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The big Dog Tooth Tuna took my MT3 away.....

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
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Iyadiver

Mr. Long Post
Apr 22, 2002
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As always, here is my weekend Saturday 3rd April 2003 :

Three of us all with the fully rigged MT3 with reel went to the new found deep pinacle. I been waiting like 14 days to come here.

Set the float market on it and it took like 5 failed tries. The countour is too "Eiffel" tower like, not much for the 20# lead to grab. 6th try the lead found decent rock to grab.

All three of us jumped in. The current was suprisingly strong at nearly 2 knots. We cancelled the intention of using the 200 feet float line & Torpedo , no way in hell it will work. Suddenly the current slows down a great deal...how come ?? I was at 120 feet and still could not see any rocks, DAMN, the lead lost grip and we were drifting. Aborted the dive, all in all like under 5 minutes. On the way up a small 4 footer wide Manta circled us. By the time we surfaced we were about 300 meters off the mark.

We then decided to hunt the shallower sea mount. Strong current and no fish seen. Viz was bad at 0-80 feet. At 80 feet and deeper, I felt the thermocline...that's a good sign.

Dive 2. I dove the shallow sea mount again. The only fish three of us saw was what I saw, a decent 20# Spanish Mack. The current was still strong. I saw some shiny reflection in the water up current. I swam as hard as I could and the shape of the Mack materialized. There were two of them. I finned hard to keep position. I assumed the fish was close enough and fired. I missed or it was out of range, I don't know. The water viz where the Macks were were the clear side below the thermocline. I was having headache the entire dive. Over exertion always give me headache. How the hell I miss such a big fish, still a big question.

Dive 3.
We set the marker once again and this time it grab good rocky area and up current. The current has slowed down to +-1.5knots. We dove the deepwater pinnacle. At 60 feet I saw white colour movement. It must be a manta wing under side. When I hit 100 feet of the rock area. The Manta was huge !!! At least the wing span was 17 feet, the biggest one I saw to date. I wanted to play with it as it was doing somersault into the current ...what a sight !! This is my 3rd or 4th dive to the pinnacle and my best to date. On my left there were at least 100 red snappers of no less than 17 pound. A few big Giant Trevaly ( Uluas ) at 40 pounder. To my disbelief the dog tooth tuna were swimming around at 110-120 feet !!! That's very shallow compared to my other dives in this area !! None of the doggies are under 20 pounds. I peek at the deeper ledge and I saw the fattest white tip shark, it was 6-7 footer but brownish not grey like the one I usually saw. I don't know if it was a confirmed white tip but it has a white area on the tip. Too macho to be a white tip I guess but not macho enough to be a bull. Since there is only one of it, I wasn't really concerned.

There were a few 35 pounder dog tooth tuna but it does not want to get close. Since we all have not got anything, we all three shot 23-25 pounder. My one friend was unlucky. His reel line somehow got entangled on the cable shooting line and was dragged tp 140 feet from 110 feet. He made it safely. I shot quite well and the fish was not running much, in fact it was entangled on our marker line and that was good. My tuna then fight a 20# lead and a 20 liter float up above. I let the fish tire on its own. My other friend shot and hit partial spine, the fish went to spasm mode. I swam fast to his fish to stab it, extra pre caution.
We were then happy to be able to get something for the cooler.

Dive 4. Me and my buddy set to land only above 70 tuna pounder if they are around. I had a left ear problem and was last to reach the 100 feet pinacle. What I saw was a big 60 pounder tuna trashing wild and later sounded deep spooling my other friend's reel. He was dragged down to 20 feet deeper and the line got stuck at the rocks. He was lucky. He looked shocked, so I dropped my MT3 on the shallowest rock area and fought his line for him. The fish was gone, torn off, or maybe shark bitten. I don't know. I recovered 150 feet of his 1000# Kevlar line so fast that my knife on my left wrist came off its attachment. It fell only 15 feet deeper, lucky me. Collect my knife and my gun, I need to shoot something !!! There were no Tuna in sight ??? !!! Out there hovering away from the pinnacle in mid water my other friend was finning like mad and calling me. He has a big fish on the end of his spear, I thought. I must help him to overcome the roller coaster drag. While I was swimming to my friend, I saw a big black shape below, MY MY, it was a big tuna, at least a 100 pounder. It was probably 25 feet away if not more, exactly under me. I know I will have better shooting range shooting directly down, and I fired before I almost lost sight of it while it was going deeper.

