A Deep Dive into Spearfishing with Brad Thompson of the OC Spearos

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Today’s guest is Brad Thompson a Director of the OC Spearos a fast-growing spearfishing group in Southern California.

Brad is a seasoned business-owner who’s taking the club to new heights.

In this episode with Brad Thompson, we cover the following:

Common spearfishing club misconceptions
Spearfishing safety and why he likes freediving training
How he’s expanding the palates of his group members (aka making them eat kelp and more of their catches)

If you’re interested in checking out spearfishing, then visit a club meeting or the OC Spearos website.

brad thompson oc spearos with yellowtail — Check out Brad with his PR Yellowtail

Jump to what interests you:

00:41 – Introduction to Brad and how he got started in spearfishing.

04:32 – Safety. Why Brad originally dove by himself until he learned about freediver training. You can check out freediving training at http://www.freedivinginstructors.com/.

06:58 – Some freediver safety tips. The two major themes of FII training.

13:30 – What are some of the misconceptions about spearfishing clubs?

16:50 – Why each club should cherish its own club culture.

18:06 – The mission of the OC Spearos. The three main driving goals: Safety, Education, and Conservation.

25:38 – How you can join one of their meetings even if you’re not a member.

28:27 – Why I think Brad has a direct connection to my brain. Why do I get flack for shooting an opaleye.

29:09 – Thoughts around keeping the sport of spearfishing alive using a community. How he wants to create a federation of fishing and spearfishing people to keep the ocean prosperous. Why it’s important to use the whole animal after you take it.

37:31 – What do people think people are doing when they say “spearfishing.”

39:35 – Why kelp is an untapped culinary treasure here in California.

44:39 – Why “fish porn” is overplayed and that each video should be more teaching.

50:03 – Why we shouldn’t be a “dick” to new people who want to get into spearfishing. Why do we need more people in the sport for it to stick around?

54:08 – How it’s unhealthy to focus on a goal and not understand it or the process.

57:35 – Why Brad spearfishes.

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Jon Stenstrom

Founder & Angler

Jon Stenstrom is a fishing enthusiast. He has over 25 years of fishing experience, and 6 years of spearfishing experience, and is currently learning how to boat. Jon has his Open Water PADI Certification and FII Freediver Level 1 Certification. Jon has traveled the world to fish and dive, most notably in the Great Barrier Reef, Baja Mexico, Thailand, and Malaysia. More Articles