BajaNomad

Spearfishing???

gmata - 2-23-2010 at 10:51 AM

Hello Nomads,

Anybody into spearfishing???

My name is Gonzalo and i am moving to La Paz next month, where i am going to be opening the first spearfishing store in Mexico pretty soon, i am distribuitor for Mako Spearguns in Mexico. (www.makospearguns.com).

Also i have created the first mexican spearfishing forum "Pistoleros del Mar" (www.pistolerosdelmar.com) where there are many people from Mexico and many from Baja who practice this beautiful sport, there is also an english section.

Lastly, for anybody looking for an adventure i am going to be offering spearfishing charters out of La Paz, we'll go to places like Cerralvo, la reina, la reinita, punta sur etc... in search of big pelagics like wahoo, Dorado, Amberjack, Sailfish and Marlin, But we also enjoy diving the reefs for Pargo and Cabrilla among others.

Let me know if you guys have any questions regarding spearfishing.

or you can email me at info@pistolerosdelmar.com

Gonzalo

[Edited on 2-23-2010 by gmata]

wessongroup - 2-23-2010 at 10:55 AM

good luck... :):)

Gaucho - 2-23-2010 at 08:54 PM

Welcome Gonzalo! Nice website. I look forward to doing some spearfishing off La Paz this summer.

amirravon - 2-23-2010 at 11:44 PM

Good luck ... please post some fishing reports and pictures

dean miller - 2-25-2010 at 04:08 AM

Congratuations!

You are following in the wake of Dick Adc-cks "Mar Isla" and John Riffes "Rio Rita" as a LaPaz Dive boat-- It is past time for another spearfishing/diving operator in La Paz.

Interesting that west coast tropical diving began in La Paz...Skin Diver Magazine very first issue Vol #1, issue #1 December 1951 feature story was "Spearfishermen enjoy November trip to La Paz" by Ron Drumman
(who later became a world class Surfer)

Good luck and good spearing,

sdm

gmata - 2-25-2010 at 08:52 AM

Hey thanks alot guys for all the good comments, i'll be updating with trip reports and pictures.

willyAirstream - 2-25-2010 at 08:57 AM

I'll be visiting! Can't wait for some pics.

dean miller - 2-25-2010 at 09:51 AM

How about a picture of your boat?

Also a little about you?--- experience? age? etc

sdm

aldosalato - 2-26-2010 at 09:26 AM

Myself got into La Paz for the love of spearfishing....... and never left.
Last few years not much time to enjoy the sport but I am happy Pistoleros del Mar will have a base in town.

gmata - 3-13-2010 at 10:06 AM

Aldosalto, if you ever want to get back into it let me know i would like to dive with you.

gmata - 3-16-2010 at 12:08 PM

Hello guys, i got my website up and running!

www.pistolerosdelmar.com/adventures

Dennis, i am 25 years old and i've been spearfishing since i was 12

you can read my bio on my website.

Take care,

Gonzalo

dean miller - 3-16-2010 at 03:54 PM

A Post of mine from 2004 -- about Spear fishing in the early days-- 1950s -1960s

Different time, different equipment and now smaller fish..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


BAJA Spear fishing equipment of yesteryear



I have been in the process of October clean and toss, then retrieve and find a new hiding place for the treasure I can't live with out for another year. This year's un pleasantry I uncovered a stash of old spear points that I had used in Baja during the big fish glory days of the 1950s and 1960s.

During those halcyon days of yesteryear when Baja was devoid of roads, RVs, snowbirds and even a Baja forum (if you can believe that!)

My tribe who was actively sticking the big ones, consistently bent arrows, tore up guns and on several occasions actually snatched the gun from the hands of the shooter as he watched it and the stuck fish wave bye bye as the entire rid disappeared into the murk. So by trial and error over a period of a number of trips and equal number of years we developed special points and gun rigging especially for for the bib ones in Baja.

In Baja we used Samson guns which had twin line releases. One side was for a normal shooting line, the other was for a detachable modified Samson or a "twin spinner" point which was attached to a 20 plus foot length of 7X7 SS cabling, attached to a line, terminating in a float.

