Posted by JRM on October 22, 2001 at 09:38:17:
In Reply to: Spearfishing posted by DougD on October 19, 2001 at 22:18:34:
A pole spear is the *best* way to learn underwater hunting. It teaches you many things, the least of which is how to get close to fish. Any yokel can poke a sheephead, but bagging a calico with a polespear is a worthy challenge.
I would suggest forgetting the paralyzer. All you'll do is lose fish. If you must use it, try to get the fish pinned to the bottom as quickly as possible. If you want to use a fixed point, use a four or five prong "trident" fork. Again, you still need to pin the fish, but a five prong has *amazing* holding power.
I generally prefer a slip tip head. But that's more my personal preference. I use a two flapper rock point slip tip I bought cheap. Just make sure you tighten the point after each shot (sometimes a wiggling fish can loosen the threads).
Aluminum poles are OK to travel with, but a fiberglass rod will be better. For one, it's a bit heavier, which will give you more shot momentum. The only problem I have with the fiberglass poles is they can be difficult to hold cocked in thick gloves. What I do is rip duct tape strips in half lengthwise (about 3/4"), and place them around the pole (kinda like stripes). They act like grip tape, and make it much easier to use the spear. When they get too nasty, just replace them. I also used fingernal polish and drew a ruler starting at the bottom (to help judge size underwater ;-). Always carry a spare elastic, as they break at the most inopportune times (like two weeks ago, I was lined up on a monster, and snap. So I tried the shot with one half of the band, but all I did was annoy the fish).
Make sure you learn to ID fish. And definitely, when in doubt, don't spear it. Or if you think it's short, let it go. Much better to err on the side of caution.
If you want to do some good hunting, join us on the Mr. C. on November 10th. Drop Kevin an email and grab a spot. You won't be dissapointed...
JRM