Carrying a Spare Freeshaft and Choice of Tip

[Michael Guerrero]

So watching all these videos, sometimes I see people lineshafting but also carrying a spare freeshaft. If they don't stone the fish with the first shot, or if it is acting up too much, they will shoot it with the freeshaft. I expected to see them just pull the fish in and brain it, but that often wasn't the case. Any thoughts on that?

Also, I see some people use the a shaft with a regular tip and flopper, and others using a paralyzer tip. Hopefully this isn't some sort of religious debate among spearfishermen, but any perspectives on the pros/cons of either?

Thanks.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

LOL it is a huge debate.. like air 2's, split fins, pony bottles,, etc... Basically if you are not going to use a line shaft (i.e., ARE using freeshaft) then you want to have a second back up shaft. However, your gun is too little for that any of that.

If you are using a line shaft, rarely will people use another shaft.

Freeshafting requires a longer gun.

Nobody on the west cost of florida uses a paralyzer tip, but some people (and a lot of commercial divers) on the east coast will use a paralyzer tip.

You do not want to reinvent the wheel or try out all the different configurations. Just use the stock set up with the gun you have and hope for the best..

 

[Johnoly]

... I expected to see them just pull the fish in....

DD provided excellent advice in his post above, so I'll just reply to your one sentence here.

All veteran shooters know that you NEVER pull on the line after shooting a fish. In most cases the fish will either tear off or will go wild, pinwheeling, thrashing, and ruining your nice filet. The line is just to slow down the fish from your bad shot so you can get a hand around it's throat to calm him down.

After shooting the fish, you need to "GO TO" the fish, not haul him back to you.

My gun has backup shafts that are used for quickly reloading to shoot multiple targets. I pin the target into the sand and leave him there while reloading another shaft to get another target. When I'm out of shafts, I'll go collect the fish, elevate them to the boat above, and reload each of the shafts to repeat.

I only lineshaft cobes & jacks because they are mid water fish. Everything else gets freeshafted. Lose the Leash....it will force you to become a more accurate and deadly shooter.

P.S. from your other post......I have 2 bands loaded on my way to the bottom, but all other shots are single band only for reloading speed. Accuracy kills -- not more bands.

 

[Belzelbub]

I only lineshaft cobes & jacks because they are mid water fish. Everything else gets freeshafted. Lose the Leash....it will force you to become a more accurate and deadly shooter.

Yes, this. Lineshaft only when you have to. It took me far to long to get rid of the leash. I finally decided to do it after wasting too much time reloading. That first shot without a leash was scary, but liberating. Got the fish, and now almost exclusively freeshaft. I carry two freeshafts and one lineshaft with me all the time. With good shot placement, you won't lose shafts.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Yes, this. Lineshaft only when you have to. It took me far to long to get rid of the leash. I finally decided to do it after wasting too much time reloading. That first shot without a leash was scary, but liberating. Got the fish, and now almost exclusively lineshaft. I carry two freeshafts and one lineshaft with me all the time. With good shot placement, you won't lose shafts.

I assume this is a typo and he means he freeshafts most of the time...Freeshafting is a whole different animal..It is much faster, quicker to reload, you can use less band power because the shaft is not slowed by a line and it is impossible to have a fish wrap you up in shooting line, since you have none. It is suitable when you have a discrete bottom, when the currents are not excessive, when the water is clear and when not shooting pelagic fish.

It should also be mentioned that some of the best shooters are commercial fisherman. These people MUST shoot a lot of fish and must be super efficient with their actions and reloading time etc. It goes without saying that they must also place good shots. For this type of "high productvity" diving, freeshafting has a lot of advantages.

A recreational diver just learning the sport, has much more modest goals.. like maybe shoot 2-3 moderate fish on a dive and not get hurt and come back with all their gear. With this sort of objective, learning to shoot with a line first, makes more sense, I think.

I made this video a while ago.. I am shooting a line shaft and then converted over to a freeshaft mode, while diving. This is a nice option some guns have. Maybe you will find it interesting, shooting mostly small fish.

[video=youtube_share;Jqnm5xvInuU]http://youtu.be/Jqnm5xvInuU[/video]

 

[Water Boy76]

Jeff is one hell of a good shot. But a Sarah McLaughlin song in spearfishing video? Not sure about his taste in music.

 

[100days-a-year]

I carry a spare,I have friends that carry up to 3.We all have similar production so more isn't always better.

2 shafts is all you'll really want to keep track of if it's busy,you're deep or there is current or seas.

I use all paralyzers,even on the lineshaft.Either a fresh but rusty unbarbed or a stainless barbed for the one with a slide ring.

With spearfishermen as with most divers,just about everything is a religious debate.

 

[Belzelbub]

I assume this is a typo and he means he freeshafts most of the time...Freeshafting is a whole different animal..

Oops. Yes. I free shaft most of the time.

 

[Michael Guerrero]

Any pros/cons to the different types of barbed paralyzer tips?

I was looking at getting one of these because it's welded. The tips are a bit more spread out, so I'm guessing meat damage is a little more likely, but I'm thinking I just aim for the eyes with this one and I'm good to go for bottom fish.

JBL Trident Barbed Stainless Steel Spear Point

 

[100days-a-year]

JBL Stainless Steel Tines Barbed Paralyzer Spear Point

These work better.More penetration and less deformation.You want the tines in a less than 1 inch spread.Air for the spot on the fish's lateral line where the head meets the body.