The fish was stuck, the battle was on. The shooting line was attached to the gun, the other SS line was attached to the modified point which detached from the arrow but was attached to the cabling line and float. So the gun, the point stub and the shooting line remained with the diver, the fish was held by the detached point, the cable and the float.

We christened this technique as "drop shaft."

We always attempted to keep the fish from running and holing but were seldom successful, however the SOS cabling seldom broke but on occasion frayed. So as expected one necessary piece of equipment was a pair of very heavy duty workmen leather gloves to work the line and the fish.

So often the fish was allowed, generally not by choice to hole up and bleed out.

To hasten the process of bleeding my diving buddy Jack Waite (see Skin Diver Magazine Vol 1 # 1 December 1951 He's all over the issue) made a special 38 caliber gun. It was a non descript 38 which he obtained at Hy Hunter in Pasadena ( remember him?.) Jack cut the barrel off at the back of the frame, a 1/4 hole drilled transverse where the hammer struck, the handles were removed and I fabricated and welded a new handle about 2-1/2 feet long complete with trigger.

When a fish was in a hole we placed the 38 caliber 6 shooter next to the fishes' head and had at it. We discovered after the first usage that it was always advisable to shoot up never down at the fish do to the excessive concussion..Kinda rang your bell --for several days. Any way the fish always received the message and became very docile and could be removed from the hole with out difficulty and gently horsed to the surface.

Those were the days that have come to a sudden and screeching halt.. No more big fish and no one in their right mind would ever take a gun no matter how modified or even ammo to Baja! If you do the authorities just may hole you up .

sdm

shari - 3-16-2010 at 04:05 PM

hey, that was neat dean...thanks.
While I'm sure big fish are a cool challenge...today we are enjoying feasting on the 3 surf perch Juan speared yesterday next to our house...perfect BBQ size and oh so sweet...gotta love that...gearing up, swimming out a few yards...picking your fish...spearing it, throwing it up on the beach and BBQ'ing it up a few minutes later...oh yeah...its' all about the food.

24baja - 3-16-2010 at 04:58 PM

This is a friend of ours who spearfishes in La Paz and manufactures spear guns.
http://www.seasniper.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=641

[Edited on 3-16-2010 by 24baja]

monoloco - 3-16-2010 at 05:40 PM

Wow, those are some spendy spear guns. They have some great photos on their site though.

24baja - 3-16-2010 at 06:18 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by monoloco
Wow, those are some spendy spear guns. They have some great photos on their site though.



Never looked at the prices as I don't spearfish, I prefer a rod & reel or hand line. I think that if you want a quality gun you have to be willing pay for it, just as I do with rod & reel. I agree that the photo's are great. Happy fishing.

dean miller - 3-17-2010 at 08:42 AM

Many spearfishermen and women have been producing their own "custom guns" for many many years. It all began with the Addicts ( Adicts?) Club in San Diego .. The late great Ron Church published a how to do it article in a 1963 (?) SDM and later Sam Ichakawa of the Neisi Kelp Tanglers produced a detailed set of how to do it plans whcih were marketed by the Underwater Sports shop in Long Beach..

The world including this writer began making their own "custom guns" using home made sears or the Aussie Undersea mechanisms, which is the same as a Riffe, except the Riffe is SS instead of Brass

Recently - in the past 15 or so years- the custom spear gun maker has developed as a cottage industry-- The Sea Sniper is an example of that industry-- Which by the way has great reputation in the sport.

SDM

dean miller - 3-17-2010 at 08:50 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by shari
hey, that was neat dean...thanks.
While I'm sure big fish are a cool challenge...today we are enjoying feasting on the 3 surf perch Juan speared yesterday next to our house...perfect BBQ size and oh so sweet...gotta love that...gearing up, swimming out a few yards...picking your fish...spearing it, throwing it up on the beach and BBQ'ing it up a few minutes later...oh yeah...its' all about the food.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One of my Baja thrills is to spear a fish in front of the camp, immdiately clean it and have a great meal...

Nothing in this world can compare!

sdm

gmata - 3-17-2010 at 09:11 AM

Thanks for sharing Dean, that was indeed a great story it would be awosme to see pictures from those days. I can only imagine how amazing it was to see such big fish.

It is sad the population of big fish is virtually gone, thanks to commercial overfishing.

Thanks for sharing.

Gonzalo