Spearfishing Aiming Tips | Techniques

In the previous spearfishing video I covered 8 tips to ensure your speargun is shooting straight. You can check that out over here if you have not seen it yet.
• 8 Spearfishing Tips fo...
So now that you have eliminated all the things that will cause you to be inaccurate, we can now start looking at some spearfishing aiming techniques.
Let's look at some aiming techniques and how and when to use them.
Essentially there are two ways guys take shots. Guys either aim down the barrel or they 'point and shoot'. Often this Point & Shoot is more instinctive and does not rely on ‘aiming’ at all.
A really handy tip I learnt a few years ago is the ‘Poke & Shoot’ This is a technique I have subsequently taught to guys new to the sport as well as those old school guys stuck in their ways. This is a sure fire way to improve your spearfishing accuracy and grow in confidence. It also helps you move away from relying on aiming down the barrel and transition into a ‘Point & Shoot’ style of shooting. As well as a host of other good things.
0:00 Introduction
01:00 Speargun Aiming Tips & Techniques
01:44 Aiming down the speargun
02:40 Pro’s to aiming down the speargun
02:50 Con’s to aiming down the speargun
07:18 The ‘Point n Shoot’ Technique
08:48 ‘Point n Shoot’ on Bronze Bream
10:49 Pro’s of Point and Shoot technique
11:23 Con’s of Point and Shoot technique
12:05 Which is the best aiming technique?
13:02 ‘Point n Shoot’ on Cobia
13:28 The ‘Poke n Shoot’
14:03 How to use the‘Poke n Shoot’
14:48 Example of Aiming with the ‘Poke n Shoot’
16:03 Example 2 of Aiming with the ‘Poke n Shoot’
18:29 Recap on Spearfishing aiming tips and techniques
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[@bobbystevens4087]

Great video Chris thank you. I started doing some target practice in the pool for the 1st time this year. Wow what an eye opener. All 4 of my gun shot terrible In the default Configuration from the factory. A little tweaking and the shoot much better. I will definitely try your method the Next time I get in the pool. You're videos have definitely improved and enriched my life thank you.

[@CoatesmansSpearfishing]

Thank you so glad they have helped 🙏

[@IntuitiveIQ]

New spearfisher here gearing up to get in the water. This tutorial is really excellent, so much better than the others I've found. Subscribed! :)

[@andrewmakely6196]

Thanks! That half second of indecision in aiming down the barrel is a killer. I will try to incorporate this. Thanks for sharing!

[@OctavioRichetta]

Poke and shoot! It is amazing! 1000% improvement and it is easy!

[@quinnculver]

Very well done video. Thank you.

[@stanleycates1972]

Point and shoot for 60 years. Open water, at the last minute extend arm, swim at fish, point at the spot and shoot. All Euro guns are accurate. Love the Riffe family but their #2 standard shot high, Np KA Oi shot low. If I miss with RA, it's me not the gun. I have made some amazing shots on deep snapper with my Tuna gun.

[@CoatesmansSpearfishing]

Brilliant 🙌

[@gianni1968]

Perfetto!! Ottimo video, semplice ma molto significativo. Un fondamentale necessario per poter sfruttare con precisione le nostre armi. Saluti dall’Italia

[@DeepBlueSpirit2]

Very nice explanation. Saw this video time ago and enjoyed it now a second time. Thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge.

[@seanhenderson1374]

Chris your videos are chocked full of so much useful information. Wanted you to know how much we appreciate your channel, keep up the good work mate!

[@CoatesmansSpearfishing]

Thanks a mill Sean 🙏

[@reidsmith7201]

Just excellent training tips, very helpful. projecting or "poking" thru the target is very similar to wing shooting with a shotgun and shooting thru the birds eye. It took me a while to realize the importance of keeping both my wrist and elbow locked when shooting my speargun.

[@jaysonconlan7892]

Absolutely best advice I’ve heard.. thank you!

[@batlichannel]

Amazing topic..goodluck.. We from indonesiaa,,spear fishing traditional in the river..mahser fish..

