Reels vs Floats for Reef Hunting

[kmo]

Hi guys,

I'm just getting set-up for spearing, have been freediving for abs and crays for a few years now, but want to start getting into some deeper water with fish.

I'll be doing a lot of diving out of the Cape to Cape region in Western Austalia, which means that most of it will be chasing bottom fish such as dhu fish, snapper, and blue groper (legal here in WA) in about 15 to 20m of water.

Most of the information I've been able to get has been about bluewater hunting for pelagics, and most hunters seem to favour floats over reels, probably because the fish can dive effing deep if it wants to. Also, the diver doesn't need to swim into caves looking for the fish.

I've been trying to use a float system with my RA railgun, but have found my line constantly getting wrapped around reef. I really enjoy swimming into caves, and a lot of fish, crays, and abs live in them so I need the flexiblity to do so. I thought a gun mounted reel might be a good way to go for this.

Just wondering if everyone else has the same problem with floats, or if there is a way to make it work?

 

[crusty]

Kmo
Alot depends on if you are shore diving or diving of a boat.
If im going of a boat ( which is about 90% of the time) i would rather use a reel, you dont have the tangling problem and you not towing a float around
and when you do nail a fish its easy just to throw it into the back of the boat, a good reel with 40m of line will let you controll any fish.
But if you are shore diving i would use a float so you have some where to string your fish, there are a few bities in those waters that may want your fish and its a good to keep them as far away from yourself as possable.

Hope i have been of help

Crusty

 

[kmo]

Thanks Crusty. Do you still use the reel to fight the fish when shore diving with a float?

 

[crusty]

Thanks Crusty. Do you still use the reel to fight the fish when shore diving with a float?

No i have a few guns so i have a 1.4 set up with a Reel and a 1.2 for the float.
I imagine if you shoot a decent fish and it peels out alot of line of the reel it wouldnt take much to make one hell of a mess if it got tangeled with the float line.
If you are shore diving i would stay with the float.

Crusty

 

[Groupermadness]

Hi kmo.
i do a lot of cave hunting for grouper here in Cyprus, and shore entry with a float, the nack of the trick is, to use the most boyant float line possable,to keep it above you at all times , once it gets down it tangles to easy also when i move around rock a lot i remove the line from the gun to avoid snagging on accent, and just pull up the lose line on the surface.

 

[Mr. X]

...
I've been trying to use a float system with my RA railgun, but have found my line constantly getting wrapped around reef. I really enjoy swimming into caves, and a lot of fish, crays, and abs live in them so I need the flexiblity to do so. I thought a gun mounted reel might be a good way to go for this.

Just wondering if everyone else has the same problem with floats, or if there is a way to make it work?

Assuming that you are using a proper float line, that floats -- I wonder if you have an overly long line? I use a 20m/60ft line... which seems to be the shortest commonly sold but is plenty long enough for the reefs I have encountered so far. I have a Rob Allen float line, which is pretty good value & floats fine -- but does tend to kink (and as long time climber, I am used to coiling ropes to avoid kinks); I have started using a home made cable winder about 18" long to keep it in better order. I think Rob Allen, Riffe and others also sell more expensive sealed tube float lines [see other threads-- you can make these yourself out of Aquarium tubing...insert mono if you need to deal with big fish] -- which are much less likely to tangle; however I believe they can get damaged on reefs & leak if you are careless/unlucky.

Also, how do you use the line while swimming? I usually have my gun in the right hand and the float line in my left hand, holding the float line not far from the float itself ...so there us a big loop behind. When I dive, I think I just release the float line (or perhaps hold it near the gun)(?). The line can get in the way sometimes -- so it is usually best to keep moving & diving forward. I have had little problem so far (touch wood) -- I have been through some very dense weed & kelp.

I always thought reels would be at greater risk of tangling (if fishing reels are anything to go by) -- but I know Miles uses reels for reef fishing. His conditions are probably closer to yours too. There are existing threads discussing reels vs. floats (it seems that is the usual choice, people don't seem to use both). I think reels are popular with boat divers...who don't typically bother with floats (a boat is, after all, the ultimate spearo float!).

