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Old 09-05-2016, 02:14 PM   #2
spearq8
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Re: spear line: mono vs stainless core vs spectra? -- loosing shafts to other predato

SS cable can handle sharp teeth extremely well, but as shooting line it has many drawbacks. It has a lot of drag and drops performance and accuracy by quite a bit. Also the same positive aspects that prevent a shark from cutting the line can work against you if you are accidentally get tangled in it and have to cut it. A lot of guys that use cable exclusively pack wire cutters for that reason. A good compromise is spectra or kevlar for shooting line. Problem with those lines is that they can tangle very easily on rocks and reefs as they tend to sink ... and also your band tangles increase by quite a bit. You can of course use an ET to reduce band tangles by having the line not rigged over the shaft ... or you can use a slide ring on the shaft in front of the muzzle (also eliminates band tangles) ... but again that has draw backs.

There are some new super stiff Spectra lines that might work well as good shooting line, but I hate the knot they make. I personally use a 380lb kevlar line which has been dipped in PVC ... it is not perfect, but it acts just like mono and can be crimped. The PVC coating shreds quite easily but the kevlar inside is extremely resistant to cutting from teeth or sharp barnacles or coral. You need to replace it often but so far it has handled some very tough situations really well. I do wish it would come in at 600lb as it would only be about 1.8mm ... but nobody is interested in making it.

I am working with a racket string company to see if it is possible to make a special spearfishing line that acts and feels like mono ... yet is as strong and abrasion resistant as kevlar or spectra. My guess is that it would be around 500lb or 600lb strength and would be less than 1.6mm thick (around thickness of 250lb mono). I already use Head Fiber Gel as shooting line, but I don't use it for very large fish.
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