Cast & Spear’s Jon Stenstrom Answers Spearfishing Questions You Were Afraid to Ask
All photos courtesy of Jon Stenstrom
While most of our fishing involves casting with conventional rods and reels, Hanna and I aren’t afraid to try something a little bit different. In the past that’s included ice fishing for big brown trout in Milwaukee and “flossing” for sockeye salmon in Alaska – but we’ve never tried spearfishing. That’s not necessarily from a lack of interest, but rather simply because we had no idea where to start. It seems like the barriers to entry are high, or at least confusing, but after watching one too many YouTube videos of spearfishermen performing amazing feats in exotic places I needed to find out more.
Fortunately Jon Stenstrom of Cast & Spear was kind enough to take my call, and patient enough to answer my questions. He has a Masters in Engineering from San Diego State, and that’s likely why he takes such a technical approach to all kinds of angling, but what interested me most in how clearly his site reflects the passion reflects his passion (and that of his fellow contributors). That’s evident in his work, and as one of the guiding principles of our own effort here at HPFC it immediately struck a chord. I’m hoping we’ll hear a lot more from him in the future, but in the meantime here are the basics of spearfishing through John’s lens.
HPFC: For someone who has never spearfished, how does it compare to conventional fishing, and why do you find it so invigorating and addictive?
Stenstrom: The main difference is that you’re essentially going into the water, so it’s more like hunting. It’s very similar to stalking an elk, but instead of doing it on dry land you’re diving down and holding your breath. That puts you outside of your comfort zone, but you still have to be stealthy or attract the fish and then shoot them in a spot that gives the least amount of the suffering to the fish. You want to “stone” that fish – you want to hit it in the brain or hit it in the spine – and then you bring that fish back to you. That’s what you pride yourself on, stoning that fish. You have a speargun, a spear tied to a line to your reel, your float line, which is like a tether. Depending on the size of the fish, it can be a challenge to fight it, bring it back to the surface, and then dispatch it.
So it’s a totally different mentality – yes, you’re still catching a fish, but you don’t generally have a chance to release it, so it’s catch and cook. It’s about sustainability. It’s more of a thrill-seeking way of testing your might against this fish.
HPFC: It seems like you have a smaller group of people able to partake, not only because of geographic limitations, but also because there are fewer people physically able to do it. What are the physical skills you need to participate?
Stenstrom: I’ve done some research and there’s about 10,000 spearfishermen. It’s growing. It used to be very popular back in the 1960s. It was on TV, and then it kind of fell out of favor but now it’s making a comeback thanks to YouTube. Of course you generally have to have access to the coastline – many people go from the shore or a boat, but there are also some freshwater lakes where you can do it. That depends on state regulations.
Regarding physical requirements, it’s a lot less physically demanding than you might think, just because the goal in free diving is to be efficient and kind of relax in the water, so you’ll see guys who don’t really seem to be in shape. They’re smoking cigarettes and things like that, but they turn out to be good divers because mentally they prepare themselves. They understand the proper technique of breathing and holding their breath and they’re just calm. And then you have guys who are super-fit and super-muscular and they get all amped up and can’t hold their breath for more than 30 seconds. So those are not necessarily the right metrics. Can you stay mentally calm? Can you learn the proper breathing techniques? Can you do some stretching? Then you have to practice. Are you trying to dive once a year or once a week? If you do it more, you should become a better diver. I know guys who started in their 60s and they’re still diving in their late 80s and they’re shooting big fish. Age is just a number in my opinion. It’s really about who is going to put in the time.
HPFC: So how does someone get started? Anyone can walk into a Wal-Mart or a Bass Pro Shops and get a rod and reel and start fishing, but this seems like there are greater barriers to entry, to figuring out the whole process.
