To string or not to string

[seguyette]

I just got into spearfishing a few months ago, and go at least once a week in south Florida near Fort Lauderdale. I shore dive and get mostly small snapper (12-24") near the reefs. My question is: Are using fish stringers safe? One of my buddies drags a small cooler/inner tube combo thing around and throws his catch inside it to keep it cool and keep the blood out of the water, but I have carried it around and it has a ton of drag in the water. His reasoning on safety seems logical, but i really don't want to start carrying around a cooler when a stringer would seem much easier and cheaper. Is he being too cautious, or am I naive to the risks associated with towing a fish off my float while diving Florida? What do you think?

 

[deep thinker]

Theres been so many thoughts on this but I think in the end it comes down to personal choice. Id definately not keep fish on my body, ie belt stringer. We shore dive regularly using float stringers but I also wear a shark sheild. I also recently built a bodyboard float for shore diving. I got a flag on top and a netting bag with the stringer going into it, so fish stringed can go into the bag and not be completely open. I must say it does not have too much drag and it even works well in moderate amounts of kelp, only had one bad tangle
Good luck with your decision and save diving

 

[capetownguy]

i agree with DT ..... A float stringer is the best option..especially when in waters known to have sharks (althought that could be anywhere and everywhere!). The only hassle with it here is the kelp which you get used to...some of the crayfish divers here use a car inner tube with an anchovie net inside to hold all their crayfish and abalone...when they get sick of using it they tie it up to the kelp and swim around it. or if they get tired they rest ontop of it.....(personally i wouldnt use it.....i was 'buggy boy' for too long! hehehe)

 

[azapa]

make this DIY from an old body board and be king of your local spearos :

Omersub Shardana Surface Board with Removable Flag from LeisurePro.com

there is one with the hole in the middle for a net to hang through but i cant find the link

 

[miles]

Hiya

Keep it simple is my motto. The struggling vibrations sent out by a speared fish is far more effective dinner bell for sharks. The very small amount of bleeding that occurs when you despatch a fish is too miniscule to attract sharks. (imho!!)

Once you start with the cooler in a tube technique, you'll start encountering some other problems. How well does the set-up drag through the water? Does it offer more wind resistance? Your fish will cook inside it in warmer area's, so you'll have to carry a ice pack/brick or two. If your dive-spots are a fair walk from your car, lugging loads of gear is also a pain!!

Simple float line and float and stringer. So, even if a large shark does come along, which is highly UNLIKELY, unless you dive here in South Africa!!, then your stringered fish will offer him a easy meal, making your faaaar safer!!

 

[seguyette]

Thanks guys. I think i am going to buy a stringer this week. I normally use an OMER float Spearfishing and Freediving Equipment - Floats & Float Lines - Atoll - Technosport Inc. so that I can attach a little lobster gear as well, and since I was up in the air about how to tow fish, today I used a grocery bag! I threw a hogfish in it, tied it up, and drug it off the back of the float. It worked real nice and kept the fish contained on the ride home as well. I know it won't work for large fish, but this actually worked pretty well on a little 16" hog.

 

[covert]

I agree with Miles keep it simple normal float stringer, forget about bags, and containment of the fish, as long as they are dead and not struggling you should be fine. And like miles says in the event of a shark coming in to collect his taxes. Hell why go for the 4m long diver when there is a perfectly suitable fish kebab floating behind him.

Happy hunting mate.

 

[azapa]

In comps here we always use "chinguillos" to hold speared fish, the stringer/spike often hangs inside it, it is hung from the float. They are small round nets about the size of a sack, one end is an elasticated hoop. Will post photos. Ah, we use them to stop seals having a free snack. The good thing is they have no additional drag.

 

[seguyette]

Ok so i think I am going to get a stringer tomorrow, any preferences on using a line stringer or a stiff hoop stringer?

or

 

[covert]

in SA ive never seen anything else but a line stringer used. So I cant comment on that one

 

[azapa]

hoops are nicer to walk down the beach with fish on, but the cord type is easier in the water

 

[seguyette]

Thanks guys, cord stringer it is.

 

[WaterNINJA]

Just string it up and if a shark happens to come around just give it a poke and it'll go away (assuming it's not a huge tiger) always try to avoid letting them have your fish because they'll learn to rush divers for their fish if you give in.

 

[seguyette]

Just a little follow up on this old thread.
I have been using the stringer for about 5 months now and it has worked like a charm off my DIY board float. Only two times have I actually had sharks come by and take interest; many times I have seen them in passing, but rarely have they stopped to take a closer look. Of those that did stop, one was a little 3 foot reef, and the other was a 7 foot hammer. I gotta say, my balls shrank when I saw hammer because he came out of nowhere and was already taking my dinner when I first saw him on an ascent. All I could get myself to do (as far as defending my catch) was try to pull the fish away from the other end of my float line, however this didn't work to well as he kept thrashing/tugging back and eventually got all of a nice mutton snapper but the head.
Anyway thanks for all the input guys.

 

[Jace]

Hey, i use a rig line attatched to the gun which is then attatched to my float.

I use this as im shooting bigger fish and not using a reel, this way you can fight the dirty fish alot easier.

I dont really fear having the fish leaving blood trails as when shot i bleed the fish and move on. East coast of australia is pretty sharky but i havent had a problem yet, just poke off sharks..

 

[seguyette]

Do you actively go in to them to poke them off, or just if they come by give them a nudge? I was a bit surprised by the fish when the first sighting I had of it was thrashing my catch about 2x its body length away. I felt comfortable at that distance (it just startled me), but couldn't get myself to actually swim closer and poke it to defend my catch. I'm probabily just being too cautious but how would you handle that situation?

 

[Jace]

When i shot my first kingfish in deeperwater it bled rapidly.
Blood started turning the water a diff shade and the fish kept kicking around and wouldnt let me get a good hold around its head and tail.

I had a small hammerhead come in to see what the fuss was about it just circled for a bit then once i had killed the fish and gilled it, it swam towards me i just held my gun out infront where it was coming from and gave it a quick tap on the head and it turned away.

Ive done this for other school sharks and bronze whalers.

 

[rickey05]

This might not sound scary to some, but I was in the Lower Keys a week and a half ago and I had a wild encounter with a 10 foot Nurse. I was swimming in about 9 feet of water on some coral heads, when all of a sudden, my fin stops on my down kick. I turn around and I am face to face with this large Nurse. I had about 3 hogfish on my stringer. It had come right up to them while I was hovering around. I had to poke it in the nose about 4times. I was poking it easy but it kept coming back for more, like it was a game or something. Finally, after the fourth poke to the nose, it turned to circle for more, so I jabbed it pretty good in the side. She finally mosied off.

But after that, I brought every kill back to the boat immediately.

Something crazier is that about 20 minutes after my encounter, my buddy landed a yellow jack, and guess who showed up to harass? The same shark. Only this time he had a good size fish on, and couldnt use his gun as protection. He had to punch/push it away several times, he was only about 20 yds from the boat. I started to hear panic in his voice. He said it was like trying to move a brick wall.

Dont laugh that its a nurse, b/c a ten foot shark is still a ten foot shark. CRAZY!!!

 

[dotey]

i use a stringer like this and i just hook it on my float it is pretty nice i can hook it on my belt or on my float

Fish stringer
7” long x ¼” (6 mm) diameter single point stainless steel rod with 2 mm monofilament secured by cooper crimps; includes an aluminum clip.