makimg the move from polespear to gun

[monchan]

After recently starting spearfishing again after many years and have only ever used a polespear. Where I live now I'm being teased by some big fish,
Kurodai (black snapper) I want to get a gun so I can bag a few of these beautiful eating fish.

I intend to buy my from an online shop (I think)

My main question is this. What gear to people go through the most.
Say I buy my new gun should I buy buy an extra

shaft
wishbone
sling etc

What am I likely to need spares of?
What do most people do when they buy a new gun?
What do you buy to compliment your gun?

any advise what so ever would be a help.

I am looking at the Omer t20 mimetic. Any body have any thoughts on this gun? Is it friendly for a first gun?

Thanks

 

[deep thinker]

From my point of view with my dive shop a few km from me I never bought extra parts and so. But if you do want to go that way things I have replaced on my guns or will replace soon will be the following,
bands they tend to perish or go soft after about a years use, you can either put on new ones or cut the old ones a bit shorter.
Wishbones, mines made from dyneema, not steel, its softer on the fire and I just prefer them, one is starting to fray a bit after 2 years.
If your gonna be hunting big fish Id say a extra shaft or two wont be a bad idea as the big ones can bend a shaft. Also perhaps a extra spear tip if you use screw ons.
To complement the gun Id say you absolutely need to get either a float and line or reel, do a search for these as there are way more threads on em here than what can be said in a single post.
On the gun I dunno much I use rabitech guns but from what I heard most guys are pretty happy with them.
Good Luck and save diving

 

[spaghetti]

Same as Deepthinker said with one exception: I much prefer a reel mounted on the gun rather than the floatline system. More handy, less tangling, more control but maybe it's just me: mediterraneans like me use reels, ocean guys like him use floatlines, different places different habits related to fish and environment. Choosing a gun in facts is strictly related to environment and fish.
I don't know the kuroday you mention, but if it lives in clear open water and it's a sort of snapper, bream or dentex, with an average weight between 3/10 kilograms, you need a gun to be long no less than 110 centimeters or 120 which will provide enough power, speed and range. The downside: if it's your first speargun, mind that a 110 cm is big, not so easy to handle. Newbies usually start with shorter guns to make some "hand" on the tool...
On the contrary, if your fish lives in shallow, rocky and kelpy anvironments, you'd better try to stalk them with a shorter gun (say 90 centimeters or even less).
It depends.
Now about the Omer T20 mimetic you mention: it is a very good gun for the price. Solid accurate and light. I've had a 110 centimeters long T20 carbon for years and I recommend it as a choice you won't regret. I tuned my T20 with a shaft guide (a plastic rail you stick on top on the barrell to increase accuracy: you can find it at online shops selling Omer gear), a reel with 50meters capacity, and I caught fish of any sort and size with it. That's everything I can say.
Welcome.

 

[monchan]

Thanks for your advise. It's a hard choice to make, when you don't know much. I don't want to buy a lemon. Can't really say why But I seem to be leaning towards an Omer gun T20 or cayman hf, that comes with the reel. I'm a clumsy sort of fellow so I want a sturdy gun, the t20 might be a bit light, but the price is good. the cayman seems like it might be stronger.

I usually fish around rocky reefs and deepish cliff faces. I find the snapper at both.
So I guess a 90 -100cm gun would be plenty for me. Vis. from ok to good (usually)

One question about the reel. as it will be my first gun, do you think getting used to using a gun and a reel at the same time is a good idea / difficult

Mr. Spaghetti I've read a number of your posts, very informative. Thanks

 

[spaghetti]

Don't worry about that, the T20 carbon is a solid gun. The carbon barrel has walls almost 2 millimeters )) thick the trigger is particularily strong to hold easily a double band set, the handle is made of plastic but it's a tough one: never heard anyone breaking it so far.
Regarding the Cayman, if you like it get the HF version if ever, not the basic one nor the carbon, if you want a sturdy gun. The Cayman carbon has a skinnier barrell than the T20 carbon, and less mass to endure recoil as far as I can see.
However, if you have a preference for sturdy, solid strong guns, you can also check the Seatec Gabbiano Snake (italian), Rabitech and Rob Allen (south african) and Aimrite (hawaian).
..But be careful: the quest for the perfect speargun might become an obsession and drive you crazy...(many victims of this pathology in this forum, me included).