What happened next was the real event. It got hit, I aimed for the brain but I guessed I hit somehwere on the head and that small top fin. It took off, DAMN !!! It wasn't stoned, I missed the brain. It took off heading into the open water and head for the bottom. I grabbed my reel line but only in seconds my hand got burned. The 150 feet of line was all out and I finned hard, I was dragged down. 120,130,140ft and it made a left turn. I was hoping, entangle on the rock please. Unfortunately it headed for the area where the bottom was unknown depth. 145,150,155 feet. I was holding the gun by the powerband and my left arm was where my computer is. I finned and finned as hard as I could but I was still going deeper. 160 feet !!! Still I could not see the bottom, this must be the area where my portable sounder was not able to get reading. I was at 160 feet deep, 150 feet of reel line, 30 feet of cable shooting line, all in all 340 feet of combined depth capability and I still could not see bottom. The tuna was pulling me away from the rocks. I then decided what I always have set my mind to : gave up the gun at 160 feet if there is nothing to hold and the fish overwhelmed me. From the moment I shot, dragged and gave up the gun, it was probably within 15 seconds. I don't know why I din't cut the reel line. If my left hand were the one holding the gun ( my knife is on my left wrist above the computer ), I might be able to do it but at 160 feet and all happened so fast, I guess my intelligence has left me...:duh and semi narcosis was taking effect. So I surfaced, fishless and poorer by US$1.3k ...................:waterwork ...what a day. I know sooner or later this will happen if I do not have a float system. Nothing lost, nothing gained. A very expensive tution fee....:confused:

I surfaced and two of my friends were already there. Good. I was worried about the guy who just now drifted to mid-water fighting his fish. He landed the tuna which is about 80 pound. He was dragged down to 140 feet, the area he fought in was only 180 feet bottom, that I know. He managed to pull the gun to 70 feet and was dragged down again to 140 feet. He was pulled up and down like that for about 3 times, each time he gets shallower. Lucky guy. He did clip his Riffe 7 liter C02 powered utility float, to get lift assistance. But in the state of panic, he clipped it on the reel line and after the shooting line anchor point, thus the float drifted away to the fish instead of getting stuck to the gun. I told him earlier to clip to the wishone line of the powerband but at that size of fish, I am not surprised he was in panic. His last best one was 65 pounder dog but it was hit vital and it gave a little fight, he still could string the fish, carry it around and land another 20 pounder dog !!!

We were all very happy regardless of the loss of my beloved MT3.
So I was thinking, how do I avoid my friend's from lossing their guns. There were 4 of the 7 liter Riffe utility float with us and only two guns left. I rigged each gun to carry two of the C02 powered float on the butt hole.

CONTINUE .............
 
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I then decided to dive again gun-less just for the thrill of getting a roller coaster ride. I stand to be my friend's ( who landed the 80# tuna ) caddy !! We decend down again to the pinnacle top at 100 feet. There were so many 40 pounder dogs. Too small I thought. My friend was doing that imaginery trigger pull on a few of the dogs. I scanned around and saw what I think was a 70 pounder at least. It was still far. When it was close enough I pulled my friends arm and point at the dog. It was so funny feeling, gunless and with lots of fish. I was able to scan all around without worry, what a lovely feeling !! I feel so free and light with nothing to hold. In fact I felt naked. We were at 120 feet. So the dog came close to about 6 meters/20 feet. My friend's MT3 was loaded with all 6 bands. He fired at the lateral line and it went a bit high.......... SHIT !!! The reel immediately spooled out. My friend grab the line and fought to slow the fish down, while I was busy trying to pull the C02 activator cord. It was so unusually fun with two people working on the fish. I don't feel the scare I had when I get dragged alone. I managed to inflate one of the float but unable to locate the black colour pull knob of the other float !!! It was dark down there at 5:00PM. The fish hit bottom at 180 feet and tried to get the line entangle on one of what I saw as a table coral. My friend then pulled the other activator cord of the float. Both float looks like a toy size at that depth. Only 20% inflated. I then grabbed the reel line and fought the fish as my friend was trying to surface the gun+float to get better float inflation. In a few seconds the MT3 with 2 x 7 liter float was heading for the surface.......WOW !!!.

