Polespear or 75-90cm speargun?

[t_barcode]

Hi guys,

I haven't been spearfishing long. I ended up getting a 110cm speargun with a 20mm band for reef and boat dives.

It's coming to winter and my usual boatie buddies are less inclined to go out these days so have found myself doing more shallow water dives with my 110cm gun...

The bottom line is I'm hesitant to shoot fish because it just mows straight through them and is causing havoc on my spear tip/shaft when it hits the rock behind

I was considering getting a shorter gun with less power or even try my hand at the polespear.

The shallows I hunt are generally quite cramp and a lot of my shots are less than 2m away. Viz usually sits around 5-7m on an incoming tide.

Is there much difference in using a short gun compared to a 6ft polespear in these conditions?

I do love the polespear but am scared the learning curve might be too steep for me to keep my skills honed

 

[foxfish]

I think there is a lot more skill using a pole spear compared with a 75 band gun.
A 75 is still a powerful & accurate weapon but a lot easier to use in shallow water than either a 120 or a pole spear.
I guesse the thought of taking fish with a pole is very appealing & for me, would be a lot more satisfying as long, as I could get clean kills!
At the end of the day I guesse you to try out both!! LOL

 

[efattah]

Polespear is way more fun. Best of all, if you miss you can reload and take a 2nd shot.

 

[t_barcode]

It there much difference in maneuverability between a 6ft polespear and a short gun?

I was originally going to get a polespear but I got such a good deal on my 110 that I ended up getting that... but I really want something for the close quarters/short distance scenario.

I don't want to end up getting a polespear only to find I'm still missing out on the close quarter/short distance thing.

 

[Trelawney]

I don't find there is much difference in maneuverability between the two, you still have to swing 6-7ft of pole aound. The only difference is that with a pole, you have to be bloody close to ensure a hit. I lost a cracker of a bass last year because I was using a pole not a gun. But, the more you use a pole the better you become. I use my pole for night diving when you can get close, and the gun for during the day.

 

[Mr. X]

I've never seriously thought of using a hand-spear before - although did think about using an Hawaiian-sling (i.e. band-powered hand-spear) - does that count ? Maybe that might be something to consider. I guess an "unbanded" spear might teach you a useful survival skill, in case you ever to find yourself ship-wrecked on a desert island.

For 2m you could use a really short speargun. There are some (often rather old fashioned) very short (e.g. 45cm), inexpensive spearguns, often with trident tips (which prevent the spear going to far through the fish) & thin/weaker than normal rubbers. We normally don't recommend band guns under 60cm for general purpose use but you can them, and for specialist use, they may have their place. Some manufacturers sell "cave guns" (e.g. https://www.apnea.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=552) - which are usually 75cm or less long and have a multi-prong//trident tip. I believe Rob Allen will make shorter guns to order to - so you occasionally see very short ones (e.g. 50cm).

 

[bobdonny]

Manoeuvrability is far better with a gun than a polespear. My polespear is 6ft and is a balls to re align anything more than a few inches either way... its also impossible to track a fish unlike a gun.

 

[Hugh.]

Use a polespear to start off. that way you get better training fundamentally

 

[hteas]

I tend to agree that a short gun is more manuverable than a pole spear. It depends on how fast you need to track fish. I use an 8 ft pole for hunting pike and have no problem getting them. In salt water I use a pole or a 90 cm RA .Both work for me, but the RA reaches out further, so I get a few more, and larger fish on the average day in the water.

The other point is how important is bringing home the maximum number of fish? If it's a major portion of your diet then by all means use a gun. If not, then you have the option of going either way.

And don't underestimate the lethality of poles. Reid Quinlan, from NZ, hunts exclusively with poles and takes pelagics along with plenty of reef fish.

 

[t_barcode]

I'm into the challenge of sport so have been really torn between the two options.

I never hit my maximum number of fish when I go out anyway so no loss there.

What's a realistic distance of a 6ft or 8ft polespear? People keep saying 'less than' or 'get closer' but how close is close? Are we talking the tip of the spear within a metre of the fish?

When I first started I had a 4ft flounder sling... haha... I got a bit dis-heartened when I wanted to whack some kahawai and the spear fell way short, so short that the fish circling me didn't even flinch when I let loose. That spear was very heavy as well as short... bad combination huh?

