Break-A-Way Tips

[1bumknee]

Hello everyone. Just wanted to hear some opinions about shooting with Break-A-Way tips. I've been shooting for about a year now and my biggest problem seems to be loosing fish after a bad shot. I have been using a regular rock tip and after a bad shot the fish will just kind of pinwheel around until he rips off the shaft. Will using one of these tips help until I get better or should I just keep trying.

Another reason im a bit weary of these tips is my time to reload. Im sure it will take longer but I would rather get back to the boat with something for the grill.

[FredT]

They also save fish if the shot is close to properly placed. Larger fish will tend to spin the tip off or pretzel the shaft if a detach is not used. You should learn about Blue Loctite early on! Don't wet a shaft that hasn't had it applied to the tip threads at tip assembly. Prime the shaft if there is not going to be time enough for it to set without it. It's low strength enough to be breakable with a couple vise grips, or simply heat the tip base to about 350° F to turn it back into a thread lubricant.

There are several considerations to make when choosing a tip, as all are NOT created equal.

1. Fish species targeted. Snapper and drum have large scales and heavy meat. Tips won't pull out of these as easy as it does on grouper and cobia. For heavy scaled relativlely weak fish short wings work, for light scaled strong fish you'll need longer wings. If in doubt go long if the gun allows it. I like a 3" wing tri cut rock tip on a detach base. They are easy to resharpen in the field (any tip HAS to be sharp or you loose penetration) and inexpensive enough I can carry a dozen or so in the parts box for all day hunts. Others swear by the Riffe Icepick. At $80 a pop the Icepick had BETTER be good, and it is. I've only seen a couple of those break. I'm still trying to get some cast in T6-4 titanium. Maybe next year. Again with the species you'll want to vary the detach tip length on an icepick the same way you do with wing length.

2. Gun size. A detach tip ( or non-detach for that matter) with wings HAS to pass completely through the fish to properly deploy. The "icepick" style detach tips will set in a body cavity on larger heavy boned fish if the tip doesn't completely penetrate. If using a smaller gun or taking long shots the rock tip may not be the best for you.

3 Reload speed. The rock tip is "reset" in about a half second by grabbing the bitter end of the detach cable and pulling it towards you. The tip will find it's socket and seat without you even looking at it. They are also easier to get out of a fish for the same reason. Hold the cable and push the shaft back on the tip after the fish has had it's attitude adjustment if the tip is internal to the fish, or simply capture the wings and pull it back out. I find the icepick style a bit harder to get out of a fish if the shaft didn't fully penetrate, as on a "down the throat" shot on grouper or cobia. Icepicks can take a bit longet to "reset".

4. Metal. Some tips rust quickly, others last for years with minimal maintenance. 300 series tips don't rust, but dull REALLY fast even if all you ever hit is fish and fish bone. 17-4 holds an edge, but can rust a bit. There are a few other alloys out there. A few trips to salt water will tell the tale on any of them.

Detach tips are usually a good thing, within the design limits of the tip.

FT

[liberty hound]

I use detachable tips and think it is the only way to go for cobia.I've had a few shafts get broken right at the threaded part buy big cobs. Break aways cure this problem.
I do have one question, does any one know where I can get stainless braided wire so I can replace it when it gets kinked and frayed on my break- aways?

[Screen Name]

I'm not a big detach fan, personally. I would use them myself under only the rarest of circumstances, like maybe one shot deal feediving with a reel gun at a tournament.

I like the shaft to be stuck through a big fish to help immobilize him. Sometimes, for example, its all you can do to keep a big cobia out of the wreck, and a detach gives them the upper hand if you were not fortunate enough to stone him.

After getting pounded by a few big fish with a detach, I decided it might work good for like a snapper on spring. The next problem I encountered was getting the snapper off so I could prepare for the shark. The detach did its best to get me eaten. I don't use the freakin things anymore.

Just one divers perspective.

John Out.

[f94gator]

I started out with a breakaway tip, but I got rid of it after a few trips. Just not worth the hassle.

[Kasshia]

I found out years ago, when I was still spearfishing in FL, that when you're going after 30+ lb. AJ's with a 6' polespear a break away tip is a requirement. Otherwise the fish can get enough leverage, with you hanging onto the other end of the pole, to rip himself off. Unless, of course, you stone him.

[Screen Name]

With a pole spear you must hang on to the rigid spear. Anybody who has grabbed a spearshaft while in a large live Cobia knows what you are talking about. If he doesn't rip off he will probably knock the tar out of you or break your arm.

However, I used a detach on my pole spear in the Bahamas for about half a trip. Worked great. Never lost anything I hit........until a big Bull shark caught me with my detach stuck in a hogfish. It kind of lost all its advantage. I actually came very close to being eaten that dive.

In my opinion, line shafting with a speargun is a different picture than a pole spear. Since a line is attached to the shaft it already acts like a giant detach. But pull the spear out of the cobia and you just gave the fish back a whole bunch of mobility.

This is just my opinion. But more importantly Kasshia, cool that you are aboard. I enjoy pole spearing in the Bahamas so I'll look forward to discussions about this. Say hi to Okinawa for us and keep in touch!

John

[Kasshia]

Thanks for the welcome, Screen Name.

I think you are right in that line shafting with a gun is different from using a polespear. When I was spearing those AJ I was diving with two buddies, one had a pneumatic gun and the other had a triple band gun, neither of them needed detatchable tips shooting the same bunch of fish.