shaft barbs

[Reef Raider]

This might seem like a simple thing but I feel that it makes a big difference. Some of us shoot dbl barbed shafts and others shoot sgl now I 'am talking about free shafts here the lines shafts are a hole other animal and we can do a post about that when we have beat this one to death. Now I shoot mostly a free shaft it is the style of shooting that I have choosen to learn and try to become skilled at. For this reason I like the sgl barb free shafts .I learned from Spear One how to work the barb so that after the shaft hits the fish it gos into the open mode and stays open till I string my fish. It is not often that I get a fish that the barb helped me put in the cooler and when I do the sgl barb worked fine .


What do you shoot with and why???
I know that a lot of you shoot the S.S.guns how are they working out for you ????

This might belong some place else but here it is....
I got over 20 hits on this and no one has anything to say whats up with that??????????????

[dlock]

I use a single barb on my Riffe and the fish I've lost off the spear was because of a low/belly shot and the flesh ripped....mmmmmmmmm...ripped flesh:p

[GROUPER55]

I use a single barb, in my experience it doesn't make a difference in "holding" the fish on. If you make a shitty shot with a single, or a double a good sized fish will rip itself off. And I still stick to the statement that my SS is the baddest boy around.....I just need to try to keep up with it. Its so bad ass that since Im leavin for a while yall will probably nice the fish populations will probably skyrocket..........untill my return! :p

[Steel Shootin']

Reef, you mention Spear One's method of single barb hunting, and I am going to be interested in learning more about that at the seminar. I lost 5 fish in one day hunting single barb. I've never seen so many fish shake a shaft and swim off, and it wasn't a problem of me not getting to the fish quickly enough, they would just shake the shaft free???? That's why I said I am going back to double, where I don't lose fish.

But, if it's just that I am not hunting with the right system, I'll be the first to admit it.

[Hogwild]

I'm a newbie to Spearboard, but have been stickin' fish in the Gulf since 92'. I used single and double floppers in free shaft mode without seeing much difference. Most of the fish that shake off the shaft do so off of the back end of the shaft, not the front.

Therefore, what I have settled on is using a line shaft with the line attachment not hooked to the tether, but functioning as an additional method of preventing the fish from getting off the back end of the shaft.

As long as the shaft is not hooked to the tether, I really did not see any difference in how the shafts performs. Plus, if you see a really big AJ come by, you can allways hook the tether and let 'er fly.

Hogwild

[Shooter Dan]

Hogwild,

Welcome to the board. I'll be making the run from Brandon for the Hooters gathering on Oct 30. Try to make it if you can.

[Divin' fool]

I use a double....but I don't freeshaft. My buddies that freeshaft use a single only. I lost a huge Gag on a single (shot him high and it ripped out), from then on I have been using a double.

[Reef Raider]

When you guys say that the fish shook the shaft do you mean that you had a hand on the shaft and the fish ripped them selfs off the end with the barb on it . Or did the fish come off the other end??
OH and thanks for the response I was thinking that you guys had no use for this topic . If ya'll want we can do the line shafts at the same time but I think they would make a whole other topic.
Anything that go's on the shaft or is hooked to it makes a diff in the way the shafts go's though the water . DBL barbs should be closed after reloading right? Unless the shot is very close even then it sure not going to help with your penetration and who dosen't like good penetration????
When you lose a fish this way do any of you look around for it ??
Sometimes I find them and sometimes not but I look a little .
If you do not find it I'am sure it turns in to a meal for something .

I lost a big gag once the shaft went through him and in to the rock it was a high head shot this was on a line gun with a
break-way tip it was a good 25 to 30 ft shot he pin wheeled till he ripped off the shaft. I never had a chance to pull it out of the rock and he was gone . If that was today with MY S.S. gun I think I could put him in the cooler. The other diver that day got a look at him as he swam off told me on the boat he felt it would have gone to 50#stalk about being PISSED OFF!!!!!!!!!! That was the day I knew I needed a new gun.....