How to Spear Fish

Here are ten basic steps to help you learn spearfishing:

1- Take a course on spearfishing

You may think it’s absurd to take a course for something as simple as shooting fish underwater. However, it’s not that simple, even if you’re an experienced diver or swimmer. You need to learn techniques and skills for using weapons and catching prey safely and efficiently.

2- Acquire a fishing license

Ensure you acquire a fishing license to avoid legal trouble. Go through the rules and regulations of spearfishing before getting into it, and seek legal counsel if necessary.

3- Join spearfishing organizations

If you’re already part of a diving school organization, there’s a chance that the organization has spearfishing clubs. Vacation spots near water bodies are also likely to have many underwater hunting spots. By joining these clubs, you can connect with like-minded people and learn some basics about spearfishing, including gears, types of fish, and bodies of water to fish.

4- Find a mentor

If you’re a beginner, it’s always advisable to have a mentor. You’ll need tips and tricks to spearfish efficiently, and a fellow “spearo” can give you firsthand knowledge about the hunt and water. If you can’t find a mentor on your own, you may join a fishing club and find one there.

Discuss the hunting area with your mentor It’s good to know about the hunting area with your mentor and their experience in that area. Your mentor can tell you the challenges you may face while spearfishing and the gears required for a particular area.

5- Gather all necessary gears

You need to gather all the necessary gears suggested by your mentor or necessary for spearfishing. Some gears are similar to underwater diving or snorkeling. In addition, you’ll need hunting gears, which may vary depending on your condition. Some basic gears include a speargun for low-visibility areas, a small reef fish for hunting, which is around 75cm to 100cm, and a single-band speargun for small to medium-sized fish. As you gain experience and are ready to fish bigger fish, you’ll need a longer multi-band gun or an air-powered (pneumatic) speargun. If you’re a complete beginner, you may start practicing with a stick or a basic speargun.

You may also require the following gears:

• Wetsuit
• Snorkel
• Mask
• Fins
• Floats
• License

7- Understand your gears

Understanding your gears is crucial. For instance, if you think you’re ready to use a speargun, you need to know how to load, aim, and shoot before going into the water. Other weapons used in spearfishing include pole spears, Hawaiian slings, and band or pneumatic spearguns, which require knowledge to operate.

8- Practice in shallow water

Before spearfishing, it’s essential to get comfortable with the sport, which may require practicing in shallow water using proper spearfishing techniques that you’ve learned.

9- Practice aiming

You need to practice aiming and shooting with the method which works best for you.

Always aim for the head of the fish – release the safety lock of your speargun, point your gun at your prey, stabilize yourself and pull the trigger. You need to practice this a few times to get it right.

Remember one important thing: you don’t want to hurt the fish unnecessarily, as it may struggle to get away even after being caught. So make sure you aim properly and don’t have to puncture it with a knife, which can cause unnecessary suffering for the fish.

Practice aiming at different distances and angles, and try to improve your accuracy with each shot. The more you practice, the better you will become at spearfishing.