Noob Spearo Podcast

Interview with Michael Heitzman & Ben Eckert Today's live interview is with Michael Heitzmann & Ben Eckert of the Brisbane Bullsharks! We talk all things Brisbane spearfishing, gear and training! Both are extremely talented divers in their own right, tonight we host a live interview and Q&A at the Brisbane Bullsharks pool! Loads of info about Brisbane spearfishing, spearing Kingfish, choosing and using gear, dealing with sharks, finding spots and so much more! Which speargun should you get? What's the best way to load it? How do you handle it underwater? Another in our series of live interviews, we hope you enjoy it and hope you learned something! If you have any more questions for Shrek, Michael or Ben, put them in the comments! Check out the club and get involved through their ! Important times: 00:13 Intro 03:10 Welcome! 04:20 Thanks for having us Michael! What are we doing tonight? 06:05 Hello Ben! How are you involved with the Brisbane Bullsharks? 07:25 Shrek's spearfishing story. 09:22 Mich

Top 20 Spearfishing YouTube Channels Today's live interview is with James Sakker and we go through the top 20 spearfishing YouTube channels as voted by the Noob Spearo Community on Facebook! Spearos get to see the world through a very unique lense and sometimes they bring a camera along with them so we can join them on their adventures. Although hugely underrated and underexposed, these spearos have made some amazing videos, some that can compete with professional filmmakers! So here is us getting all these names together so you can watch them! Today's episode is a full video, so be sure to check it out on YouTube if you have only listened! The Top 20 Spearfishing YouTube Channels         Honourable Mentions   Listen in and subscribe on iOS or Android Important Links:     Noob Spearo Partners and Discount Codes . Use the code NOOBSPEARO save $20 on every purchase over $200 at checkout – Flat shipping rate, especially in AUS!

Interview with Captain Aaron Young Today's live interview is with Captain Aaron Young, aka @KeyWestWaterman and @DibsOnBottom_Adventures and Youtube and Instagram! You probably know him from his amazing Youtube videos from out in the Florida Keys, he joins us to talk all about his home, spearing, running charters and getting Noob Spearos into the water! Great info for targeting and eating Wahoo, how to brain and bleed fish, dealing with sharks and line management. If you find yourself in Florida, pay him a visit and get out spearing with him! Important times: 00:13 Intro 03:45 Welcome Captain Aaron Young! 04:40 What are the Florida Keys? 06:40 Living in Mangroves 08:25 How did you get into the business? 09:50 Commercial spearfishing and fisheries management in Florida 12:15 Tell us about your charters! Where did Dibs On Bottom come from? 17:00 Mangrove and Cubera Snapper 18:00 ID fish, how to identify fish in a new place 23:35 Common advice for Noob Spearos 26:10 Teaching and instructing 29:05 How long does

Episode 200 Special Today we celebrate a huge milestone: our 200th episode! We contacted a bunch of old guests to see where they were now and how their spearfishing has progressed, what they've learned since and what's new in their lives since they were on the show. Who would have guessed a small spearfishing podcast would have reached this point -  over a million downloads, thousands of followers and a huge vibrant community of like minded people who all love spearfishing! Here's to keeping the stoke alive for the next 200 episodes and beyond! From Shrek, Brandon, Pat and Livia -  a HUGE thank you to everyone that listens and supports the podcast! Important times: 00:13 Intro 03:10 Welcome Captain Dan Walsh! 07:45 10:50 15:10 99 Spearo Recipes 18:15 23:40 We miss Turbo! 24:35 27:00 Stats - over a million listens! 28:35 31:20 34:20 Buddy Walsh and how to listen to the podcast 39:50 42:00 45:05 Guy Kabot 46:20 Jake Hewitt 49:45 James Sakker 52:00 53:55 54:40 56:50 01:00:15 01:02:25 Mike Duff 01:0

Interview with Gunther Pfrengle Today's live interview is with Gunther Pfrengle at Adreno Sydney! An absolute legend in the spearing community, spearfishing for almost 5 decades now, he has had more than his fair share of action out in and on the water. From spearing a 282kg tuna on camera to powerboat records going full steam in thick fog, dealing with sharks to competing in the deepest ever spearfishing competition in Greece, Gunther has had a few exciting experiences! Learn what drove him to get into the water and what kept him there for all these years. Pranger vs flopper, dual weight systems, competition spearing stories and tips and so much more. Have a listen and let us know what you think!   Important times: 00:13 Intro 03:50 Welcome Gunther, your reputation proceeds you! 04:50 Growing up in Bundeena 05:25 Early start in the water 07:30 Starting competition spearfishing 1973 and being in a club 11:00 Reality of commercial abalone diving 15:00 Scary story and how spearfishing saved 2 lives 20:30 Sydne

