Jbl 20" or Jbl 24" Speargun

Hey Guys,
Considering buying a speargun. What do you think about the Jbl Explorer series.
For the purposes of swimming around the kelp beds, and possibly halibut?
Need some advice.

Don't do it!

I'd rather use a polespear than a JBL... 

Fuzz,  Is there a single, general purpose beginners' gun that you would recommend?  I'm going to borrow and try a few first.  Will be free diving in rocks and kelp at places like Van Damme.  -Matt

Hey fuzz,
What do you recommend? I have tried to polespear a lingcod and it just wiggles off the spear.
I even have the barbed 5 point tip. Wusup!

Use a pole with a flopper/toggle spear tip to keep the fish on. Most dive shops have polespears that will take different tips. The barbed forks will work if you stone(killshot) a big fish but are better for smaller game, and they can be a bugger to pull out.

hey bloodbath, i have a 32'' jbl that works great. i've had it for 6yrs with no problems. i know they are not that well made but mine has gotten the job done. i have also used a pole spear for shooting lings. i try to pin them to the ground with the spear and then grab them by the throat. riffe makes real nice guns but they cost alot more. our same group will be camping up at ocean cove for the ab opener and we hope you and lisa can make it. bring your gun and we'll shoot some fish. pm me if you have any questions about logistics.

24" or longer if you must have a JBL, a better choice would be a 75 cm euro gun Pneumatics are something to consider as well they load and swing easy. Fish around here don't care about the noise and the low power comes handy when shooting around rocks.

A JBL would work fine around here.  The fish are slow and stupid, so accuracy and quickness isn't much of an issue.  If I was forced to use one, I'd stick to one of the tanks... like a 38-special NW.  All that being said, I would never recommend one to a close friend.   

Well over 90% of my diving in norcal is done with a stock 75cm euro gun.  It's quick to load(1 band), very accurate, and has power to penetrate most anything you'll be hunting in local waters.  It's light, maneuverable, and very instinctive to hunt with.  They're also relatively cheap.   


The polespear is a great learning tool because for bigger fish, it forces you to learn how to closer to fish, proper shot placement/angle, and how to handle fish after being shot.  That's a whole other topic.   

i think fuzz's advice is worth its weight in gold. i started with a jbl gun and so did some other friends and everyone was quick to lose those and upgrade. even a low end cheap eurogun will provide you with many days of great spearfishing if you can resist passing on a jbl / biller gun.

i have had both and now use euroguns. there were a couple of threads on here where i chopped up my jbl and converted them into experimental spearguns because i knew they were not going to get any worse than they already were.

fuzz's words on guns for local waters is true. when freediving its nice to go with a eurogun, it shoots fast, easier to track under water and you can source one for a really good price online. my favorite is also a 75 cm eurogun. when i didnt have money for a 75 cm gun after losing one in a wipeout on the kayak i chopped my 90 cm sporasub and converted it to a 75 cm gun.

let us know what you get!

here is my all time favorite gun:

http://www.scubatoys.com/store/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=SporasubViper

I'm very happy with my 75cm eurogun too.  The single wrap shooting line is especially nice compared to most JBL multi-wrap setups.

I've found the stock Hawaiian single floppers aren't that great for shooting fish against rocks though, you need more penetration beyond the back of the fish with that type of point.  I'd recommend a threaded shaft and a couple different points.  You can also get a shorter shaft to make the gun effectively shorter for murky north-coast situations.   

If you still want a JBL here's one for sale on the spearboard
http://www.spearboard.com/showthread.php?t=58973
...and I'm not the one selling it

A JBL would work fine around here.  The fish are slow and stupid, so accuracy and quickness isn't much of an issue. 

So true....Angel usually misses the first shot and just beats his perch into submission with the stalk.  I can't comment on the in-accuracy of the gun though...angel misses with both his jbl and his pole spear so I think we can chalk that one up to both his glass eye and hook for a hand.

A JBL would work fine around here.  The fish are slow and stupid, so accuracy and quickness isn't much of an issue.

So true....Angel usually misses the first shot and just beats his perch into submission with the stalk.  I can't comment on the in-accuracy of the gun though...angel misses with both his jbl and his pole spear so I think we can chalk that one up to both his glass eye and hook for a hand.

how funny, i have to admit, i miss with my euro and its a purely personal issue i have. im not the best shot. on the other hand, there is enough speartip sticking out of my gun that there have been days when i just swam up to lingcod with the gun unloaded and stuck the tip through the top of the fish. come to think of it, this can be done with a knife 

So true....Angel usually misses the first shot and just beats his perch into submission with the stalk.  I can't comment on the in-accuracy of the gun though...angel misses with both his jbl and his pole spear so I think we can chalk that one up to both his glass eye and hook for a hand.

I'm no gun snob and I definetely need some target practice but I don't own a jbl and unlike Art I don't mistake a black and yellow for a lingcod

I have a 75CM Hammerhead Evolution that has treated me well so far.