# Polespear or gun?



## kylemac

Interested in getting into taking them from underwater. I've done some reading on the different guns, spears, slings.

For those w/ the experience -- which isthe better means to introduce yourself into the sport relatively inexpensively? I am leaning towards starting with a polespear, but don't want to waste the money if it is too difficult to use.

Thanks.:usaflag


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## Travis Gill

Are you Diving or just free diving? I just free dive and use a pole spear, THey are super easy to use and work good for most near shore applications


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## FenderBender

Start with a polespear, shoot a bunch of sheepshead and mangrove snapper with it, and later on, when you start diving wrecks offshore and want to target larger fish, get a 3 band, wooden spear gun. 

A polespear is great to start with though, I still use mine to flounder with and when freediving... don't underestimate their potency either.. I have killed both gag grouper and amberjack with a polespear. Eventually you are going to want more range, and when that day comes get a gun.


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## Clay-Doh

I couldnt say cuz I have never in my life shot a polespear.

I kinda like pulling the trigger!


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## Sniper Spear-It

Get a gun. pole spear is like bringing a knife to a un fight. literally.careful spearfishing is like crack that probably won't kill you but may cause you're life to drastically redirect.

Its not what you see, its what you kill

SSI


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## spear em

start out with a gun you can handle under water. i didnt. the first time shooting fish i went with a 54 biller and was completely out of my element. if you can find a jbl sawed off mag, get it. learn the the fundamentals of shooting fish, stringing fish, re-loading gun, and so on and so on. it's not like sitting in a tree stand and dropping the hammer on a big buck. when you pull the trigger on a spear gun the fun is just starting.


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## Bigg J

I'm not real experienced but right after I got cert. I bought a gun from a buddy. It was a jbl explorer 22. Good little jetty gun. Anyway me and a buddy were out fishing one day, I guess about 20 miles, came across this weed line with some chickens on it. Man I threw on a mask and fins and bailed off the boat and popped me one. Now I got that itch man, like a dope fiend.

It's a drug man, you'll take a hit, then you want more and more


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## jamessig

If you start off with a pole spear, you will almost certainly buy a gun later on. The first time you see a big fish that stays out of range of your pole spear, you'll really regret not having a gun. :banghead:banghead Save yourself some money and aggravation and just buy a gun to start with. You can find some good deals on decent used guns on eBay. Get something with at least two bands and it will work in a wide variety of situations and you will be happy until you shoot a nice wood gun. Hopefully at that point you will know enough to decide whether you want to make that upgrade. It's like someone recommending that you start off fishing with a cane pole rather than an inexpensive spinning rig. My 2 cents.


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## cuzmondo

Well, simply said, "A" pole spear just won't do. We have nine and I generally take 5-6 down on a dive. Much more productive that way. Once you kill the first one and others come to see what's going on your kill ratio increases dramatically. It's true that some of the larger fish stay out of range, but you can kill lots of fish and good sized ones with a pole spear. You can also shoot into holes and rocks that you may not want to shoot a spear gun. I've never shot a gun, but have been using pole spears for about 15 years and have just recently been contemplating a gun. If you like trigger fish, I believe a pole sprear is gonna deliver more fish than a spear gun simply because of the re-load time. Since you can now only keep2 red snaps, not a big deal there, that should come pretty easy. Great for flounder, and as bender said, you can kill some pretty big fish with a pole spear; sometime you have to grab the critter or get to the bottom with them ina hurry to jam it all the way through for the kill, but that's a rush too. I'd have to think that for open water a gun is hands down the way to go. Reef diving and seeking bottom dwellers may be another story. Evenif I were to get a gun, I'd have to carry some arrows as well.


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## Telum Pisces

For scuba diving, a gun. For free diving some jetties etc... a pole spear may be an economical way to get started. But you will eventually get a gun. I jumped head first into a bigger gun with my JBL 63"Woody Magnum. And I am glad I did. For smaller species, I just load one or two bands. And the last time the flounder were stacked up, I just went around poking the flounder like a poll spear with my gun.


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## Pinksnappertrapper

> *kylemac (2/24/2008)*Interested in getting into taking them from underwater. I've done some reading on the different guns, spears, slings.
> 
> For those w/ the experience -- which isthe better means to introduce yourself into the sport relatively inexpensively? I am leaning towards starting with a polespear, but don't want to waste the money if it is too difficult to use.
> 
> Thanks.:usaflag




I have 2 nice older spear guns. They need bands and tips. I would sell them for a good deal, if instrested email me and you can come look at them. It would be an excentlent starter gun.


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## Lockout

Speargun....and I too have a nice gun for sale if interested. Its a 42" Sea Hornet/Ab Billerteak hybrid as the parts are intechangable. 3 bands and has killed MANY fish. PM me to see it and we can talk price. Either way...IMHO get at least a three band wood type gun. I dont favor the aluminum guns personally.


