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Polespear Fishing-giving the fish a chance?

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.
I almost like polespearing better because it makes me have to be more stealthy in hunting the fish. My polespear is only 7ft long so i have to get pretty close to the fish and the bigger fish never let me. With a speargun i can usually stay pretty far away and still get the fish if i hit it. The only problem with when i go polespear fishing is that if the fish happens to come off my tip it swims away and usually dies somewhere i cant find. The thing i like about using the speargun is that the fish cant get away from me as easily.
 
The only problem with when i go polespear fishing is that if the fish happens to come off my tip it swims away and usually dies somewhere
Click to expand...

Yeah I always feel a bit guilty when that happens. Towards the end of last season I try a flopper on my pole spear, but I soon went back to the paralyzer. I sometimes do get some bigger fish and the paralzer as the name suggests really stops the fish.
It's when I don't get enogh penetration the poor fish gets of and joins the food chain early.

Fondueset, I've seen you mention them before. I've search for them but with no luck, I have a feeling they maybe custom made things. the closet things I could find were on the following site,

handspearguns

but they come with a fair price tag.
 
Time for upgrade from paralyzer tip to a real shaft. Maybe a whole new polespear.

What's the best to get? I heard great things about Omer's Manny Puig, but maybe it looks too beefy for my needs (I don't hunt big game as often as Manny, nowhere near really).
What I need polespearing-wise is a fast, sleek weapon for smallish fish.

Crist?
Gat-Ku?
Ohara?

I know that Deeperblue hasn't got a numerous polespearing group. But I wish I could get some thoughts from you guys before I make my choice.
 
I use a pole spear for flaties and my dinner plate. What size fish will you be hunting Spag? I would only use the Manny for game fish.

Cheers, Don
 
Our inshore target fish are rarely over the 5 kilograms mark. I've found the occasional 15/20 kilograms fish such as leerfish (a sort of caranx) or Aj or eventual grouper, but on the average day, hunting from shore, fish are rarely over 5 kilograms (and I assure you: a 5 kilograms gilthead bream is a hell of a fantastic gilthead bream!!!).
Related problems: smaller fish=smaller target. And usually these fish are shy and fast to rocket away.
 

Local word on the street here in Cali is Riffe will have a new polespear out this summer, but that's all I know. I like speed out of a polespear for 5 lilo fish, I use a old school one with a pin sharp rusty 3 prong paralyzer tip FWIW.
Cheers, Don
 
Have you looked at the Killer Bee polespears? Can't find the site but they are kinda interesting.
 
I love 'em spago. I have a Sea Horse from Hawaii:
Hawaiian Slings and Pole Spears

Mine is the 7ft travel graphite with the threaded end adapter. You want them LIGHT as possible to fly fast for smaller fish, or big and heavy not to bounce off bigger ones.

For my next trip I will try those needle slip-tips as penetration on bigger fish is always an issue.

Good for you for trying mate, good luck!
 
I haven't seen Unirdna chime in here. He is deadly with a pole gun in the Bahamas, owns a couple of good ones, and has some very definite ideas on what does and does not make a good one. Shoot him a pm and wake him up.

Connor
 
Hey Spag,

I`ve also moved on from my paralyzer to a flopper and a couple of different poles.
Both of which have good points and bad.

I got a 9ft custom Crist (3pc) mainly as my mental converstion of feet to cm`s was flawed. in hind sight the 8ft would have been fine.

the other 9 ft Ohara with a paralyzer and a flopper.

I`ll start with the Crist. It`s a solid piece of kit, that should last a very long time. almost indestructable, although the removeable shaft will bend when shot into rocks as I did. but you can either make one yourself (easy) or buy a new one. It packs a lot of punch and usually doesn`t stop when the fish is on the removable shaft and the fish often ends up half way down the main shaft with a 20mm hole in the fish. fish dont struggle that much with it, the impact seems to shock them to death. (I`m not shooting big big fish though. 50-60cm sea bream and bass)

The shaft is quite thick, making it a little hard to swim for long periods while loaded.
after a while it slips through my fingers. It is also a liitle slow through the water (but I did get a custom job with an extra foot) It`s like a stream train powerful, unstoppable but a little slow. I now use it maininly when I want certain fish. big flat head, and flounder etc on the buttom. and it`s a little pricy but very well made.

My Ohara is very different, and addmittedly haven`t used it a lot (busy with twins) I got it this year. It`s shaft is about half the size of the crist. the fittings and the carbon parts are great, but I was little dissapointed with the alluminum section. It`s too flimsy. It bent on my second use. It`s is also quite powerful but I forgot to wrap the bands around the shaft as I loaded up. I was able to bend it back, and have since not had a problem. It is easy to hold loaded for quite a while longer than the Crist. It is like lightning through the water. definately I have been getting more fish with it due to its speed. I am sure at some stage I will have to replace the aluminium shaft but that shouldn`t be that hard. Iwill replace it with something a little sturdier, but use the same fittings.

I would go the Ohara, but bear in mind you`ll probably need to upgrade the shaft at some stage or put some dowl in it. It`s good for small to largish fish, great for fast fish.

This is basically my own opinion I guess others would swear by this or that, but I hope it helps you out.

I`d love try try a gat-ku..........looks great.
 
To all: Thanks all Don, Chris, Connor, Simon and Monchan etc etc. I'm looking into all fo the suggested.

The Ohara sounds quite interesting (i read + feedback about it on the HSD forum too). But this bent shaft issue doesn't sound very appealing.
Monchan, any links to Ohara? Is it really so much likely to bend or just an eventuality? I ask because rocky bottoms is where it's at for my hunting.
 
...decisions, decisions!
Here's a pic of myself caught in the jaws uf uncertainty while minding which polespear to buy...Now you understand how much I need your help! :blackeye
 

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hahhha Spago, i can't give you more rep so have some good vibes instead. the same thing happens to me with every gear buying decision...
 
Reactions: Don Paul and spaghetti
I`ve hit plenty of rocks and rocky bottoms with my Ohara, without trouble. Like I said it only bent when I forgot to wrap the rubber around the shaft. I was just swimming loaded and then "bendy bendy", I bent it back in the water to almost straight. Not had a problem since.

Westside Dive & Tackle Products Page

This is the store I got it from, nice guy fast shipping and they have the flopper I didnt see that else where.

Hanapa'a Fishing - YOKOOJI GRAPHITE SPEARS

this one says about the bending problems so I guess its not just me, but it also doesnt say alot about that spear, but it looks good.

If the wall thickness was a little thicker it would be almost perfect. I think I`ll put some dowl in mine and look for some sturdier tube.
 
I took some pics of them side by side so you can get an idea of the different widths.

the crist must be about 18-20mm with the ohara at about 12mm (I think)

two more things I didnt like about the crist pear, is the joints come loose in the water, I used plumbers tape and some rubber gomits to stop it but it still happens. (dont know if its just mine or all of them)
and the grub screws that hold the shaft in place, while they have never come loose or fallen out. They are small and may be easily lost or left home (have done that) I dont want to sound too negative with the crist spear. It`s a great piece of work, feels great and is very satisfying when it thumps into fish. I love it, it`s just feels a bit slow at times.
 

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