Spear Fishing.

[Shorerider]

I'm looking at getting into Spearfishing, and I've been looking at a number of different Spear gun's on the market.

I'd like to know what people are using ie: Pneumatic or Rubber band, and things I should be looking for in a Spear gun.

Any help, or tips would be much appreciated.


Cheers, Shorerider.

 

[Rider Down!!!]

http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=109885&highlight=spear+fishing
Try that

 

[Shorerider]

I did a search too, but found no useful info regarding what Spear Gun to buy or what to look out for.



Shorerider.

 

[sir_stacks_alot]

Get an air speargun they can shoot as fare as a large rubber speargun
and pack the same punch and there half the size.
even though i use a hand spear i cant afford a speargun all the money is going to my bike

Edit: and the air gun in the pick is 50 cm long compared to the 150cm one

 

[Joel O]

what is your budget?

definitely go a rubber gun, much lower maintenance, can shoot a heavier spear, usually fixable if something goes wrong during a dive. pneumatic guns have their place but not as an everyday gun. also go for a SA style railgun rather than the older style pipe gun.

i just put the first coat of sealant on a big timber gun i have been building recently, really looking forward to trying it out.

 

[Shorerider]

what is your budget?

definitely go a rubber gun, much lower maintenance, can shoot a heavier spear, usually fixable if something goes wrong during a dive. pneumatic guns have their place but not as an everyday gun.

Well I'd rather not spend too much on my first gun, as I want to make sure I actually stick with it before I lay down big $$$$$.

I was leaning towards a rubber gun. It will only be used for Snorkeling. Are there any characteristics/features I should consider when making my decision?

I am considering something like this.



Cheers, Shorerider.

 

[Joel O]

If you just want to try it out, it may be worth giving a handspear a go. spearfishing takes a lot of practice before you regularly take good fish. this is why a lot of people give up early on in the game. eventually everything will fall into place. i think it is mostly because there is a lot more to it than just pointing the gun and shooting. any of these 'other' skills you can learn using a handspear and if after that you decide it's not for you, then there's not too much money down for you.

if you do end up going a handspear, go the longest fibreglass one you can afford with a replaceable head, the extra weight means they pack a lot more punch than an aluminium one

like bikes you will regret buying a cheap gun because you will be wanting to upgrade to something decent very quickly. ideally you need $350-400 to get something you will still be using a few years down the track

 

[Shorerider]

I have tried a friends Hawaiian sling that I got a couple of Flathead with, which sparked my initial interest.

I just want a speargun that will last long enough for me to find out weather I will actually continue with it. If it falls appart in a year, but I'm still keen, I'll get something decent as you said.

Thanks for the help so far.



Cheers, Shorerider.

 

[Joel O]

the problem with that is, like bikes, if you're using quality gear that is performing well you will enjoy it a lot more than using cheap gear.

more in depth reply when i get time tomorrow

a couple of cheaper, quality options

http://www.legendary.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=1_10&products_id=142
uses essentially the same handle as the old style 'green handle' rob allen guns, many people consider this to be THE best handle ever made. theres one of these guns in my family and it very nice, especially at that price.

or

http://www.superfrog.bur.st/products.php?offset=0&category=24&brand=Superfrog Australia
that is the same barrel, muzzle and other bits as the more expensive guns in the edge range, but using a cheaper handle. if you get really into it you will have no problems upgrading the handle on that gun at a later date.

 

[rhyno]

I was leaning towards a rubber gun. It will only be used for Snorkeling.

Cheers, Shorerider.

From what i've heard, its illegal to use spears with Scuba. Unfair to the fish or something. Feel free to correct me if i'm wrong.

My mates a scuba instructor, and he was telling me about a workmate who freedives to 30mtrs, shoots big arse tuna, then returns to the surface. Crazy shit.

 

[Joel O]

the legalities of spearing on SCUBA depend on where you are diving, in some parts of WA it is legal. the ethics involved are a completely different matter.

 

[poppa_johns]

i love my gun
http://www.orca.co.za/prod_sfish.htm
orca thula 100mm
2 rubbers
. cost me $250 i think they retail for around $399 another gun i would recomend as my dad just bought one in the pelej typhoon. great gun rrp is around $300
you are better off getting a better gun to start off with
hope this helps. also i believe dont buy off ebay go into a local store and actually look at the gun and talk to the attendent.