We then both grab the shooting line, I was in front and he was behind me. We both get dragged down to 140 feet but NOT SCARED !!! I have 14 liter of floatation on the surface now and 2 guys as man parachute. We were laughing and giving high 5's as we were dragged side way this time. I use my left hand to hold the reel line heading to the gun and my right hand to collect more line while my friend was retreiving the line. It was quite scarry as at least 40 feet of Kevlar was floating around us. We swam away from those Kevlar line as we pulled the fish up. We gained feet by feet heading to the surface. At 15 feet we did a safety stop for 2-3 minutes while playing the now tired fish. I surfaced and called my crew for Riffe #2 for a kill shot.

My friend pulled the fish to about 15 feet and I fired 4 bands worth of energy into the fish. The shaft went thru all the way to the shooting line. It's mouth went open wide, air bubbles, lots of it, escaped from the fish and blood start to flow out. It was dead, really dead.

We hauled the fish up onboard and head home. It is about the same size of the earlier 80 pounder. Yes, it is not fair two of us fight for the same fish but we are after the meat and thrill not any records. It was an awesome day.:p


What I learned this trip and last unproductive trip is :

01. The Riffe reel did not break from its mounting or its mains shaft pulled off. I thought it could be a weak link there. HORAAY !!!

02. Without a good float or get the reel line entangled on rocks, I will again and again loose the gun if the fish head for the bottomless area of the pinnacle or mid water away from the pinnacle.

03. There is no way to bring a floatline down here if there is even a mere 1.5 knots current. The terrain is like that.

04. Even in mild 0.5 knots of current. My Riffe floatline got compressed FLAT at 120 feet and deeper and it will then sink. This terrain is not suitable for float line unless the fish hangs out at mid water and 120 feet or less. Any deeper area up current will cause the floatline to get stuck at rocks because the rocks is above and behind me.

05. At 140 feet deep and fighting big fish with bottomless pit or at least 180 feet surrounding bottom, I felt I loose at least 50% of my confidence than in 120 feet confirmed bottom depth. The fear factor is high here. I felt less mobile and less intelligent at this deep pinnacle. Definitely not enough experience YET, that's for sure.

06. The pull strength of an 80 pounder dog compared to 40 pounder dog is not double, it is a lot MORE than that.

07. 1000# Kevlar is GREAT stuff for rocks resistance !!! Coated 500# stainless steel is another VERY great stuff as shooting line !!! Never let me down.

08. I don't know if this is just me but I somehow feel that at 140 deep or deeper, my band gun feel like it loose a bit of power, a little bit though. Maybe it is just in the head..wha ha ha ha.

09. I am happy that I gave up my gun. Money is one thing we can always work for but one fatal mistake on our life is what we CAN'T afford.


I am ordering a custom made parachute shaped float from the USA. This prototype unit shall have breaking effect of water resistance due to the parachute like shape and 20 liter of air volume. Powered by a 68gram C02 disposable cannister. Made of 420 Denier, it should be tougher than commonly available spearfishing float material. I am still emailing up & down to confirm its air volume capability at 140 feet SW. This is my only ticket to land the 80 pounder upwards dog tooth tuna at the deep pinnacle without loosing a gun or endanger myself. I and my friend seen what we believed as a possible 60kg / 132 pounder. This place is my HEAVEN !!!!!!!

Photos coming in a day or two.

IYA
 
Originally posted by Iyadiver
09. I am happy that I gave up my gun. Money is one thing we can always work for but one fatal mistake on our life is what we CAN'T afford.


IYA


You are taking this a lot better than I would have Iya.

You = :(

Me = :waterwork :head :vangry

It is too bad that you didn't just cut the line....but considering the situation, at least you had the brain to let go of the gun before it was too late.

So what's the plan? Are you going to simply replace the MT3, or go for something different? The silver lining is that all of us on DB might get to read about a new supergun and more experiments :).

Still, you have my sincere condolences at the loss of your loved one. I'm certainly glad you didn't join it.

Ted
 
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IYA I am very sorry to hear about your loss! But am very glad to hear you are ok!!!

Be great to see some picks of those 80pounders!!! Have you thought about what your new gun will be?

Is their any chance you could get a float with a purge valve? this way you could use a big soda bulb to pump a heap of air into it while down deep and it would then dump air all the way up so as not to explode (bit like a BCD)? (but I guess it wouldn't be a huge lot of good if it was dragged down even further!