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## LITECATCH

i dive every dive with BOTH. if there are no large fish to shoot with the big gun. then use the pole spear for triggers and smaller black snapper.


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## bmoore

I reccomend a gun, something in the 42-48" range. AB Biller has a good line of guns. A gun will give you the best of both worlds, you will be able to poke around inshore with it and take it offshore for some biggies.

Check these guys out. I have delt with them quite a bit. Reasonable and good service..

http://www.leisurepro.com/Catalog.aspx?Op=dtSearch

this would be a good choice..

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR id=ctl02_AUTO_5_ProductConfigurations_ConfigurationChoice_rptConfigurations_ctl05_trconfig bgColor=#e9e9e9><TD id=ctl02_AUTO_5_ProductConfigurations_ConfigurationChoice_rptConfigurations_ctl05_tdLineLabel align=left>*48 Inch *</TD><TD align=left><INPUT id=ctl02_AUTO_5_ProductConfigurations_ConfigurationChoice_rptConfigurations_ctl05_ConfigurationID type=hidden value=ABBM48 name=ctl02$AUTO_5$ProductConfigurations$ConfigurationChoice$rptConfigurations$ctl05$ConfigurationID><INPUT id=ctl02_AUTO_5_ProductConfigurations_ConfigurationChoice_rptConfigurations_ctl05_ProductID type=hidden value=ABBM name=ctl02$AUTO_5$ProductConfigurations$ConfigurationChoice$rptConfigurations$ctl05$ProductID><INPUT id=ctl02_AUTO_5_ProductConfigurations_ConfigurationChoice_rptConfigurations_ctl05_StockStatus type=hidden value=I name=ctl02$AUTO_5$ProductConfigurations$ConfigurationChoice$rptConfigurations$ctl05$StockStatus> </TD><TD align=left><SPAN class=itext id=ctl02_AUTO_5_ProductConfigurations_ConfigurationChoice_rptConfigurations_ctl05_ctlStatus1_lblStatus>*In Stock* </TD><TD align=left><SPAN class=lp_lineprice id=ctl02_AUTO_5_ProductConfigurations_ConfigurationChoice_rptConfigurations_ctl05_lblLinePrice>$209.95 </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

shot one for years..


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## cuzmondo

Not to derail, here, but as I said in my earlier post, I've been contemplating a gun. What I've gathtered here and elsewhere is that it should be wood with at least 3 bands. Told not to shoot a Riffe at all unless I'm ready to spend bookoo bucks. So what do you guy's recommend for a good reasonably priced gun that will last and do a good job. I will still carry some pole spears. Name, brand, size, specific recommendations appreciated. My initial thoughts are 42 - 48". :bowdown


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## countryjwh

i am like lifecatch. i dive every dive with both. the pole spearin my opinion is the meat getter. flounder, trigger, mangros, and anything else legal in the 5 to 10 lb range that i can get close enough to. i have shot several legal aj's also though. a speargun for me is my story teller or big fish getter. i swim down with that in my hands and pole spear hooked to my fish clip. look around for something big then pick the pole spear up. if i was going to get a gun to start off with i would get the ab biller 42-48. they are probably the most common one in the gulf in my opinion. i have the seahornet and it is a good gun for the money. i have killed a bunch of decent fish with it up to 45 lb. jacks. i have three bands but dont alays use them. better to have than not though. hope this helps.


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## cuzmondo

"the pole spearin my opinion is the *meat getter*. flounder, trigger, mangros, and anything else legal in the 5 to 10 lb range that i can get close enough to i have shot several legal aj's also though. a speargun for me is my *story teller or big fish getter*."

That's exactly what I was thinking too. Thanks again for the info.


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## kylemac

Wow! Thanks for the replies, folks. Seems the vote is pretty even, but the info is great nonetheless.

I plan to start out inshore freediving and it sounds as if the polespear may suit my needs for starters.

I am a big proponent of getting the most I can afford too, I just don't see myself doing this offshore this season at all.

I am still weighing my options while th ewater warms a little, but now leaning even more towards a "meat getter."

Thanks a ton!:usaflag


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## flyingfishr

> I am still weighing my options while th ewater warms a little


Ahh heck, that water is practically like bath water right now, check out bmoore swimming in it with his wetsuit top down this past Sunday!


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## kennethmandel62

Thanks for all the info. I actually just messaged clay to get his expertise on this same topic. If you have a lot of experience diving and spearing please keep posting it. The best way to learn is from the veterans of the sport and I'm sure that there are a lot of people just like me that will be quoting what they learn off this forum.


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## Clay-Doh

Hey Kenneth! I hope your not grouping me in that "veterans" catagory! I am relatively new compared to alot of the other guys on here, and just happen to get a dumb fish in my sights every now and than!:letsdrink


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## kylemac

A good deal of dumb people tend to gravitate towards me -- I am hopeful the dumb fish will too!

Thanks.:usaflag


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## Clay-Doh

Ha haa, now thats funny.


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