Interview with the Central Coast Sealions (x6) Today's interview is with 6 of the Central Coast Sealions! Several ex-presidents, the current president and a bunch of super stoked spearos join Cam and Shrek as they chat all things Central Coast diving and how being involved in a club has made a huge difference. Get an window into the inner workings of a spearfishing club from the guys that do it, organising comps to getting noob spearos into the water to being a good boaty, today's conversation is an interesting one! Tips for diving the headlands, predicting weather conditions, being a good boaty, how to disguise your photos to hide the location and some hilarious stories from the guys who've been diving out there. Lots of laughter and some really actionable info, let us know what you think in the comments! Follow them on Instagram: and join their Shrek mentioned about the fishing lures and the sounds they make.   Important times: 00:13 Intro 07:00 Welcome Alistair! 08:30 Club social meetings, welcome Andr

Interview with Simon Horvath Today's interview is with Simon Horvath! If nothing else, this episode will convince you to join a spearfishing club! The wealth of knowledge, opportunities and lessons you get through being in a club is a sure way to get better at spearfishing and have a great time doing it. A club will help get you through that first year, teach you things you would have otherwise taken years to learn and ultimately make you a better diver. Another important benefit is being connected to the voice of spearfishing in your area. With so many stories about new protected areas essentially making spearfishing inaccessible and illegal, having a connection your local government to have your voice heard as a spearfisherman is extremely important. Simon has been playing this role for the Central Coast spearos and been a voice for fisho's and spearos alike. Go find out about your local clubs and join! If there are none, consider starting one yourself! Important times: 00:13 Intro 03:45 We are midway thro

Interview with James Sakker Today's interview is James Sakker! It's day 3 of Shrek and Cam's East Australian Coast trip and they are chatting with James Sakker! Whales and sharks become a big talking point with loads of stories of encounters and tips for dealing with them yourself. Also some bonus tips for hunting Mackeral and drift diving! Lots of laughter and great stories!  Important times: 00:13 Intro 06:55 No lobsters were harmed in the making of this podcast! 07:50 Day 3 on our mission 09:30 You picked an amazing time to come, not 10:55 Big whales and a baby whale 14:25 Tail slapped by a whale 15:40 Scariest whale story 17:40 Diving with Dodgy and a Bull shark! 22:10 Cam's shark encounter 25:15 How should you handle sharks when you shoot a fish? Keep eye contact, roar or make a loud noise underwater. You're big, be aggressive. Except Bull sharks. 30:40 Sharks have strict hierarchies, especially Great Whites. A smart shark is a cautious one. 32:10 Encounters with aggressive sharks 35:00 Poking sharks aw

Interview with Tom Sandstrom, Angus Knox and Cameron Wise Today's interview is a little different, join Shrek and his good mate Cam as they go on a spearfishing road trip down to Sydney! Today we are in the Moonee Tavern in Coffs Harbour after a day of spearing, having a few brews, a good meal and a great chat with mates! Shorediving, breaking in new wetsuits, cooking tips and what conditions you can expect when diving around Coffs Harbour. Join Shrek and his mates in the pub after a day of spearfishing!  Important times: 00:13 Intro 06:05 Welcome everyone! 07:00 New wetsuits 10:25 Shorediving in Coffs Harbour 11:30 Abalone: size, how to find them and how to cook them 13:50 How is your seafood game? 16:20 Cooking fails 17:30 Mushy Kingfish Pastrami 19:25 Dry-Aging 21:45 Icing fish 24:45 Smoked Mullet 27:35 What conditions can we expect diving here? 31:50 Too cold for Kingfish? 33:30 Tips for shooting big Kingy's 36:45 Hunting Parrot fish and Dhufish 40:20 Do you wear a GoPro? 43:25 What are the best months f

Interview with Kevin Glen Today's interview is with Kevin Glen former owner/operator of Mantis Spearfishing, a friend of Forrest Galante and the only guy to shoot a Marlin in California! An engineer and innovator in the spearfishing world with countless awesome stories of him and his mates out in the water! From shooting and losing a Sailfish in Durban to tracking down Yellow Tail and Sea Bass in the Channel Islands, he is a great source of information and knowledge in California. Hear some of his stories in the water, the journey of learning to spearfish and the stoke of doing it with great friends. Be sure to check out Mantis Spearfishing and grab their last stock!   Important times: 00:13 Intro 04:50 Welcome Kevin! Tell us about this Marlin! 10:10 You engineered a dive float? 13:50 You have an unusual spearfishing story with a bunch of famous friends! 15:55 Setting the record straight on the record Sea Bass with Forrest Galante! 18:55 What's the spearfishing community like there? 20:10 Wind and swell cond

