Posted: 8/15/2025 10:01:17 AM EDT
| We have been speargun fishing since 2023 and my boys and I have found something that we really enjoy. We just all bought Salvimar Predathor Vuoto pneumatic guns. Does anyone have some good guides services or locations to travel to for some fishing? |
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Originally Posted By SideCarGT: Not in many years, but I stopped in Divers Direct store in Key Largo last weekend and was mighty tempted to pick up a new spearfishing rig. It is a lot of fun. |
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Spearfishing in the kelp beds at the islands off SoCal is the best. I've also spear fished off Florida and in the Caribbean. If I was going to do a trip I would do a 5 day charter out to the Channel Islands and San Clemente island. You can get kelp bass, rock fish, halibut, lingcod, ocean white fish and tons of other species on scuba. If you want to free dive you can get white sea bass and yellowtail. Back when the limit was 10 kelp bass a day I would limit out in a couple dives, then focus on everything else. Swimming through the kelp and all the structure, underwater pinnacles, canyons and drop offs the islands offer is much better than just swimming around some coral and shooting fish that let you swim up to them. |
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Originally Posted By spearogun: Spearfishing in the kelp beds at the islands off SoCal is the best. I've also spear fished off Florida and in the Caribbean. If I was going to do a trip I would do a 5 day charter out to the Channel Islands and San Clemente island. You can get kelp bass, rock fish, halibut, lingcod, ocean white fish and tons of other species on scuba. If you want to free dive you can get white sea bass and yellowtail. Back when the limit was 10 kelp bass a day I would limit out in a couple dives, then focus on everything else. Swimming through the kelp and all the structure, underwater pinnacles, canyons and drop offs the islands offer is much better than just swimming around some coral and shooting fish that let you swim up to them. Can't argue with this. Some of the best diving and spearfishing I've done was in SoCal, even swimming out to the kelp beds off Laguna Beach. San Nicolas Island offers some damn good spearing as well. |
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Originally Posted By TxLawDog: We have been speargun fishing since 2023 and my boys and I have found something that we really enjoy. We just all bought Salvimar Predathor Vuoto pneumatic guns. Does anyone have some good guides services or locations to travel to for some fishing? I have the non hi-lo version. Excellent shooter. I have a couple of sling guns too. What size is/are yours? This will kinda dictate where to go. |
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Originally Posted By bap: I have the non hi-lo version. Excellent shooter. I have a couple of sling guns too. What size is/are yours? This will kinda dictate where to go. |
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Originally Posted By TxLawDog: @bap We bought the 85cm models. I shot a couple of Walleye with mine after we picked them up. It shot well. Good all around size. Florida is the answer to all things. SE Florida (Broward) has really good fishing all within the reach of OW divers. There are a number of charters that allow spearing (always ask before booking). Most will drop you separate from non-hunters. If you need a spearing guide...that may be more problematic. I used to work at a shop that had the LAST authorized PADI hunting instructor.. that's not a thing anymore. There is a shop in Jax that offers an unofficial course I believe. Plenty of shore diving there as well. I did a lot of both..still do now when I get down there. Some things to consider if you have not already... Be comfortable loading them in the water (no loaded guns in the boat) Be ready for encounters of those wanting an easy meal Be familiar with species/targets and laws. Judging legal length is the hardest for most. |
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SoCal or Florida are the best options, but the pneumatic gun thing would need to change. A 120 with a few bands would be the minimum in most cases. Probably the same for just about anywhere with salt water except super murky places going for rockfish. You'll also need a wetsuit in SoCal. Spearboard used to be a great resource, but it looks like it went down recently. The holy grail in terms of skills IMO is landing a white seabass in SoCal. Super skittish, hard to find, very large, and they absolutely rocket deep once hit. You really need a slip tip though IMO, they are also prone to tear outs and absolutely wrecking spears. |
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Originally Posted By _Nataraja_: SoCal or Florida are the best options, but the pneumatic gun thing would need to change. A 120 with a few bands would be the minimum in most cases. Probably the same for just about anywhere with salt water except super murky places going for rockfish. You'll also need a wetsuit in SoCal. Spearboard used to be a great resource, but it looks like it went down recently. The holy grail in terms of skills IMO is landing a white seabass in SoCal. Super skittish, hard to find, very large, and they absolutely rocket deep once hit. You really need a slip tip though IMO, they are also prone to tear outs and absolutely wrecking spears. |
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I would not sweat having the ones you have. Not many have experience with pneumatics. 85 Pneumatic > 85 sling gun in power .. assuming its charged and the sling gun has stock bands. I can only speak of SE Florida spearing...but I have stated before.. it's enough. Throwing out a minimum of 120 is misleading (in reading it, not the poster's intent). How or what are you measuring? Gringo or Eurotrash gun? I roll with much less and do just fine. Now.. I am not talking about deep/blue water hunting...nor breath hold. |
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Originally Posted By FB41: My favorite spear guns were a ScubaPro Panther Jr. band gun and a Mares Snubbie pneumatic (yes- they're antiques now  )The Panther is actually still being made by a company in Marathon. They do small runs though. I have the newly made version of the Bandito. They acquired the tooling for both the Panther and Bandito. |
Here is a Salvimar video where both band and pneumatics are tested. It is in Italian but pretty easy to understand. 2nd SALVIMAR INDOOR TEST DAY - OFFICIAL VIDEO |
Here is the gun that we bought putting in work. salvimar vuoto 85cm speargun for everything. |
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That last one was definitely the Med. The first video didn't mention what tip they were using. Assuming rock tips. I have a Biller with Tri Cut which penetrates differently depending on target. The PedaThor I have has a rock tip and does well. Yes the name reads ghey. Huge disadvantage of a pneumatic is its realoading time. By the nature of the design the shaft must be removed when done/safe. A sling gun has the shaft at the ready, simply load band(s) and shoot. This is when you will get a hungry visitor. No, you will not have time to load the gun (pneumatic). I have experienced this with a shark between my legs and me shoving the tip of the unloaded gun into its head and it pushing me with ease through the water. This went on for a while. Yes I had a couple of fish on a stringer. I was solo, no one to help fend off. Shore dive, no boat to go to. I had enough and gave up my catch. I made a towable surface cooler float afterwards for this reason. The other disadvantage to pneumatics....where do you stow the shaft? There is no provision to stash it along side the barrel bar some shitty velcro straps. I wound up making something up which works well....the tip sticks out and can be used as a poker (I used it my shark encounter mentioned earlier)  I also made a lite pipe of sorts as you can see. The color will fade at depth but sill works. Even with the disadvantages mentioned...they are a great tool with low maintenance requirements. You mentioned you will hunting with your boys. You could have one team member armed with a sling gun so you are prepped for anything...quick follow up shots as well. You could hand it off as needed between members and be force to be reckoned with. Good luck. |
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Mono.... The gun came with clear which I hate because I can't see it. I have a bunch of black so I use that. A lot easier to see and inexpensive Pretty sure this is where I got it ETA I find dyneema coils and loops too easily... Thus preference for the mono |