Fish stringer: bad loss!

[Mr. X]

I guess buoyancy should be a required feature of any float. Yes fibre glass will sink if it fills with water and there is no supplementary buoyancy (thinking back to the canoes of my youth). I would think a couple of large polystyrene blocks would do the trick but would use up some of that fish storage space. Maybe they should look at the SOT kayaks for inspiration, rather than the old glass fibre kayaks?

BTW I wore the simple Omer belt stringer (i.e. not the fancy Marco B. one), from apnea.co.uk, out yesterday. I didn't catch any fish (got a nice lobster in my pot though) so didn't get to fully test it but it stayed in place nicely, didn't get in the way & tuck in very neatlly behind my curved weight. Much better than my home-made one, I will definitely be using it again.

[irtrogdor]

Originally Posted by blaiz

Although sharks are a big concern here you still will see alot of top spearos use a belt kui. I used one for a long time. Had many encounters with sharks but only one that scared me enough to stop using the belt kui. It sucks too because when you have those Ukus floating around above your head the others seem to come right in. Easy Pickings!

Im sure its common sense, but anyone planning on using a belt kui (stringer) never use steel cable, always use mono. I have had to cut a few kuis because of them getting stuck in the coral while diving, steel will drown you. If you are using a kui on your float, always use steel cable. Ive lost too many mono kuis to sharks. Atleast with the steel the shark has to work on it to get your fish, gives you some time to get to your float and "shoo" the shark. Though I have had a 9ft great hammerhead bite through 1000# rated steel cable with one pull

Hey Willloomy, where in Hawaii are you? Hawaii divers on this site are few and far between. Its good to hear from one.

+1
I used nylon line for my stringer the first time, and guess what - a stingray took off with my brothers catch. So even if there aren't sharks around (like where i fish) still use the steel cable. Eels, stringray, and probably even some other fish like to eat things sitting around in the open.

[bluewaterkiller]

store the fish out from water..!

[blaiz]

Originally Posted by bluewaterkiller

store the fish out from water..!

I know this would be ideal but where I dive pulling around a large boogieboard is a little too combersome. There is usually a pretty good wind chop and where we enter usually a pretty good sized swell. My buddy used to use a boogieboard but it ended up being too much of a hassle. Anytime the wind chop or swell cought the board the wrong way it would flip. To me its just to much added frustration and less drag. Also I think keeping your fish cool in the water reduces the spoil factor as well. These are just thoughts from my experiences though. I do like your float set up you posted "bluewaterkiller"

[thornton]

I am new to this so I'm hoping someone can clarify. The different options are: 1)stringer tied directly to wieght belt/diver, 2) stringer tied to a tow line and towline tied diver, 3) speed stringer to gun and gun attached to float via towline and 4) stringer attached to float and float attached to diver via tow line.

Is it a hassle dragging around a float? Isn't it always pulling on you?

[Mr. X]

Originally Posted by thornton

I am new to this so I'm hoping someone can clarify. The different options are: 1)stringer tied directly to wieght belt/diver, 2) stringer tied to a tow line and towline tied diver, 3) speed stringer to gun and gun attached to float via towline and 4) stringer attached to float and float attached to diver via tow line.

Is it a hassle dragging around a float? Isn't it always pulling on you?

Hi Thorton,

I've not come across #2 before - I would think that might be very dangerous.

You missed the method I use (#5?), which is steel cable RA stringer attached to the back of my float, with the float line attached to the spear gun rather than me (South African style). This would be the only set-up (other than a platt/planche/boat/yak to store fish on) I would consider using in sharky waters. I wouldn't want to be attached to anything a shark might take. Also, as Blaiz points out, it helps stop the fish spoiling - an issue even in cloudy, rainy Britain (it is beautiful here today by the way, tides are good too. Unfortunately, I won't be spearing today].

[blaiz]

Originally Posted by thornton

I am new to this so I'm hoping someone can clarify. The different options are: 1)stringer tied directly to wieght belt/diver, 2) stringer tied to a tow line and towline tied diver, 3) speed stringer to gun and gun attached to float via towline and 4) stringer attached to float and float attached to diver via tow line.

Is it a hassle dragging around a float? Isn't it always pulling on you?

Youve got the gist of it except Im not sure what you mean by #2 (like Mr. X said). I use a hard lifeguard flot (kinda looks like a torpedo w/handles) and its very streamlined. You can feel it but it doesnt add much drag. When I get to an area that I would like to check out I just anchor my float w/ a little 1lb weight (possible because I have a reel on my gun) I will not dive w/out a float now as I explained in a previous experience. (Check out "My New Haircut" in the beginer hunting threads. Sharks are one concern but boats are another and as far as im concerned way more dangerous. The only hassle with a float and Kui is that the fish add a little more drag. But drag due to a good catch isnt really a reasonable downfall.

