Monterey advice for a newbie?

I really enjoyed freediving in the tropics, but I've never gone spearfishing. I am now the proud owner of a cheap pole spear, and  I'm going to be in Monterey this Wednesday through Friday. Should I just pick somewhere between Point Pinos and Lover's Point? It looks like spearfishing is legal within the Pacific Grove Marine Gardens SMCA.

i'm just  learning but fwiw that area from pinos to lovers is popular and well used by snorkel and divers...coral st in p.g runs down to the sea and offers good point of reference for one of the safer learning areas...that said it is under pressure from newb spearos like me, and has few fish most times...

Thanks! I guess it's not surprising that the safe and easy places to dive won't have lots of fish.

if you go to some of the spots not right at coral st ...(where the best parking and easy beach to water is)...if you go anywhere else or even swim out from coral and around the rocks to the right or left of the cove....there ARE fish....just not in the very busy little cove that much..have fun...post up pics

my gal and me are just learning together and we try and swim/snorkel /freedive there once a week...usually on week day after work for an hour or so..it's less busy then and does not eat up a whole weekend day for me...p.m if you want to meet up...we are very new - I can  freedive now while she watches with her gear from a boggie board or swims by it-no spear for her for now  ...

That's great the two of you go out together. I'll be in town with the wife and both kids so I'll have to fit diving in around the family schedule-- I'll let you know if it looks like an afternoon dive is in the cards. Thanks for the tips!

Me and buddy been spearfishing Monterey/Carmel past 5 sat. Try otter cove. Very easy access and not excessivlying fishy but good place to practice.  We kinda new too but have been getting decent rockcod and small lings everytime. Yesterday Vis was worst we been in. Like 4-6ft.  Could drive a little farther and hit up stillwater south. Great spot.
GL

Report:
Went out from the end of Coral St., Friday morning. Trianglelaguna: I think I saw your car parked on the street! There was someone kayak fishing just a bit out to the west and I thought about swimming out to see if it was you.

Visibility seemed rather bad, but I don't know what to expect. The duration of my dives was disappointing; I'm not used to cold water diving yet and it's been a while since I did any free diving at all. I saw four Rockfish. The first was hiding in a cave in maybe 15 feet of water. I marked the entrance by dropping my polespear, recovered at the surface, then dove again to make the shot. Even with a stationary fish I didn't stick, it but it seemed like the shot grazed its head. Bah!

The next two fish swam off before I could cock my polespear. The fourth fish I was ready for. I tracked it as it swam behind a rock and was all lined up for the shot as it came out the other side. Just as I release the spear the fish abruptly changes direction and the shaft slams into the rock beyond, bending the tip. By this time I was cold anyway and decided to head in, since my 5/3 surf wetsuit isn't very cozy.

I enjoyed poking around in the cracks and caves in the rocks, but it was a challenging day and I clearly have a lot of skills to work on.

yeah I was out Friday..it got pretty knarly fir and sat out there with sat being really bad into the cove too so you did good to swim friday...if it was beater blue civic with a spare fish n dive left on the car it was me...

good for you for getting out there we did not dive/swim last week and may not go this week---

I'm told lately by divers coming out of the water to go left tot the next cove /if waves allow and the fish are around more