Jobfish, how come my Hawaian video called it a family of deep-water snapper ? Sure don't look like any snapper .I have taken a few of this fish, none bigger than 5kg, big ones don't exist in my usual hunting ground. He he he, sounds like a skill cover-up.
I like this fish cause if I miss ( see, I am honest ) , this is the only fish I seen which tried to bite my shaft...... little fierce bastard....never realy bit but the mouth open up and it got closer to my shaft in an attack mode. I have taken a few with my 95 cm pneu and on scuba tank, me no breath holder ...yet....those days. It is usually out of range but it sure doesn't mind my bubble, as long as my breathing is constant. Now it is a rare sight and I have not been to the blue water side of the hunting ground for so long....been on the green side for the past 12 months or so.
What I learnt today over the weekend might be a good news to RA or Euro gun owners. I tested my 124cm Riffe Standard #2 Mid-Range ( rear handle ) with a Riffe original 7mm Hawaiian shaft today, a pencil piont. I was about to cut the shaft and mod it for my 85cm pneu, so I gave it a last try.........never realy try this shaft anyway. The last try I had was using a Collins Hawaiian shaft from a similiar Collins size rear handle, it has a tri-cut and the shaft is all shiny stainless since new, unlike the Riffe reddish brown when new. The Collins was 10 cm longer. Anyway , I had extreme low shots from the Collins H-shaft. 2 x 14mm band is about the maximum. If I put 3 x 14mm, I must then shoot a super big fish which is swimming verticaly instead of the usual horizontal. So my conclusion is that 7mm shaft is too thin. My spearing life has evolve around 8mm being thinnest so naturaly I go up to 9.5mm instead of going down.
I was blessed with a good 10 mtrs viz on Saturday. So I practice shooting on the pier wooden legs. I set-up my 7mm Rife H-shaft with an original 400 lbs mono, running 2 wraps, so total of 4 meters + the 123 cm shaft.
I used 2 x 14mm at first and the shaft has enough momentum to pull the gun away after exhausting the shooting line. At about 4 meters distance, the shaft trajectory drop about 3-4 cm. The recoil was almost non-existence ( in my opinion ). At 3 x 14mm rubbers, it was very flat shooting and super fast shaft speed with some recoil, the shaft momentum at max shooting line distance was pulling the gun real hard, I bet 3 wraps shooting line is required to maximize distance.
The left/right horizontal accuracy was great. Enough testing and I went to look for Rainbow Runners around my friend's Cobia holding pen. I freedive 4 two hours but no Rainbow Runners, so I took a few good to eat reef fishes, all very small. The accuracy was amazing, some rabbit fish ( a local favourite ) under the exterior net which are too deep for my lousy apnea skill, I shot from the top. I got only shoulder profile and it was about 2 cm wide and I actualy hit it where I aim. Most shots are taken with 2 x 14mm. I took a few 60cm needle shaped kind of garfish type with a crocodile jaw , this one fish has a funny green color bone, decent eating considered by the boat crew.
My conclusion is :
01. I love this Riffe 7mm Hawaiian shaft, better overall than my Riffe 8mm Hawaiian, ( but 8mm has 6 meters of 400 lbs mono )less punch but sweeter to use, better accuracy too. The best part is, same flopper length. I think the fish holding power should be the same, if not better, I mean 7mm does cut smaller wound hole.
02. It was probably a mistake to use the Collins Hawaiian shaft because it was too long for my Riffe #2. See attached photo of the length difference, tip & metal finish.
03. I remembered Sultan Sven talking of shortened Hawaiian shaft for better accuracy if with tons of rubbers. Shortened the typical long overhang of the Riffe. His Riffe Metal Tech 4 can shoot 7mm with 4 x 16mm bands with goo accuracy. This kind of power is just awesome.
My still unanswered question is, will it matter greatly to accuracy if one 7mm shaft is made with better metal and thus stiffer, compared to one made from less stiff metal, I mean in high power situation. If I picked up Alexander info, it sure matters. I am curious if say any Euro gun which honestly can take 20mm x 2 rubbers ( supposedly plenty of rubber pressure ), get a Riffe shaft as replacement....will it improve accuracy at this high rubber loading ?
My other unanswered question is, how much accuracy loss will it do to a thin 7mm Hawaiian shaft ( say based on 4 meters at 3x14mm rubbers ) , if instead of 2wraps/4 meters 400 lbs shooting line, I use 6 meters/3 wraps 400 lbs ? Dragging an extra 2 meters of coiling thick 400 lbs should sound quite a drag to a thin 7mm.
What is your opinion and how much have u guys experiment ?
I think if you guys shoot a 124cm slim teak stock Riffe Competitor #2 and load it with 3 x 14mm bands and the 7mm H-shaft, use 250 lbs mono, do 3 wraps, I am sure it will swing only 15% slower than a comparable sized Euros. I think it is under US$300, same price as high end carbon fiber Omer. Sure one gun to consider which will last you anytime longer than any Euro of any price and need no worry of breaking any parts if overpowered.
IYA
