Just met up with Prater in Jacksonville, FL and picked up the speargun that he made for me. It looks great, and the trigger and enclosed track is as smooth as butter! Can't wait to take it offshore.

It's a recycled teak 55" mid-handle enclosed track.

You can look at the build of this gun on this thread:
http://www.spearfishingplanet.com/showthread.php?t=6896


http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t132/JeffsS2k/IMG_0927.jpg
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t132/JeffsS2k/IMG_0926.jpg
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t132/JeffsS2k/IMG_0925.jpg

I see you got it rigged quickly...Looks good on ya. Hopefully December will get me back out that way for a trip on the water.

Looks nice, do your self a favor and get rid of that garbage slip tip. Looks like it will be a killing machine.

Looks nice, do your self a favor and get rid of that garbage slip tip. Looks like it will be a killing machine.

What he said!

Nice looking gun! Give it another band and get you a flopper shaft and it'll be gold!

That tip on there is a joke. Sooooooooooooo much drag. You're shooting that guns performance right in the foot.

Just to be fair,

I shoot my gun with a double flopper spinner and one band. It stays true all the way to the end of the 15 foot line attached and went right through an amberjack (and all the way through hogfish at 10 feet). At the moment I really dont see any reason to go up in bands until he is comfortable chest loading. We will see how the tip works and then go from there.

Just to be fair,

I shoot my gun with a double flopper spinner and one band. It stays true all the way to the end of the 15 foot line attached and went right through an amberjack (and all the way through hogfish at 10 feet). At the moment I really dont see any reason to go up in bands until he is comfortable chest loading. We will see how the tip works and then go from there.

It's cool bruuuuuuuuuuuutha! (Screen Name is so cool)

I've shot alot of different tips, since I sold a shitload of them at the dive shop. I actually carried every tip Spearfishing Specialties sold, plus some others, so I feel like my opinion is worthwhile.

The spinner tips, spin. You can actually see the power being sucked out of the shot by those tips if you look at someone shooting the gun from the side. The reason I prefer the flopper is because when you shoot it, the flopper lays on the shaft and your essentially shooting a pencil point out of your gun. It's as low drag as it can be. I've been trying for awhile to get the most out of one band. Just my .02

You couldn't pay me to use that tip, unless it was on a 3 band gun and then I still wouldn't want to use it. That's the stock tip that comes on most JBL big guns, it's one of the biggest/heaviest tips made. The only other tip that I think sucks as bad as that thing is that gigantic double flopper tip Riffe sells.

Prater: Are those distances from your body or from the tip of the gun? I always tell 'em from the tip of the gun. Now if you're shooting hogfish that are 10 feet away from your speargun tip, you need to slow down and get closer.

Looks nice, do your self a favor and get rid of that garbage slip tip.

I'll give you one guess what my other gun is........

That's the stock tip that comes on most JBL big guns

Dang it....he figured it out too quick! Anyways, it happens to be the ONLY speartip I have as this time, but I plan on getting a few more choices now that my new gun is here. As for the single band.....Steve was kind enough to allow me to borrow his spare shaft and band for me to practice on till I get my stuff in. I plan on going to a double band setup.

Because you have a threaded shaft your stuck with tips until you bend that one, You'll be much happier wth performance when you get away from tips altogether.

Looks like you have a ton of band strech so maybe one will work fine, but 2 will definatley help on bigger boned fish. I like the idea of 2 if 1 works load 1 for fast stuff and load the second when the big fish are there, thats pretty much what I do, it works for me but may not be right for everybody.

Your going to be amazed at the difference in your new gun versus any JBL.


Goodluck, lets see some reports

Because you have a threaded shaft your stuck with tips until you bend that one, You'll be much happier wth performance when you get away from tips altogether.

Looks like you have a ton of band strech so maybe one will work fine, but 2 will definatley help on bigger boned fish. I like the idea of 2 if 1 works load 1 for fast stuff and load the second when the big fish are there, thats pretty much what I do, it works for me but may not be right for everybody.

Your going to be amazed at the difference in your new gun versus any JBL.


