Any spearos around the DC area?

[Mako993]

Does anyone here live around Washington DC? I'm looking for some fellow spearos in my neck of the woods.

[fishooter]

Yeah, I spearfish some. DE Breakwater, CBBT, NC, FL, etc. I know a few guys who do, too. Do mostly freedive or scuba?
Mark

[Mako993]

Will be doing strictly scuba, after I get officially qualified this summer with NAUI, and then will be starting into spearfishing then.

Do you do scuba or free dive? Are there lots of free divers who are not scuba qualified and who spearfish?

[fishooter]

Mako,
At least one of my spearfishing buddies lives in Alexandria.
Mark

[fishooter]

Mako,
Most of the spearfishermen I know predominately do it freediving and save the scuba for photography, salvage, and other purposes. Scuba is good for spearfishng the offshore wrecks off New York, New Jersey, Virginia and Maryland, though, where the water is colder and the visibility is less than further south.

You really don't need scuba to spearfish and you may find it detracts from the sport once you develop as a freediver. Freediving helps your scuba skills immensely and does not require a certification, plus it's a LOT more economical. I know lots of guys who can hunt freediving as deep as most recreational scuba divers will ever go (in clear water), but the fact is you really don't need to go deeper than about 30' max to spearfish most of the time. I know a local spot whre you can get plenty of fish in 10 feet of water or less. I primarily freedive/spearfish and seldom put on a tank any more, but I used to do a whole lot of scuba diving. I keep things more simple now and like not having to deal with so much heavy gear.

Having said all that, I've been scuba diving since 1967. It's a great sport. We have some of the best wreck diving in the world off the east coast. By all means get scuba certified. Go NAUI, stay away from divers with patches all over their jackets, dive with the guys using the most well-used gear, and always dive safe.

Mark

[Mako993]

Mark,

Thanks for the info, it's very helpful. I still intend to go NAUI for my Open Water cert, and any cert thereafter with them. I like the way they organize things, and the fact that it was created and implemented by former SEALs is a plus in my book - no B.S.

I'd like to try freedive spearfishing sometime, and you mentioned a spot to do it in 10 feet of water somewhere - ? If you and your dive buddy here in Alexandria ever want to hit such a spot I'd be interested. I have some experience, although it's been years - catching turtles in the lakes where I grew up, and I'm a strong swimmer, having grown up near Long Beach Island, New Jersey. I guess that's where I'd put on the Scuba gear to spearfish.

Well, drop me a line for some spearfishing when you guys go. Thanks again.

[fishooter]

We usually start the season in May, Mako. You are welcome to join us. You will need a wetsuit. I know there are other spearfishermen on this forum whom I have not yet met but seem receptive to new guys, too. I'm free every other Friday now. Can you make Friday trips? Otherwise, Saturdays and Sundays work for me around family commitments. Ever been on a sit-on-top kayak?
Mark

[Mako993]

Mark,

Thanks for the invite. No, Fridays aren't good for me, because I work from 12-9PM, but if you guys go around here in the early AM I could probably do that. Otherwise, Saturday or Sundays are good with me.

Guess I'll need to get a wetsuit - is there particular brand of wetsuit that you recommend over others? I've got a mask and fins already, I think, but not a speargun.

[fishooter]

For freediving I like OMER. Picasso, Elios, Diveskin, and several other manufacturers all make good suits as well, but I have had good luck with OMER and they have a distributorship in Virginia Beach, VA. OMER also makes quality spearguns. If you need contact information let me know.

Check out:
piratescuba.com and
spearfishinggear.com

For scuba I'd recommend a custom suit from any of the quality manufacturers. The makers of my old scuba suits are no longer in the wetsuit business and I started diving drysuits for cold water many years ago so I'm sort of out of the scuba wetsuit loop.

Scuba suits tend to be stiffer than freedive suits and less warm because they have zippers. Freedive suits are more flexible, soft and warm but will compress more under pressure because of that softness.

Mark

[Mako993]

Thanks, I'll check them out. I sent you a B-Mail. I've looked at Matt's site for wetsuits and talked to him personally, on that note.

Keep me posted on when you guys begin the spearo season. I'll be getting my wetsuit next month.

Do you recommend JBL guns?

