Steel Stringer: Poor Man's Ice Pick?

[Steel Shootin']

In reading Helldiver's Rodeo, I was interested in the fact that many of those guys use an ice pick to incapacitate a fish. It got me thinking about how us Gulfcoast spearos might use our stringer to get the same result.

Granted, most fish we take over here do not pose the same problems as shooting a 150# fish at 230 fsw, with a depth of 500 fsw. Nonetheless, almost all fish I shoot the stringer goes through the eyes. For many species, that is fine. But there are those occassions here when you shoot a large grouper, or have a green AJ of cobia, that getting control is not easy. I had a difficult time getting control of a free-shafted A.J. last year, and used my knife. In retrospect, I may have been better off with multiple stringer pokes, or a single well placed blow where the free shaft should have gone.

Some guys say, "No, you reach up into those gills first, and start ripping away." Others claim the whole "gill-ripping" is B.S. So, is it a bad strategy to reach for the stringer first, as a means of incapacitating the fish.

How many of you consider your stringer to be a vital part of your fish killing arsenol? What about using the stringer to penetrate the brain, as opposed to going through the eyes?

Anyone on the Gulfcoast sport an ice pick? Not a bad thing to have. However, if you find yourself tangled up in a net, or mono, not too effective at cutting, either. I wonder if any of those Louisiana guys ever made a custom ice pick holder?

[Screen Name]

To be a little blunt. I've had the fish try to use it to incapacitate me. A big AJ that comes alive can jab you pretty good, so I have learned not to attach sharp things to fish I am carrying.......:D (since I'm being blunt). I've used ice picks before but they gave me a similar fear. I came pretty close to jabbing myself while trying to jab that large lively fish that I'm trying to hold still.

My favorite weapon to demobilize the fish is shootem again.

[Hogwild]

Ice picks can be dangerous when not in use. Where do you keep them? Insted, I used a grinder to grind down my dive knife untill it is only 1/2" wide, but still has the sharp blade edge for cutting away fishing line and can be put back into it's sheath for storage.

With the blade this thin, it can easily penetrate the skull to scramble those fishy brains. :p

[seastalker]

You pull the gills out of an AJ and he's done in 30 seconds......guaranteed...

[inletsurf]

Scott,

I've only been ripping gills and jabbing the stringer thru the eyes so far. I think the ripping gills takes a while to kill the fish, though. Stringer through the eyes puts most fish under control, but the brain is behind the eyes, so you're not really braining them. I thought of the ice pick concept myself and was thinking to try that one soon.

But if I ever start to make real money, and I can finally afford a real wetsuit, this is what I want to get...

http://piratescuba.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/snake.jpg

BTW I finally bought a pretty cool mirrored spearfishing mask...just haven't used it yet...

http://ebay1.ipixmedia.com/abc/M28/_EBAY_e9ae78d1ddc941b9f08ae5d46e9a66fb/i-1.JPG

I remember hearing D4B describe some of the brain surgery he performs on big AJ's...what do you use D4B?

[Divin' fool]

I use a med size phillips head screwdriver with the tip ground down. I put it in my BC pocket. It's not too sharp, is easy to use and also pushes out a stuck .223 shell from a PH easily. If I drop it or loose it...no big deal.

[Steel Shootin']

Inlet, that Sporasub Snake Dagger is AWESOME. They put a 3" serrated area on one side for cutting yourself out of entanglements, but the rest of that thing has frontal lobotomy written all over it.

[Divin' fool]

Inlet...I've had a reflective mask for almost a year and really like it....very low volume.

[FredT]

Generally a second tube is mounted for the pick to slide into. Handle is a little lower and outboard of the knife handle.

Scott, a sharpened stringer through the eyes almost always misses the brain on pelagics. The brain will be aft of the eye sockets in line with the lateral line entry to the skull. A sharpened stringer is good, if the end is sheathed when clipped.

My favorite way to provide an attitude adjustment is to throat the fish and let him bleed out. This involves cutting down with a sharp BFK just aft of the lower gill/body junction. It's almost as fast a braining if I miss the stone shot, and the meat is better. Grab the fish by the eyes with your "off" hand, if your finger spread will reach them, then pass the knife behind the gills and push down. This cuts the fish's main distribution artery between the gills and the heart. In about 15 seconds the "fight" is over since the fish is not getting any fresh O2, and the fish is completely bled out after about 30 seconds limiting your blood trail duration.

FT

[Grauer]

Fred t , I bet that takes some practice.! good info

[subdude]

On a bp&w for open water spearfishing, where do you put your BFK?

Thanks,

subdude

[FredT]

Originally posted by subdude
On a bp&w for open water spearfishing, where do you put your BFK?

Thanks,

subdude

Where it belongs of course. On my leg, along with my snorkel. Itty bitty backup on waist strap if I take one.

A KNIFE has a handle that engages the entire palm, a blade sharp at both point and edge and long enough to reach through the largest fish you intend to take.

Backup is suitable for cutting apples on the SI, not for adjusting attitudes.

Seaweed,

(Why does that name bring back bad memories of raging strep throat?:rolleyes: )

The technique is to slide the blade through the opening formed between the bottom of the fish and the gullet in the "feather" area of the gills. If you are cutting things when the knife is inserted through the fish you are doing it wrong. Practice this on a few smaller fish before butchering them and it becomes second nature, no visibility needed. On a big fish too large to grab across the eyes grab the throat and squeeze HARD! This pressure point cuts off blood flow to slow down the fish, then cut between the hand and the gills. Good gloves help here. Both your blood and the fish's are green when mixed with seawater below about 50' so do a visual check of the hand after completing the stringing if the water is cold.

FT