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General Spearfishing & Diving Discussion This is where you post to discuss general spearfishing topics that could apply to any region. |
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03-22-2017, 07:28 AM | #1 |
Converted freediver...
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Palm Harbor, FL
Age: 55
Posts: 866
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If you dive with a reel, be prepared to let your gun go.
If you shoot big fish with a reel, have a plan for line tangling in the band or your reel locking up. I've lost one gun to line wrapping in my rollers. And I'm mentally prepared to do it again. Give yourself 5-10 seconds to cut the line or ditch the reel. If that doesn't work, LET GO and live to dive another day. Several divers have died trying to cut the bands or trying to horse the fish up. Don't be that guy, please.
Here's my story from yesterday: I was spotting my brother on the deep wreck. He goes down past the vis to the bottom and I hear his gun fire. I'm expecting him to come right back up thru the haze layer. No sign of him. I'm waiting...and waiting... then I see him coming up behind me 30 seconds later WITHOUT his GUN! He pops up looking a little stunned and says he had to let his gun go. He shot an AJ and said his reel locked up. He tried for 30 seconds to figure it out and finally let go. That's the lesson. IF YOU DIVE WITH A REEL, BE PRPEARED TO LET YOUR GUN GO. It's only money, not worth your life. So he's bummed. I watch him for 20 seconds and say, "I'll do a drop and look for your AJ" almost sarcastically. So I do a drop to maybe 50 feet down, and I see tons of AJs. Then I look out into the sand off the wreck and I see an AJ circling on the bottom with a gun trailing 20' above him. I know I can't get to the bottom, so I swim over and shoot 20' thru the bands at the front of the floating gun and head up. Luckily my shaft toggles on the wishbone and I feel resistance. I hit the surface and pull it up slowly. Then the AJ on the other end starts fighting. So I call John over to get a shot in this AJ, but he has an AJ he's fighting too! He hands his gun off to Mike and grabs another gun out of the boat. I hold the AJ at 40' and he goes down and stones it. I then pull up the whole mess and throw everything(3 guns, 3 shafts, and an AJ) in the boat. $700 Hatch gun recovered!!! C
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03-22-2017, 08:20 AM | #2 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Big Island
Posts: 5,098
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Re: If you dive with a reel, be prepared to let your gun go.
Glad nothing bad happened. One learning point. Anytime you see your dive buddy surface without a gun, immediately come to their aid. There is a very good chance something has happened.
Here's a link to a similar story. http://www.spearboard.com/showthread...hlight=letting
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03-22-2017, 09:00 AM | #3 |
Senior Shooter
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Homosassa Fl
Posts: 104
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Re: If you dive with a reel, be prepared to let your gun go.
I'm glad all ended well Charlie for Mike, that's not alway's the case. In the end ,NO fish is worth anyone's life.
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03-22-2017, 09:01 AM | #4 |
Converted freediver...
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Palm Harbor, FL
Age: 55
Posts: 866
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Re: If you dive with a reel, be prepared to let your gun go.
Very good point.
I was right there above him. I probably should have dove down to meet him for an escort up. C
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03-22-2017, 09:16 AM | #5 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Tampa Bay
Posts: 1,329
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Re: If you dive with a reel, be prepared to let your gun go.
I remember loosing a gun with you one day out of Tarpon springs. Letting go is the only way to go. Live to dive another day.
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03-22-2017, 09:16 AM | #6 |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 291
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Re: If you dive with a reel, be prepared to let your gun go.
Glad to hear it turned out ok. And since it turned out ok - I feel comfortable asking if there's video. Because that would be pretty good video.
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03-22-2017, 12:44 PM | #7 | |
Converted freediver...
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Palm Harbor, FL
Age: 55
Posts: 866
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Re: If you dive with a reel, be prepared to let your gun go.
Quote:
I mainly referenced the fact that a fisherman recovered your gun a few months later and his son looked you up online. And you told him "Keep it. Finders keepers!". C
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03-22-2017, 08:39 PM | #8 |
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Palm Bch County
Posts: 11,256
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Re: If you dive with a reel, be prepared to let your gun go.
Glad it worked out. Shooting AJ on a deep wreck with a reel is definitely being aggressive,
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03-22-2017, 09:01 PM | #9 | |
Converted freediver...
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Palm Harbor, FL
Age: 55
Posts: 866
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Re: If you dive with a reel, be prepared to let your gun go.
Quote:
The AJs were only around 30lbs. C
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03-22-2017, 09:46 PM | #10 |
Seafood Sifu
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Jax Fla
Age: 60
Posts: 3,808
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Re: If you dive with a reel, be prepared to let your gun go.
Cut a buddy out of his line in 150' once,he had got wrapped and was fumbling for his knife as the AP beat him senseless.
A fish is never worth your life,let go.Carry a small knife anyway,just in case. Glad you guys recovered the gun but doing the right thing is sometimes painful.
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03-22-2017, 10:40 PM | #11 |
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Palm Bch County
Posts: 11,256
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Re: If you dive with a reel, be prepared to let your gun go.
I use a floatline in 40 ft .,. Lol
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03-23-2017, 06:37 AM | #12 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Port Charlotte Fl
Age: 76
Posts: 2,480
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Re: If you dive with a reel, be prepared to let your gun go.
Quote:
The kid for trying to return the gun to it's owner.. And your friend for rewarding the kid for his integrity! |
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03-23-2017, 07:09 AM | #13 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Big Island
Posts: 5,098
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Re: If you dive with a reel, be prepared to let your gun go.
Few things to think about.
why did the reel lock up? One thing it's Super important to be vigilant with is when you are relining your reel in the field after a fish. After a long battle it's always worth reviewing your reel line. A lot of times I just let the shaft fall to 300' and then reel it up and properly re-line the reel. If nothing else it's a near guarantee as a Wahoo flasher to do this as they love to swim around you while you are unloaded. Sometimes a loop of line falls off the spool and wraps behind the base. In this case your reel will still deploy line. You can grab the line coming directly out of the reel. make sure the reel is on loose spool and let the line run between your fingers as you swim up. Similar with a Band Tangle where you're shooting line or reel line has tangled in your bands. Just grab the line from the Reel and swim up. If the line diggs into the spool or the Reel is otherwise incapacitated from releasing line, you have 3 options. Cut your line, Drop your Gun, or drop your weight belt on your gun if it's not too deep... depends how much time you have. Belt Reels are good, but you need to have tried them before an emergency.
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03-23-2017, 11:42 AM | #14 |
Converted freediver...
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Palm Harbor, FL
Age: 55
Posts: 866
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Re: If you dive with a reel, be prepared to let your gun go.
Once we recovered the gun, the line had looped around the reel base once.
So you're saying to freespool the drag and grab the loop of line off the reel and swim up with that loop? I guess if the line tangles in the bands, you can knock the reel off the gun and swim the reel up?? C
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03-23-2017, 02:13 PM | #15 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Big Island
Posts: 5,098
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Re: If you dive with a reel, be prepared to let your gun go.
Yes, in that case you just grab the line straight out of the guide of the reel.
With a Band Tangle, the Reel is not affected. same story, just grab the line and swim up running the line through your hands. Practice cutting your lines with your knife. BEFORE you go diving.
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