[fishooter]

JBL makes an OK gun. Take a look at the OMER or the Rob Allen 90 cm guns. When you've got the cash and a clear water trip consider the Wong Hybrid. 55" to 60" is good for NC. I use a Riffe Island down there as well but find the 140cm Rob Allen to be a better freedive gun. Daryl Wong is now making a 63" Magnum Hybrid, which should be truly outstanding for spearfishing in clear water. Start with a 90 cm for up here and you should be fine for a good all-around gun. There are many times when a 75cm would be better locally and that's what I use most often at the DE breakwater. Matt dives there frequently.
Mark

[Mako993]

Cool, good info. I'll check out the 90cm gun and maybe pick one up as an all around the Mid-Atlantic, and when I start diving offshore NC and other places I'll get something else more suitable. Like rifles or shotguns - can't ever have just one, I guess.

Matt did mention that there was also a spearfishing club up there in the Breakwater area. I'd like to dive up that way. I've heard the striper action can be good, among other things.

[fishooter]

The shallow end of the breakwater is about 8 feet deep. That's the spot I had in mind when I said you could spearfish shallow. Have you ever been on a sit-on-top kayak before? That is one way to get there. The outer breaskwater is about a mile from Cape Henelopen State Park. We go by boat sometimes too.
Mark

[Mako993]

I have been on a sit atop kayak before, yes. 8 feet would probably be good for me starting out, I'd say. What do you normally sight in that part of the water?

Just finished reading John Hersey's "Blues", and excellent book. Besides being a great and informative read in a fiction format there's lots of excellent bluefish recipes in it.

[fishooter]

We normally see tautog and stripers. I have also taken sea trout. There are flounder at the shallow end and usually plenty of current. The shallow end is further offshore, oddly enough. The deeper parts are where I hunt most often and you can shoot fish there at quite shallow depths, sometimes even from the surface. I taught my two oldest to spearfish there. Spearfishing on scuba is illegal at the breakwater, BTW.

I'll check out "Blues". I'm reading "On the Run" now.

Yes, spearguns ARE like rifles, shotguns and fishing rods in that you can't have too many and they are all for a slight different application.

There is a whole art to gun running past the wife but that should be a whole other thread. [grin]
Mark

[Mako993]

That sounds like a lot of fun and quite a variety of salty game to be had. Is there a place to cook them up on shore nearby? That'd be the kicker, man.

I read "On the Run". Excellent book.

[Mako993]

And since I'm still single, I don't have that problem - I can gunrun openly and only past myself.

[fishooter]

Cape Henelopen has camping and consequently cooking space. Bring a Coleman stove or one of those charcoal one use deals and you are set. I usually clean the fish on the breakwater and ice the fillets for the trip back but heck, you could bring a little hiking stove in a dry bag and frizzle them up right there if you wanted.

Still single, huh? Nows the best time to build your equipment collection! [excited]
Mark

[Mako993]

Yeah, I'm working on that while I still can :]

Either way or the other, the fillets will be going to the same place, to be sure, whethere cooked on the sand or at home. I don't have a portable stove yet, but maybe I can get one.

[fishooter]

Check the place out first. I'm usually too tired to mess with cooking by the time I'm done.
Mark

[Mako993]

I might be, too, for that matter.

I can always bring a blowtorch :]

[David-C]

Been shooting fish since 1966. I found that the viz at CBBT was so poor that freediving didn't work all that well. Would like to get started again. My wetsuit seems to have shrunk![grin]

Have never done any north of the CBBT.

I'm in Silver Spring and have a boat suitable for the bay and short runs in the ocean.

Has anyone dove on the Chesapeake Light Tower? Can you freedive to get the spadefish?

David

[fishooter]

I have not dove at the light tower personally, but know people who do. They do shoot spadefish there freediving as well as AJs. I don't like AJ so much and so seldom shot them. I'm up for a trip there, especially if you are driving.
Mark[grin]

[David-C]

Where is Cape Henelopen? Other than no SCUBA any other rules? Can you get a boat out there or is it all from shore?