Stenstrom: A big reason why I started the website is because I had trouble figuring it out. A lot of times you would go on a forum or you had local dive clubs that would meet once a month and then you’d have to befriend somebody. You’re right – it’s not necessarily easy to start. The first thing I always do is assess your geography. You have to be on a coast. Are you in the middle of Iowa? Or a state that doesn’t allow freshwater spearfishing? Then you’re kind of out of luck, unless you go to the coast or to another country. But if you’re based in a good area, you can start by going on the forums and doing some Google searches as a way to wrap your head around some things. YouTube videos are another great way – there are so many more YouTube videos than when I got started. That will help you see what you’re getting yourself into, and then after that it’s whether you can find somebody who is at a dive club or is doing it and have them take you out. I always say, “Go snorkel.” Go snorkeling without shooting anything to make sure that you enjoy putting on a wetsuit, putting on a mask, getting your fins on. Can you go out for a few hours and just look at things in the water and not be scared. I know a lot of people who go out and buy a thousand dollars worth of gear and use it twice because maybe the first time they go out they’re scared, and they do it for about half an hour. Then they do it one more time and feel like it’s not for them, or they don’t have the right support system. They give up and they sell their gear on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.
The basic question is whether you like being in the water. Are you comfortable? And then if you are, and you pass that low barrier to entry of just snorkeling, then go to a dive shop, get gear that fits you. Get fins, a snorkel, a speargun – it doesn’t need to be the fanciest thing in the world – and then your goal is just to shoot something You don’t have to shoot the biggest fish right out of the gate, nor should you want to. I think a lot of people get into spearfishing because they see someone shoot this monster fish and they want to do that, too. That’s how I got started. The guy who trained me in my PADI certification for scuba diving, he was a spearfisherman, and he pulled me aside. He showed me this picture of a 70 pound white sea bass that he’d shot in my backyard. I knew that was for me, but it took me four years to be able to shoot a fish that big. I shot a lot of fish up until that point. A lot of people forget that it’s the journey that’s fun.
HPFC: How much of the process is about being accurate and efficient with your equipment, and what percentage of it is about understanding fish behavior?
Stenstrom: The dirty secret is that it’s not necessarily hard to shoot fish. They’re not the smartest things in the world, so if you go to a spot that has fish – lots of them will be in the first 30 feet, which doesn’t require you to dive that crazy – you’re going to shoot fish. So, for example, if I go to Baja, I have a higher probability of shooting a large 40 pound grouper or 60 pound yellowtail than I would ever have in Southern California. In Southern California a good yellowtail is about 30 pounds, and I’ve seen two. In the Tortugas, way down south, I’ve seen schools of 30 pound yellowtail swimming around. You can easily pick them off, just point and shoot. And then it comes down to being safe and dialing your gear in. It’s not necessarily hard to shoot them, but it can be hard to get them into the boat.
HPFC: You have a lot of great fisheries close to home in California. What are your favorite fish to chase at home and what are some other places that you’ve traveled, either to fish for those same species or for others?
Stenstrom: In Southern California, the prize fish to go after spearfishing is the white sea bass. Some guys have it dialed in, but it’s very challenging. They call it the “white ghost.” It’s very challenging and it’s really cold water. You usually get them in spring and early summer and it’s a lot of hard diving. You might only get a few shots throughout the whole year.
HPFC: I saw on Cast & Spear that you shot one that was 65 pounds. Was that the bucket list fish for you? If so, what do you do after you get that trophy fish?
Stenstrom: The record is 90-something, but anything north of 60 is respectable. I shot that one back in March, but now I just want to get into the 70 pound club. That could take forever, but I recognize that it’s not easy to just come to Southern California and blast the biggest one in the world. I’ve started to learn the patterns after being in the sport for a while – that’s what excites me, the fact that you’re always learning.
The other big fish – and this is one that I haven’t shot – is tunas. Like big, monster, bluefin tunas. I’ve gone a number of times and I kind of hate it, because it’s one of the most annoying, expensive ways to spearfish. You’re going out all day. You have reports from guys saying that the fish are out there, and then you spend hundreds of dollars looking at blue ocean trying to find birds. Then you have to turn off the engine, hope that they don’t scatter, and you have one diver. They jump off the back of the boat while it’s still moving, and you have the guy driving, and a third person throwing a float line in, making sure that you don’t get tangled. You can be out all day and you get one opportunity. You have like 30 seconds and if you miss that’s it. But it’s nice to have real fresh tuna in the 150 to 200 pound range.
