Stringer, Bag or Something Else?

[SpearSlinger1]

#1 and I are currently using bags clipped to our floats to secure our fish, but I have a problem with this arrangement. I'm not real crazy about the idea of having to take the fish off the shaft before securing it to the float . In the back of my mind I'm always thinking that either the fish going into the bag or a previously speared fish will come shooting out of the bag and when it happens it will be the biggest one we ever shot . I'm thinking of going to one of the loop type metal stringers.

What do you use for reef hunting?

[Jay Styron]

Hi Spear,
I use the loop type stringer or s.s. cable stringer. The main point w/ any type of stringer is to make sure the fish is dead BEFORE you take it off the shaft. A knife stick to the brain will do the job nicely. A narrow long blade specially made for this would be recommended. Riffe, esclapez and sporasub all make good knives for this. This accomplishes two things. First, the fish won't be thrashing about sending bad signals to other predators; second, it will stop it from bleeding quicker. I then run the stringer through the gills and mouth then take the shaft out. As w/ everything there's a down side to this method. If there are barracuda in the area they will steal your catch once they notice all those pretty fish hanging there like a bunch of grapes . Also if you're collecting lobsters, shells, ect. you'll need someplace to put them anyway. If thats a possibility then I'd keep a bag rolled up attached to the float and use if needed. Besides, how are you going to fit a 100# trevally in a mesh bag .
BTW: I spent a few days on Ishigaki a few years ago. It's a beautiful area. I only got to freedive one day but I'd like to get back there.
Jay

[SpearSlinger1]

Thanks for the suggestions, Jay . #1 and I went spearing yesterday with the old two bags on each float arrangement and as soon as we got home and got the fish cleaned and put away we hopped back in the Land Cruiser and went to the dive shop. Today when we went spearing we took a bag and a stringer per float. We got the safetypin type stainless steel stringers made by Trident. It has a little loop on the top for a snap and the big loop on the bottom for the fish. Works like a champ. Although the first fish we shot today was a parrotfish and I still had to take him off the shaft before I put him on the stringer because I shot him through both eyes.

[icarus pacific]

Well, shooting them through the eyes works too!

You're right to follow Senor Stylron's advice with the stringers. The safety pin type you (and I) use are real easy to use and rarely get snagged...we here in No Cal wear them when we're on tanks and feeding the fish prior to the big comps... If you wanna save yourself some time and you're by your float when you shoot your fish, always a good thing by the way, put a tad bit more point on the stringer's end that you'd lace thorugh the gills and mouth, and next time, before you remove the shaft from the fish, run the stringer through the eyes and fasten. This will usually sever the spinal column and/or brain them, making things nice, calm and dead.

I'm waiting for an ex-Mother-In-Law size to come out...


sven