, I would have thought that snapper and grouper are gamefish). It might not be a bad idea to call and find out for sure if you were to plan go spearfishing here again. Listening to me might get you into trouble.

Is a snapper a kind of Drum?.. I'm not sure..If so, it's a gamefish I guess.

Here is the TPW definition of a gamefish:

Game Fish (includes hybrids or sub-species of fish on this list):
Bass: Guadalupe, Largemouth, Smallmouth, Spotted Striped, White, Yellow
Catfish: Blue, Channel, Flathead
Cobia
Crappie
Drum, Red
Mackerel: King, Spanish
Marlin: Blue, White
Pickerel
Sailfish
Sauger
Seatrout, Spotted
Sharks
Snook
Spearfish, Longbill
Swordfish, Broadbill
Tarpon
Trout: Brown, Rainbow
Wahoo
Walleye

 

[Zagnut]

I, like TrueTexan, have been looking into the sport and am interested in spearfishing (I keep eyeing spearguns on eBay). I have read that the wood stocks absorb some of the sound of the gun being fired, thus reducing the chance of spooking the fish and missing the shot. I also read that the mid-handled guns are good for bottom fishing and allows you more maneuverability to swing around quicker when tracking game.

I've got a couple of questions myself..and they may sound stupid, but here goes..

When flipping through pages of catalogs, I see reels you can get for spearguns, but rarely see pictures of reels on spearguns. If you don't have a reel, how do you retrieve your fish?

I read somewhere about a pneumatic gun being (If I can remember correctly) "factory charged" and you never needed to recharge it. What exactly does this mean? It seems like you would need to "pump" it back up after firing, or add another co2 cartridge or something (I guess I'm thinking in terms of air powered rifles).. What's the skinny on these dang deals?

Thanks for the info Devjr. Any other spearfishermen or women out there care to fill TT and me in on things like reasons for eguipment selection, necessary accessories, hunting techniques, etc..(I guess I should just get a book on the subject).

I'm just curious. I don't know that I'd ever get around to actually spearfishing anytime soon. I guess they could be used to thin out junkfish that are overpopulated in a stock tank or something. I'm pretty well land locked so I would have to freshwater fish which is pretty well useless seein' as how all the delicious fish are safe from spearfishing in Texas. I'm not into poaching and would only hunt what I can eat...and besides, after the missus found out I just bought a drysuit off eBay, she's watchin' me like a hawk!

 

[Rick Murchison]

Originally posted by Zagnut
I have read that the wood stocks absorb some of the sound of the gun being fired, thus reducing the chance of spooking the fish and missing the shot.
That's true, but really only important if you're using a long gun taking long shots.
I also read that the mid-handled guns are good for bottom fishing and allows you more maneuverability to swing around quicker when tracking game.
True also.
When flipping through pages of catalogs, I see reels you can get for spearguns, but rarely see pictures of reels on spearguns. If you don't have a reel, how do you retrieve your fish?
For fish under about 10 pounds, your shaft line is adequate. Reels are ususally used with detachable heads, and for heavier fish. They aren't much good around rigs as the line will promptly get cut on the barnacles
I read somewhere about a pneumatic gun being (If I can remember correctly) "factory charged" and you never needed to recharge it. What exactly does this mean?
Imagine a sealed piston with pressure behind it - you cock the gun by forcing the piston down with the rear end of the spear as you insert it into the gun. When you fire it the piston shoves the spear out the opposite way it was pushed in. None of the gas behind the piston is lost on the shot.

Rick

 

[devjr]

No problemo, I don't mind answering. Free divers prefer wood guns because they float reliably, even with heavy reels attached. When man handling and preparing to stab a big fish, it is safer and more convenient to let the gun float free rather than attach it to yourself or run an arm through the rubbers. Mahogany is light and best for short guns. Big guns are usually made from teak which is dense, heavy and has high "inertia". These are more accurate when used with multiple rubbers having hundreds of pounds of traction.

Free divers usually install reels which spool out at least 100 feet of line. Otherwise, the fish could drown the diver or take his gun. In very deep water, freedivers may equip their guns with detachable floats. Others, depending on what they are hunting, may discharge their CO2 vest for flotation. Tank divers using guns aren't subject to the same problems so they normally go with a short "shooting line" attached to the gun and arrow. However, they are still subject to being wrapped up if they shoot a jack. Usually, the diver spins in reverse to prevent that.

The pneumatic gun is a modern version of the spring gun used in the 50's. Instead of a metal compression spring running the length of the gun, the pneumo uses an air spring with hydraulic assist. In other words, the "spring" is a cylinder and piston or rubber bladder which is pressurized with air. In order to cock the gun the arrow is rammed into the barrel. This movement forces water against the spring where the energy is stored. Sometimes the cylinder is subject to losing pressure and needs to be pumped up. This is done on the surface, not in the water and the sole purpose is to maintain a preset tension in the spring.

I will be happy to respond to questions. It doesn't matter how simple or complex.

 

[Zagnut]

That helped.

Just one more question...or should I say one more series of questions.

Generally how long is the shaft line?

How is it attached to the gun and how is it stored in or on the gun prior to shooting?

When I see pictures in magazines I can see what I would assume is the shaft line. Sometimes it appears to be wrapped under the stock threaded back and forth along the length of the stock and attached to the gun near the trigger, and sometimes it appears to strung on the top of the stock and threaded back and forth. How are they strung and how do they unravel when the weapon is fired?

Sorry about all the questions, it's just that it's hard to get an idea of exactly how one works from a small picture in a magazine or on eBay. I've never seen an actual speargun. I've only seen pictures.

Thanks again for your input.

 

[devjr]

The shooting line is attached to the muzzle, is usually 10 or 15 feet long and is strung from the spear to an auto line release (at the grip or butt), where it is anchored. Usually, there are two or three loops of continuous line. Pulling the gun's trigger automatically releases the line.

 

[algulfdiver]

I like this brand ,reasonable price and verry good gun, Also Rife is a good wood gun.

http://www.abbiller.com/
:mean: