new to spearfishing and look forward to the adventure

[nevadacat]

Hello all,
Im extremely new to this sport as in, havent even purchased a gun yet. so im looking forward to the future endeavours and any information that i can learn from your experience. if you have any tips you think would help me they are greatly appreciated, i will be hunting the northern california waters.
thanks and happy hunting

 

[Mr. X]

Hi NevadaCat :wave. Check out the regional forums (e.g. USA/Canada - DeeperBlue.com Forums), there are several forum members in California. Might be worth starting a new thread there to catch their attention. Are you planning to fish in the sea or lakes?

As you haven't purchased kit yet, have a look around the forum for information on what you'll need. It should help you avoid unnecessary expense and ensure that you are properly equipped. The basic equipment needed will usually include:

• * Fins (suggest: decent freediving fins - especially if diving in the sea - need not be expensive, Beuchat & Omer for example have more affordable plastic bladed fins that work very well)
  
• * mask (suggest: 2-lens spearo mask - again, need not be expensive).
  
• * wetsuit (you can start with an old surfsuit/scuba suit but a proper spearo suit is much warmer & better suited to the task. Again, a basic model/neoprene is all you need - tailored made is worthwhile if you are not a standard size).
  
• * weight-belt (any but rubber is preferred & Marseille-style buckle is traditional. Bullet weights or D's /"Alton"-mould/RA are favored when available, for closer fit).
  
• * diver-down float - unless diving from a boat, in which case a diver-down flag is recommended (the cheap torpedo float with built in flag work surprisingly well and are very convenient, larger ones are easier to see),
  
• *fish stringer (I'd start with a simple float-mounted cable stringer, the end spike should be sharp, so that it can be use to dispatch fish - the RA ones are excellent but are expensive currently, Omer, Beuchat & others offer cheaper alternatives)
  
• *speargun, equipped with spearline & muzzle bungee (reels are popular in some areas - but I don't use one). See forum discussion of choosing a speargun - barrel length is usually primarily select based on visibility in the water.
  
• *knife. Seems like everybody starts out expecting to need a big Rambo-style bowie knife, possibly in Titanium - however, a small spearo dagger, such as the Omersub mini-laser USA, is probably optimal. They are better for dispatching fish w/o spiking yourself but can be use for cutting in an emergency/tangle, but you could alternatively use the stringer's spike, a small dedicated awl/ikijimi spike or even your spear's tip for the task. You could carry a knife for tangles/emergencies & a spike for dispatching fish. In the end though, I find I want to carry less tackle these days - one small dagger + the stringer's spike is more than enough for me.

 

[nevadacat]

Thanks a lot for the advice Mr. X, I had all but the stringer on my list (it would be interesting to realize that once I needed it) I am training in our local pool for now while I gather equipment. I'm trying to purchase good equipment that will last, mainly the gun is what I'm having difficulty with. There's so much hype and info out there, but I've decided on a 90 cm gun, now I just have to figure out a brand and model. I will be diving the ocean as its illegal to spearfish most lakes around here.
Thanks again for all your help.
Happy hunting!!

 

[Mr. X]

There are lots of good speargun options. I currently like Omersub (It), they seem focused on spear fishing and continually innovating & refining their product range. I use the super slim, super light Omer XXV - seems v. well suited to the bass & mullet we mainly get in the UK - but I like the look of the Cayman models too. Beuchat (Fr) has a good reputation (I don't like the look of their cheapest models but they have stood the test of time - their newer models like the Marlin look very good). Picasso (Esp?) (not keen on their cheapest models but others look ok). Dessault (Fr) - for those that want something a bit different, said to have the best rubbers by some (Spaghetti ). Seacsub (It), Cressi (It), Seatec(It).

Railguns seem like the Landrover Defender of the speargun world to me: big & tough perhaps not the most refined or sportiest models but proven and evolved over time, able to handle the biggest challenges but can sometimes feel a big big/cumbersome. Railguns able to handle big game fish: Mako (see the owner's posts here on DeeperBlue, TW/US), Rabitech (sumora, official distributors of Rabitech, TW/SA), Rob Allen (SA), Hammerhead (HI, USA). Rails are not essential by any means, generally considered to be only of real benefit on barrels 100+cm - a more important feature of most railguns for me is the soft Dyneema wishbones, which are simple, safer, quieter than there metal counterparts (but less long lasting) - and the heavy-duty rigging if you plan to go after huge fish.

Woodies: Riffe (CA, USA), Darryl Wong (HI, USA), JBL/Billing (if they float your boat), etc.

Then there are all the small custom builders - I guess Darryl Wong would fit into that category too. Plus several in the USA (Setting Steel?), Italy, Greece and...of course...Guernsey .

Or you could make your own, as several forum members have (including Foxfish several times, Magpie & Portinfer - all on Guernsey). Check out the various discussion threads on this forum for more info. on that option.

Cressi Commanche used to be considered a good value speargun to start with. Good enough to be used by an Italian World Champion but reasonably priced (in most of Europe) & with excellent spare parts availability. Bit plasticky for my tastes but I think they look pretty (the raked handle, etc.) cool & work well. They have some interesting newer models too.

Omer Excalibur too.

 

[Mr. X]

Australian perspective on choosing speargun length (they have clearer water than us, so tend to use longer spearguns than we do in the UK):

Mako's video on loading & unloading a speargun (a long railgun in this case):
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ch87-bEcMY]How to load and unload a railgun - YouTube[/ame]
It's a very good video, I think - although folk here tend not to use/trust speargun "safety" catches, on the basis that a speargun is really only safe when the bands are slack.

 

[nevadacat]

Wow, again alot of great information Mr. X
Thank you again for your help, i cant wait to get in the water! ive hunted big game all my life and have finally reached a point where it doesnt excite me so much any more and while im starting this a little late in life (im 45) it has gotten the blood pumping again!!
Thanks again and happy hunting!!

 

[BatRay]

Which species do you plan to target? Are you looking at going for some abalone?

 

[nevadacat]

I may go for abalone also but I'm probably going to stay fairly shallow at first 25-30 feet, so I'll most likely be going for rockfish and that type of thing.