HPFC: You’ve also traveled a lot to pursue this passion. What are some of the places you’ve gone, and what are some of the places you still want to go?
Stenstrom: My favorite place to go is Baja. The fish are different on the Sea of Cortez side. On the Pacific side you can get many of the same fish you get here in SoCal, they’re just more and bigger. On the Sea of Cortez side the water is generally 10 to 20 degrees warmer, so you get fish like the Gulf Grouper and Cabrilla and dorado. I want to get my first billfish. I haven’t really focused on it yet. I really love grouper. I think it’s one of the best tasting fish – super fatty, super tasty. When you’re outside of the country you really have to be cognizant of sustainability. You can’t just take a lot of fish. You can get away with a lot more, so you need to exercise perspective and self-control. You can’t just blast a lot of fish.
I would like to do some really serious traveling – go to the other side of the world. Maybe Guam, or islands near South Africa to get monster wahoo and all of these other crazy fish. It takes days to get there. Dogtooth tuna would be one. I have friends who have shot those, and they say that pound-for-pound they’re one of the craziest fish. You almost never get them past the sharks, or they’ll take your stuff to the reef and bring down monster floats. So it’s super-exciting, and super-dangerous. That’s the kind of stuff that I enjoy.
HPFC: Speaking of “exciting and dangerous,” I assume that the risk is part of the thrill. What are some safety precautions that people make sure they take before they literally dive headfirst into this sport?
Stenstrom: Number one, the one that everybody talks about, is diving with a buddy. Most of the bad stuff that happens is preventable, so it’s dangerous but it’s not like you’re base-jumping, where if everything goes wrong you’re flat on the ground. The main thing that’s going to happen, dangerwise, is that you’re going to dive deep, or after a long day you’re going to be tired, and you’re going to go a little bit too far and your body will just naturally shallow water blackout. That just means that your body thinks there’s not enough oxygen to the brain so it just turns off, when in reality it’s only used half the oxygen in your body. As long as your snorkel is out of your mouth, your mammalian reflex will kick in and you’ll be fine. You can blackout underwater face-down for a couple of minutes. If somebody grabs you, and if they’re your buddy that’s what they’re supposed to do, they can bring you to the surface, blow on your face, tap your cheek, you’ll just wake up and you’re fine. But the guys who dive by themselves, or their buddies don’t pay attention, once you get past all of the oxygen depleted in your body, you’ll take a terminal breath. That’s when you drown. So usually when that type of thing happens it’s when someone goes out diving by themselves, they’ve been diving for years or decades. The main thing is having a diving buddy and not pushing yourself to do anything super-crazy. There are other things – like if you’re going for big fish you need to be aware that lines get tangled around you. The fish can be very powerful and pull you down, so if you don’t understand how to grab your knife and cut your line to free yourself you can be in trouble.
HPFC: What made you start Cast & Spear to share your knowledge with others, rather than just enjoy the sport on your own?
Stenstrom: I’ve always built websites since middle school. I used to write things in HTML in notepads and learned how to build websites when I was a kid – so I’ve always done some sort of web thing. I kind of stopped when I was working as an engineer at the company that I started up in Silicon Valley. I missed nature. I grew up in nature, backpacking with my dad since I could barely walk, in Yosemite. I learned how to fly fish there. I surf fished as I got older. So I decided to create a website to document what I was learning about spearfishing. It was something new for me. Then the entrepreneurial side of me kicked in and I started expanding the website and the social media. It had always been for fun but now it’s a way to pay the bills. I can stay home with my kid and I can travel and fish. That’s pretty neat.
HPFC: What are your goals in terms of the website and your own personal fishing growth?
Stenstrom: In terms of the website, I would like to keep growing. It’s always fun to learn how to help people. I want to make sure that I have a lot of content that people find valuable so I’m continually cleaning up the older stuff and making sure that it’s fact-checked. That takes time, money and resources. I don’t have crazy plans except to keep running it, have fun, and have a lot more adventures. In terms of fishing, there are some bucket list fish that I’d like to get off my chest and go for. And now that my kid is 6 months old, he’s getting more and more curious so I’d like to start taking him on some of the adventures for the fishing side of Cast & Spear. He’s not ready for the diving yet.
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