 

[Joel O]

the orca guns are very nice bits of gear. with any gun go for the clip in rubber style rubber as seen on the orca guns, rather than the 'euro' style where the rubbers screw into the muzzle. this way they are much easier and cheaper to replace.

pelaj guns are from all accounts very well made, however many people dislike the angle of the handle, head over to spearoz.org and have a look around. pretty in depth discussion and review of pelaj guns and unlike a few of the other aussie forums it is NOT owned and moderated by shops with a vested interest in promoting one brand over another. if anybody is out of line there they generally get slammed by others pretty quick so you know you're getting decent advice

 

[Shorerider]

Thanks for the great info guys, now I have somewhere to start, and heaps to consider. I'll keep you posted when I finally buy my gun.


Cheers, Shorerider.

 

[poppa_johns]

no worries mate

 

[Shorerider]

Got one!

After much comparing and head scratching, I finally bought a Speargun.

It is a Picasso "Asegai".

I ended up going to see Drew at Legendary Skindiving. Along with his recommendations and those on here, I bought the Picasso.

I've been out three times so far and enjoying it (and the gun) immensely. I'm glad I spent the extra now, as I did see what a cheaper gun looks like.

All I've speared so far is a Stingray, Luderik and a small Leather Jacket. I'll post up some catch pics once I get something decent.

On another note, you guys could have told me how magnifying the water is. It's amazing how small things actually are once you get them closer.

I'd like to say a big thanks to Drew at Legendary, who has been a great help. I'd highly recommend him for all your Spearfishing needs.

My Gun.

 

[Breaka]

That's nice man. I'm still slugging it out with my hand spear - doesn't help when tip is pretty much buggered after using it like a javeline.

I was talking to one of my bosses who is a keen fisherman and used to do a lot of spearing when he was a bit younger. He told me how he and his mate used to go out around the Kingscliff reef and bombora. He said that there used to be an old bloke who frequented the area who turned out to be deaf. One day he lead them to the third bomby where all the good shit is speared ie gropers etc .

Pretty gnarly stuff considering that it's a good 300-400m off-shore, crossing reef break and deep channels along the way. He also said that there is a cavern there which they would dive if they were super keen.

 

[Joel O]

the asegai is a really good first gun. those handles are used on guns from quite a few brands and seem to work well.

as for the water magnifying fish, yes it happens but it is constant and eventually you will adjust and the fish will start coming in at the size you're expecting them to be.

head over to spearoz.org and see if you can find people in your local area to dive with. like most things, you'll pick it up MUCH quicker if you're diving with more experienced divers.

for what it's worth, i had a pretty good dive on the nsw far south coast last weekend. spent most of the dive taking photos and playing with the animals then halfway through the memory card crapped out and i ended up taking a good mixed bag of fish. mostly mowies, luderick and bastard trumpeter. fish were a bit scarce but those that were around were top quality fish, all big and in really good condition. the mate i was diving with got his first fish too.

 

[Joel O]

T One day he lead them to the third bomby where all the good shit is speared ie gropers etc .

Pretty gnarly stuff considering that it's a good 300-400m off-shore, crossing reef break and deep channels along the way. He also said that there is a cavern there which they would dive if they were super keen.

keep in mind this would have been back in the times when it was still legal to take groper by spear.

3-400m offshore isn't really that unusual, especially if there is a ridge to follow the whole way out.

 

[Breaka]

keep in mind this would have been back in the times when it was still legal to take groper by spear.

3-400m offshore isn't really that unusual, especially if there is a ridge to follow the whole way out.

Sorry, I forgot to mention that he was 12-13 years old. I've paddle out there and it's quite deep for around 150m until you reach a nice rock shelf. I've had a pretty bad experience there after surfing the bomby of a winters afternoon after school with mates. I got f*cked up on the first wave of a set and lost my board. Got held down for a while and ended up swimming over the rock shelf to fetch my board. I ended up paddling in diagonally, across a river mouth to the beach on the otherside of the mouth. There was some gnarly shit going on underneath me, believe me you.