Suggestions on first Speargun/or sling

[pcowboy6196]

Gentlemen, (and those ladies out there)
I have never done any spearfishing but am looking at getting into it. I will mainly be fishing Murky Oklahoma lakes for bass, crappie, and big catfish like blues and flatheads. Probably the best visibility I will ever have around here is 10-15ft or so. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Cheaper is always better (especially since I am buying my wife all her dive gear for mothers day)

Thanks all,

Wes

 

[mudhole]

Please don't call our lakes murky, they're all we have without a long travel. Here in Oklahoma you'll have to change your list of target fish. We can't spear bass or crappie. But some of our lakes have good spearfishing for chanel and flathead catfish. Chanel catfish can be hunted all year long, but Flathead catfish are closed to spearfishing between June 15 and July 15. The weekend after Flathead catfish season opens there is a diving tournament called the 24 hour Marathon. A contest for poker, compass course, or treasure hunt or spearfishing. A weekend of diving with beginners competing against beginners, national spearfishing champs competing against other national champs.

Most spearfishing in our area has been with pneumatic guns ( once called okie guns, an OKC dive shop has sold hundreds of them sinch the 60's). Now most people are using rubber power. As a starting point JBL has a gun called a 38 special. Choose the NW special variation because the spear has 3rd notch so you can add a 3rd band for more power. The 38 special XHD has the 3 notches and some internal improvements. A step up in quality and price is the size O Riffe metal tech guns, much more power. Remember you have to have a fishing license.

 

[pcowboy6196]

Thanks for the info on bass and crappie. I haven't read up on the regulations in about a decade...(I was away in the Navy and moved back a year and a half ago, and haven't been fishing yet). I know these lakes are all we got but it is the truth I was in Skiatook lake last summer and holy crap it was great vis! 2-3 feet LOL I haven't dared grand or gibson yet and have only been in the scuba park at tenkiller. The wife and I are planning to get away over memorial weekend for all the diving we can do and I had been thinking about spearfishing for a while now, so figured I might give it a shot (pun intended) while we are out.
Where is the tourny held? I might be interested in that. Especially if i can get out there and do some practicing.
Thanks for the suggestions. I had looked at the JBL's because I know a long gun would be a bit too much for the vis. I havn't however looked into the Riffe's due to cost but i may look at them again.

-Wes

 

[mudhole]

Thanks for the info on bass and crappie. I haven't read up on the regulations in about a decade...(I was away in the Navy and moved back a year and a half ago, and haven't been fishing yet). I know these lakes are all we got but it is the truth I was in Skiatook lake last summer and holy crap it was great vis! 2-3 feet LOL I haven't dared grand or gibson yet and have only been in the scuba park at tenkiller. The wife and I are planning to get away over memorial weekend for all the diving we can do and I had been thinking about spearfishing for a while now, so figured I might give it a shot (pun intended) while we are out.
Where is the tourny held? I might be interested in that. Especially if i can get out there and do some practicing.
Thanks for the suggestions. I had looked at the JBL's because I know a long gun would be a bit too much for the vis. I havn't however looked into the Riffe's due to cost but i may look at them again.

-Wes

A couple of years ago, my dive partners and I spent a couple of weekends diving Skiatook, a very strange lake. The best vis we found was 5 foot, off an island near highway 20 bridge, where most of the boats tie up to party. We found very few fish and poor vis. Gibson lake has always been muddy when I have looked at it. Grand lake, late in the summer has had 8 to 10 ft vis from the dam to an area called 2 tree island. Tenkiller usually will average 10 ft vis through the summer and in the fall frequently will reach 20 ft by late September or early October. The 24 hour Marathon is usually held on the north side of Pine Cove inside the state park. http://www.franksunderwatersports.com/indexframe.htm Is the Edmond Ok dive shop is the sponsor and has been the leading dive shop for 50 years.

For a 3 day weekend you may want to consider a lake near Hot Springs Arkansas. Lake Ouachita, is like Tenkiller 30 years ago, very clear, Sandy bottom, some rocks, some crystals. Some Arkansas lakes allow spearfishing for Bass, walleye, stripers, crappie etc. The Arkansas wildlife dept web page will explain each lakes regulations, and let you purchase an out of state fishing license online.

 

[Amphibious]

look for a little Eurogun (I like omer) in the 60cm - 75cm range. I have hunted the same species in fresh water and the thin euro shafts do very little damage to the light flesh of those game fish. a big clunker like a JBL or a Biller is going to waste lots of meat.

www.spearfishinggear.com has good deals on these type of guns.

http://www.spearfishinggear.com/Mer...reen=PROD&Product_Code=6310F&Category_Code=S4


Also look at the polespears. I started leaving my guns at home when hunting in freshwater. the fish are not nearly as difficult to stalk as their salt water cousins, and a polespear will force you to learn the basics. Stalking, eye contact, body language, and marksmanship.

"Linghunter" on Ebay makes nice polespear for less then a JBL.

oh yeah, and if you really want to have fun, leave the SCUBA kit at home too

 

[ProfessorAronnax]

This may do the trick:
http://world.guns.ru/assault/as69-e.htm

 

[Marlinspike]

I agree with Amphibious. Omer makes great guns. You may be better off with a threaded shaft and a 3 or 4 point tip for the smaller fish.

~Marlinspike

 

[pescador775]

I agree with amphibious. A mudhole is the right place for a eurogun like Omer.
Thank me later,
Pesky