 

[Marwan]

yes its called "this will be my last speargun" syndrome

 

[spaghetti]

You read my thoughts, Marwan, you read my crooked obsessed thoughts...
Now I thought I found a therapy against the syndrome, which has been selling off or giving away most of my spearguns to make a friend of the idea that you can live with an essential number of spearguns, which is 3x2=6: 1 short for hole hunting (+1 spare in case the other is lost, broken or confiscated...), 1 medium for agguato (+1) and 1 long for aspetto (+1). Still obsessed, as you can see...
Do you think....I should switch to polespears? rofl

 

[Fondueset]

You guys should see the beautiful carbon fiber pole spears one a diver from Japan brought to the Hatteras Open. They could be almost 4 meters long! Beautiful craftsmanship with razors sharp slip tips and an interesting single band sling (no loop). They were very flexible and fast. (you see - it is not different with pole-spears or guns: Obsession)

 

[spaghetti]

And remember: two obsessions are better than one!!!

 

[Fondueset]

It's all in how you look at it. Properly viewed, freediving/spearfishing can be a veritable universe of obsessions - I personally am obsessed with my mask(s), snorkel(s), fin(s) (MONOFIN!!!!ARG!!!), wetsuits, knives, weight belts, floats, guage, gloves and boots. that's no less than 11 independent obsessions all of which constitute one single 'wholistic' obsession which carries over into diet, exercise, breathing and thinking.

 

[spaghetti]

One question about the reel. as it will be my first gun, do you think getting used to using a gun and a reel at the same time is a good idea / difficult

No it won't be a big problem. If you hit a big fish, just open the friction and let it roll. For sure you may have some hard times at first with all that line rolling and tangling. But then you'll get used to it after a few sessions.
You just can't skip over this: no way you can hold a big fish without a reel (or a floatline/breakaway system). Not to mention the very big ones, a smallish 2 kilograms fish pulls as strong as hell, enough to break a "fixed" shaft line...so open the reel and let it roll.
Also consider what if you hit a big fish during a deep dive: soon after the shot you have the urge to surface for breathing, the reel will help you to swim up safely with no need to pull the big fish up with you.

 

[Marwan]

i thik the whole argument about float line versus reel is can of worms, i feel it boils down to your conditions, like bottom type, boating activity, regulations etc...
being privelidged to have access to two seas, i use a reel in one and float/float line in the other.... theoritically you can use both, but i would not recommend that, simply too many lines...the omer is a good choice, thy are great guns, i still use my trusty excalibur carbon 100 95% of the time...too bad they dont make omers with regular rubbers anymore (except the cayman aluminium) only circular.... i dont like that new fashion that everyone is following...

 

[monchan]

I swim around and between rocky reefs mainly. so from everyones advise I've decided on getting a reel with my gun. I think a float system would be fairly easy to knock up later if needed.

One last question, I read on one thread that someone connected his gun to himself somehow. And got into trouble fish in a hole/ spear in rock (can't remember) couldn't get free to get air (i guess with a reel this isn't a problem) But do you connect the gun to yourself if you drop it?

 

[deep thinker]

No never, never connect the gun to yourself, something can allways go wrong. The reel can jam up and leave you stuck where you are the gun can lodge in a hole while hunting and in a sudden panick youll be stuck there, but you catch my drift, anything can happen while in the water. If you need to drop your gun just drop it, your life is probably worth more than the gun. That BTW is why I hunt with a float, spear is connected to gun and gun is connected to the float so you can drop your gun and follow your float on the surface should a situation call for. Floats also provide a confenient place for a stringer to keep fish off your body in sharky waters where I hunt

 

[monchan]

Thanks deepthinker, will heed your words.

 

[Adon]

I removed the reel and went for the float line on my gun as you do have the option to drop the gun and got back for it.
Had the experience of the shaft stuck in a cave, used the float line to pull myself down after resting on the surface and came back with the shaft.