# Newby trying to learn



## Sailorboy (Sep 28, 2011)

My BIL is getting re-certified and i got most of the kinks worked out of the boat... now to have fun!. I have enjoyed the videos previously posted. Now for a couple of questions, please share your experience..

1. What type of bottom sounders are the best for seeing structure?
2. is there any type of speargun to stay away from?
3. what are your basic safety rules and routines for handeling spears? 
4. what are the best type of fish holders?
5. do you have any favorite personal gear beside knife and usual dive gear?
6. Is there any way to improve fish identification prior to taking shot?
7. does my regular fishing licence cover spearfishing?
8. are the public numbers for the popular dive site close to shore accurate 

Thanks in advance!


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## OnGrade (Aug 7, 2009)

Swing by MBT. They can get you set up, give you advice, and point you in the right direction! 

1: The more you can spend the better. I am a furuno fan. 
2: go with a wood gun. Again, spend what you can here to get the most bang for your buck so you arent needing to upgrade in a few months. Guns last a while if you take care of them, and some last even if you dont! AB Biller are proven, Riffe are awesome!
3: Same rules apply to spearguns that apply to a firearm. load it underwater when youre ready to hunt.
4:get a stainless steel stringer and a clip to clip it to your bc. (MBT has plenty)
5: get a safety sausage and a whistle. Blow the whistle when you see a shark. Haha!
6: Watch the videos. you can learn fish ID and behavior on them.
7:In FL youre good to go with a regular fishing license. read the rules on what you can and cant spear. Alabama requires a fishing license and a spearfishing permit.
8: The county numbers are pretty accurate. May take a little driving in circles to find the smaller stuff. Remember, they were deployed from a barge, and the gps antenna wasnt right over the structure so it may be a little off.

Good luck, go to one of the spearfishing seminars put on by MBT, and be safe. Start out small and learn what you can before getting your self in trouble!


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## Sailorboy (Sep 28, 2011)

*thanks...*

does anyone have a MBT seminar schedule, i looked on their web site and didn't see any thing...


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## OnGrade (Aug 7, 2009)

Seeing that the majority of the sought after species are closed right now and the water is a little chilly there arent any scheduled. Id be willing to bet there will be one in march or april, but if you swing by, the guys at mbt will answer your questions, give you suggestions, and youll have the chance to look at guns, stringers, bands, anything else you might have questions on. And then theres always the fish stories...


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## coolbluestreak (Jun 27, 2011)

I'm no pro but, I'd get a polespear, stringer and jump in the water a few times to look around.

Dive with someone with a little experience, I love diving with new ppl, they all have thier own bag of tricks and cool ideas. someone is always looking for a boat to ride or room for one or two on thier boat.


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## Sailorboy (Sep 28, 2011)

as soon as it begins to warm up i will send out the invite...
i agree on always needing new ideas


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## Clay-Doh (Oct 2, 2007)

Jordan and Jeremy about covered it. 

One thing to remember, with a speargun, the butt of it (facing you) is about as dangerous as the business end.

Couple people on this forum with chipped teeth from shooting full sized guns when they were new with out locking there elbows and holding it straight out in front of them.

And if it ever accidently goes off on it's own (yes, it happens. couple have brand new at a shop here, and I had a new Riffe that did right as I reached foward to grab the first band to unload after a dive.

Missed my junk by 1/4", had every color of the rainbow in that bruise that spread from my belly button to above my knee. Thought I was going to dye underwater. And Sheri Day on Speargun Hunter had her handle on her Wong crack right as she pulled the trigger, and the gun smashed through her mask sending shards of broken glass in her face and breaking her cheekbone. Was all caught on camera and in one of the shows.

Tons of good advice could be givin by the experienced guys on here. Like Jeremy said, GOing with someone who's been doing it a while, you can get all sorts of tips and advice on the way out to the wreck, and then see first hand, and have some assistance when that big AJ decides to take you down with him!


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## Clay-Doh (Oct 2, 2007)

And don't wait for it to warm up! Get a 7mm suit and a hood, and you will literally be too warm underwater. Winter is the best. No algea blooms, and less boats out on the wrecks. And fish move a lil slower and dumber!

