first impressions from a newb dive day

Are you putting the fish in your game bag before removing?  The paralyzer tip lives up to its name, and if you pop the fish off out of the big, it will kick and probably swim away.  I use a six pronged, inline gig tip with my pole spear, and I find it does a better job.  You need to sharpen before every other dive or so, but I like how it works.  Plus, if see something large like a ling, you will have better success whacking it in the head with a gig tip that trying to kebab it with a paralyzer.  Keep diving and good luck!!

I have hit a couple of fish with the pole spear that got away, I don't even know if it penetrated the skin I think they just kind of not nicked, I also have a JBL speargun and have never lost a fish with it, the extra power is nice for lings and bigger rockfish. 

Are you putting the fish in your game bag before removing?  The paralyzer tip lives up to its name, and if you pop the fish off out of the big, it will kick and probably swim away.  I use a six pronged, inline gig tip with my pole spear, and I find it does a better job.  You need to sharpen before every other dive or so, but I like how it works.  Plus, if see something large like a ling, you will have better success whacking it in the head with a gig tip that trying to kebab it with a paralyzer.  Keep diving and good luck!!

I was putting fish on a stringer.  The loss I refer to is sticking the fish and before I get my hands on it, they swim free.  I think the main issue is the shot placement sucked.

I hear ya.  The poster after me is right, a good speargun is a great investment.  One of these days, your going to get lazy and uncock  or only partially cock your pole spear and you're going to miss an opportunity at the fish of your lifetime. Happened to me, I should know!  After that, i bought a $50 pneumatic on Ebay and used it to feed myself in college.  I now have a $200 three band JBL gun, but it's probably more gun than I need on 99% of my dive trips. 

like the look of that seal on rock so funny