Goodluck, lets see some reports

Thanks....I've been looking for a straight shaft like you mentioned.....in fact, I don't even have a shaft for my gun yet, I'm using Steve's spare till I can find some of my own. I definately going to go to two band, exactly for the reason you stated, more options under water. I've actually been really happy with my JBL, it's brought back some good fish and was really accurate it seemed. So if I like the JBL....I can't wait to try this one!

I am not a big fan of a slip-tip either, unless I'm freediving with a floatline.

Single flopper, integrated point is the way to go!!

A lot of our hunting around here is on wrecks & artificial reefs. I moved to a slip tip because it seemed like the bigger fish would go back in the wreck & rip off of the spear. They only pop out of the wreck for a second, so I'll take whatever shot I can. I haven't lost a fish yet since going to a 3" slip-tip. If I can't stone em, I'll shoot them in the butt if that is the only shot that they'll give me! I had 4 big Grouper (30lb+) bend the floppers back on a free shaft. That was enough for me.I know that a lot of people say that the slip tip is too much drag ,but a typical shot for us is around 6 to 8' with about the same vis. I rode out today & the water looks like Nestles Quick!

A lot of our hunting around here is on wrecks & artificial reefs. I moved to a slip tip because it seemed like the bigger fish would go back in the wreck & rip off of the spear. They only pop out of the wreck for a second, so I'll take whatever shot I can. I haven't lost a fish yet since going to a 3" slip-tip. If I can't stone em, I'll shoot them in the butt if that is the only shot that they'll give me! I had 4 big Grouper (30lb+) bend the floppers back on a free shaft. That was enough for me.I know that a lot of people say that the slip tip is too much drag ,but a typical shot for us is around 6 to 8' with about the same vis. I rode out today & the water looks like Nestles Quick!

I just don't agree. I dive the same party grounds as you, and I haven't had those problems. The only time my floppers get bent backwards is when I decide the fish is unretrievable and put both feet on the structure and rip the shaft out. Thing about a slip tip, is once the tip deploys and the fish is in the hole, you have no leverage. He can take the metal wire and turn a corner in a ship and boom, you have no way to drag him out. Let him try to do that with 60 inches of steel in him, it ain't happenin'.

Slip tips are for open water hunting guys.

Different strokes for different folks! If they turn the corner, go in after them!

Not to argue but that take what ever shot I can crap looses and kills a bunch of fish that should have never been shot at, I've seen at least a dozen shot up fish this year and left to rot in another hole somewhere else. :pissed:


I hunt alot of bad vis and slip tips suck at everything except freediving big peligac fish.

Like you said though to each his own. I've had boat captians tell me its the only way to shot fish but I know better so do my coolers.:smthumbup:

If you commonly shoot fish in the meat I guess a slip tip might be better, a well placed shot wont rip out.

Maybe I'm weird I'll take a sure shot on a Sheephead before a risky one on a Gag. I dont like telling sad stories about shooting fish that get away.

I haven't lost a fish since changing over. But then again, I do not take shots at fish that I do not think I can retrieve. There aren't that many shooters up here, so we do not see many shot up fish. I am not under pressure to shoot a lot of fish & sometimes do not shoot at all. I see more shot up fish in FLA. Are you a commercial shooter?
Don't make many meat shots. If you aren't in a hurry, they will give you good opportunity at a head shot. But. then again I am not under pressure to fill the cooler. Those little metal clickers will draw them out sometimes. But they only last a couple of dives.

Megabeast,

That is the shot from the tip of the gun. My long shots on the hogfish were taken because I was unable to get closer due to them outrunning me in current.

I also picked Jeff up a new shaft with a single flopper for his gun while passing through Macon, Ga. $20 at Divers Direct.

I also picked Jeff up a new shaft with a single flopper for his gun while passing through Macon, Ga. $20 at Divers Direct.

Damn I hope you bought all of them at that price.

Thing about a slip tip, is once the tip deploys and the fish is in the hole, you have no leverage. .

Excellent point, and very very true.

I personally don't really care what type of gear you guys use. All I have to say is that this fish was landed with a single flopper shaft on my boat, so the argument that single flopper shafts aren't strong enough is pretty much ruled out. Happy hunting!

Damn I hope you bought all of them at that price.


They only had one...

We'll all just agree to disagree......I'll have one of each and see what works out best in our waters, our fish, my gun, my lack of any real spearing skills, and many-many other variables.