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White Sea bass spearfishing

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 90 days.
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Ultimatepro2021

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Sep 24, 2025
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I have a JBL euro 110 with 2 16mm bands and a flopper tip with a reel, is it possible to get a decent White Sea bass on it realistically and if not what changes can I make to it to make it possible. Also, would it be bad for the trigger mechanism to add a third 16mm band and have two bands on one of the shark fins because my shaft only has two?
 
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Depends on the range, I've seen >40kg mullaways taken with 1x18mm guns but the shaft didn't fully penetrate. 2x16mm will be sufficient at close range if they're explosive and not too soft, or/and cut relatively short. 3x16mm would certainly be better but would increase recoil perhaps too much on your gun.

Depending on the load the mech is manufactured to bear, it could get harder to release i.e. heavy trigger.

Easiest workaround to all these is to just convert it to an invert roller
 
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Please forgive me for lack of timely response. I got very busy with life for a change.:)

I hope I'm out of date on JBL but it has always had a bad reputation. I bought a gun from the precursor company in 1961. Later another company bought the design and then JBL finally bought it. I had numerous gun in that series over the years and none of them would be a good white sea bass gun. They were metal and sunk even without the shaft in. Do the later wood versions float? You mentioned using three 16 mm bands. I think the recoil would be so bad that it wouldn't be accurate. There are so many good guns these days and many would be good choices. For years I used Wong mid handled guns from 55 to 60". Now that are other good choices of that type and size. Later I used rear handle guns in the 120 cm range. Do you prefer rear or mid handle?

I'm out of time right now but tomorrow I'll post links to guns that I have owned myself and can recommend.
 
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AsI said before there are almost too many choices of guns now, but here are some Ulusubs that I'd recommend. Ulusubs are bargains compared to many other brands and they come with two shafts. You could order one threaded shaft to use with a slip tip for white sea bass and another flopper for yellowtail which aren't quite as soft flesh. One thing to notice is that while most Euro style rear handles guns are labeled by band stretch, Ulusub names mean the entire length of the wood gun.

The 145RH is a nice gun a bit on the small side, but still capable of taking white sea bass. I didn't own one because I had an Abellan that was about the same size. If you prefer a bit easier to swing, you could go for the 145MH.


The 155RH
Screenshot 2026-02-01 at 4.53.38 PM.png
is a big step up and capable of slight blue water, but I just found it a bit too large for a rear handle gun, so I sold it. The buyer shot three yellowtail just trying it out at San Clemente Island while the other two of us got none, so it wasn't too big for him. Since then he has taken lots of white sea bass and yellowtail and grouper in Baja with it. I replaced it with the 160MH, which is basically the same gun except handle position. I loved that gun- best handling big gun I've had.

I'm going to look for links to Abellan guns but meanwhile you might take a look at Spear America. They have stores in Redondo Beach, Dana Point and San Diego and guys who can give you good advice.
 
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And here is a great gun.
It's a tossup between that and the Denton 110. I got a lot of fish with the 110 and got the 120 not long before I retired and sold my great. Some times its nice to have just a bit more range for those yellowtail that won't come close.
 
And here is a great gun.
It's a tossup between that and the Denton 110. I got a lot of fish with the 110 and got the 120 not long before I retired and sold my great. Some times its nice to have just a bit more range for those yellowtail that won't come close.

Please forgive me for lack of timely response. I got very busy with life for a change.:)

I hope I'm out of date on JBL but it has always had a bad reputation. I bought a gun from the precursor company in 1961. Later another company bought the design and then JBL finally bought it. I had numerous gun in that series over the years and none of them would be a good white sea bass gun. They were metal and sunk even without the shaft in. Do the later wood versions float? You mentioned using three 16 mm bands. I think the recoil would be so bad that it wouldn't be accurate. There are so many good guns these days and many would be good choices. For years I used Wong mid handled guns from 55 to 60". Now that are other good choices of that type and size. Later I used rear handle guns in the 120 cm range. Do you prefer rear or mid handle?

