Big Fish Pole Spear- Henley or Manny Puig?

[freediverkid21]

Im planning on spending some time in the bahamas soon and i want a pole spear for bigger fish like Grouper. the question is, is the henley really worth the 75.00 more than the already pricey Manny puig polespear? Have any of you used both? Pros and cons of each? thanks

[florfreediver]

Im planning on spending some time in the bahamas soon and i want a pole spear for bigger fish like Grouper. the question is, is the henley really worth the 75.00 more than the already pricey Manny puig polespear? Have any of you used both? Pros and cons of each? thanks

Hi fdk21,
Both really fine polespears but they really are around the same price. To say the Henley is $75 more is not comparing apples to apples.

If you buy the Henley without the fancy canvas carry case, they should retail at approximately the same price of a Manny Puig (no case)

Mike.

[hardway]

Check out Crist Spears @

http://members.cox.net/azspearo/

His spears are very well built and reasonably priced, and hit the fish like a ton of bricks! Get the 18" shaft with the 3" flopper for the big dogs. email him for his latest prices, he has outstanding deals right now.

[OceanEd]

Both the Henley and the Puig are great pole spears. The Henley comes with a slip tip and you really do not want to be using a slip tip in many situations down in the Bahamas. You are much better off with a spinning rock tip with twin barbs.

If you get the Puig it is a must that you buy at least one extra shaft for the front end. All my friends who have used the Puig for big fish in the Bahamas are bending the shaft repetedly and say a spare one is a must.

I just returned from 4 months in the Bahamas, spearing with different poles. I had one of Aaron Crist's pole spear with me and it was pretty much indestructable and I thought it was really great. It uses a replacable front shaft like a Puig, but shorter. I do not think you could go wrong with a Crist in the Bahamas.

Mike:

Do you also carry Aaron's pole spear?

[kitespearo]

Just get the plain old yellow polespear...they work great and are cheap.

[Tedbudion]

I had one of Aaron Crist's pole spear with me and it was pretty much indestructable and I thought it was really great. It uses a replacable front shaft like a Puig, but shorter.

Hey Ed, I presume you've the one with the 12" shaft, don't you? What kind of rubbers did it come with? TIA

[StickODynamite!]

The Ray Odor travel spear should be mentioned $60 w/ shipping. Ray has taken a 72lb Cubera Snapper with his design and the pole is capable of supporting this weight out of the water as well. Picture at the link below...

http://www.spearfishing.cc/Pole%20Spears.htm

[OceanEd]

TedBunion:

To be honest, I don't remember what rubber it came with. I usually change them out for my own. If Aaron is following this, maybe he can chime in.

[azspearo]

TedBunion:
My spears come with 1/2" rubber x 1/4" ID hole. Stephan(OceanED) Uses 1/2" rubber with 1/8" ID hole that is typically used for spearguns.

The draw weight on my spears with the normal sling is 30-45 ft/lbs and with the extra power sling it runs 45-60ft-lbs. And the later being overkill. At 60ft/lbs the spear will go through a 25# Sheephead gill plate to gill plate and the pole it self will be sticking in the fish as well.

I would be curious to know what's the draw weight and draw length of OceanEd's polespears?

I supply my spears with a 12" or 18" shaft. They can be made with 2" or 3" flopper, 6mm or 5/16"-24 thread.
I can make any length shaft with flopper up to 72"

[grouperdude]

i owned a henley and sold it and bought a manny.. then sold that i dislike both there slow even when i put a 16mm band on it.. i like the yellow fiberglass ones... even then i prefer slings over every one of the above.. ive only lost one shaft (to a 40lb cubera) if you have to replace there shafts anyways.

[OceanEd]

GrouperDude:

I think that the problem with a lot of pole spears is that they come with bands that can be underpowered for the potential of the pole spear. That is why I always change them out for my own. It is a delicate thing to find the right length of rubber and the proper diameter of rubber. It really is different for not only each type of pole spear because of the pole's lenght/diameter/weight, but it also depends of the strength of the user to pull the band and then be able to hold it "cocked" for a length of time. Another factor is how long you make the rubber because this determines how far up the pole you are cocking it and the length of pole that will be sticking out in front of your cocking hand (more important than you might think). If you take the time to experiment with these factors and get it right, the pole spears such as the Aaron Christ and the Henley, and the Manny Puig can be awsome hunting weapons. Of the three, I really like Aaron's the best.

[grouperdude]

i had a 2ft 16mm band on the thing and it still wasnt fast enough for me.. streching and holding that band was no easy feat belive me

[seahunter49]

i owned a henley and sold it and bought a manny.. then sold that i dislike both there slow even when i put a 16mm band on it.. i like the yellow fiberglass ones... even then i prefer slings over every one of the above.. ive only lost one shaft (to a 40lb cubera) if you have to replace there shafts anyways.Ditto. All you're missing is to put a shooting line on the shaft.

