Hunting lingcod with a three prong polespear

[ocean_314]

Well after all of that with my speargun in a holster i have figured out how to nail big lingcod with a polespear and a paralyzer tip. And its a blast!!!
instead of shooting the fish while they are moving, i wiat until they stop and then dive down on top of them and shoot them withy my polespear behind the head comming in from the side. As soon as i realease the polespear i then drive the polespear into the bottom pinning the fish to the bottom. I then slide my hand down the polespear and grab a hold of the tines. I then come to the surface holding the tines. If i dont hit the fish right its a great battle on the ocean floor.....What fun!!
So far my biggest lingcod doing this is around 20lbs, it was 35" and a female. I get a least one fish that is 28 to 30" every dive. I have also found that great big lingocd that i hit on the head with my pole spear last year but she wont let me get quite close enough for me to hit her. I am always withing a couple of feet of her when she panics and swims off. This fish is huge at least 30lbs or more. It dawfs those 30" lings that i shoot. I am going to get her with my three prong one of these days.
My speargun is in storage.

 

[bgill]

Way to go ocean 314...Polespears are much more of a challenge - But be careful! A 30 pound fish is mighty powerful.

:tMmmmmmmm yummy....Ling Cod:t

 

[deckhand mike]

You should get a pronged p tip if you don't have one yet. You will cut down on the chances of wounding a fish this way. Ling hunting is one of my fav things to do and I am also a freak for the polespear. A 30lb ling will destroy most polespear tips even with the perfect shot. Plan on going through tips on those big lings.

 

[ocean_314]

deckhand mike even if i drive the big ling into the bottom? Could it destroy my parlayzer tip? and then if i have the tines end of the tip in my hand? It seems like it would be a battle but how could it destroy the tip?

 

[bgill]

I've had 10 pound freshwater bowfin tweak my three prong out so bad I had a hard time bending them back into shape. If you don't get a good hit on' em you'll bend up your three prong pretty badly sooner or later.

I'm looking at buying a GATCO polespear with a slip tip as my BIG GAME polespear & tip.

For now I just use a 6 foot fiberglass trident with 6mm threads... I switch out the tips depending on the fish I'm seeing. Lately I 'm going after big carp. Some go upwards of 40 pounds around here. So far carp - large carp (10 pounds plus) I use a spinning double flopper by JBL. For fish of a larger magnitude obviously a float line is advisable.

Bigger fish will usually just thrash right off of the three prong. But I do occasionally "three prong" a big rough fish just for the thrill...They ALWAYS get off though unless somehow you "stoned 'em"...

My biggest fish with the three prong was a bowfin that went about 12 pounds. He bent the crap outta my JBL three prong tip.

No I don't eat carp...I'm just a bloodthirsty underwater killer!!!!!

Actually - carp are considered trash fish by most everyone in the U.S. - So we just kill'em - Alot of times I'll just cut 'em up underwater or I'll throw them in a dumpster....FAR FROM MY HOUSE!!!!

I've even had schools of other fish eat almost an entire carp!!!! I fillet it into thin strips and feed the fish!!!!! If you float the strips down to them - largemouth & smallmouth bass will sometimes slurp up several strips! Fun!!!! I recently killed a 25 pounder (carp)....He ALMOST got my polespear!

 

[HawaiianSlang]

I've had 10 pound freshwater bowfin tweak my three prong out so bad I had a hard time bending them back into shape. If you don't get a good hit on' em you'll bend up your three prong pretty badly sooner or later.

I'm looking at buying a GATCO polespear with a slip tip as my BIG GAME polespear & tip.

For now I just use a 6 foot fiberglass trident with 6mm threads... I switch out the tips depending on the fish I'm seeing. Lately I 'm going after big carp. Some go upwards of 40 pounds around here. So far carp - large carp (10 pounds plus) I use a spinning double flopper by JBL. For fish of a larger magnitude obviously a float line is advisable.

Bigger fish will usually just thrash right off of the three prong. But I do occasionally "three prong" a big rough fish just for the thrill...They ALWAYS get off though unless somehow you "stoned 'em"...

My biggest fish with the three prong was a bowfin that went about 12 pounds. He bent the crap outta my JBL three prong tip.