 

[kmo]

As soon as I started this thread I saw that there were a few like it, so thanks for taking the time to give me some advice.

I haven't been using 'proper float line' designed for spearing, just the stuff that came with the diver flag float. I have about 20m of it, and it does float pretty well. I've rigged it up so I can adjust the length, but struggle to have the patience to wind it up when the depth changes.

The fact that it isn't purpose built line might be why I keep getting it caught on the coral and weed growths on the roof of caves and overhangs. I don't really know how much difference this would make.

I started experimenting with looping the line like Mr. X suggested, and found it helped for some things, but I was still getting caught on the reef when I came up.

I'll definetely try unclipping the gun on ascent next time I go out.

Thanks,
Kmo

 

[Mr. X]

I can't imagine unclipping my gun for ascent (would you also be putting your snorkel in during the ascent?! ) -- the normal clips are just too hard too fiddly. I have some old anodized Clogg Karabiners with might make that practical. I would be concerned about loosing the gun or my concentration. Or do you just unclip if the gun gets caught? (Might be easier/safer to drop the gun...not totally risk free if the gun is loaded).

I haven't tried either of the following but you might like to try them:

- using a "proper" (thicker) float line without a float. That way at least the far end is free & you have a floating marker if you drop the gun. Might still loose your gun with a big fish or in deep water. No where to hang your fish except yourself (a bad idea in sharky waters).

- take a float & anchor, weight or clip it in place at your chosen firing spot. Then just use your gun unattached (as described above/just held/with reel/with wrist lanyard[potentially dangerous?]). That way you still have a safety marker, emergency float & fish carrier.

I have seen several pictures of some very experienced spearos diving in the UK from a dinghy just holding the unattached guns (usually small 70 cm-ish). Apparently it is easier for them & they are not too concerned about loosing the gun (the fish around the UK are relatively small).

BTW I currently only use the cable holder for transporting & storing my float line, not in the water (I only made it recently). I have seem others carrying them (OMER make one) on land but I do not know how they use them, although I think in my SA spearo book they have drawings of a guy entering the surf with the floatline still on the winder (to ease carrying through the surf).

 

[kmo]

Thanks for taking the time for some lateral thinking, but the fish that I want to shoot will put an impressive bend in a heavy boat rod, so I don't think I'll be using a float line without a float. I just don't shoot straight enough.

 

[Mr. X]

Some good links:
http://www.peskybeaver.com/catalog/tips.php?osCsid=03eb54970731d207d704a6f028a4b1fa

[ame="http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=27466"]http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=27466[/ame]

[ame][url="http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=15947"][/ame]

 

[Murat]

I use both reel and float, let me explain you the whole concept.

You should have good float, very bouyant float line, line winder (stuff that you roll you extra line on it and lock), small bungie or good quality elastic line, clips and float anchor weight (i am using ordinary 3 piece of 150gr lead weight that fishermans use). I use my elastic line in between float lines, e.g one end of 15 meters float line is connected to float and other to elastic line, then other end of elstic line is connected on float line again and very last end of float line connected to float anchor weight via clip. You should use good quality swing sviwiel (or whatever it is) for connection between floatline and elastic line/bungie. They help a lot on rough sea conditions and fwhile fighting with big fishes.

For reel, it should be strong and have good quality and enough line in it.E.g if you are hunting in a 20 meters reef you should have 30 meters line, if you are hunting in a 20 meters reef for hard fighting big fishes which takes line from your reel, then you should have at least 50 meters of line.

I carry my float anchor weight on my left hand and gun on my right hand. Lets say i am on a 20 meters reef and saw fish, then i drop my float anchor weight there so my float does not go anywhere else. After that i start hunt for that particular fish or check near by caves. If i shoot fish downthere then i use my reel line to get back to surface or to fight with a fish, lets assume its too big to handle with reel for you or took almost all the line, then use the clip which tied to float anchor weight to connect the float to the speargun. If that secenario does not happen then i take up my float weight from the bottom and continue to my hunt. Effective yet simple.