SPEARBOARD OPEN 2006

[Shooter]

forecast it changed a little bit by the time I left, on Thursday night when the boat left, we were dealing with four to 6 foot seas :o.  Everybody else was taking travel medicine.  I didn't think I needed any because I had never gotten seasick and had been in  Rough conditions before.  Big mistake!  It was so rough that I got tossed out of the bunk a couple of times, and I was on the bottom bunk.  By Friday morning, I was pretty sick.  I still dove though. Got in three dives with the deepest one being 132 feet. It was the only time I felt better, When I got off the moving boat.  Friday night had some fresh grouper sandwich and the seas calmed down,  And I felt a lot better 8).

Saturday by far was the best day.  Manage to get in six drops :o ;D. we had six divers on the boat, and everybody got in six drops.  Including the captain.  We were like a well oiled machine.  Unfortunately it didn't not leave a lot of extra time to take pictures.  Except for the ones deeply burned into my mind, that I'm sure I will see once again before I take my journey to the other side.

[AandA]

Oh MY Gosh!!!!!!!!!! :o :o :o  Those pictures tell it all!  Art is going to be OH SO JEALOUS!  He told me just the other day that he really wants to try spear fishing with you sometime.  As I write this Art is headed to 'scuba class'--his last one for Dive Master.  I'll be sure and fill him in on your latest booty!
Hopefully we'll be able to dive together soon as things are settling down for us here at home.

Aly

[Shooter]

A few more pics from some of the other guys on the boat

Aly,

Look forward to diving with you and Art maybe sometime soon up at the mine pits.  A little camping, some diving, grouper fillets, snapper fillets, grilled amberjack, no sharks steaks this time though :'(

Glad to hear things are settled down and everybody's doing better.

[Freedive WI]

80' is do-able but 140' is tough to drag a gun down and do anything with.

I he a Rob Allen Railgun and another custom, mid-handle, wood gun with all Riffe parts. I would have just bought a Riffe, but their smallest mid-handle was still too long for the limited vis that we end up spearing in around here.

Actually, my buddy and I went out spearfishing last night and got a bunch of crappie- it's legal to spear both panfish and rough fish in Wisconsin. Only trouble I had was that I brought the Rob Allen, thinking that vis was still as good as it was last weekend, and I could barely see the end of the gun on some dives. :'(  Next time I bring out the shorter one to take those over the shoulder shots at the smart ones who sneek up behind you.

We also had some issues with overly hungry musky last night. We dive with them all the time, but last night they would come zooming in everytime I shot a fish. My buddy actually had one of his taken right off the stringer by one.


Jon

[Shooter]

I would love to dive and spear with you sometime. let me know when.
what did you think of spearboard?

[Freedive WI]

I will be up in Lake Wazee the weekend of July 15th and 16th for our third annual Freedive-A-Palooza. We get freedivers, and thus spearos, form about a 5 state area to come and dive all weekend. We usually have a speargun or two around to try out while we're there.


I've done some lurking on Spearboard, but prefer deeperblue.net for most of my spearing info- as it's more of a freediving site instead of a scuba spearing site. Lots of really good people posting on spearboard, but just not my cup of tea.

some friends of mine take private boats over to the Bahamas to do some freediving/spearign trips, but I'm stuck close to home for the time being with a couple of small kids at home. i hope to get to join them in a couple of years. The trips sound great, just bring ber and veggies, and spear all the fish and lobster you can eat. Of course it's all freediving, and polespears/slings over there, but the depths are shallower than Florida so that's not much of a problem.

Here's a couple of quick shots of fish that we shot last fall.
Jon

[Shooter]

Here is a picture of my fishing pole ;D.  Quite often referred to as an instrument of death in schools of fish everywhere :.

The picture shows my JBL spear gun.  The first one I bought purchased right here in Minnesota at Smith diving.  They do sell spear fishing equipment!  You wouldn't know it , but they can to keep it locked up in the back.  (Probably as not to offend any bleeding heart, do-gooder, tree hugging, anti- weapon types) :o :o :o ;D.

The other one is a Henley gold pole spear  that I just won for placing  70th in the tournament. Over 300 people competing.

[Shooter]

Oh yeah, one other thing, "Spear guns don't kill fish.  I kill fish" >

I love my guns :

[Freedive WI]

I guess I don't really have any photos of my guns.

Here's the only two I could find. My wood gun has been modified to mount a camera on the back The original purpose for it was to shoot picutres of the gamefish that I saw while I was hunting, but wasn't allowed to shoot. In the end it turns out to be a really cool way to video fish AS you shoot them- especially fat old carp which can put up a good fight.

Here's a goofy shot of my other gun tied off to my float. She's a 75cm railgun that shoots great, reloads quick, but is too big for the vis we often get around here.

How do you like that Henly polespear? My buddy and I have been debating about getting one of those, or one of the new Manny pole spears from OMER. Right now we both have some JBL, or Aquacraft, travel spears. They're mainly for warm water use, but it's nice to alwasy have something in your divebag, even if your out on a boat with no intention of spearing, just in case. 

Jon

[Shooter]

  The pole spear that I usually shoot is one I got from Ray.  It is a three-piece and comes with a handy traveling case, it must be at home, so I did not get a picture of it.  He is also the best place to get replacement shafts.  Here is his web site.  Tell him Nate from, MN sent you.

  I spoke with Manny in great length about his pole spear that he put his name on through OMER.  He used to recommend  the one that I have.  He pointed out the design changes between this one and the one he designed.  Mainly some strength and longer thread differences.