Speargun question

[Florabama]

Freeshafting is the way to go if the vis will allow. It does have obvious drawbacks if you are hunting big structure where they could dissapear with your shaft. Shot placement is the key though. Usually if you put one in the sweet spot, even if it isn't a stone shot, you can grab him or put a second shaft in before he gets away. I think a line is dangerous, especially on big fish.

I use a 54" Spearfishing Specialties with the commercial muzzle. It's kind of an expensive upgrade for just a piece of plastic which make is a "commercial", but that muzzle definitely won't wear out on you and I seem to shoot a little better with it. This gun adapts well to carrying an extra shaft for free shafting, and you can switch between freeshaft and lineshaft quickly. you can also get shafts for biller type guns much cheaper than a Riffe or Wong.

Good luck!

When you say "sweet spot" what exactly do you mean?

I've heard various theories about where to shoot fish -- head, gill plates, eyes, etc. I usually try to shoot in the head as close to the brain as I can and from whatever angle I'm aiming -- side, over or under, but I'll shoot almost anywhere if I feel I'm not going to get another shot.

 

[Richesb]

The Stone shot is right on the lateral line behind the gills. If you are shooting fish anywhere else you are "windowing" them. Very poor choice of shots because most will pull off the shaft regardless of shaft used. The absolute worst thing you can do is "just shoot to hit a fish". You will lose 90+ % of all fish shot. Scare everything in the area, attract sharks, etc.
A 5/16" shaft will knock down any fish you mention. A 9/32" shaft travels faster with less knock down power and bends much easier.
As for shooting with coral, rock or, wreck background - no problem.
I have free shafted for years in all situations , except - low viz & nights. Those 2 are line shaft only.
The

 

[Florabama]

The Stone shot is right on the lateral line behind the gills. If you are shooting fish anywhere else you are "windowing" them. Very poor choice of shots because most will pull off the shaft regardless of shaft used. The absolute worst thing you can do is "just shoot to hit a fish". You will lose 90+ % of all fish shot. Scare everything in the area, attract sharks, etc.
A 5/16" shaft will knock down any fish you mention. A 9/32" shaft travels faster with less knock down power and bends much easier.
As for shooting with coral, rock or, wreck background - no problem.
I have free shafted for years in all situations , except - low viz & nights. Those 2 are line shaft only.
The

Thanks a million -- great information -- I appreciate it. I'll have to try free shafting. I've always heard you can't do it in this part of Florida, but sounds like I shouldn't shoot in the first place unless I can hit the sweet spot. I do lose a lot of fish to pulling off which is why I was thinking of changing guns in the first place.

I do have a couple of questions if you don't mind.

How do you handle free shaft shots up in the water column in deeper water? Most of my AJ kills (for some reason, I almost never lose them) are either as I'm going down or coming up. They'll usually come over to check you out as you're heading down the anchor rope. Most of the time, we're shooting in no more than 100 fsw, so it would be no problem to retrieve one, but occasionally, I've shot an AJ in an area where the bottom is more than 200 fsw. How would you keep from losing a fish if you stoned it and the spear weight drags it down to the bottom and you're not prepared to chase it? Do they hang up for a minute so you can swim over and grab it?

Also, on shorter shots, my Riffe with three bands cocked will put a shaft completely through a pretty heafty fish. How many shafts do you lose because you went completely through? I recently lost a fish when my shaft went completely through leaving a black snapper on the line between the gun and the shaft. Before I could get to him, the snapper swam into a small opening (in a sunken battle tank) and completely tangled my line. I eventually had to cut the line to save my shaft but lost a nice black snapper.

In free shafting do you cut back on the power a little to compensate for the lack of line drag and to try to keep the shaft from going through the fish?

 

[Richesb]

Firstly I do not shoot AJ's. Mid water & Bluewater hunting is only done with a line gun, using a reel or a float line.
I have never lost a shaft by shooting clean through a fish and not retrieving the shaft. As I said you are much more selective about what and where you shoot. But at the end of the day I always come home with dinner because the percentage of shots to fish is that much higher.
I have always shot only 2 bands on my Riffe because that's all I need to shoot acciurately with distance. Best fish to date is a 40lb. + Black Grouper (shaft went through the fish at 15 - 20ft.)

The other thing is if you are shooting screw on tips they blow big holes in the fish causing your shaft to keep going. We only shoot floppers with a 3" barb for that reason.
You may also be losing fish because you try to pull the fish to you with the line. An absolute no/no. Swim to the fish and push the shaft into the bottom, holding the other end of the shaft while you either dispatch it or string it.

 

[Florabama]

Firstly I do not shoot AJ's. Mid water & Bluewater hunting is only done with a line gun, using a reel or a float line.
I have never lost a shaft by shooting clean through a fish and not retrieving the shaft. As I said you are much more selective about what and where you shoot. But at the end of the day I always come home with dinner because the percentage of shots to fish is that much higher.
I have always shot only 2 bands on my Riffe because that's all I need to shoot acciurately with distance. Best fish to date is a 40lb. + Black Grouper (shaft went through the fish at 15 - 20ft.)

The other thing is if you are shooting screw on tips they blow big holes in the fish causing your shaft to keep going. We only shoot floppers with a 3" barb for that reason.
You may also be losing fish because you try to pull the fish to you with the line. An absolute no/no. Swim to the fish and push the shaft into the bottom, holding the other end of the shaft while you either dispatch it or string it.

Thanks again for your help. I just ordered a new 50", 5/16 shaft with a flopper from Ray Odor. I've been shooting a screw tip because that's what everyone around here says you should use. I'm looking forward to giving the flopper a try.

 

[Surface Tension]

My gun has two bands but I only use one when free shafting. Sorry I forgot to mention that. If I use more than one I blow through fish. If you are using a true freeshaft, shoot them with a quartering away shot, that way when they struggle, they swim back up the shaft, not off the back, a true free shaft has nothing to keep them on the back of the shaft.

If you're going to try freeshafting AJ's, keep extra shafts on the boat. You'll need them. Tough fish to bring down with a single shot, but it can be done with practice. Same is true with cobia and big red snapper.

I'm glad you know about Ray. He's the man for shafts!

Dave

 

[rigdiver]

I didn't know that. Mine has a 5/16" shaft. Will the breech take a 3/8's?

I'm pretty sure it will. I ordered all 3 of my Riffe's from the factory with 3/8" shafts. Rest tab is a nice option also for the guns where the slings come all the way to the back end of the shaft like the No Ka Oi.

 

[Johnoly]

..... my Riffe with three bands cocked .......

What is the muzzle on your Riffe?

If it is open and you hold the shaft down by looping the line over the top of the shaft, you won't be freeshafting with that gun.

 

[Richesb]

Muzzles on Riffe are all open on top. Has absolutely no effect on anything when it comes to freeshafting.
My girlfriend & I shoot all the fish we eat, and that is 5 days a week. Enough said????????

PS I can go days without missing a either a stone shot or a shot that only requires me to "dispatch" the fish.
Muttons are the toughest fish for us to freeshaft. Long shots and generally a wild fish if not stoned. Similar to Cobia.

 

[Florabama]

I'm pretty sure it will. I ordered all 3 of my Riffe's from the factory with 3/8" shafts. Rest tab is a nice option also for the guns where the slings come all the way to the back end of the shaft like the No Ka Oi.

Which Riffes do you shoot?