# What's the best way to spear a fish minus a spear gun? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 25, 2007, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-spear-a-fish-minus-a-spear-gun/401600 "2007-04-25T15:37:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2007, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-spear-a-fish-minus-a-spear-gun/401600/1 "2007-04-25T15:37:48Z")
I was wondering, I went out fishing for opening day this weekend (trout) and I really had a fun time. I saw tons of fish and caught my limit in about an hour. What is the proper technique for spearing a fish, either in a tidal pool or running stream? Does one keep their tip in the water then quickly thrust downward? Or do you keep your spear out of the water and thrust directly at the fish? I know the water distorts the location of the fish, I was wondering how much this effects the efficacy of the spear thrower? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2007, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-spear-a-fish-minus-a-spear-gun/401600/2 "2007-04-25T15:41:55Z")
They make fish speasrs with what are essentially huge rubber bands on the ends. You pull the band tight and hold the spear toward the tip end. Line it up on your fish and, when ready, let go. If you do it right, the spear gets impelled really fast in the direction it’s pointed in. My cousin was a SCUBA diver back in the 1960s and used one of these. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2007, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-spear-a-fish-minus-a-spear-gun/401600/3 "2007-04-25T16:11:51Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] They make fish speasrs with what are essentially huge rubber bands on the ends. You pull the band tight and hold the spear toward the tip end. Line it up on your fish and, when ready, let go. If you do it right, the spear gets impelled really fast in the direction it’s pointed in. My cousin was a SCUBA diver back in the 1960s and used one of these. [/QUOTE] So you are basically using your hand and forearm as the “sprear gun”…I get it. Thats a good idea and I’m sure I could make one or fashion one to one of my homemade spears. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2007, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-spear-a-fish-minus-a-spear-gun/401600/4 "2007-04-25T16:57:49Z")
If you’re not under water with the fish, and not directly above it, then you need compensate for refraction. You need to aim under the fish’s belly, increasingly more so with shallower angles. You might want to check with your game and fish people on the leagalities. Bowfishing is limited to “rough” species (carp, suckers) in many states, and I imagine that spear fishing and/or gigging would be similarly restricted. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2007, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-spear-a-fish-minus-a-spear-gun/401600/5 "2007-04-25T17:28:02Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] They make fish speasrs with what are essentially huge rubber bands on the ends. You pull the band tight and hold the spear toward the tip end. Line it up on your fish and, when ready, let go. [/QUOTE] It’s known as a [hawaiian sling](http://www.abbiller.com/hawaiian.html) ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2007, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-spear-a-fish-minus-a-spear-gun/401600/6 "2007-04-25T17:33:07Z")
[QUOTE=Kevbo] You might want to check with your game and fish people on the leagalities. [/QUOTE] Agreed - I’m gonna guess that spearing trout is not something that most fishing regulations smile on. ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2007, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-spear-a-fish-minus-a-spear-gun/401600/7 "2007-04-25T17:37:12Z")
Why not try [tickling?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trout_tickling) Much more touchy-feely 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2007, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-spear-a-fish-minus-a-spear-gun/401600/8 "2007-04-25T18:05:51Z")
[QUOTE=Xema] Agreed - I’m gonna guess that spearing trout is not something that most fishing regulations smile on. [/QUOTE] Damn ct fish and wildlife: looks like they frown upon it. But that won’t stop me from spearing stripers…those are open game in the ocean. If I can nail one that is 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2007, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-spear-a-fish-minus-a-spear-gun/401600/9 "2007-04-25T18:06:06Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s known as a hawaiian sling That’s not actually what my cousin used. What he had really was a large rybber band (much thicker and longer than a desk rubber band, of course) permanently attached to the butt-end of the spear. No trigger or handgrip involved. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2007, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-spear-a-fish-minus-a-spear-gun/401600/10 "2007-04-25T18:25:25Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] That’s not actually what my cousin used. What he had really was a large rybber band (much thicker and longer than a desk rubber band, of course) permanently attached to the butt-end of the spear. No trigger or handgrip involved. [/QUOTE] Rubber band - you mean like a sling shot band? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2007, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-spear-a-fish-minus-a-spear-gun/401600/11 "2007-04-25T18:33:57Z")
This [guy](http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.theoi.com/image/Z2.11Poseidon.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.theoi.com/Gallery/Z2.11.html&h=425&w=425&sz=75&hl=en&start=23&tbnid=H0RNOMkHoFY4LM:&tbnh=126&tbnw=126&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dneptune%2Btrident%26start%3D18%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D18%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN) has decent luck using a trident. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2007, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-spear-a-fish-minus-a-spear-gun/401600/12 "2007-04-25T18:51:23Z")
[quote] Rubber band - you mean like a sling shot band? [/quote I mean a big band of rubber formed into a loop. It looked like your garden-variety (well, desk-variety) rubber band scaled up in size and colored black, and attached to one end of the spear. It had the cross-section of a rubber band – ribbonlike, not like a rope. Although I suspect you could mke something performing the same function out of a slingshot belt. Or surgical rubber tubing. ---
**Author:** ![rhythmonly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee59a6/32.png) [@rhythmonly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhythmonly)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2007, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-spear-a-fish-minus-a-spear-gun/401600/13 "2007-04-25T19:48:35Z")
Back in the early 60’s, I remember my dad and his friend going out to shoot Carp at night. They used a bow and arrow, with the arrow being attached to a large spool of line that was attached in turn to the lower bout of the bow. Shoot the fish, and pull him back in. Not sure if it’s still legal or not. ---
**Author:** ![Carptracker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac91a4/32.png) [@Carptracker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carptracker)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-spear-a-fish-minus-a-spear-gun/401600/14 "2010-02-17T13:43:39Z")
> [@Phlosphr](#): > > Damn ct fish and wildlife: looks like they frown upon it. But that won’t stop me from spearing stripers…those are open game in the ocean. If I can nail one that is 🙂 You are gonna have trouble with stripers. Not the sort of fish that lends itself to spearfishing, from above or below the surface. They don’t feed on the surface except during feeding frenzies on baitfish, when they will be moving way too fast to hit. And they are not fish that hang tight to structure and allow you to swim up to them. And I’m surprised that stripers are legal to spear, though they might be in some states. Any reef or bottom fish will be easier to shoot. Common carp or Asian carp are pretty good game for bowfishing or spearfishing. People in the upper midwest spear sturgeon and in Missouri spearing suckers and carp is popular. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-best-way-to-spear-a-fish-minus-a-spear-gun/401600/15 "2010-02-17T15:01:05Z")
> [@Phlosphr](#): > > Rubber band - you mean like a sling shot band? Surgical tubing