Let us know about your progress!
Take care
Rob
 
Hi Guys,

Thanks for the condolences ( as though someone died:D :D ). I am getting another MT3 exactly like the one I lost. I will name it " IYA's REVENGE" . It is so sweet, I must have it again. 3 of my friends is going to get MT5 with full wing kit. If my boat sale deal goes thru ( I pray, I hope ) , I will also get another MT5 for collection because I can't let my friends have them while I don't..:eek: . The way I saw the HUGE fishes last Saturday, there is room for MT5, so that I can shoot deadly to 9 meters (29 feet) when I power it up with 6 x 9/16 bands and 3/8" shaft. This way I can stay shallower and shoot those deep down fishes.


Matrix,
The float I talked about will have a dump valve or over pressure valve. All of my core gang will want it too, we will probably order 10 of it. Each guy own two for insurance. I am still trying to think how to get the Co2 to be activated in time and fast. If I use a breakaway system, I will have less than 2 seconds to pull the activator chord..........scarry !! If I still use a reel and attached the float to my gun, I have about 10 seconds to pull that activator chord but if the fish can overpower the float, I will loose the entire gun + float compared to loosing only tip,shaft, shooting line & float. Hmmmm how how ?


BOYS,

Is there any freediving computer that I can set the alarm to beep loud when I am at or exceed 160 feet ?? This will compliment my Alladin scuba computer.

For the time being here is the only digital photo my friend sent me. It is the 23-25# tuna-s of the 3rd dive. Will get my 35mm develop and tonight I can post.

That's me STILL holding my beloved MT3 and STILL smiling !! After that it was the sad, sad, sad dive.....:waterwork


IYA
 
If everone could just pause to reflect on the passing of the MT3.....

.............:(

Ok.

Bad luck buddy! Still, it takes big brass ones to shoot a tuna that big without a floatline so full karma to you mate! Next time you get that doggy, Im sure of it.:)

Quick Question: Do you think it would be possible to use another reel, say a fishing reel with 500m of low poundage line attached to the butt of the gun? That way you could use it as a guide to where the tunny is and maybe pull up the fish (and gun) once the fish dies? You obviously wouldn't use it to fight the fish. Just a thought. Probably wouldn't work...:hmm
 
"If I use a breakaway system, I will have less than 2 seconds to pull the activator chord..........scarry !! " (IYA)

Well I think the breakaway is the way to go... it would be too $$ not to go that way I am thinking after your recent ordeal!

How about just making that activator cord longer... and a bit thicker so it's easier to grab hold of and pull?

or if you wanted to make sure that it would be pulled everytime without fail... how about attaching the "activator cord" to your gun using some lite line say 10KG... this way the activator cord is pulled when your fish pulls the breakaway system out... no false alarms... :cool:

I notice in that pic one of the MT3's doesn't have the pizza stabilizers on it... does it still shoot ok? and how many bands is it being used with?
last Question as I am going to buy that MT#5 tommorow. Is it worth getting the 3/8th shaft rather then the smaller one? this is going to be my bluewater gun.... no mucking around.. I can't afford another gun for a long time after this... will be shooting with 4 bands... do i want the 3/8th shaft or do you think I will be happy with the slightly thinner shaft? Am going to put a kitto slip tip on it...
 
Dog,

I see the 'pizza' wings on both guns. But I'd still like to hear Iya's response to the questions ;).

Ted
 
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*grins* arr yes... sneaky sneaky :) thanks for pointing that out Ted :eek:

Yes i am also keen to hear IYA's response... if iI ever get out of uni and have some $$ I would love to go over and meet IYA and his crew! think I would learn a great deal!

Cheers Rob
 
Matrix,

Since I use 3/8 shaft and minimum of 5 bands, the pizza stabilizer really shines. It also has floatation value, thus muzzle heavy is not an issue anymore. 3/8" shaft is heavy you know.

I don't know if my love for 3/8" shaft is such an intimate affair but I have the #4 Baja with 3/8" (65") shaft and a Hawaiian Shaft of 5/16" (65") for fun. The power is not good with 5/16 shaft. I think anything more than 4 x 9/16" rubbers, 3/8" shaft is the way to go. I mean you get full power potential and 3/8" shaft really retain power level at long range. MT5 with 5/16" shaft will probably wobble in flight when powered with 5 or more 9/16 bands. PROBABLY.....

