Best types of Spear Guns

[NC Wreck Diver]

I very rarely take the largest fish. I typically will shoot the closest (legal) fish in a school. I'm serious about this too. Always better to take the close shot and get a clean kill; a bird in the hand and all that.

Remember, spearfishing is the most SELECTIVE type of fishing with the lowest by-catch of any method of take.

Hi dumpsterDiver:

Sure...........I'll take the legal fish, but if I can get the largest one after a few minutes, I'll go for the top dog. All things considered above, easiest to fillet.

 

[elmer fudd]

I'm not a real expert on spearguns, but I have used band guns, pneumatic guns and polespears.

Between the band guns and the pneumatic guns I much prefer the band guns. You can easily swim around with the spear in place but the gun uncharged. A simple glance lets you know if it's charged or not and it's a fast and simple matter to slip the bands on to get it ready for firing.

Charging pneumatic guns on the other hand is not something I like.

I also like pole spears, particularly for small fish that you intend on taking several of. Perch for example. You can launch a pole spear, grab the tip, bring the loop of tubing in your other hand back up to the tip and be ready for another shot in just a couple of seconds. I could get off 10 shots with a pole spear in the time it would take me ready a band gun for one shot.

At some point I'm going to make a very short pole spear for dedicated flounder hunting, seeing as flounder are tasty, dumb and in season 12 months a year. I'm thinking some sort of 2' spear that could be kept in a sheath attached to my tank.

 

[cmburch]

I can reload my pneumatic faster than my band gun. For example cabezon in flight, spear bounces off head, insert spear, push against rock and shoot again without restringing. It can be as simple as pushing against a rock. Though many say never touch the rocks in certain areas. My friend can do it with his hand on his 5 prong. I use the reloader normally. A pneumatic also has a safety. I normally have it in my hand, safety off. If on my kayak or board, I always discharge it first. Longer pneumatics, some may have to load by placing the butt on their foot.

I would say that pneumatics are not as accurate or power adjustable as a band gun. They may also require more maintenance.

I enjoy using a polespear due to its simplicity. Except in thick kelp. I now use a sliptip. So no more lost fish.:depressed:

 

[elmer fudd]

I can reload my pneumatic faster than my band gun. For example cabezon in flight, spear bounces off head, insert spear, push against rock and shoot again without restringing. It can be as simple as pushing against a rock. Though many say never touch the rocks in certain areas. My friend can do it with his hand on his 5 prong. I use the reloader normally. A pneumatic also has a safety. I normally have it in my hand, safety off. If on my kayak or board, I always discharge it first. Longer pneumatics, some may have to load by placing the butt on their foot.

I would say that pneumatics are not as accurate or power adjustable as a band gun. They may also require more maintenance.

I enjoy using a polespear due to its simplicity. Except in thick kelp. I now use a sliptip. So no more lost fish.:depressed:

What I don't like about charging a pneumatic is that I have something that's sharp, pointy and spring loaded and I'm compressing it between my foot and my hand underwater. With the band gun on the other hand, I just let the spear fall into place and then lace up the cord and half the time that's the way I leave it until I'm ready for a shot. Fish around here aren't particularly spearo savvy, so that's usually not an issue. The only ones that seem to have any sense in that regard are the bigger perch.

 

[TMHeimer]

How would you like to have something stick into you like that. How do you think them fish feel. They are doing nothing then you try to take their life away. Man why would you wont to do something like that. I would never ever use a spear gun.........I will yell at you later my friend just called to see if I wanted to go fishing so bye bye.

He asked about spear guns. But you just had to say it, no?

 

[sansky]

So i'm looking at going spear fishing in the next few weeks here and i am trying to find the right spear gun and i'm finding a huge variety of types and not much in the way of guides and such.

Can someone tell me what the best types of guns are better, i.e. for colder water (if it matters), ease of use, expense, etc. thanks.

20 years of spearfishing - wouldn't use anything but the JBL XHD Magnum with Tri Cut tip - awesome gun. Band guns are by far the better guns.

However, Riffe makes the best spearguns, but they are more expensive and harder to cock.

 

[NC Wreck Diver]

20 years of spearfishing - wouldn't use anything but the JBL XHD Magnum with Tri Cut tip - awesome gun. Band guns are by far the better guns.

However, Riffe makes the best spearguns, but they are more expensive and harder to cock.

I load my Riffe #2 Standard with the butt right at chest level. It's quite a pull, but I can see the hooks quite clearly. I find it like a compound bow, once I get past the initial pull, it loads well and quickly. First band on the first notch, and # 2 & #3 on the second. Powerful gun, and I have marked a lot of fish with this gun on a kill shot. I just try to lead them a little if it's Grouper or Pompano. Makeral is like a duck shot, since I'm shooting up in clear water (no divers around!). I just need to lead them more.

To me, the Riffe is worth the money, since my hunting time is always limited, and I want the most harvest that I can get. Just IMHO.