Interview with Rodney Pacitti Today's interview is with Rodney Pacitti, aka RoKKiT KiT on Youtube! Today is a gold mine for all things spearfishing and Youtube! Rodney has a successful Youtube channel with almost half a million subs that started off with kayak fishing adventures all the way to solo camping, catch cook videos. He tells us about his channel's success, how he started it, the tips and tricks he uses, how he films and advice for beating the algorithm! Give his channel a follow and let us know what you think of the interview! Rodney makes a living making these videos, be sure to give them a watch and see what he's getting up to. What Youtube advice did we miss? Let us know!     Important times: 00:13 Intro 03:25 Welcome Rodney! You were requested! 04:30 Tell us about your Youtube channel! 08:25 Kayak fishing 10:40 Kayak diving 12:00 Where do you go kayaking? 14:00 The fishing lifestyle 15:40 How do you film your trips? 18:55 Acting vs real life 20:35 Youtube inspiration 23:55 Your job as an entert

Interview with Paul Rodriguez Today's interview is with Paul Rodriguez of Hot Rod Spearguns! A well traveled spearo that has a passion for making great spearguns, he gives us his best advice on designing and building a speargun and he lets us in on a special project he's busy with... a travel speargun! It breaks into 2 parts for easy travel and fits back together into a powerful and effective speargun to take with on holiday! All this and more! Is Cobia the best eating fish? Or is it African Pompano? Maybe it's the Jobfish! Some robust conversation and interesting insights into the different types of spearfishing in different parts of the world. Also, some great advice for hunting Dogtooth Tuna! Enjoy the episode and let us know what you think!   Important times: 00:13 Intro 04:30 Hello and welcome Paul! 05:25 You have invented a travel speargun that comes in two parts? How did this come about? 08:55 How do you build your spearguns? 10:40 R&D in spearfishing is long and expensive. How do you protect your

Interview with Captain Bly Today's interview is with Captain Bly, owner and Captain of Lineage Charters and the craftsman of Captain Bly Spearguns! A well accomplished spearo who builds spearguns and runs what sounds like amazing fishing charters! Learn about the mighty Bluefin and Yellowfin Tuna and how to hunt them, how he assists spearos to be better hunters in his local waters and some great tips on aging and caring for your fish to make it taste better! All round tons of great info and good conversation about spearfishing charters, spearguns and getting the best eating out of your catch. Be sure to check out Captain Bly on and his websites: and !   Important times: 00:13 Intro 06:15 Welcome Captain Bly! How did you fall in love with the ocean? 07:50 Your passion for making spearguns 10:55 What changes have you made in your speargun designs? 12:15 Instinctive aiming 14:15 Ballasting, testing and salt water 18:10 Injury from a big recoil 20:15 You're a veteran, how has that impacted your spearfishing? 2

Interview with Yianni Barthelmess Today's interview is with Yianni Barthelmess, multiple recipe contributor and all round frothing spearo from Shellharbour NSW! Drawing from his dad's love for the ocean, he has really turned his life into an ocean inspired one! A talented chef as well, he has submitted several recipes to 99 Spearo Recipes and has a bunch of catch cook videos on his YouTube and Instagram! Get some actionable gardening tips, practical chef skills and some awesome advice for dealing with sharks! We talk everything from food to gardening for seafood, sharks, shorediving and more! Listen in and let us know what you think!   Important times: 00:13 Intro 05:30 Welcome Yianni Barthelmess! 07:15 Are you a professional chef? 08:40 Growing a lot of food 11:55 Rain and fish stocks 16:25 How did you start spearfishing at 7? 17:55 Traveling and spearfishing 19:25 What did you learn about spearfishing in a new place? 21:20 How do you find fish? 23:50 The need to be efficient 24:25 Lessons to spear by 26:40

Interview with Chris Adair Today's interview is with Chris Adair from Bottom Dwellers Freediving in British Columbia and we talk everything cold water freediving and spearfishing! Depending on who you ask, "cold" water can mean different things, but when we talk about the cold water that Chris deals with, it's not messing around! Learn some great tips for getting better at diving in sub 10 degree C water, staying warm and comfortable and about some of the awesome initiatives he runs where he partners with First Nations People communities in remote locations and introduces them to spearfishing and freediving! Learn some great tips and how he is giving back to those around him in such an awesome way! Important times: 00:13 Intro 03:45 @DeepWaterDreamin Patrick Ryan voice message 06:05 Welcome Chris Adair! How did you get into freediving and spearfishing? 07:40 You teach freediving professionally 08:25 Bottom Dwellers! We mostly hunt bottom dwelling fish. 11:20 Hunting on the bottom is it's own technique to lea