[@rolandwheeler7617]

Cool topic Chris. Interesting change when I converted my RA 80 std to a roller. Since I point and shoot I used the same method after the conversion. Problem was I couldn't hit anything, even almost point blank! So I decided to pick out a target and really concentrate on where the shaft was going and it went high. Makes sense as a standard band gun will typically shoot low due to the muzzle flip. Now I cannot miss, but fear ever going back to a standard gun! Will definitely try the "Poke and Shoot" method as this makes so much sense!

[@CoatesmansSpearfishing]

Brilliant 👍 Flipping back to conventional guns will just start the process over again.

[@daviddacostasilva6951]

Awesome advice from a well seasoned spearo. I’ll try and apply these tips going forward 👍 Thanks!

[@momber211]

Great technique and great reviews!!! I was wondering why I missed some easy shots and now I know I didn’t hold the recoil while my arm was bended. Definitely try the poke n shoot technique!! Thanks for sharing.

[@christalbotes8382]

Great video Chris🔥 Thank you for sharing

[@sethwright4709]

Great video backed by experience. Thanks heaps, I'll go do some practice

[@ahmedemaraa1978]

Thanks man for the information it's really helpful 😊

[@Youtuberkit7]

Good video Chris. Good tips of accuracy

[@casaditessuti3114]

Thank you very much for your video!!!

[@RobRoam]

Super useful tips - thanks man.

[@dragonier8133]

Great tips. Gonna practice.

[@sunnykrusty]

Awesome stuff, good information 😊

[@vanzijlp]

Old dog learning a new trick! Thanks, Chris. Just recovering from a qadruple bypass, but have been back to make sure that i still can! Weather is terrible, so can't wait to practice your tip next week...

[@CoatesmansSpearfishing]

Brilliant hope your first dive back is a good one. Let me know how it all goes 🤙

[@NikoBrummer]

Your videos are very, very useful! You have two new fans, dad (59) and son (24). Please keep going.

[@ahmedemaraa1978]

Thanks for the info 🤠

[@svenjaminfranklin471]

Good video as always!

[@CoatesmansSpearfishing]

cheers 😁

[@michaeltripp2149]

great video chris, i show this to all new folks. only time i struggle with keeping the gun in is with aspetto on spooky reef fish where any gun movement sends them packing. the poke method still is very helpful though even on those ambush shots.

[@CoatesmansSpearfishing]

Hey Michael, Yes when hiding on the bottom it is very helpful to anticipate where you will take the shot and have the gun extended and ready.

[@Speedospearo]

Great video, I think I already do some of this stuff, but the holistic approach to pushing the shaft through a point is something I need to practice. I am often subject to aiming too long and not knowing when to shoot and then making the bad shot. Lack of confidence as you mention. It is ridiculous, the longer I delay the shot the more excited I get and my trigger finger feels like it is literally on fire, literally very painful sometimes.

[@CoatesmansSpearfishing]

only a spearo would understand 😂

[@robertschweppie5256]

I've never in my life shot with a speargun good video

[@fishhunter348]

I over thought accuracy and the way I shot for a few years until I worked out what works for me. I shoot a speargun the same as I shoot a recurve or longbow which is what is called split vision(some consider it instinctive) but it's not 100% instinctive. About 80% of my focus is on the fish and I let my peripheral vision project the line of the shaft to my aim point. I don't miss very often at all now except if I rush a real close shot or something stupid.

[@CoatesmansSpearfishing]

I guess if I think about it when I am in the zone and on point I do something similar. I feel I am aiming but my attention is on the fish and where I want the shot to land.

[@fishhunter348]

@@CoatesmansSpearfishing exactly mate!

[@MarshallRoad]

Great video, your always very informative. I recently moved from standard to roller, as like others I now cant shoot anything. Im sure i will adapt but im always wondering how much the flopper effects things. Due to the change my flopper is now on the bottom. Asides from always being worried that its jammed out, i wonder if its effecting my shot. Some people use Orings to stop it falling open, does this help the shaft fly straight? Mine used to be ontop so it was sitting against the shaft before the shot, i always assumed this had less effect on the accuracy. Whats your opinion on flopper effect? Thanks!