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s170/da4095/Sling03.jpg

[grouperdude]

iv been thinking about it just never actually put a line on the sling.

[seahunter49]

iv been thinking about it just never actually put a line on the sling.Don't spend your life like that, you know, thinking about it but never actually doing it.. You'll end up dying never having gotten laid.

[mnguy]

Another factor is how long you make the rubber because this determines how far up the pole you are cocking it and the length of pole that will be sticking out in front of your cocking hand (more important than you might think).

To expand on that, I use a much thinner rubber but cut for a 6' pole, so I can stretch it a good 6-7' out of the 9' on the pole and still have the penetrating power of the momentum. I do this because it is much easier in the thick kelp to have a short front end and a long tail trailing behind you in the gaps that you create than it is to have even ends and have to guide your pole around all the kelp. You can use that short front end to push kelp out of the way much easier than a longer end as well, since you don't need to apply as much force to it and it is much stiffer at short distances.

It also comes in handy when Im peering into cracks and caves looking for fish hiding in the back.

[grouperdude]

Don't spend your life like that, you know, thinking about it but never actually doing it.. You'll end up dying never having gotten laid.

didnt think twice about that:D

[pirate_diver]

I bought the Manny Puig spear and immediately returned it when it arrived in the mail. I liked the idea behind his spear but at the time it was not what I want for around the jetties in NJ. I liked the way he tied his band though, but it was too thick, and a bitch to pull back. I want to try to make my own pole spear in the near future (i.e. when money is a little less tight), and I can find someone local (NJ or S. FL) that can machine some parts.

The Oceans In Action II video has a segment in Bermuda and the Bahamas and I saw a few guys using slip tips on their pole spears, and they seemed to work pretty well. Why the advice to not use one?

[mnguy]

The Oceans In Action II video has a segment in Bermuda and the Bahamas and I saw a few guys using slip tips on their pole spears, and they seemed to work pretty well. Why the advice to not use one?

If you shoot a fish and it rocks up, you can't get much leverage to get it out with a slip-tip. You can pretty much only pull straight out and pray that the fish lets go of its hold. With a fixed tip, you can use the length of the pole for leverage and you can use that leverage in all directions, such as working it towards one side or the other where there may be some more wiggle room to loosen the fish.

If you're going to be shooting fish that are not relating to the structure or do not have the tendency to rock up then I'd say a slip-tip is fine. If you're going to be shooting fish that like to rock up like grouper, why would you make it harder to retrieve the fish in the eventual case that it does rock up? That, at least, is my rationale as to why I use a fixed tip for that bottom reef fish oriented polespearing.

[pirate_diver]

I am just going from what I saw. The only pole spears I have used have been a 4' 3point gig type spear, and 5.5' 5 prong trident for togs and triggers in NJ when I started.

[mnguy]

I am just going from what I saw. The only pole spears I have used have been a 4' 3point gig type spear, and 5.5' 5 prong trident for togs and triggers in NJ when I started.

I know, I was just answering your question about the the advice to not use a slip-tip.

[fishpkt]

If you shoot a fish and it rocks up, you can't get much leverage to get it out with a slip-tip. You can pretty much only pull straight out and pray that the fish lets go of its hold. With a fixed tip, you can use the length of the pole for leverage and you can use that leverage in all directions, such as working it towards one side or the other where there may be some more wiggle room to loosen the fish.

If you're going to be shooting fish that are not relating to the structure or do not have the tendency to rock up then I'd say a slip-tip is fine. If you're going to be shooting fish that like to rock up like grouper, why would you make it harder to retrieve the fish in the eventual case that it does rock up? That, at least, is my rationale as to why I use a fixed tip for that bottom reef fish oriented polespearing.

I've almost broken poles trying to get leverage to retrieve a holed up grouper. What I was told by one of my dad's friends and have been doing for the last couple of years now is grabbing the grouper by the eyes. If you pinch a holed up grouper with your thumb and pointer finger right between the eyes he'll immediately give in and allow you to pull him out and usually not even struggle until you let him go. This method works like a charm, note you are not actually gouging out his eyes, but grabbing the bone near the front of the head and holding that.

[Rifreediver]

i use the sea stinger pole spear with the slip tip and i have yet to actually have a tautog use it.. either i stone them or they are on the actually pole that thing has quite a bit of power behind it with a custom band.... when the bass come in
then ill let you know... i have got some with a 3 prong before... cant wait to see how it holds up

[polespearpaul]

I like the cheap fiberglass polespears (they work good). But my favorite is my 1 piece jbl (if you get a jbl get an extra band and double band it) I like the jbl because its easy to hold,cheap,lite, and deadly. just get a 1 piece jbl!!:thumps: If I was to get a more expensive one I would get a Ray Odor 1 piece. they are only like $40 for a 6 footer.

[Tedbudion]

Ed and Aaron,

I apologize for not thanking you earlier: I missed your replies 4 months ago. Thanks!