Pole spearing attitude adjustment

  • The building winds from tropical storm (or depression) Bonnie kept me from diving Pensacola Bay like I wanted to this weekend. So with few other options, I dug out the polespear that I built last summer, loaded up the little skiff, and headed the mile or so from Wood Guy's house to one of the little bridge rubble reefs that are in nearby bay waters.


    I started off with a pretty crummy attitude about my busted grouper trip, but plinking away at 2-lb mangrove snapper turned into a lot of fun. The incoming tide, and GREATLY reduced boat traffic around here lately provided some pretty good 5-6 foot visibility in the 12-15' deep water.


    As it turns out, I pretty much suck at it. But I managed a couple of decent fish and had a blast doing it. I'm sure bigger fish have their own challenges, but those little mangroves were so quick that I could see them evade the spear after I fired. I think I need a little faster spear, so now I guess I have another new project!

    Edited 2 times, last by Guest ().

  • Manny may need to look out.... a new Gater Boy.:@ I really have fun with my PS, I just never take it
    on game fish swims.


    Cheers, Don

    "Great mother ocean brought forth all life, it is my eternal home'' Don Berry from Blue Water Hunters.


    Spearfishing Store the freediving and spearfishing equipment specialists.

  • Just a simple single flopper. The pole spear was actually intended as more as a gig for my son to use when gigging flounder from the boat at night, and is way to thick for what I needed.

  • whats the specs on the spear? any idea how much it weighs? I know my odor is typically too slow for mangroves im hoping my homemade is perfect as it is about 11 or 12 oz lighter.

  • nice Jeff..I would like you to design my dream spear for you to build and use, so if you like it, you can make me one :D


    haha, I do agree with Dan though, a slender, tapered cf spear is ideal for those fast little guys.


    and, in my humble opinion, small snappers are pretty much the most delicious fish in the ocean for cooking....second maybe to hog....not saying smoked, or sushi or ceviche, but damn are they delicious

    i like to spear fish

  • Turned on a lathe, but yes, cut from solid stock. While making a couple of CF guns since then, I have learned a bit about the different weaves. My next polespear will be much narrower, with primarily uni-directionional weave.

  • damnt as a polespear advocate my gears have begun turning again... How does the pvc hold up against impact and saltwater??? our sprinkler pipes here are pvc pipes sticking out into canals and I know with sun/water they get very brittle.


    I came across this site http://www.mgs4u.com/fiberglass-tube-rod.htm they make fiberglass tubes mostly for antenna apps. with lots of diameters available. I might have to try my hand at a fiberglass polespear now.

  • You are right on both points, and I wouldn't use PVC on a "real" polespear. This was just a kind of experimental afternoon project for my son to play with, and PVC is very forgiving on the lathe. It probably wouldn't stand up to heavy use, or years in the sun. But it doesn't get either because it is lightly banded and only gets used ocaisionally.

  • That's awesome Jeff! I took my JBL slip-tip pole spear into the creek this weekend. It is very light and it shoots fast, especially with the 1/2" Mori pole spear rubber on it. My hand couldn't take it any more after 2 hours or so.


    Lance O' hara makes some very nice light(er) weight hybrid pole spears. You may want to check out his work. His website sucks, but you can at least find some diagrams on there of the connection points. I think ladvr also made a pretty nice polespear a while back. Perhaps he will post a pic.


    By the way, I managed a couple of pan sized pescados, myself:)

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