Go spearfishing

So apparently there might be some semi-clearwater lakes in Wisconsin. I guess this might be worth checking out sometime.

so I’ve seen a few pics from people freediving in Lake Michigan, and I figure, hey, maybe I can make this work.

Weeelllllllll, aparently it goes like this. From the Chicago shore, the bottom Lake Michigan deepens very, very slowly. From what I can gather from maps (and my own personal experience), it looks like the lake hits the 30 foot marker somewhere about a mile out. Which is a pretty good way to get struck by a boat.

Yes, I actually did attempt to freedive just off of Loyola beach a month or two back when the water was about as blue as possible. I may be mistaken, but it looks like the lake is just too shallow, and the sand gets kicked up by the waves, reducing visibility to arms length at best.

looks like this one is going to take a while to get accomplished.

where I live the water’s not always clearest, but we shall soon see if I can gig any carp, quilback, buffalo, sucker, bowfin, or gar.

I found I was fed up with trying with a rod, hoping I was in the right place at the right time, going for the right fish with the right bait set at the right height etc. At least with spearfishing you can get in there and see what you want to shoot, then it’s just a question of being able to hit them!

I started with a pneumatic gun – there are those who still prefer the traditional gun with bands that you have to strain to load, hoping you don’t catch your fingers. Pneumatic ones are just loaded by pushing the spear in until it clicks and is cocked, and I would recommend them for beginners. I’m still waiting to see and hit a bass, but have caught mullet, wrasse and pollack.