My boat's down right now, work on the port motor...so I'm boatless. Hint hint.

Of course, your trying to get out with someone experinced though :thumbup:


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## coolbluestreak (Jun 27, 2011)

I think Clay want's you to take him diving!
I dove with him last weekend and had a blast.

I had a 5mil w/a hood and I was fine, second dive we didn't wear the hoods and it was a little bit cool.


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## Clay-Doh (Oct 2, 2007)

Was I that obvious??? Ha ha. 1-2 foot seas this Saturday!!

Had a blast with you too, and thanks for your help on the salvage. Your a great guy to dive with, wish we would have had time to ride the AJ rodeo too! Next time for sure!

And you and me know where we could fill coolers full of fat fish Jeremy! I gotta go kill fish bad. These last 2 trips got me a full on set of spero's blue-balls.

If anyone is going....:whistling:


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## coolbluestreak (Jun 27, 2011)

My boat runs....I just need some big steel tanks.... 
I was talking to MillerTime about going also:shifty:


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## Clay-Doh (Oct 2, 2007)

You got a boat for us to go on, I'll get ya 3 more steel tanks! You may as well put those al80's for sale. Your spoiled now. 

Let me know man! Know a good spot out to the east to to get some real nice fat grey snapper too.


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## coolbluestreak (Jun 27, 2011)

Let's just keep watching the weather cuz I'm in.
My bottom machine is cheap, but I'm pretty sure I can find our last dive spot. Sailorboy, sorry for jacking your thread.


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## Clay-Doh (Oct 2, 2007)

It's keepin at the top for him. Hopefully more people will kick in with some advice. :thumbup:


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## Sailorboy (Sep 28, 2011)

thanks for the info... i guess i should of had my handme down 7mm repaired...the boat is a 21 Cobia 150 yamaha what sites in close (5-7 miles) would be good. always willing to try new stuff. we have have 2 divers off the boat, worked well. however i am always looking for ideas to improve the comfort and ease. Lets get thru Jan. and see what wknds in Feb are nice!


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## OnGrade (Aug 7, 2009)

Clay, are you afraid to go with me anymore? I got the ladder fixed, and its all ready to go! We need some good weather, and a few species to open up. You can have all the AJ you want. And for a beginner looking for advice, just look up just about anything ClayDoh says, read the posts, and do the exact opposite. He is like the roll model you never follow, like if you had a daughter, you would show tell her all about paris hilton so she wouldnt become anything like her! Haha! You know you feel the love Clay!


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## Clay-Doh (Oct 2, 2007)

Clay-Doh said:


> My boat's down right now, work on the port motor...so I'm boatless. Hint hint.
> 
> *Of course, your trying to get out with someone experinced though* :thumbup:


Jordan, notice I made it clear I wasn't the one he was looking for since he was looking for experience?? Ha ha. 

By the way, I had to invite myself to try and get out with you...I feel no love man, no love.

Got your text this AM. Yes, recovered most my gear (the expensive stuff I cared about) with the help of Jeremy, Coolbluestreak. One cheap anchor got dragged away by I'm sure a shark (my stringer was hooked through the chain with a fat AJ on it) off the tower to the east side of the flight deck about 80' away and hung, but I wasn't too concerned about that. I know where it is and can always get it later if I want to recover mainly the rope. But my powerhead, and my wreck anchor, real good anchor chain, stainless swivel anchor shackle... mission accomplished.















Sailor, got a question. In your original post, what is a BIL? Was trying to figure that out and didn't want to look any dumber than I already appear to be.:whistling:

For your info, Feb and March are the coldest for water temps and usually air temps. The water is still cooling off right now. Saturday water temp was 65 degrees.

As far as close sights, 3 Barges, Tex Edwards, Liberty Ship, Russian freighter, Paradise Hole, Dutch Banks, Oops Barge, PC Barge, Tug Slyvia, Tug Deliverence, and a pile of Blackwater Bridge Rubble are all within 9 miles of the pass, with the 3 Barges being the closest at 5 miles. 

