Pole Spear vs. spear gun

[FredT]

Pole spears are good for smaller to small medium fish that you can somewhat approach, and in reduced visibility. Flounder and reef fish that tend to hole up are the primay push pole targets. A sling is good for approachable small to medium fish over a reachable hard or firm sand bottom. Properly used a sling is more accurate than a pole spear, and as fast or faster to reload since several pansized fish can be stacked on the spear.

A speargun, freeshaft style, is an effort to extend the range and prey size of the sling, but requires the same bottom conditions and extends the visibility requirement a bit too. Slows down the reload a bit, but not much.

A speargun with a traditional lineshaft brings the prey size up to medium large fish, is suitable for any bottom type except shooting into a wreck, but reduces the range of the freeshaft a bit.

A speargun with a Riding Rig makes the taking of any fish that possible but not necessarily wize.

Wreck divers tend to use a shorter gun than open water or reef divers to aid in manouverabiliy and limit penetration of the steel in the case of a fish miss. Points are also different between the two. For flounder I use my gun as a pole spear, which allows the possiblity of catching the snapper or grouper attracted by the wounded flounder.

Open water rig guns tend to be VERY heavily overbanded affairs, with a stainless steel riding rig lineshaft system. The fish targeted are in the 40+ pound class, with chances at a century fish not really uncommon.

The only thing consistant about spearfishing techniques and equipment is the certainty that whatever is optimized for use in one location is the wrong gear and technique to use 50 miles down the coast!

FT

 

[ClassAction]

Everyone I know who hunts underwater uses pole spears and catch bags. Thats here in NJ (usually on the wrecks). We get down onto the wreck (usually broken up) and get as close to the fish as possible and them WHAM ! I have a spear gun but only used it once and went back to Mr. Reliable pole spear. I found the spear gun too time comsuming vs. the pole spear which takes no time to reshoot.

QUOTE]


I just tried a pole spear for the first time. I did a few dives off of Newport, RI this weekend. It was amazing! I caught a 7 pound blackfish on my first try!

I live in NJ but haven't done any charter boat diving yet. Do all boats allow spearfishing? Are there special spear fishing dives around here?

I'm interested in buying a pole spear. The one I used had the 3 point tip -- it worked well. Any idea how much one costs? Thanks!

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

About $30 for the pole and $25 for the 3 point tip(paralizer).

I use a simple tip with two swivel barbs - its been working out very well From our last boat trip 2 weekends ago.

 

[DEEPSEAWOLF]

I live in Florida, where they have attempted to slap spearfishing hard. They first limited spearfishing from FW by limiting it to marine species in freshwater. (Mullet only)
Then they said no rebreathers (does not include SCUBA). Next they cut it back to no spearfishing, excluding bowhunting and gigging, for FW or marine species. Now it is down to NO spearfishing excluding (BH n gig) in or on FW, AND NO TAKING OF GAME/NON-GAME while UNDERWATER SWIMMING. They have also limited spearfishing around docks and jetties in Saltwater now. They are trying to keep ALL freshwater fishing safe for Anglers and Bass fisher tourist. The problem is, we can't even take blunt tip and target into a local clear river spring to practice! No spearguns in or on fw unless unloaded and properly stored, heading in from or out to SW from FW.
I own a JBL explorer and a 6' banded pole spear with a barbed paralyzer head. Because of limited viz in big bend, and lack of a boat, I have been limited to shooting goldfish out of my aquarium. Really sucks because they aren't big enough to eat once filleted, and the over-penetration has a tendency to destroy my aquariums. I have been itchin to find a decent inshore area where I can fish from by dropoff or wading/swimming. Cedar Key is a new target as it gets semi-clear around certain islands and there are a lot of arty reefs with decent fish. All of this within 7 miles of shore. Neither of my new spears have tasted fish. I used a smaller pole for many years with the same parayzer and used to bring home lots of flounder and mullet. Not much else in bays when it gets really silty. I'm leary of buying a 200-300 dollar gun until I have a viz where I can see big fish, much less start SEEING big fish. I am hoping to take a charter out of Daytona Beach in the next month or so, and I hope to find some good fishing this month in Cedar Key's Inshore areas.

 

[cra2]

Deepsea,

When you say the spear has to be "unloaded and stored"... does that prohibit FOLDING polespears ??

I have a couple of polespears w/band that fold up and store in a holster on your hip.
It's like a tent-pole - they have 200# rated bungee in the middle so the sections snap together like a blind-man's cane when you draw it out. If that doesn't make sense, go to www.foldspear.com and you can see it.

The point is, I can keep it holstered and take it on every dive with me whether I'm in hunting waters or not. I don't even know it's there. And if we're not in hunting waters, I don't even put a tip on it. Makes my wife feel safer that we've always got a 6' prod if we ever ran into a big shark that was getting too curious or aggressive.

So, my question is.. if I have it collapsed and holstered and there's no even a tip on it, would it be considered "unloaded and stored"?
Because so far I've taken it everywhere - fresh or saltwater. That way, when we do river drift dives, my wife feels less worried about snakes and gators and things.

Most people don't even realize what it is. Looks like a little black velcro pouch strapped to my thigh.

