I thought I would compile a list on essentials to go SPEARFISHING in WISCONSIN.

WETSUITS:  A 5mm "open cell" interior and nylon exterior 2 piece is ideal and you should be able to use it ALL YEAR- the summers may get warm for it- but you can cool down with fresh water.  A couple Manufactures I would Recommend:   ELIOS, HAMMERHEAD, SPETTON, OMER

MASKS:  A Low Volume mask is ideal.  But find one that fits good and is comfortable.  Avoid masks that are clear on the sides. 

FINS: Get a ’Freediving’ fin, Medium Stiffness.  My personal favorite fin is "ICE FINS" also Carbon Fins are nice but pricey. 

SNORKLE: snorkle is a snorkle- don’t need one with a ’wave guard’ on it around here.  just a simple one will work just fine.

WEIGHT BELT: Rubber with a quick detach buckle.  You will also need lead weight.  Depending on how much body fat you have and how thick your wetsuit is- will determine how much weight you need.  For instance I am 200 and wear a 5mm suit I use 23 pounds of weight.

SPEARGUNS:  For WI waters I found that 55-90cm is ideal on length.  If you were to buy one gun - make it a 75cm.  For clearer lakes like LAKE MICHIGAN 90-120 is good.  My favorite gun is a 75cm HAMMERHEAD.  Other Brands I recommend are:  Omer Excalibur, JBL Sawed off Woody, Spetton ALS, Just to name a few.  Also, POLESPEARS and HAWIIAN SLINGS give it even more of a challenge

FLOATS:  An AB float is nice and holds lots of gear- but I haven’t figured out how to put a flag on it yet.  Get a float that is durable and has options to hold gear.  You’ll also need a 25’ float line.

STRINGER:  You’ll need something to hold your fish.  Hoop Stringers are nice- but if you plan on a massacure of Carp get a "Speed Stringer".  Also wouldn’t hurt to carry a smaller stringer for those PANFISH you choose to cook up!

That is about it.  There are other things you can get to help like: Knife, Underwater Camera, Monofin, Underwater Scooter

People don't understand why I HATE carp- here's why:

They are not native to this land, they have no predators other than man and devour food that would normally be eaten by game fish.  This creek I fish which is about 1 mile from my house, used to be the GOLDEN FISHING SPOT for me.  It wouldn't be uncommon for me to go there and catch 20-30 fish in 2 hours.  That included everything: Perch, Bluegills, Crappies, Walleye, Muskies, Northern Pike, Large Mouth Bass, Trout, Catfish and bullheads.  I don't remember seeing Carp in there about 8 years ago- slowly I noticed carp- and every year there were more and MORE.  I also noticed I was catching less and less fish- It wasn't from being overfish, as I was the only one that would go up stream and there was no public access or houses on the banks.  NOW DAYS you can fish it for 2 hours and you MIGHT catch 2-3 Large Mouth Bass or a few Bluegills under the bridge- THAT'S IT!  But, The Carp- The Carp are thriving.  In the spring time there are THOUSANDS of CARP- They are so thick you could walk across their backs.  The water when I first started fishing there was very clear, as a good trout stream should be- now, it's very dirty and murky.  And you can always find Carp in there - NOW.  This has been happening to alot of areas in Wisconsin.  Some areas/townships/cities will actually pay you to get rid of the carp.  Some will put a bounty of .50 cents per carp.  I've even seen some lakes get drained to kill all the fish- because of the carp and then they restock the lake- Costing the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) lots of money.  I've never eaten one of these fowl fish- but I know they stink pretty bad and the DNR says not to eat large fish cause of the large amounts of Mercury in them.  I could shoot 1,000 carp a year and still not make a dent in this species. 

These Carp don't go to complete waste though- I usually use them as fertilizers in my field and in the garden.  Not to mention the occasional Eagle or Red Tail hawk that feeds on the remains.  I do plan on buying a smoker and trying to eat an occasional small carp- just to try it. But nothing over 10 lbs.

Doing a dive on New Years Day, 2008 at the OUTLET. 

Where: Lake Monona, Madison, WI  (the OUTLET)

When:  10am till 2ish

Who: Any Spearos/Freedivers that can make it

What to expect: Cold water, Lots of Fish and hopefully GREAT Visability, A good start to the 2008 Rough Fish Contest.