Anyone of you should come over whenever you can. We will have fun ON the hunt and AFTER the hunt....he he he. Australia is not very far from Jakarta. At the slow Asian economy, I think one can get airline ticket for a real bargain.

Good 2 hear ur MT5 is coming. Let me know what you think of it. I am sure yours will come faster than my friend's units.


I will try my best for breakaway but here is why attaching the float to the gun with a reel is a good option ( let say we don't think of the $$ ).

01. With 150 feet of extra line on the reel, I buy time. If you ever experience the initial burts speed this 70# upwards dog, you will know what I mean by FAST. What I hate about big 70# tuna is that we can not steer it the way we can do with sub 40 pounder.
What if I fill a 2" PVC tube with 50 feet of 1000# Kevlar, that will buy time for me to pull the c02 activator chord. Just maybe. I'll experiment then.


02. With that same 150 feet of reel line, I am able to send my custom float up to get full or at least better inflation at shallower depth. This means I get more braking power. If the float is able to fill up the entire 20 liter of air volume in 140 feet saltwater, I will switch to breakaway and use that low poundage line to connect to the C02 pull cord activator. Even 25kg mono will snap easy underwater when dragging a scuba diver, I tried many times with my JBL when I don't want my reel to pay out during a small fish fight.


SHADOW,
I used to fish for YellowFin Tuna, all under 70 pounds. My 50 lbs Berkeley mono can not take rock abrassion abuse, no mono will. Mono is plastic, once you get a little cut, it will spread easy from there. Kevlar is multi roving and made out of many strands, so are the cable. Break a few strands and there are many left to survive the fight. I rather use 500# kevlar which has a diameter of about 80-100 pound mono.



The things I am concerned is weight and water drag. The more gears I need to carry at 140 feet and with current against me, the less comfortable I am. I have the breathing advantage of a scuba bottle but my movement is slow and not agile. I fear a few things using scuba. Air embolism when shooting fast to the surface, the need for deco stop and black out if I go too deep due to oxygen toxicity at those partial pressure. These I can not avoid even with a fat bank account, throwing a gun is the best I can do for real emergency case.

I thik ABRI and those 120-140 feet freediver boys will have a party at my TUNA HEAVEN.:p

I will post photo when I get my custom parachute float combo. It might also be useful for freedivers because of the parachute effect it generates and C02 inflation ( less drag when not yet deployed ).

IYA
 
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Originally posted by Iyadiver
I assumed the fish was close enough and fired. I missed or it was out of range, I don't know. How the hell I miss such a big fish, still a big question.

and I fired before I almost lost sight of it while it was going deeper.

What happened next was the real event. It got hit, I aimed for the brain but I guessed I hit somehwere on the head and that small top fin. It took off, DAMN !!! It wasn't stoned, I missed the brain.



Hey, uh nothing but love, but didn't we have a little talkin' about taking "Hail Mary" shots? :confused:


sven
 
I know .........I know my Sultan.:eek: , but that Mackerel shot was not Hail Mary. Just one of those bad shots. Maybe too much over exertion due to the current. Excuse..excuse..excuse....

The big Dog shot I must admit is a "bit" Hail Mary :D . Man, this is my 3rd trigger pull on such big one. 1st one I missed completely ( I still could not buy that till today ) , second one landed, 3rd lost my gun. A lot "over" excited I was. Give me another 2-3 shots at them and I will be a lot cooler... I hope...he he he.

I been measuring that dogy fish length. It is funny, a +-25 pounder will fit just nice with a little bend in a Rubbermaid 102 cooler. An 80 pounder only need to be cut about 18 inches to fit the same cooler. It seems the weight proportion is more on being "FAT" than long. I seems to have always underestimate the weight of this fish underwater. My first 88 pounder I thought was a 40-45 pounder, that is why I have no fear of shooting it. The shine on the body makes the far away fish very visible and being far I always thought it was smaller than actual. If I am given 100+ feet viz, I think I will miss all the fish because none of my shaft will reach it.....:duh

IYA
 
Here is the second estimated 80 pounder. It was already dark when we get everything ready to head home. The dogy on the right above the cooler is the first one. It was cut to be able to fit the cooler box.

