Polespears the real deal or endangered?

[Marwan]

I just thought that most of us are really swept into the technicalities and advances of speargun designs, wood, carbon, multiple band, euro, american etc....
I wonder if a people are still using polespears. I am considering to get one of these folding types, just to keep in handy in case I go to a beach and I dont have all my spearfishing stuffon me.
Anyone have some info or tips on the polespears??
I feel that they should improve stalking/apnea skills if you want to catch any fish.
cheers

 

[spaghetti]

I've seen this on mark laboccetta's website:
http://www.omerdiving.com/catalog.aspx?category=30
it looks cool, but it could be difficult to purchase from egypt where you live (and from italy too). Just check if polespears are legal in your country: in italy i think they're illegal, as our national law says clearly that "underwater fishing is allowed with speargun".
ciao

 

[Mr. X]

There are several existing threads on pole spears -- definitely worth checking out. I think scuba divers in NJ use them (offsets the advantage of using scuba I suppose). You can mail order them from several vendors in the US, no problem. They often appear for sale on eBay (always US vendors when I have seen them). There is a website that tells you how to make them (one suggestion is to use an old ski pole & wooden dowel).

I believe the technique used is an under arm thrust. However, many/most spears come equipped with a rubber sling at the back end. This can be used like a catapult (place thumb through loop -- & then , I think, use it in the style of a bow-and-arrow or catapult. You can also buy/make a spear catapult using a tube with a rubber sling attached -- the spear fires through the tube. I think they call that a Hawaiian sling(?) -- traditionally used for free-shafting (no spear line).
caveat emptor, your mileage may vary, etc.

I agree, those multi-part travel spears seem like the kind of thing you might want to take everywhere with you..."just in case"

 

[jimdoe2you]

Polespears are great! I grew up using polespears during the summers in the Bahamas where spearguns aren't allowed.

Bahamian rules (unless they have changed) are very unique:

1. No spearguns are allowed.
2. If you are using scuba, you can't have a polespear with you.
3. You can use a polespear only while freediving and you can spear lobster (as opposed to Florida where you must catch them by hand, net & tickle stick, or snare).

We used to catch our food every day. Plenty of lobster, hog fish, red snapper, and grouper.

My only substantial run in with a shark was when I was about 20 years old in the Bahamas, and all I had with me was a polespear. It was getting aggressive due to a catch bag of fish that I was carring around with me. I kept pushing it away, but I was getting more scared with every passing second. The shark came back around and swam by about 4 feet under me, I felt like my back was against a wall in this situation (major adrenaline flowing) so in desperation I took a shot straight down on its head. One of the 3 prongs on the paralyzer tip must have hit the shark right in the brain (lucky me) because I stoned it good. Thank God, but sad for the shark.

Jim

 

[spaghetti]

jim, sorry, my english is poor and i don't understand: did you mean that you killed a man-eating shark with a blow of a polespear?

 

[jimdoe2you]

Yes, but I wouldn't call it a man-eating shark, I would call it a dangerously aggressive reef shark.

 

[spaghetti]

Yes, but I wouldn't call it a man-eating shark, I would call it a dangerously aggressive reef shark.

ok, just a man-chewing shark it was (sorry for going ot)

 

[cantshoot]

Hi Marwam,

If you are able to get it there is a video called EPIC by Hawaii Skin diver or season 1 of Hawaii skin diver TV show on DVD, that has some crazy good pole spear action by the late Gene Higa. He said he prefers the pole spear over guns because it uses more instinct and his stocking ability is amazing. Some of the best diving I have ever seen.

In Hawaii plenty of people use pole spears (three prongs). Many for small game in holes but the better divers can shoot larger fish on the fly (not me). We also use it to catch octopus. Most people here use a graphite aluminum hybrid but they are one peice. For some types of fish the pole spear is prefered over the gun because of speed and quiteness. And really cant get a three prong stuck in rocks when shooting in holes.

Roland,

 

[Marwan]

Cheers guys thanks for the tips,
JIMDOE wow buddy, a shark with a polespear!!!!!! i thought at best i would land a fish in the 5 kg range and nothing bigger. Apparenly i am mistaken, anyoe had big fish with polespears??
Spagetti, spearfishing is illegal in Egypt in the protected areas, as it is a very rare sport in egypt there is not much attention on searching people for spearguns etc... i ordered a rabitech 120 gun via courrier and it was delivered to my home. but a foldspear polespear is even more easy to travel with, i never go hunting in the protected areas though.
cheers

 

[Ted Budion]

...most of us are really swept into the technicalities and advances of speargun... I am considering to get one...I feel that they should improve stalking/apnea skills if you want to catch any fish.
cheers

What a coincidence!! I was feeling the same. I ordered last week a collapsible pole spear by Ray Odor. www.spearfishing.cc . I remarked Mark L's and another one, also reportedly very good, called Henley's. But both were on the expensive side. If I master the basics, I may go for one of them.

In the Bahamas you can use Hawaiian slings too, but in Bermuda only pole spears. I read somewhere that it's the same in the Caymans and Turk and Caicos. Does anybody know?

 

[Marwan]

hey ted,
did you evere take your long sea trip to our parts if the world? if so drop me a line tell me about it. About the polespears, i felt the need for some change, i ordered the folding polespear, i also love the portability, just throw it in your bag, you never know when you'll need it

 

[Ted Budion]

Yep. Red Sea in late March/April/mid-May. But they will in Jeddah for the duration. I'm not sure if I'm going myself, it depends on the bosses :wave