I'm out of time right now but tomorrow I'll post links to guns that I have owned myself and can recommend.
No worries about the late reply. Yes the later versions, or at least the wooden gun I have floats after fired. I’m relatively new to spearfishing, I’ve only been doing it for about a year and I’m not sure about the pros and cons of mid vs rear handles, so I’m not sure. Thank you
 
AsI said before there are almost too many choices of guns now, but here are some Ulusubs that I'd recommend. Ulusubs are bargains compared to many other brands and they come with two shafts. You could order one threaded shaft to use with a slip tip for white sea bass and another flopper for yellowtail which aren't quite as soft flesh. One thing to notice is that while most Euro style rear handles guns are labeled by band stretch, Ulusub names mean the entire length of the wood gun.

The 145RH is a nice gun a bit on the small side, but still capable of taking white sea bass. I didn't own one because I had an Abellan that was about the same size. If you prefer a bit easier to swing, you could go for the 145MH.


The 155RHView attachment 61569 is a big step up and capable of slight blue water, but I just found it a bit too large for a rear handle gun, so I sold it. The buyer shot three yellowtail just trying it out at San Clemente Island while the other two of us got none, so it wasn't too big for him. Since then he has taken lots of white sea bass and yellowtail and grouper in Baja with it. I replaced it with the 160MH, which is basically the same gun except handle position. I loved that gun- best handling big gun I've had.

I'm going to look for links to Abellan guns but meanwhile you might take a look at Spear America. They have stores in Redondo Beach, Dana Point and San Diego and guys who can give you good advice.
I’ll look into the 145MH thank you for the recommendation.
 
And here is a great gun.
It's a tossup between that and the Denton 110. I got a lot of fish with the 110 and got the 120 not long before I retired and sold my great. Some times its nice to have just a bit more range for those yellowtail that won't come close.

And here is a great gun.
It's a tossup between that and the Denton 110. I got a lot of fish with the 110 and got the 120 not long before I retired and sold my great. Some times its nice to have just a bit more range for those yellowtail that won't come close.
Those look like good guns too, I just don’t see myself hunting yellowtail anytime soon.
 
Those look like good guns too, I just don’t see myself hunting yellowtail anytime soon.
Why not? Yellowtail are a lot easier to shoot than white sea bass. They are usually in schools and will come closer. And they are often in the same spots. I shot my biggest yellowtail in the middle of a kelp bed where I was hunting white sea bass.
 
Why not? Yellowtail are a lot easier to shoot than white sea bass. They are usually in schools and will come closer. And they are often in the same spots. I shot my biggest yellowtail in the middle of a kelp bed where I was hunting white sea bass.
I live in Santa Barbara and as far as I know they don't come to Santa Barbara very often and I don't really know where I would find them or how to hunt them.
 
I live in Santa Barbara and as far as I know they don't come to Santa Barbara very often and I don't really know where I would find them or how to hunt them.
I was under the impression that there were yellowtail at the islands up there but I'm not sure about the coast. As far as that goes I don't know much about white sea bass on the coast. When I've driven out the 101 west of Santa Barbara I've always drooled seeing those kelp beds but I understand that there aren't many access spots from shore. But anyway, I think most people would be using the same gun for both yellowtail and white sea bass. As far as how to hunt them goes- swim along the outside edge of the kelp bed, particularly if you see bait.
 
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An add on OC Spearos

120cm Pathos Carbon Roller with 7mm shaft lightly used - $650 for everything mentioned

Includes:
-new mono rigging
-new bands
-extra 7.5mm shaft with mono rigging
(All with the color of your choice)

This is my number please contact me if your interested (714-204-8349)

PS- this gun has slayed fish for good luck lol”
 
@Bill McIntyre awesome to see you continuing to pass on knowledge. Haven't been on here since then, but I chatted with you briefly on here about 2 years ago when I started spearfishing here in SoCal. Have since bought a boat, shot WSB and yellows, slept on the islands, and hope to pop my bluefin cherry this upcoming season. Your dedication to educating others on this sport has been nothing short of impactful and I hope to be a fraction of the spearfishing ambassador you have been to our SoCal community one day.
 
@Bill McIntyre awesome to see you continuing to pass on knowledge. Haven't been on here since then, but I chatted with you briefly on here about 2 years ago when I started spearfishing here in SoCal. Have since bought a boat, shot WSB and yellows, slept on the islands, and hope to pop my bluefin cherry this upcoming season. Your dedication to educating others on this sport has been nothing short of impactful and I hope to be a fraction of the spearfishing ambassador you have been to our SoCal community one day.
Wow! Thanks a lot. Its fun to stay engaged even though I decided to quit doing it myself at 85.
 
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