So you coming over to hunt, my young friend ?? ;)
 
Iya I have a trip with shadow to PNG first... but I am definately keen on getting over your way! Will have to wait a bit to let the bank account settle though (perhaps around christmas or next year in july?). Their again.... if I load up the MT#5 with 8 rubbers a 3/8th shaft and tie it off to my leg... you never know... i could be their sooner then expected :D !!! lol

Those fish look very good Iya and I would love to have a crack at them and a look at your sea mounts! Hopefully shadow and I will find some good fish to compete with you in PNG!!! not so sure about this giving the gun away buissiness though!:confused: lol! Best of luck getting the replacement gun! and hopeully more pics of good fih to come!

Rob
 
Iya,
Incredible story! Sorry to hear about the lost of your gun, but you did the right thing. You’re worth more than $1,300 any day.

I replied to your e-mail, but never heard from you. Here are a couple of pictures of my inflating CO2 float. It is rolled up with a spandex cover that is attached to standard weight belt by sewed on Velcro. It has a 68-gram cartridge. A spectra line is attached first to the activating lever, then to bag, so that when pulled it activated the CO2 cartridge. The other end is attached to the gun by a clip.

The idea is that it can be activated, on purpose, by pulling the string, or by an accidentally loss of the gun by the fishing pulling it away. If it didn’t activate and you weren’t able to get it unclipped from the gun, you could always drop the weight belt.

Never activated it yet. I took a while to get some replacement cartridges and I didn’t want to waste the one I had with an experiment.

Your new coming bag sounds good. I don’t know what weight my nylon is, but I am sure it’s not that much. The 68-gram CO2 is suppose to be enough to fill the bag at depth and it has a pressure relieve value to keep it from bursting on the way up.
Don
 

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Thanks Don,

I have not check my IyaDiver email for so long, many thanks for the effort to put your photo up. I think you might have replied to my ISP email, that I never use. I waited days on days for ur reply via PM....he he he.... I thought you ran away and marry someone else. That is before I loose the gun. I know I will loose if if without a float.

I am in contact with Jim Carter of Carter Lift bag. Your float is like what he has in stock but I asked him to make a custom one for me. Since I told him that I will put a parachute (sea anchor ) ahead of the float, he designed that float to shaped like a parachute and has air pocket above it, a brilliant design actually !!

I have calculated that I will need 150 gram of C02 just to keep the 20 liter air volume filled up at about 90-100 feet saltwater. The 68 gram can not fill up more than 5 liter of air volume at 120 feet. With 45gram, it will fill up JUST nice on the surface.

In the mean time before I can get those float here, I have devised a plan how to land those big tunas without a float :D :p , I'll post if succcesful. I am going again this Saturday for revenge. I still have my Riffe #4 Baja but no reel, I dare not use my #2, too small. I Hope them tuna still hang around shallow at 110-120 feet.

This time I hope to shaft at least 80 pounder above..:p :p, if they are there.

How's your hunt been Don ?


Best Regards,
IYA
 
Iya,
Jim Carter of Carter Lift Bags made mine too. Since you researched it, how much lift does 5 litters of air provide? One thing nice about CO2 cartridges is if we need more or less air we can use different size cartridges.

You can order the cartridges direct from the manufacturer http://www.lelandltd.com/ and should, because the cost is less. They were out of 68-gram ones when I ordered and I had to wait a month before they did another production run. They take credit card over the phone.

AP Values out of UK, makes a nice self-inflating lift bag with a reusable air container that you fill up with your scuba tank. The only problem is that you have to turn a knob on the air container to inflate the bag. Not the quick easy thing to do with a big fish on.

I haven’t been hunting since last summer. I had some health problems plus the weather is not great here in the summer. Getting ready to go again, but unfortunately I am not the lean mean machine I was last summer. Now I have to wear weights, which really hurts my ego. I got by all last summer with none.

What is your reasoning for designing it like a parachute with an air pocket above it? I’m guessing so it will remain upright, and allow you to add air to the air pocket with your regulator?

I tried several methods of attaching the rolled up bag to the gun, but wasn’t able to come up with anything that broke away on inflation, but still was firmly enough to stay on the rest of the time. Even if I could get it to stay in place in the water, it was constantly falling off the gun during transportation. Then I thought of putting the bag on the weight belt. The nice thing about this is it is now non-gun specific. I can grab any gun or even let some else use the belt and bag.

I think a good size inflating bag would have saved your gun, especially since tuna tend to run for open water. You sure would have had a better chance.

I hope you kill some tuna Saturday. I have time to go Saturday, but the forecast is bad here.
Good luck,
Don
 
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