[irtrogdor]

My set up goes something like this. I don't think I've ever been in the water with less than two other spearos before. I guess I'm lucky (sometimes its annoying though). Since I didn't really have the resources to build three or four or five floats, I just build one central float that we put out in deeper water to warn boats off. Thankfully they are all fishermen boats so they are pretty aware of divers. There is a steel cable fish stringer on the float as well as a medium dive bag to put stuff in (water, tips, pliers, gloves, booties). Besides that central float I also have a mono stringer on me to stow my fish and give me a change at a another shot on the way back to the float.

complaints...
The float is never real close when you need it. Sometimes I really wish I had a convinient way to tow it behind me. Every time I've tried that is tugs and tangles me.

[thornton]

Blaiz, could you clarify how the reel on your gun allows you to anchor your float. I thought the line on the reel was attached to the spear and allowed one to real the spear in, am I wrong? How does the reel work, what is it for and what is the line attached to?

[blaiz]

Originally Posted by thornton

Blaiz, could you clarify how the reel on your gun allows you to anchor your float. I thought the line on the reel was attached to the spear and allowed one to real the spear in, am I wrong? How does the reel work, what is it for and what is the line attached to?

Sorry, after I read what I wrote I thought that might confuse someone. By that I mean that the reel enables me to shoot large fish w/out a float. Alot of divers in hawaii use a float attached to the back of their gun (via tag/float line) or on a breakaway system and therefore no need for a reel. When a fish is shot they are able to let go of there gun and the fish will be attached to the float therefore enabling the diver to reach the surface and carry on the fight with the float line and float.

My float has a 100ft float line and I have a 1 lb weight. When Im swimming I attach the float to my gun as its easier and if I see a fish I can take a drop and not worry about the line. If I find a spot I think I might want to be at for a while I take the floatline off of my gun, attach the weight to the FL, and drop it in the reef. The reel is just another way to land large fish w/ out a float. Essencially the float is there to store fish and warn boats.

You are correct about the reel. It is mounted a little forward of the handle and the line goes through a stainless loop at the muzzle of my gun and is then attached to 2 wraps of mono shooting line. I also have a bungee inbetween this connection. Many reel users feel you dont need the bungee as the reel is there to give the fish "play." I like the bungee because when I know Im going to be shooting smaller game I can lock the reel and now the bungee lets the fish play. This is just so that a smaller fish cant peel off a bunch of line and cause a hassle. quicker reloading as well.

Hope that clears a little up for you

[thornton]

Thanks Blaiz, very helpful explanation.

[blaiz]

Originally Posted by irtrogdor

.
complaints...
The float is never real close when you need it. Sometimes I really wish I had a convinient way to tow it behind me. Every time I've tried that is tugs and tangles me.

What type of float do you use? I know that pulling my life guard float isnt much of a problem at all. I also like the added safety of something to hold on too if I get tired or seasick or have a SWBO experience. I have experienced all of these and I am very glad I had my float close to me on all occasions.

I could see how towing a dive bag w/ stuff in it could add a lot of drag. I have hooked a bag of squid to my float for chum once and it felt as if I was towing a parachute.

Have you ever thought about having your central float for all divers and then a personal float? Also you say that you dont like getting tangled in the lines... are you using float lines? I use a DIY float line that I made stringing 250lb mono through clear vinyl fish tank tubing. There is a heavy duty swivel and tuna clip on either end and is sealed w/ silicone. It doesnt get tangled easy and floats really well keeping it on the surface and out of the way.

[blaiz]

This may give you a better idea of what it is im talking about

[irtrogdor]

My float is a modified boogie board. It actually creates very little drag and it quite light. (see it here) The thing could probably float 100 lbs (40 Kgs?) if it had to. Its big enough for a 180 lbs dude to boogie board on. The pulling is probably because I didn't have enough line rigged up to it. It was about 30 feet (10m). I hadn't considered using a different type of line though, does it really make a ton of difference? Is it the positive buoyancy or non-twistyness of it that helps?

Nice float BTW. It looks like you ripped that one off a spearo website, but if yours is close to that, nice job.

[settingsteel]

Blaiz's lifeguard can is an old reliable stand-by. I tried stringer to float, and some of the depths we dive the up/down speed stringer but wasn't too convinced and went back to my old method of "fish on belt" but with a mono line rather than SS cable...I've used this setup for almost 20 years (I use to stuff the fish in my rashguard, well err...ummm 20 yrs ago they were tights back in the day). I always Ike jime my fish as soon as they are shot and usually will gut them within 5 minutos after stringing (2 good things about gutting aside-from instant chum-it streamlines the fish-in some of the depths we dive the contant up/down causes the air bladder to inflate- and it cools them off) I think I've mentioned it before, but really all these methods are well proven, just a matter of what you feel most comfy with. Although I carry my catch on me I have never ever had a shark come after me or any similiar encounter (great now watch me got eaten next time I go out). As for the float I attach it to my gun, and use it as an aid to hustle bigger fish speared, and warn off boaters (yeah right). I have been playing around with a few designs and this particular float has worked amazing for reef hunting...its light, zero drag, carries the essentials and tells boaters where ye be. I don't use a float line when reef hunting I use weedwhacker mono (same for my stringer) I like this thin material (zero drag) more than a floatline or polyrope...thats my 2 cuban centavitos