Advice needed on buying a used spear gun

[fysherman]

I am looking to get into spearfishing. I live in Florida. I would like to buy a used speargun. First off is that a good idea? Next, what size should I look for. And what do I need to look for in the gun to make sure it is operational?

 

[Wookie]

For my starter gun, I bought a JBL 42 woody used at a pawnshop. The gun was in perfect condition, and needed nothing. I paid $75, new it's $200. Check carefully the straightness of the spear shaft, the presence or absence of a tip, and the condition of the bands. Make sure the spear groove is clean and clear with no chipping or fraying of the wood. Make sure the plastic bits are not broken. load the spear shaft in the gun and listen for the trigger mechanism to click. without loading the bands, pull the trigger and listen for the click again, and for a clean release of the spear. If bands, shaft, or tip are unacceptable, that isn't a showstopper, they can all be replaced, but it gives you a negotiating point. A 42" gun will be fine for snapper, small grouper, hogfish, and what else would you want to shoot anyway. You won't need to move up to a 55" freeshaft euro for a number of years anyway, unless you turn out to be a prodigy.

 

[Hank49]

I agree pretty much with what Wookie said.

A couple more points. You were just certified so understand that there is a lot more task loading when you start shooting fish on scuba. Depth, air left in tank etc etc....it can get confusing if you're down to 500 psi at 90 feet and you have a shot on a 30 lb cubera...instinct says shoot but better you let that one go.
Start slow on small fish in the shallows. Get used to bringing fish in and getting them on a stringer of sending them up on a floater. And try to hook up with an experienced buddy. It will help a lot.
I would go with a longer gun if you are hunting in good vis. (more than 50 feet). You can shoot fish up close with a longer gun but you're limited on longer shots with a short gun.....and you know you're going to have a 30 lb grouper moving just out of range of your 42 inch gun.
Wong guns are a bit more pricey but if I sold you one of mine it's still covered under a full warranty. I would bet you could back over it in your driveway with your pick up truck and Daryl would repair it for free.
Dive safe.

 

[fysherman]

Thanks for the pointers! Hank, I looked at some Wongs. Yeah, they are a little rich for my blood. haha

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

I am looking to get into spearfishing. I live in Florida. I would like to buy a used speargun. First off is that a good idea? Next, what size should I look for. And what do I need to look for in the gun to make sure it is operational?

It is important that you get the correct size of speargun for the visibility you will be hunting. We offer a selection of guns and make a size that will match any visibility. Since MAKO sells direct with no retail mark up and no retail store overhead, we can offer a very high quality gun for less than you might expect.

Check out this link:

http://www.makospearguns.com/why-buy-a-mako-speargun_a/290.htm

 

[Nick A]

I own a 42" jbl woody with 2 5/8ths bands. Solid gun. I spearfish in vis from 10' to 100' here in NC. I've taken small sheapshead to 30+lb grouper on it. Also, I'm a fan of the trigger mechanism on the gun. I used it (in saltwater) and didn't rinse it (dip$#!t move), left it sitting for 2 months (water got cold, hogs, grouper, etc bailed), then I broke it out, it had a little salt build up on trigger, loaded the shaft and click, popped the shaft right out. I think a gun in the 42" range would be good for a starter, as wookie said earlier. I started with it, haven't been spearfishing for too long, about 2 years and I've shot tons of fish with it. I dive every weekend so I guess that helps with the fish count.

 

[Adventure-Ocean]

You could look into building it yourself. You'd learn a lot and will always be able to take care of it. Adventure-Ocean

 

[fysherman]

Thanks to everyone for the input. I ended up buying a new 48" JBL Woody off Ebay. I also met an experienced dive buddy/spear fisherman on this site that will help me learn.