[@ezellm21]

Always keep checking for a new video from you. Where do you get the carbon barrels for the Rob Allen handle?

[@CoatesmansSpearfishing]

I either use the std carbon barrels RA make or my custom barrel for the CDRs

[@timothyhutchins4668]

Great video. For some reason when shooting fish further away I tend to shoot consistently just high. I think the fish appear further away so I naturally think I need to accomodate shaft drop, but because they are closer I shoot over them.

[@CoatesmansSpearfishing]

Hey Tim are you using a conventional speargun?

[@timothyhutchins4668]

@@CoatesmansSpearfishing i use a 90cm Pathos Roller mostly for around the shallow reef.

[@CoatesmansSpearfishing]

Something's not right, have you done any target practice? Checked your shaft is straight?

[@timothyhutchins4668]

@@CoatesmansSpearfishing yeah I have done the rob allen roll the shaft trick and it’s straight. It might just be lack of practice. The ocean here in SW Victoria is dangerously rough most of the time so lack of getting out there.

[@gunnarfjelstul9837]

Hey Chris, great video as usual! I’m curious how shaft overhang factors into aiming. Does it make longer shots more intuitive? Why do you chose to go with a relatively long overhang on your guns? Thanks.

[@CoatesmansSpearfishing]

Shaft overhang is critical, well at least having them all the same as you will get accustomed to a certain overhang. And yes especially if you are pointing and shooting. I stick to the std barrel length +40cm. This is approx 20cm overhang. (shorter on some guns) which means with double barbs it is harder to go any shorter. Otherwise the back barb sits in the muzzle. Maybe they look long in the videos?

[@ngirabedechal]

Here in Palau, we prefer longer overhang because it works better with dive bomb shots on the reef. Also our guns are long around six feet, and they are used exactly like Chris describes without aiming, and extending it at the last second.

[@gunnarfjelstul9837]

@@ngirabedechal interesting to hear about different preferences around the world! where I am at most people use short overhang because we use short guns (80cm or less) and hunt in holes for lingcod.

[@ngirabedechal]

@@gunnarfjelstul9837 Hello from Palau! We also use short guns for such fish, we have specific guns for different purposes and a typical set would be to have a long gun about 5 to 6 feet and a short gun on pontoon which is a tub and float to carry fish. But the main gun is always long because the water here is very clear, the fish are smart and huge, and the sharks are extra nosey. The way we dive is because of these conditions. We need longer range without spending a long time on the bottom or dealing with struggling fish wrapped on the reef, so no reels or double wrap shoot line. Just a six foot shaft with single wrap line and gun with float.

[@shanikabilal561]

do u have a store? i am thinking about spearfishing.

[@charlydread2136]

Hi , please what do you mean aiming down of the barrel . Did you look and aim with the bottom of your speargun barrel ? Thanks

[@CoatesmansSpearfishing]

Charly aiming like you would a rifle with sights along the top of the barrel. I probably could have been a little clearer on that :-)

[@dh5645]

🐠 do you sell spearguns? If so how do I learn more about what you have to offer? Thx 🐟

[@CoatesmansSpearfishing]

Hey DH Yes I do, please drop me an email at [e-mail] 👍

[@mejaneabian5093]

I'm new spearfisher can I have one of your old speargun cuz my old spear is broken

[@manuely8581]

🎣🐟🐟🐟

[@bigbopper9627]

Oh good grief are you kidding 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Tips from the gut shot KING.

[@takotako808]

How to never miss........ Never take a shot 😎😎😎 😂😂😂 Or is it every shot you dont take, you miss 🤷

[@CoatesmansSpearfishing]

Every shot you don't take is a miss, but sometimes a shot is not a shot.

[@russellpurdie]

was this video any good? he told me not to watch it

[@CoatesmansSpearfishing]

🤣classic

[@russellpurdie]

@@CoatesmansSpearfishing when I got my first 'real' gun, a 120 riffe euro I couldn't hit the side off a barn with it for a month or so, still got it, beautiful gun would love to try a roller but don't know if I could go through that process again.