[fishooter]

Cape Henelopen State Park is in Delaware at the mouth of the Delaware Bay. Those rock piles you see from the (nearby) ferry that runs between Cape May NJ and Lewes Delaware are the breakwater. I usually dive the outer breakwater, which is at least a mile from the park. You can launch a boat at the Lewes boat launch (public) for a small fee. They also offer a season pass for about $35 or $40 as I recall. Some sort of boat is pretty much necessary. You could dive the inner breakwater from shore but the viz is dependably bad. Viz varies greatly at the outer breakwater from a high of 20' down to your faceplate. Average seems to be about 6' - 8' until late July when it falls apart. I've taken my 17' whaler there before. A powerboat makes it nice but a kayak works just fine, too.
Mark

[David-C]

I think I'm most interested in CBBT, Kiptopeake ships, or the Light Tower. My son (21) is very interested inlearning to dive, but he is too busy right now to take SCUBA. I would be comfortable letting him freedive, tho. He has done a small amount of it at Cape Hatteras.

It would be worth the effort just to experiment a time or two.

David

[fishooter]

I plan to check out the light tower this year. My oldest son is 21 and I have an 18 and an 8 plus a daughter, 13. The 21 and 18 have been scuba diving with me since 13 up to 130' and freediving/snorkling in NC since 7 or 8. My daughter wants to get scuba certified this summer and my 8 is just chomping at the bit to get involved more deeply. This freedive stuff is appropriate for us all. David, check your b-mail. I don't know who you've been diving with, but if you've been in the area for awhile we may know each other.
Mark

[Distraction]

Absoultely you can dive the Light Tower!!!! If we've had good dry weather, the viz is awesome!

You need a calm day to get out there (14 miles offshore). It can get rough quickly.

You also don't want to go at the height of spadefishing season. I've been out there and seen over 75 boats packed around that tiny tower. If you mosy up and jump in, not only are you risking getting tangled in a ton of fishing line (or hooked), you're risking the wrath of some pissed-off, drunk redneck who might start chunking weighted treble hooks at you. :)

Wait until later in the summer. Spadefish stop biting, but they're still there. People fish for them less because they can't get them to bite, but it's still loaded.

BTW - you'll also see some barracuda out there. I mean BIGUNS! They haven't bothered me, but they are also afraid of nothing, and I've had to push them out of my way with my spear before. I also tend to keep my fingers in a ball when I see them around. :)

Shooting spadefish at the tower is not even sporting. Seriously. There are hundreds and hundreds and you have to push them out of your way. I've taken them with a hawaiin sling there.

There are also Amberjack at the Light Tower at certain times. If you spear them, you'll probably piss off a bunch of fishermen. They like to catch & release AJs...there's no releasing with a spear. If you're gonna eat it, I don't have a problem...but I've heard they're not the best. You also have to really know what you're doing...some of those AJs go 70 pounds, and if you are a rookie, you could drown trying to fight one of those things underwater...seriously.

I usually freedive any more. Two reasons: 1. Less work. Lugging all that gear out there...I don't know. It takes a lot of room in the boat. If I'm fishing AND spearing, then the gear tends to be in the way when I'm fishing. If I'm just freediving, I can stow the little gear that takes out of the way. 2. Bubbles. Fish will steer clear and you won't get the good close shots.

Another reason is that it's more sporting. anyone who thinks spearing isn't sporting probably hasn't tried it. you really have to stalk your prey.

Also FYI: You can't spear Stripers in Virginia.

Also FYI: You can get decent viz at the CBBT, but it has to be the right tide (high slack), the right time of year, and in the right spot (eddies around the 3rd and 4th island). Tautog are plentiful there, as are spades during the summer.

I'm looking for a good spot to shoot some flounder. I'm in Richmond and will drive a couple of hours for a good spearing spot. Let me know what you guys come up with.

If you get down here, post a message so we can all buddy up and go together. Saftey in numbers (several boats together with lots of dive flags may help avert an accident). Plus more fun!

Matt (not the OMER guy). (but I do own some OMER fins)

[fishooter]

Distraction,
I don't know about flounder spearing other than the breakwater has them and a whole bunch of boats and heavy current, too at the shallow (offshore end). I'm dying to try the light tower though. Is a 17' whaler okay for that?
Mark

[Distraction]

I go out in a 19' center console. I've seen 14' skiffs out there. Crazy!

You HAVE to pick your days carefully, and please have a backup plan for everything. 14 miles is a long way out there if something goes wrong or the weather turns quickly.