Interview with Devin O'Dea and Eric Keener Today's interview is with Eric O'dea of the Backcountry Hunters (BHA) and Anglers and Eric Keener of Fin and Forage! We chat everything 30/30, MPA's, conservation, hunting and how they all connect. We also have a great chat about the upcoming Catch and Cook comp with Fin and Forage, the BHA and Messermeister. A spearfishing competition mixed in with masterchef with a beach cleanup and urchin culling event with prizes for each different category, this is a great idea and we can't wait to see this comp happen! You can visit to find out more! Follow Fin and Forage on Instagram and YouTube to get all the latest content they make and hear all the news about this comp! Important times: 00:13 Intro 03:25 Hello and welcome Devin and Eric! 05:30 The Backcountry Hunters and Anglers: what is it and why is it important? 08:00 Hunter and conservationist 12:10 Growing up with deer in your garden 14:25 Eric Keener from Fin and Forage, reintroduce yourself! 18:50 30/30: What is it

Interview with Samuel Mumford Today's interview is with Samuel Mumford, the frothing Cornish Muso spearo living down under! Growing up in Cornwall, he started spearfishing, frankly by punching them with a blunt speargun. Have a listen to the episode to hear his experience with the Mike Tyson Speargun! From almost getting drowned by a crab to the infamous Cornish Sea Turtle, he has some great tips for hunting fish like Dhufish and Mangrove Jack and has a lot of knowledge other spearos can learn from. With a great attitude and a clear and obvious love for the ocean, we think you will enjoy today's episode with Samuel Mumford! Important times: 00:13 Intro 01:50 Mitch Noober Story 07:05 Welcome Samuel Mumford! 08:05 You perform at night and spearfish during the day 09:00 What is your daily spearfishing like? 11:35 Growing up in Cornwall 12:20 The Mike Tyson speargun! 17:00 Respect the learning curve 19:10 A memorable catch 23:30 East coast vs west coast of Austrailia 26:20 Who are you diving with these days? 27

Interview with Jamie Ryves Today's interview is with Jamie Ryves from Norfolk Island who now lives in Vanuatu! Originally a chef, circumstances meant that work was hard to come by which caused a shift in his lifestyle. He now lives on a smaller island around Vanuatu and goes spearfishing twice a week to support his family! He takes some unbelievable footage, if you have any interest in big game fish like Dogtooth Tuna, this will be your new favourite source of video! Stunning conditions, excellent tips for hunting big Dogtooth and personal stories of Samba's and Shallow Water Blackouts and how he is a safer diver because of them. Check out one of the around!   Important times: 00:13 Intro 02:50 Hello and welcome Jamie! You are from Norfolk Island? 03:55 You live the spearo life and take amazing footage 05:25 The currents are a mystery 06:05 Where did you grow up? 07:50 You are a chef? Are you still cooking? 10:05 You are a specialist Dogtooth Tuna hunter! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fijsU8Goxig) 13:30

Interview with Matthew Novakovich Today's interview is with Matthew Novakovich, the man behind Ocean State Spearguns! Born out of seeing a need that he could fulfill, Ocean State Spearguns are hand-crafted timber spearguns that can be customized to your liking! Want a big mid-handle 5 band blue water speargun? Or how about a short speargun for low viz diving and shooting in caves? Matthew has you covered! Starting as a small hobby, he gave Cameron Kirkconnell one of his spearguns to test and he's been making more ever since! Doing most of his diving in the usually dirty and cold Atlantic, he has learned a thing or two about making robust spearguns that work well and look good while doing it. Check out to see what he's doing! He has some great insights into barotrauma and has a story about how it almost ended his diving career but more importantly - how he responded. If you have a barotrauma and are being told you'll never dive again then give the Divers Alert Network (DAN) a call! Visit their website and vi

Interview with Will Brunker Today's interview is with Will Brunker of Aquagat! An innovator in the speargun world, Will has developed several unique and bespoke designs and components for spearguns! Colourful, tough and functional! He gave up his day job to go into making spearguns and components full time and has been making it work! We don't talk much about his spearfishing journey but we sure do geek out about spearguns, from designing them to making custom and unique parts and everything in between. Today's episode is a great one for anyone interested in making their own parts or gear. Be sure to check out for all the great gear he makes!   Important times: 00:13 Intro 03:30 How to write a guest recommendation! Welcome Will! 06:00 You have made a lot of innovation with different materials 07:30 How did you start building spearguns and how do you do it? 09:30 Aquagat is a great name! 12:05 How long have you been doing this? 16:15 How do you manage the balance between work, family and spearfishing? 18:55