The 3 barges is broken into a lot of small chunks, with not much relief. I have about a dozen pieces of it marked on my GPS, so if you go there, drive around and mark different spots, and pick an area where your by several pieces that you can swim back and forth too. 

Shot my first AJ there on my check out dive getting certified 7 years ago. Will never forget that day. I had just bought a new BC, and didn't know the tank straps stretch when wet and need to be adjusted wet. I shoot the AJ, first I had ever seen (had been "freediving" and spearfishing in the pass and bay for a couple years prior since I moved down from Detroit) and get in battle, and I feel my reg pullin hard like someones yankin on it from behind. Then I feel somethin bump my ankles. Was my tank fell out! I scoop it up it up in one arm, and fight my AJ, and get him in and look around, and my instructor is about 50 feet away kung-foo fighting with an AJ of his own and it was wrappin him in line non stop as fast as he could untangle it. I swim over to him, try to lend him a hand, and wait for him to be able to put my tank back in for me. I was forever hooked on diving and spearing from then on.

Those wrecks listed get fished pretty hard due to the fact that they are close in. You can still get fish, just not as plentiful as deeper wrecks.

Keep your bottom machine on, and make sure your tranducer is mounted so it still reads while your on plane. You would be surprised how much stuff is out there. I hasppen to know within a 1/2 mile of one of those spots is a pile of toilets, sinks, bbq grills, ovens, etc that some crazy yahoos dumped off the back of there boat a few years ago. Imagine that! 

Here's the link to MBT's page with the coordinates and distances along with pics of those wrecks.

http://www.mbtdivers.com/Local%20Dives.htm

And if you feel like venturing out further here's the link to the Escambia County list of artificial reefs which I'm not sure whether you had or not.

http://www.myescambia.com/Bureaus/CommunityServices/documents/2011Artificial%20reefMASTER%20list.pdf

And favorite gear besides knife, the kill spike I have mounted on hte end of my gun. Don't have to pull your knife out, and you get awesome leverage against a fighting fish and can pin him down against the wreck or something. Makes it a lot easier.

If you want, shoot me a PM with your number, and if your wanting to get out whether now or when it warms up I'll keep you on the will call list. I'm not as crazy as my reputation proceeds me., and regardless of what Jordan says :bangin:

Also, your on the right track wanting to go to MBT's seminars and stuff. Best thing to do is get to know the local spearos around here, and get out diving with them. Some of these guys (Jordan included  ) are really good and have a lot of knowledge to share. AND.. a lot of em, have a slew of private numbers, that if you go on trips with em, you will get a chance to shoot some monster fish. I will never give any of my private stuff away, but people on my boat have dove it out with me, and won tournaments.

Most the guys don't like inviting people they don't even know on there boat for an entire day, and hoping there a safe diver. Like I said in a post last week, "Mama always said divers on your boat are like a box of chocolates, you never know what your gonna get." All the stuff I listed in that I have been through with poeple on my boat. if you didn't see it..

http://www.pensacolafishingforum.com/f45/need-diver-3-tank-oriskany-1-5-a-105764/

Anything you see going on on these forums and if you have time to make it, that's a great way to meet people. And of course, all spearos love to talk about diving and spearing, and you can pick there brain and learn all sorts of tips.

If you haven't seen the post for the last 2 years, every Wednesday night on P-cola beach is free raw oysters behind the Hilton. I'm there every Wednesday, Brandy is almost always there, Lane (Dvrdwn), and others. If your close enough should come sometime and meet some people.

Really hope like Jeremy said you don't mind all the extra talk on your thread? It is just helping keep it at the top and hopefully more of these experienced guys might chime in with good advice. If you want just tell me stop trashing your thread.:thumbup:


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## Sailorboy (Sep 28, 2011)

No Problem (NP) on the "extra" info.... and when friends are trashed by others it is great.... 
BIL (brother in law). I fully understand the unknown factor of guest on boats from both sides of the equation. 
as i venture into this i will try to meet a few "spearos" and go from there. 
just do to so many unknowns on further out/ deeper dives I think i would also be interested in a dual boat trip..safety in numbers.
We live there in the spring and summer so the Wednesday night freebies are prolly ahit and miss.

