Underwater Hunter Course

[Stone]

otter-cat once bubbled...
Just curious because I know nothing about spearfishing. If so, how does it do it?

Here's a quote from the internet (so it must be true).

The most common spearpoint used with a pole spear is a paralyzer tip. The three prongs on this tip spread on impact effectively immobilizing or "paralyzing" the fish

In my experience, the fish flops around less, but I attribute that to the three spearpoints making a triangular plane instead of a point. Kind of like the difference between draping a sheet of paper over the tip of one finger, or draping the same sheet of paper over the tips of your thumb, forefinger, and middle finger.

 

[Stone]

cid90 once bubbled...
I have an old, but still sharp as hell, trident style tip I used for lobstering in Bimini YEARS ago. Would that work for flounder? The tips are only a two inches long.

I'm sure the trident would work, but (depending on the diameter of the tips) you could mess up your fillets with three big holes when one will do the trick.

I like the paralyzer because it makes small holes and it's easy to get the fish off.

 

[DanBo]

I remember growing up with my uncles who spearfished with scuba in the tropics. I never did spearfish with scuba but rather with mask, fins and snorkel. It was pretty primitive back 15 years ago where you had to "cock" your spear gun using this long 2 thick rubber bands. I used to be good at holding my breath whilst poking around rocks and corrals looking for my favorite fish - grouper or red snapper or skipjack tuna. Eventually the family purchased a fish pen made of bamboo that sticks out of the water at about 10 feet high and drops down to about 60 feet at the deepest. Fishes can go in but not out and we would go once every 2 weeks to select the fishes and release the rest. We would then drop a net, get the bigger groupers, red snappers and tuna and hit them on the head with the handle of the oar to incapacitate them. Then sushi for everyone!! Memories.....anyhow, I wish I had a camera with me that one time where, up until now I do not know how this could have happened, a huge 20 foot or so whale shark got in the fish pen was trying hard to exit. We let her go and I swam with her holding on to her fin until she submerged to greater depths. Sorry for the long post. It's been a long time since I've had freshly harvested fish. Anyone care to send one over?? Thanks for bringing up this topic, I knew there was a reason I did not want to quit diving. Thanks again for all your input especially on the newer ways of doing spearfishing.

DanBo