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All About Pole Spears & Slings What is it about that traditional method of the early hunter/gatherers under the water? These devices are indeed interesting and effective.

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Old 11-15-2013, 06:39 PM   #1
Agasiorek3
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Crist or Gat Ku?

Im split and dont know which to choose. I live on the east coast of florida and would mostly be using this in the keys, where I live, or in the bahamas but not often there. Ive read crist pack more of a punch but travel a tad slower than gat kus. I like that the gat ku comes in three pieces so its easier to travel with but like the crists because I recently bought a gat ku from my friend and although it was sweet, the line attached for the ice pick is just like a liytle piece of rope instead of the crists cable. But another thing is that the crist ice pick has a flopper on it so im afraid that might make it less likely to stick in a fish with the extra drag on it. The fish id be shooting with it would be bigger snapper, hogs, grouper up to 25 pounds maybe. I have a 51 riffe for bigger stuff. This is just for bahamas and smaller stuff since my gun has a reel on it and is a pain when shooting snapper and crap. Thanks in advance
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Old 11-15-2013, 08:12 PM   #2
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Re: Crist or Gat Ku?

Crist for sure
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Old 11-15-2013, 08:52 PM   #3
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Re: Crist or Gat Ku?

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Originally Posted by kwtony View Post
Crist for sure
Do you like the slip tip on it? And im guessing you prefer the 8 ft?
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Old 11-15-2013, 08:54 PM   #4
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Re: Crist or Gat Ku?

Neither.

I'd get a Riffe or Head Hunter.

And get the Head Hunter slip tip, hands down the best.

C
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Old 11-15-2013, 09:07 PM   #5
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Re: Crist or Gat Ku?

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Originally Posted by cldomson1 View Post
Neither.

I'd get a Riffe or Head Hunter.

And get the Head Hunter slip tip, hands down the best.

C
Really? Ive read a lot of threads and most people argue between gat ku and crist. I like the riffes but people say they are the same thing but just more over priced because of the name. I don't mind paying the money at all. I have a riffe wetsuit as well as a gun and cant complain about either products but I just dont want to pay more for something if it really doesnt offer anything better
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Old 11-15-2013, 10:40 PM   #6
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Re: Crist or Gat Ku?

Headhunter for the win...If you say the keys will be your main hunting area then a crist is fine but a little over kill in my opinion. Most fish you'll target are snapper, and hogs, and grouper up to about 15-20lbs. All the spears mentioned can do that job so it comes down to personal preference and having spent a good part of the summer in the bahamas, and keys and having owned just about ever polespear made, my go to spear is my headhunter. It is so ridiculously fast and because its made of a heavier carbon/glass mixture it packs just as much punch as a crist. Like Charlie said, there is not a better slip tip on the market. If I could rig it to work on my speargun I would. The band headhunter uses is called a big game band because it has spectra reinforcement running through it so it acts as a bungee without worrying about it breaking if you hold on the band while fighting fish. The Riffe is a game changer as far as polespears go as well. It breaks down so easily and you can fit it in a backpack. Perfect for travel! Its surprisingly light for how powerful it is. I shot my biggest black grouper of 55lbs with a riffe this summer. It blasted completely through the fish from a ridiculously far distance...way further than ive ever seen a polespear shoot before. The drawback of the riffe is that it is more expensive than the other ones, but you wont be disappointed by any means. There is always the risk of a carbon spear breaking if wedged in a rock with a wild fish, but if a fish is in a hole, then you can take your time to line up a better shot and not risk breaking the spear. If the headhunter breaks, Brad has excellent customer service and will take care of you. If a riffe breaks, chances are it will only be one section, so it can easily be replaced for a small fee. Polespears are realitively inexpensive and its not really a big deal if a big ass fish breaks one and you land him! It makes buying a new one easy!
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Old 11-15-2013, 10:44 PM   #7
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Re: Crist or Gat Ku?

Headhunter Carnage
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Old 11-15-2013, 10:49 PM   #8
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Re: Crist or Gat Ku?

Riffe Carnage

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Old 11-16-2013, 05:17 AM   #9
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Re: Crist or Gat Ku?

^^^ Hahaha, thats one hell of a follow up post. Cant argue with the man, these headhunter spears are the bee knees of poles. But you asked between crist or gatku...

The Crist is a very sturdy and solid spear and i got the chance to use the 6 footer for a while, I did like the slip tip, but wouldn't hesitate to swap it out if I fancied something else. I also prefer the 8 footer, but thats just because I like having the extra power when needed. Youll have a tough time breaking the Crist spear and it will no doubt hold up over those long long days of killing fish and dragging on the reef. Overkill is never a bad thing, but Id personally call it over engineered, which I will take any day of the week.

All in all, you cant go wrong between Crist OR the Headhunter spear. Give Aaron Crist a call and he will gladly help you decide which of his spears is the best option for you .

One other brand you could also consider is the Keller Aquatics Spear. Check them out.
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Old 11-16-2013, 05:28 AM   #10
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Re: Crist or Gat Ku?

The riffe spears and any carbon spear for the matter will not stand the test of time. Every time you shoot a rock your making a spiderweb of fractures in the carbon. You will essentially will eventually explode the spear after enough contact with rocks. Buddy has a riffe, great spear not worth the money, especially when it blows up on him down the road somewhere.
Polespears need to be made of metal and the best I have used or seen is the christ by far.
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Old 11-16-2013, 06:24 AM   #11
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Re: Crist or Gat Ku?

If you are chasing fish 20+ most of the time, the crist is the one for you. An awesome spear for bigger game. If less than 20, gat-ku, which is totally different and great for reef fish.
I have both and they are my favourite spears (both of them) depending on what I Am chasing.
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Old 11-16-2013, 11:48 AM   #12
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Re: Crist or Gat Ku?

I have not used the Riffe, headhunter or Crist but I have used a lot of aluminum polespears like the Crist and from what I have found you cannot go wrong with an aluminum spear like the Crist.
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Old 11-16-2013, 01:34 PM   #13
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Re: Crist or Gat Ku?

Dang nolan you didn't make this any easier haha. I guess now its between the riffe and headhunter... I really like the headhunter, just wish it came in smaller parts like the riffe but I think im still leaning towards it.
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Old 11-19-2013, 06:50 AM   #14
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Re: Crist or Gat Ku?

Well, I have 2 gat-ku spears now and enough riffe parts to make 2 full spears right out to 13ft.

IMHO, the 2 just aren't comparable.

They might be both pole spears but the riffe is stiffer and ALOT thicker than the gat-ku.
I would suggest too, the gat-ku, rigged with comparable band, is faster by some margin to the riffe.

In the hand, the riffe feels so much more 'meaty' but, in the water, a half or full twist of the band and loaded the spears are different indeed.

I like both, for different reasons but like for like comparison? I don't think so.

Just my opinion of course.
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Old 11-19-2013, 07:48 AM   #15
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Re: Crist or Gat Ku?

Kraken, what length Riffe polespear do you use?
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