• Welcome to the DeeperBlue.com Forums, the largest online community dedicated to Freediving, Scuba Diving and Spearfishing. To gain full access to the DeeperBlue.com Forums you must register for a free account. As a registered member you will be able to:

    • Join over 44,280+ fellow diving enthusiasts from around the world on this forum
    • Participate in and browse from over 516,210+ posts.
    • Communicate privately with other divers from around the world.
    • Post your own photos or view from 7,441+ user submitted images.
    • All this and much more...

    You can gain access to all this absolutely free when you register for an account, so sign up today!

Pole-Spearing techniques... Got any?

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.

skarz

Rasta Freediver
Mar 4, 2004
199
22
0
35
Could anyone maybe help me, I'm new and i need techniques and advice.
 
Thanks a lot, some good stuff in there. Still too cold for me to get in the water around here :)
 
Hmmm,
Fishspearit, old chum, have you used the Foldspear? Is it all it's cracked up to be? Looks like a good start for the experientially challenged, don'tcherknow!
 
Yes, I have used the Foldspear, and YES! it is all that it's cracked up to be. But I do have a slight conflict of interest since I'm the one making the Foldspear, so this could be construed as a shameless plug. The foldspear is a VERY effective pole spear, and the convenience of the holstered design makes it superior to all of the other travel polespears out there. But it's new, and different, and just looking at still photos don't do it justice. I'm working on some video, so people can see this isn't just some gimmick, the Foldspear brings home the fish!
 
I think putting the pole spear together underwater would be a bit of a hassle..... yea you can do it in 10 seconds, but doesnt it scare the fish away with all that clanking around? And why take it apart, swim, put it together, swim, take it apart, swim..... seems like too much for just spearing fish.
 
It's really more like 3 seconds to open it or to fold it back up. Because water has such a dampening effect, no there's not much sound involved, compared to say a diver exhaling through a regulator.
I agree, taking it out, putting it back, swimming, taking it out again, etc... would not make much sense. But say for example you're doing a shore dive, and you're carrying out your fins, gear, game bag or stringer, or whatever else you've got. Wouldn't it be nice while swells are smacking you in the face to not have to worry about dropping your spear while you're putting your fins on, or when your exiting the water. How about climbing back on a boat? Some spearfishermen like it as a handy backup to a speargun. What if you're main purpose in the water some day was other than spearfishing, such as looking at a wreck, practicing your breath hold, helping someone else out; and a great target of opportunity swims by. With the Foldspear, you've always got an effective polespear with you; whether your sole purpose is spearfishing or not. You may want to keep it out and in your hand the whole time, but you dont HAVE too.
 
I played with the Foldspear while at Dema and I'll give it my "dryland inspection" two thumbs up. this looks to be a solid peice of equipment and Star & Andrew presented it very well.
 
I still dont get how it stays sturdy when you tag a nice sized fish. I could just see it flopping apart and stuff. I dont know, for now im sticking to a regular old spear. I dont want to go too high-tech, im not even sure if i'll like it that much.
 
any updates on the fold spear? uit sounds good but since the last post was May 11 2004 it makes me wonder
 
I saw their display at the Blue Wild spearfishing expo last weekend. Stephen Metcalf did a presentation on polespearing and he was pretty enthusiastic about the Foldspear. Stephen has many different polespears- he spends a part of each year in the Bahamas where you can't use any speargun with a trigger.
 
Here's a few pics of what a polespear can do for ya in an afternoon! Make sure to TWIST your band around the polespear while loading up the band to fire. It keeps the polespear from flexing as much.

If possible you should approach fish from below or swim up to them underwater....SLOWLY! - otherwise the fish may swim off feeling threatened.

Don't spear fish with a polespear that are TOO BIG...Like say a 30 pound fish...It'll take your polespear to Davy Jones Locker & maybe you too if you refuse to let go! Make sure to use a slip-tip and a float & line if you're gonna go for BIG fish.

A "three prong" style tip works best for smaller fish & also provides a small margin for error since the tip covers more area than a standard flopper tip.

Good luck....You'll never touch any other type of fishing pole again!!! May as well sell all your tackle!!!! Its addicting!!!!:inlove
 
Last edited:
Thats awsome!!! I've thought about getting one to take with me when I go spearfishing with my gun. I take it there is line connected to the pole?
 
Hello, I need some help with trying to find a pole spear. I am a new spearfisher and about 5 foot 6 and was wondering what size spear i should get. Also if i should get a Hawaiian Sling or just a regular pole spear. Thank You.
 
I would vote polespear seeing just because I am not sure of your freedive ability or your hunting experience. Remember with a sling (free shaft) you have to be able to chase the fish down if you didnt stone em. And if the fish holes up deep your have now lost your fish and shaft if you dont have the breath to go and retreave you catch.

I am very fimiliar with the Laguna Beach coastline and the Vis isnt always that great so even if your breathe can take you deep enough you might not be able to see where the fish ran to.

As far as polespear makes I like both the JBL 1 piece and I just got a GATKu 7ft that is really nice with both the slip tip and the 3-prong.

The JBL you can pick up anywere and the GATKU you have to custom order.
www.gatku.com
good luck

Joel
 
Thanks a lot for the tips. A couple hours after i posted i went and got a 5 foot pole spear with a barbed paralyzer as the tip. I went out to test it and couldn't see much because the surf was a little bit to rough for were my buddy and i usually go. I almost got a fish but missed and hit a rock. I was happy though that i got the regular pole and not the sling because i cannot go very deep or hold my breath very long so it would be hard to retrieve the spear if i missed or to chase down the fish. I will be back at it soon and hope to get a good sized corbina. Thank you.
 
Question about shooting a polespear.

I've been (trying to at least) hunting calico with a 7' JBL travel spear w/h paralyzer tip, but it seems to bounce off of the fish that I was shooting. I was well within 3' of the fish, and had the band stretched a good 4-5'.

I've since changed to a single flopper rock tip, but haven't taken a shot at anything yet.

Should I get a stiffer band, or maybe stretch the one I have a little more? I've also read about stretching the band in a spiral pattern around the shaft for a rifling effect.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
Last edited:
DeeperBlue.com - The Worlds Largest Community Dedicated To Freediving, Scuba Diving and Spearfishing

ABOUT US

ISSN 1469-865X | Copyright © 1996 - 2024 deeperblue.net limited.

DeeperBlue.com is the World's Largest Community dedicated to Freediving, Scuba Diving, Ocean Advocacy and Diving Travel.

We've been dedicated to bringing you the freshest news, features and discussions from around the underwater world since 1996.

ADVERT