If any one has used gear PM me and lets talk..

Thanks for the info so far


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## Sailorboy (Sep 28, 2011)

Ok... what is a riding rig...?


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## coolbluestreak (Jun 27, 2011)

Sailorboy said:


> Ok... what is a riding rig...?


The pictures are gone, but look at this thread.

http://www.pensacolafishingforum.com/f46/few-speargun-facts-27418/


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## Clay-Doh (Oct 2, 2007)

*MBT Spearfishing Seminar 2/10/12*

Good news Sailor Boy! Called Fritz (one of the owners of MBT)the other day and told him about these post, and a lot of newer people getting into spearfishing with questions, and that you had asked about a seminar up there. 

He said he will have one Friday February 10th. I'm sure they'll post a new thread with the details, but definitely mark it on your calendar. They usually have some sales that same night too, and there's plenty of experienced spearos there plus the MBT guys, and any gear you need a great chance to get some pros and cons input towards selcting what works for you.

Hope to meet you and some others up there. 

On a side note, where your waders, because that many spearfishermen in one room....the BS get's pretty deep:whistling:


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## Sailorboy (Sep 28, 2011)

dang my luck... will be out of country 9-15,, hopefully another will roll around.


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## Clay-Doh (Oct 2, 2007)

I updated the riding rig post since it was part of the old forum I guess and the pics got deleted.

But you asked about the riding rig. here's the copy and paste with pics

The shooting line I have been using for 3 years now is 550lb. 1.9mm Spetra/Dynema. I love this stuff. I've used stainless cable, mono, the standard stuff JBL and Biller has on there guns, and Kevlar. This stuff never dies. Abrasion resistance is awesome, and it doesn't kink like mono.

Here's some pics of the close ups of the terminal connections on the riding rig. I like the little stainless steel threaded chainlink for the connection so that I can undo it the shaft and line from the rope if the shaft goes all the way thru the fish and I can't get it back through and just want to pull the line through the fish.

And what Coot said about a heavy clip on the loop, I used to have one of the big brass clips on the hand loop of the riding rig, but found it was overkill, and like he said, the weight of it could pull hard enough and I did have a couple times it pulled the loop end of the bungee off the "line anchor". I know use one of those aluminum caribiner clips which is plenty of strength for if you loop your rope around something with a fish on to clip it to itself.

Here's some pics.
1st is overall gun with lines stowed for on the boat or whatever. Riding rig loop around the handle, and other end on my kill spike (can go over your spear shaft too if you don't have a kill spike.)










2nd and third are close ups of how I attach my riding rig to the shock cord, and how the shock cord attaches to the line anchor on your gun.

















4th picture is the gun in "shooting mode. The bottom rope and clip I attach to the top right D-ring on my bc, and the loop is what I hold in my left hand. Notice the light aluminum caribiner clip on the riding rig loop. Great for wrapping the rope around part of the wreck or a railing and clipping it to itself and making sure your fish and going to get away. Also great for clipping to an anchor line if your on your safety stop or on an accent from a deep dive over "open water" and a big cobia or AJ begs to get shot but you don't want to be in the middle of the water column dragged any direction. 









Last pic is overall gun with it ready to go.


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## Sailorboy (Sep 28, 2011)

ok... used spearguns... JBL's woodies are $250+-(48" or better)or a Metal tech Riffe $350 (reportedly newish. 56" 3 band) , on the assumptions of "good working order" ... is the 100$ extra worth it ... what about the noise of the aluminum?


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## Clay-Doh (Oct 2, 2007)

at least 9 out of 10 people in this area use wood. It never floods. If the plugs at teh ends of the metal gun leak, your gonna have one heavy gun. They have more mass wich means less recoil and more stable shooting. But more mass doesn't = heavier underwater. The more wood a gun has, making it heavier on the surface, makes it more bouyant (lighter) under water.

I would go with the wood, and 95% of others on here will tell you the same


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## Evensplit (Oct 2, 2007)

$250 is a lot for a used gun. We get folks in all the time that have purchased used guns and still wind up spending $100 or more to get them up to speed. Bands, shock cord, shaft, tip, bushing & slide all need to be checked.