 

[DEEPSEAWOLF]

Every time I send a question like that to FWC, I get a "LEGALIZED" letter back. (Blah, blah blah can't answer your legal questions, blah blah balh interpret,... talk to attorney.)
Pisses me off that they even HAVE those regs in Florida. Here is the current reg sheet. It has the Spearing section after the species lit, but here's the basics...
http://marinefisheries.org/Regulations/REC_Regs_Press.pdf
PROHIBITED GEAR FOR TAKING MARINE SPECIES IN FRESH WATER:
Use of any hand or mechanically propelled, single or multi-pronged spear or lance, barbed or barbless, to harvest or attempt to harvest any marine species while diving in freshwater is prohibited. Spearfishing for mullet in freshwater is prohibited. The taking of fish by underwater swimming or diving is prohibited.
There is something in the baselaws about going from FW to SW gear must be unloaded and properly stored. I amnot an attorney, nor do I play one on TV, but I see it this way...
If I were a judge in this case, as I interpret it literally,... since you did not have a point, and were not observed attempting to take fish by spearing, and since it was stored in the pouch supposedly for the purpose of distancing harmful or dangerous animals, this casts shadow of a doubt upon guilt. Thereby you can not be convicted criminally. Civilly on the other hand, it could be touchy as the gear could be used to take fish with or without a point.
Me? I'd carry the darn thing and argue the case if confronted. I also found this interesting site...
http://myfwc.com/law/Weekly check out the June 11-17 one.
look at the reports and you will find spearo violations, among other things, that they actually cited for. Most FWC Officers I've spoken to, said that forproblems they come acros, they judge the situation based on attitude. If they have someone who has the license but is violating and is honest about it, they try to work with them. One guy told me how he actually caught someone with a 40"+ JBL in Kingsley Lake (semi-clear) with a stringer of bream and catfish. Long story short, the guy got off with a warning, and his catch. This could have cost him a lot of money, his boat and gear, and a LOT of hassle. The OFC said it was because the man was honest about his activities, and sincere about his knowledge of the laws.
There are many "warnings" issued in the activity reports listed above. I guess it depends on the individual officer and whether or not he thinks you're sincere. I'd let you go about your business.
I want one of those spears, too! I use a straight shaft 6 foot fiberglass one. A pain to carry in a small car.

 

[CBulla]

Here's a tip. Don't carry it with you in the lower east coast of FL. The FWC, police dept, marine patrol, etc., will without hesitation cite you for anything and not blink twice. Another SB member got a citation for carrying a 2' tickle stick that she used to keep from rolling into the reef and not having her fishing license with her in a drybox because she "could" have been lobstering. They stand at the parking areas waiting for the divers to come in, or just go to the reef and yank them up from the bottom. If you think I'm kidding, do a search for it on this site.

 

[DEEPSEAWOLF]

Here in Central where spearfishing is virtually nonexistent, it's not a big problem, SOUTH Florida on the other hand has SCUBA Nazis! I've heard of them tugging on dive flags just to see what you have and are doing, then chew out a "Diver" who made a safety stop for "delaying". Much less the firing squad for any REAL violations. Makes me glad I'm not fishing down there. I guess all that tourism money has to pay somebody. Heaven forbid that they use it to HELP the divers who bring them a LOT of that money.

 

[cra2]

Is that mostly just a concern for shore divers Colin?
I wore the holster on my West Palm boat trip, and planned on bringing it to the Deerfield boat dives.

But there was a real spearfisherman there too - so that's why I assumed it was ok to wear mine. Noone probably even knew what it was. None of the crew said anything.
If you bothered to read the patch on the flap, it says FOLDSPEAR, but that could be removed. I mean, the holster pouch is only a few inches wide, and maybe 12-14 inches long. Smaller than a mag-light. I'm guessing people just wouldn't realize what it was unless they searched you. Do they do that - poke in your jacket pockets and such?

The spearfisherman on the boat was funny - lugging around a 6' pole, poking everyone. The boat swayed and he literally cut my friend's foot with his spear tip.
Didn't offer to swap numbers, or to pay for a medical bill if necessary. Just said "sorry" and moved on. I'd have knocked his arse overboard in a heartbeat - "sorry, involuntary response to being STABBED."

 

[CBulla]

Hmmmm..sounds like an individual who doesn't know much about weapon safety, it should have never come close to anyone else on the boat except his buddy. See attachment for what I dive with. The way I see it, its a gun and should be treated with the same respect as you would with any weapon

Right now and for the next several months, south east law enforcement will be like little french revolutionaries out trying to cut the heads off anyone who could potentially be trying to kill their precious lobster and eat them. Personally, if you want to carry something, its cheap enough to pay $15 or $16 dollars and get your fishing license and crawfish stamp and then invest a few bucks in a drybox to carry it with you (because everyone of those anal retentive twits has a different interpretation) just to make sure you dont end up going to jail for diving with a stick.

You know, I just had an idea. I am getting a vision of a large innertube float with dive flag on it, and painted on the innertube in reflective lettering is:

ARMED DIVERS - STAY BACK 300'

Of course, to really take the cake, you'd have to have a diver with a camera to take the whole dealio to tape and a TV station that has a grudge against over ambitious agencies