I've been looking at the hapa polespear on the oceanhunter.co.nz website for a while now.

 

[Kareem_D]

I use an 6 ft. ray odor solid aluminium polespear and it has landed lots of fish.
I would say the range on my 6 footer is about 5 feet effective range
ill be switching to a cressi comanche soon though, there are some fish that are just spooked very easily

 

[Uncwil]

I just startrted free diving and actually find my six foot pole spear very easy to use. With my limited experince and bottom time it alleviates a lot of stress not having to deal with a gun. Making a good shot on a sheepshead from six feet is actually very easy, I was at first tickled and then actually a little put off at how easy those guys are to hunt. I am however considering buying a longer pole, mostly because I want to blow money on more toys.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[t_barcode]

Haha! "Spend money on toys"! I like that. I'm the same D: I got sprung by the mrs the other day because my new wetsuit jacket didn't dry in time and I forgot to hide it before she came home! DOH!

5ft is a good range! That pretty much settles the deal.

I'm going overseas for my honeymoon for all of June so no spearing until July

I'll be sure to let y'all know how it goes when I do get out again! Much thanks for all the advice and answering my stupid questions!!

 

[GiantSquid]

I spearfish the jetties a lot, and am constantly searching in rock caves for large Sheepshead. I have a large 64" gun and then a smaller gun for inshore jetty dives. I find that a 32"-36" gun is hands down the best option. You simply can't get the right angle sometimes when you are peering into a cave and need to turn that 6ft pole spear 30 degrees for a kill shot.

A small gun is definitely the way to go if you want the most maneuverability and the best chance at killing fish, rather than wounding them. Pole spear will definitely get you more respect, but you'll have a much harder time bringing home the larger fish.

 

[spaghetti]

Speargun for the fish (more effective as weapon)
Polespear for the fun (nicer "feeling").

What I like of my polespear and hawaiian sling is that they are such primordial weapons: for some reason that I can't explain really, more a feeling than a "concept", such primitive tools make hunting experience more challenging and exciting, at least for me. But it's harder to catch fish with them, especially the nervous or shy fish (or maybe it's just me doing it wrong?).

As for maneouverabilty, a 90 is not something you can swing lik a pencil. A 75, now we're talking!

 

[t_barcode]

You can't beat fun

What's better out of a 6ft polespear:
- A long stretch of the band and thin rubber?
- Or a short stretch with a thicker rubber?
(it's all relative of course!)

I played with a polespear today and it had quite a stretchy rubber on it so I could stretch it to about 5ft comfortably but I read a suggestion somewhere on this board that I should swap it for a thicker rubber that stretches about half the length of the spear or slightly more at its maximum?

 

[hteas]

T barcode

it really depends on you. Make up one of each and try it.
I cock my spear as I leave the surface to be ready if I see something worth shooting during the dive. Because I keep it codked for over a minute each dive the bands on mine are not at the maximum stretch, but rather what I can maintain for the dive.
I do think a spear is more accurate if you fire it while holding somewhere between 1/2 and 2/3 of the way up the spear. Less and you won't get enough power, and more than that and accuracy falls off. I used to go with the balance point, but have modified that by experience with each of my 3 spears.

 

[_Aaron_]

Dont let anyone fool you, as mentioned, a polespear can take really nice fish. You will never forget the feeling. As spaghetti says... Primordial. You will understand after you shoot one that wont give up easily.

http://forums.deeperblue.com/asia-japan/91377-new-pb-its-mother-pinkie.html#post851391

 

[Misterdave]

I have just started spearfishing with a 60banded gun but really want an hawaiian sling now I know the name of them have seen them before but could never find them yey!!

 

[t_barcode]

hehe after I inherited my friends 90cm gun I spent my money on a polespear (just to have a play with the concept so it's nothing fancy). I'm gagging for a chance to use it though. My last trip my Mrs came along... she doesn't know I've bought it so I couldn't bring it along

I'm surprised how close you can get to a fish with a 90cm. With my 110cm that extra 20-30cm(including spear tip) really gives you away when pushing through the weed! I'm wondering how close I can get with a loaded polespear!