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Underwater HuntingSpearfishing, underwater fishing, lobstering, hunting and gathering underwater - it's all here. Come share your fish tales, photos, tips and techniques!
Please note: The last reply in this thread was more than 3 month(s) ago.
i have been into spearfishing for quite a wile now ,i free dive mostly with a pole spear .i now have access to lots of offshore wrecks and rigs were i see lots of big A.J's ,snapper and grouper so i felt it was time to buy a gun .well my girlfriend takes the hint and ran with it so now i have a brand new riffe islander ! it is the prettiest thing i have ever seen ! but is this gun to big for big A.J's and stuff like that ?i am glad to have it but is it over kill?
i have been into spearfishing for quite a wile now ,i free dive mostly with a pole spear .i now have access to lots of offshore wrecks and rigs were i see lots of big A.J's ,snapper and grouper so i felt it was time to buy a gun .well my girlfriend takes the hint and ran with it so now i have a brand new riffe islander ! it is the prettiest thing i have ever seen ! but is this gun to big for big A.J's and stuff like that ?i am glad to have it but is it over kill?
Yes, this is way overkill. My suggestion is to trade your new Island for my Mid-Range immediately, and don't tell your girlfriend we made the trade.
My new bride laughed at me when I asked her to buy me a new gun last night.
If you are comfortable with it in the conditions you hunt, then rock it out. Should be excellent for big grouper and AJ's. Add a breakaway and float line and you can kill Nessy with it too. If you haven't shot a larger mid-handle gun before make sure you brace it when you shoot.
and i guess i should ask (sense this is my first gun) how should i rig it ?what are some tricks of the trade ?what are some things i need to look out for using a big gun?i have been free diving with it not hunting but just to get a feel for it and and i am comfortable with it .what are changes in rigging that i should make when i am free diving as opposed to scuba
and i guess i should ask (sense this is my first gun) how should i rig it ?what are some tricks of the trade ?what are some things i need to look out for using a big gun?i have been free diving with it not hunting but just to get a feel for it and and i am comfortable with it .what are changes in rigging that i should make when i am free diving as opposed to scuba
I am assuming the gun came rigged stock with bands, line, and a shockcord. For what you are hunting the stock rigging should be excellent. For freediving I would add a breakaway and float line. You can buy a Riffe breakaway system from any dealer Speargun Parts and Accessories.
Personally I use the breakaway adapter from Neptonic Breakaway Adapters for Floatlines.
To get a feel of how well the gun "fit's" you hold the handle in your hand with elbow bent, the butt should fit firmly against your bicep. An inch or so shorter or longer means you still have a good fit. Now, brace the gun with your off hand at the butt before you take the shot. You should have excellent range of movement while you are bracing the gun. One of the great advantages of of Midhandle gun is that you can take really stable two handed shots, and the gun will track much faster accordingly. This is a pretty big gun so make sure you brace it otherwise you run the risk of dental or face injury.
Your from Mobile AL. Are you diving oil rigs? Cause that's going to make a huge difference on how you setup your gun. Where are you diving and what does the bottom look like?
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Bulls and reefies aren't the problem, it's the lemons and hammers that I never see ambush me.
well i am diving rigs ,the bottom is usually sandy i do that with scuba .when i am in Florida diving it is on wrecks .as to where ,i have been on lots of rigs of the Alabama coast viz usually isn't anything to brag about but it does get better from time to time
Rig diving is way out of my database . Cancel my previous stock recommendation as the foundation for it was based on experience of open water pelagics and shallow water reefs.
From what I have heard you will want to replace your mono shooting line with SS cable. Seems like the more experienced rig divers like using reels, but they also recommend float lines for a beginner. Here's a couple links: Floats for Rig Spearfishing? - DeeperBlue.net Forums Oilrig Spearing! - DeeperBlue.net Forums
Hopefully some rig divers in here will pipe up for you.
I do alot of rig diving,pretty much thats all i dive. I have a Riffe Competitor 4XS.The guys I dive with shoot a No Ka Oi and are happy with it.Can't have too mch power for those big AJs.We use a riding rig on our guns,1 wrap 5/32 SS cable a loop on the end to hook over cable keeper 3-4 ft. of 3/8 rope with spliced loops on both ends and a snap hook. Disconnect the rig from the gun via the snap hook.If the fish is to big just let go of the rope and the only thing lost is the shaft and cable. The rope on the back clips to a D ring and allows me to use both hands to fight the fish and still have my gun.
! it is the prettiest thing i have ever seen 
! but is this gun to big for big A.J's and stuff like that ?i am glad to have it but is it over kill?
. Cancel my previous stock recommendation as the foundation for it was based on experience of open water pelagics and shallow water reefs.
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