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## Paolo (Jul 15, 2011)

well, I mostly free dive the mediterranean sea and am not used to shooting huge fish like the AJs here in the GoM, but i must say i have 2 Cressi guns, both aluminum and have worked just wonderfully for me. To me they`re really powerful, and I have seen videos of guys shooting big fish with them. I`m not a big fan of the huge bulky wooden guns, at least for all the fish that can be shot with the lighter more compact aluminum guns. Of course if you`re gonna shoot fish like tuna or wahoo and sorts, you`re gonna need a big powerful wooden gun, but I think that with a nice euro gun you could do just as good if not better shooting snappers and groupers and stuff like that. I think they`re also quite a bit cheaper. I think they`re usually in the 150-250$ range. And cress is a GREAT brand, NEVER had any problems. look into all the styles, wood, euro, ....


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## Evensplit (Oct 2, 2007)

The euro-style guns tend to be a bit on the light side for most of the local SCUBA divers, but Paolo is correct in that they're very fast and accurate, and they are cheaper with some really good guns running in the 170 - 200 range. We've got the Cressi Geronimo 90cm in stock, and we've got more Cressi and Mares guns coming in for the seminar on Feb 10th.


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## Paolo (Jul 15, 2011)

Evensplit said:


> The euro-style guns tend to be a bit on the light side for most of the local SCUBA divers, but Paolo is correct in that they're very fast and accurate, and they are cheaper with some really good guns running in the 170 - 200 range. We've got the Cressi Geronimo 90cm in stock, and we've got more Cressi and Mares guns coming in for the seminar on Feb 10th.


very true. great guns. I have 2 geronimos, the regular 90cm one and the pro 95cm, both great, but i def prefer the pro, nice somewhat enclosed track, shoots really accurate.


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## WhackUmStackUm (Jan 31, 2010)

Many spearguns do not shoot straight. Try (on some fish) before you buy, if you can. After diving with my buddy's Riffe a few times I put my aluminum JBL in the closet. I have used only Riffe guns since.


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## Sailorboy (Sep 28, 2011)

Ok,, scored a couple used guns off CL... they were aparently "old school" and well rested in the closet. I have the triggers all polished, lubed, and will get new bands installed... however the stainless cables are kinked... fraied..(garbage) 
1. instead of stainless.. any body using small diameter kevlar/arimis line ? seems to be more flexiable. 
2. tips are non fixed... should i say removable unpon withdrawl.. again stainless cables attach the tip to the shaft.. would line be better? or up grade to a tip that stayes attached w/ flappers?
3. not sure if bouyancy is comprimised (alum body) shold it float vertical or reasonable horizonal?


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## Clay-Doh (Oct 2, 2007)

Dyneema is the best stuff I have ever used. It's the same stuff that's used for wishbones on bands for fin type guns. I hate mono, stainless kinks and cuts your fingers when it frays.

You have what's called a slip tip. Keeps your shaft from getting mangled. I don't use em because it is harder to control the fish with em (ASSUMING YOU DON'T STONE HIM.) oops caps lock.

Bring it up to the seminar friday. You'll get all sorts of advice...ha ha


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## Sailorboy (Sep 28, 2011)

Speaking of Seminar,,, I guess i need to go w/ my 1st love to Mexico to celibrate #28,, WhoooHooo.. i will be going to MBT the following weekend. And speaking of Mexico,,Any reccomendations of dive operators in Cancun?


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## Clay-Doh (Oct 2, 2007)

28 years of marriage? If so congrats! Missed meeting you at the seminar


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## skubacat (Jan 5, 2012)

I missed the seminar too . Hubby even said he wanted to go. We had committed to some Mardi Gras stuff that night only to have it rained out - didn't know we weren't going till last minute and I'm an hour away from MBT. 

Any rumor on when they're doing another one? Not that I care the least bit about spearfishing but I'd like to put some faces with the names I'm seeing here. Plus, the talk of fishing and guns insures my hubby will go - imagine that :001_huh:.


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## coolbluestreak (Jun 27, 2011)

I think they said April.


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