Polespear tips

[cheezwedge]

I have been using the barbed paralyzer tip by JBL, but every decent size fish i have speared (mostly perch) flops off the end before i can really do anything. I'm anxious to try my single point double flopper tip so the fish will actually stay on. Does anyone have any experience using these? I know that they are thicker, and with 2 floppers it makes it less smooth, how hard do you have to shoot to get it through an average fish? Any advice would be great.

[aesthetic]

i too have only used the paralyzer tip on my JBL.. what i found to work best is that you get within range of your fish so that you know the tips will punch through hard enough to really get it on there.

for some of the bigger fish ive hit, pinning them onto the bottom works well, until you can slide down the shaft and grab the fish to secure it. sometimes if im near the surface, ill do my best to keep pushing so that the fish is forced onto the tip.. thus making it a bit more difficult for them to wiggle off. many times you can just point your spear up and out of the water until you can secure the fish or subdue it with your knife. this goes the same for pinning them down.

i have the same double flopper, and actually i plan on using it tomorrow to try it out for once. ive been around 15-20 times and never once used it.. if i like it enough and get skilled with it, i plan on going with a slip tip in the future so i can be sure to take the larger fish that i see.

thats my two cents. im sure someone else will have some useful info too.

[octpora]

yo cheezewedge, what is your kind is your polespear?

I have found the small jbl breakaway tip to work best. Usually use em on sheepshead and snapper. gives good penetration and hold on my 7' ali one peice spear. But the 'paralizer' tips have good shock value when you let em rip.
The spinner tips give nice penetration, but try to get a pass through shot. dont just shoot at the fish- shoot through. A hesitant release that puts drag on the spear makes any tip less effective.

[octpora]

DUH DUH DUH DUH DUH DUHMMY. I disavow that first hideous question and replace with : What model is your spear?

[aesthetic]

Originally Posted by octpora

yo cheezewedge, what is your kind is your polespear?

I have found the small jbl breakaway tip to work best. Usually use em on sheepshead and snapper. gives good penetration and hold on my 7' ali one peice spear. But the 'paralizer' tips have good shock value when you let em rip.
The spinner tips give nice penetration, but try to get a pass through shot. dont just shoot at the fish- shoot through. A hesitant release that puts drag on the spear makes any tip less effective.

good info. im actually planning on going for sheepshead tomorrow, so now im definitely going to get the slip tip at the shop before i paddle out

between the 3", 4", and 5" slip tips.. what would you prefer? just curious.

[sciencemike]

I also use polespears. I use the Foldspear. It seems fish are far less spooked of me when i dont have a huge spear on me. I use a single flopper rock point. I like it because the single can pass through the fish very easily, i have never had a problem. Yet with the paralyzer tips unless they are nice and rusty i have fish comeing off sometimes also. With the single flopper i use i have no problem with penetration. This morning i shot a rubber lips through the top right side top of the head and out the left bottom of the opercula on the other side. So it went through the skull, through the spine and through the opercula on the other side. THe fish was only 15 inches or so but i have never had any problems with it in terms of penetration or hold. But im not an expert, just someone with a little experience to share. Heres my tip/rig.


Edit in. I have never used a break away tip but would definitely like to give it a try sometime.

[bgill]

I too use a polespear - Usually with a JBL paralyzer type tip also. Sometimes I will use a double flopper rock point - But thats usually only when I'm Carp slaying or after sheepshead or some other larger non-gamefish species.

I have bagged some rather large fish with the paralyzer. To keep fish from flopping off - make sure you are close enough for GOOD penetration. Once the fish is hit try to "pin it" down on the bottom if you can and grab the three prongs exiting the fish. If you can't pin it down then kick with your fins fast and try to again reach for the the three prongs exiting the fish in order to keep the fish from writhing off of the polespear until you can spike it or get it on your stringer.

Invariably SOME fish will escape if they are big - especially if you did'nt get a "pass through" on the three prongs of the paralyzer. If I do see a carp or other non game species I will usually still TRY to get it with the three prong - But then I make sure I am close enough...and I aim for the head/gill area. Some of the bigger fish then are completely paralyzed or as we say "stoned".

Smaller fish such as bream or perch have been bagged without ever even getting "stuck" by one of the prongs...they sometimes simply get wedged in between the three prongs!

A slip tip is DEFINATELY the way to go for bigger fish. Keep it up! Practice makesperfect!

[aesthetic]

awesome photos everyone! im gonna head out in a few, hopefully ill have some photos worth posting when i get back.

[octpora]

Not shure what the west coasters call sheepshead, so i got no idea how tough they be. The 'sheepshead' here on the east are dressed in prison stripes; black and white at 5->10 lbs. They are hard runners but they have tough enough skin that a 3" breakaway tip doesn't pull through.
One day i shall return to the west to spearfish and get one of yous californians ta gimme a tour o the kelp beds. The First time i saw the ocean was as a toddler on the n cal coast near eureka and OR. Now i miss it soo bad cause it always smelled so clean and the water was headache cold in the middle of a bright day..

[sciencemike]

Our sheepshead is Semicossyphus pulcher its in the wrasse family. They are really easy pickings. They are not that afraid and commonly inhabit the same location as divers/freedivers/spearfishermen so they are picked off pretty easy. I have always heard that only beginners spear them because they are such easy prey and are getting over farmed.

Heres a video of california diving-The orange fish here is a Garabaldi, california state fish, and protected by law. The second fishes you can really see that are somewhat larger than the Garabaldi fish are sheepsheads. They have a black to dark grey head, and a lighter colored body. The Males are very red with the same black head and tail as the rest. And as a side note the last fish here is the calico sea bass. Big ones at that. This is not my video, but i dive in this location a lot. Its a protected marine park in catalina called Casino point.
http://www.youtube.com/v/QoCwQMabDeeperBlue.net Forums - Reply to TopicFN0

Heres a pic of a male.



On the east coast i think you are talking about this?(from fishbase)

Sheepshead


Family Sparidae, PORGIES
Archosargus probatocephalus

[octpora]

Aye, that be the critter.

What is the furthest north you spear?