No I don't eat carp...I'm just a bloodthirsty underwater killer!!!!!

Actually - carp are considered trash fish by most everyone in the U.S. - So we just kill'em - Alot of times I'll just cut 'em up underwater or I'll throw them in a dumpster....FAR FROM MY HOUSE!!!!

I've even had schools of other fish eat almost an entire carp!!!! I fillet it into thin strips and feed the fish!!!!! If you float the strips down to them - largemouth & smallmouth bass will sometimes slurp up several strips! Fun!!!!

Ive never thought about doing anything to carp!! Is it actually worth it, do they fight at all? i just picture shooting 'em and watching them turn to mush.... i dont know.

 

[bgill]

A big strong healthy 40 pound carp puts up one helluva fight. They will pull you through the water easily and take awhile to tire out. If you were'nt careful they could easily wrap you up in float line. A buddy of mine got a BAD bloody nose when a big carp rammed him in the face after he polespeared it. Freaked him out pretty bad & even cracked the framing on his cheapo dive mask! :blackeye

Maybe your warmwater California carp are just too laid back...Up here in the Northlands of WISCONSIN they are spunky, fast and firm.

Must be something about the cold water!

Also the other day I had a 25 pounder break my floatline off from my kayak & swim off with my polespear & floatline like greased lightning. I did end up getting the fish - and my polespear back on a subsequent dive - but my floatline is gone to Davy Jones Locker! Somehow the carp even broke the carabiner attached to my polespear bungie!!!!

 

[kale]

I had friend who is an excellent speafisherman shoot a 30lb ling with a five prong. He got a solid shot on it and it instantly barrel rolled and was so strong it bent the prongs way out and took off. I'm not saying it hasn't or can't be done. But I have seen and heard of big lings shaking a polespear and haven't seen any landed. Most my buddies that are hard core pole spearers still bring along a gun in case they do find that monster. Landing a ling that size is a trophy with a polespear or a gun but wounding it would be a shame:naughty I'd use a gun just to be on the safe side.
Wounding a carp would not be as bad. Carp killing is considered a good deed for the ecosystem since they are non native and compete with native fish. I haven't done it but I'd like to. Not many people at all in California do, since the regulations are screwy and the ocean has good tasting fish.I know if I was in Wisconsin I'd be spearing carp and eating cheese like a mad man.
Kale

 

[ocean_314]

Kale i know what you mean i had a 30" cabazon bend my prongs of my pole spear out in and get off. That was when i used to shot the fish and try to bring it back towards me without getting a hold of the prongs. What i am finding is that if i shot the fish with my polespear and then as soon as i let it go grab a hold of the end and drive the fish into the bottom and then grab the end of the tines, while still driving the fish into the bottom before i come to the surface. This seems to be working fine. The biggest ling i have shot this way was 34" and about 15lbs (guessing).
My question is does enyone else use a polespear like this?

 

[kale]

That sounds like the way to do it, if that's how you're gonna do it. I've used that technique on smaller lings with a double flopper. With a fish that size you'll have to be uber close even by polespear standards. If you can wait to get that perfect opportunity ( I hope you do ), then you are a more patient man than I. God bless you.

 

[ocean_314]

I wont shoot a ling unless my tip is right next to the fish nothing more then 12" away. Yesterday i saw 4 lings which i could have shot all 4 with a speargun with ease but i only got one with my polespear. Should of had two but i was diving really bad yesterday. Couldnt get that smooth sneaky motion. Was to jerky when i desended. I hate when i dive like that i cripple fish instead of killing them, just off by an inch when i shoot.

 

[HawaiianSlang]

Not many people at all in California do, since the regulations are screwy and the ocean has good tasting fish.I know if I was in Wisconsin I'd be spearing carp and eating cheese like a mad man.
Kale

I agree with Kale 100%. Its just not something you here alot about in California. but if for some reason i have to go to wisconsin, i guess im gonna have to gear up and get ready to fight! The carp out here just dont look like they have that kind of fight in em. Maybe from all the kids feeding em popcorn, cheese, and hot dogs from the dock makes em fat and lazy?

 

[ocean_314]

its against the law in California to spearfish in freshwater except in a few areas. I wish i could spearfish carp i am close to clearlake that is loaded with huge carp.