# sucker spears



## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Where can a person buy a decent sucker spear? All I've seen around here are 3" wide.

If I can't find one I can use a friends wire feed welder to cobble one together but I don't know what kind of steel to use. Any suggestions?


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

If you go to a model airplane type of store, they sell music wire in thicknesses up to 3/16" or more, for landing gear on planes. It is extremely tough and springy and I bet would make a good spear. I just found out it is legal to snag them here, I know bowfishing is legal, now you have me wondering if spearing is legal too.


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

Around here people make fish gig heads out of truck leaf springs. They're usually about 4 or 5 inches wide and have 3 prongs on them. "Then they make a gig handle, usually out of walnut, about 12 to 14 feet long. 

A smaller leaf spring from a car might work and make them with 2 prongs instead of 3 prongs. You may not have to make the gig handles as long as mentioned above. Just depends on how you gonna use them. Most people around here are standing on the front of a boat with lights shinning down into the water. So it might be a purty good long reach when you see one.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Oldcountryboy said:


> Around here people make fish gig heads out of truck leaf springs. They're usually about 4 or 5 inches wide and have 3 prongs on them. "Then they make a gig handle, usually out of walnut, about 12 to 14 feet long.
> 
> A smaller leaf spring from a car might work and make them with 2 prongs instead of 3 prongs. You may not have to make the gig handles as long as mentioned above. Just depends on how you gonna use them. Most people around here are standing on the front of a boat with lights shinning down into the water. So it might be a purty good long reach when you see one.


We do the same here but Gigging Season is in Winter.To have a Gig made around here is High $$.

Nothing like Suckers for eating.

big rockpile


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## backwoodsman (Jan 21, 2010)

Some of our stores sell a "fish gig" thats about 6"-8" wide with 3-6-8 or so prongs. Looks like a heavier built frog gig. Is that the critter your talking about. South Bend made some at one time? Might be worth checking their website? Auction sites may have something like that too?


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Yeah that's what we normally use. For some reason the stores only carry the little 3" wide spears for frogs and we don't have bullfrogs yet.

I'll check ebay or do some googling. I found one last night for $20 plus shipping.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

I'm not sure what a sucker spear is. Is it the same as an icefishing spear? If so, there are up to a dozen or so icefishing spears for sale at almost every auction we go to.


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## poorboy (Apr 15, 2006)

You can buy forge made fish gigs here locally in some sporting goods stores, last I looked they ran about 30-40$ without the pole,and were of passable quality. The really good hand made ones run considerably higher.
there is a gigmaker of known quality gigs here in our co., but he ain't cheap. agood fish gig fer the ozarks has to have the following attributes:
1. It must hold it's shape after being jammed down into the rocky bottoms.
2. It must not break.
3. Gig handles should be ash.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Ice fishing spears are normally all metal including the handle. Open water spears are much lighter and fit on long wooden handles.


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## DavidUnderwood (Jul 5, 2007)

This place has them. Probly need to call on the
phone. I didn't see it on line.
http://www.boulineaus.com/index.cfm


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Thanks. I found some on eBay today too.

I have a really nice ice house spear but there's no way I'm stabbing that into rocks.


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## backwoodsman (Jan 21, 2010)

Good deal Fish. Hope you stick alot of 'em.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

poorboy said:


> You can buy forge made fish gigs here locally in some sporting goods stores, last I looked they ran about 30-40$ without the pole,and were of passable quality. The really good hand made ones run considerably higher.
> there is a gigmaker of known quality gigs here in our co., but he ain't cheap. agood fish gig fer the ozarks has to have the following attributes:
> 1. It must hold it's shape after being jammed down into the rocky bottoms.
> 2. It must not break.
> 3. Gig handles should be ash.


Cost $60 apiece here.

big rockpile


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## Ray (Dec 5, 2002)

I have a forge and make my own, I have enough to last me the rest of my life but may take a notion to make some more just because I need something to do that I like that is a little bit if a challenge. I use leaf springs, coil springs, old trunk rods work nice and require little work, I use tri-braze 1/4 THICK and cut them out with a plasma cutter, then cut the old molten off with a fine grinder and file. these are ok, quick to make but the tines will bend if you get big rocks in between them, you can straighten them with a 18 inch pipe for leverage. slide it over the bent tine and bend back, they are very hard to bend. there are as many ways to make gigs as there are forge smiths, so just go for it, the first one shouldn't take you over two weeks, if your persistent, but it might not be the best you've ever seen, I've only had my forge 25 years so I'm still just a baby learning, ray


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I found some South Bend 5 tine 6 1/2" spear heads on eBay. I can't tell what the 6 1/2" dimension means yet and the seller hasn't answered my question. Hopefully it's the width and not the tine length.


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

I've been thinking of making some fish spears to use for underwater snorkleing. I've thought about shaping 3 metal rods about 6" to 8" long that has been cut from old scrap cattle or hog panels. Shape each rod with a dog leg about 2/3rds toward the end somewhere and then position them together to where the points will be in a triangle shape and weld together. Then make a sleeve to fit over the rods and connect to a handle. 

You wouldn't be able to use them as gigs thrusting in rocky bottoms. But might be great for ice spear fishing.


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