Iki Spike - Stringer combo

[azapa]

With all due respect to the better higher tech DIY's I have seen, such as: http://forums.deeperblue.net/diy-hom...hlight=ikijimi

I would never the less like to show my simple home brewed version.

In the first image you will see the whole thing. Personally I hang it from my float. To those who may not get the idea, it is used like this:
i. Spear fish (the hard part!)
ii. Use spike to kill fish: locate brain by taking width between eyes, and project same distance back towards tail, think of an equilateral triangle, stick point firmly in this point. The point (or spear tip) can also be entered from the gills upwards at 45 degrees or so to same place.
iii. Thread spike through gills and out mouth
iv. leave fish hanging there, the spike will lie flat and not let fish fall
v. in case of seals and sharks etc, best use mesh bag over fish.

To make:
1. Take a 4 to 6MM (or 1/4") piece of stainless rod, mark center with punch, and drill hole with HSS drill. Countersink hole with bigger drill to reduce chaffing (great word). Grind one end sharp, angle or bench grinder will do fine, or even a file will do.

2. On opposite end make a lump with electrical tape. Place heat shrink tubing over this, a couple of layers, heat and trim. This heatshrink is available from electronics suppliers, ebay, radio shack etc and is very handy

3. Take a 12 to 19mm (1/2 to 3/4") piece of hardwood doweling, (any hardware store, home depot etc, use hardwood, not pine) and drill a snug hole in one end about 50mm deep. Drill a smaller hole across for string. I soaked the wooden cover in Linseed oil, but varnish, or even nothing would do.

Tie up, and off you go!!

VARIATIONS: would be involving fishing tackle type split rings, snap ons etc. and using mono filament instead of the change-once-a-year venetian blind nylon cord that I show. Also, the tip protector can be made with rubber/plastic tube or bits of heatshrink, but, it's nice to have a quality touch in our lives.

IMHO I don't recommend using this on your belt, especially if your starting out, and it makes your wetsuit slimy and fishy! Tie it to your float.

Good dives!

NOTE: I have since replaced the white nylon cord with mono + crimps, the same used to rig the spear. It's a lot better.

[Seacidal]

You should also bleed your fish as soon as possible, for quality.

Personally, I'd not trust a fish strung in the method you propose. I've seen too many fish lost that way. Perhaps our fish have larger mouths than most. Some divers I know like to string a fish by pushing the spike through the eyes.

I prefer to thread the stringer through the front of the upper and lower jaws, and find that the fish tows perfectly behind me. The stringer is attached to my belt on one side, the line runs around my back, and the spike is stuck in a holder on my other side. I can continue hunting and not worry about being encumbered by my fish. Plus the strung fish serves as a lure for other fish. Hopefully, not sharks.

[azapa]

nice idea on the fishy backpack type thing. I always keep fish and stringer/spike on my float just in case some of the bad boys come around.

What is the best way to bleed the fish? cut out the gills? It would seem to take a while.

Typically here we have fish in a 10 to 20M bottom, in between kelp covered boulders. The kelp forest grows up from these, and the nice fish are bellow the kelp and boulder "canopy". That means to hunt you often have to penetrate this canopy and swim bellow it. I soon found than anything at all hanging of my body, even a double stacked weight, would snag on the way through. I now don't use a snorkel, and use kidney shaped weights to hug closer to the body. This makes slipping through much easier.

Safe dives.

[Seacidal]

azapa,
In the California kelp beds where I do most of my diving, I like to tell myself that the white sharks don't come into dense kelp forests. The other sharks commonly encountered are more apathetic and likely to hit a fish left unattended on a float, but wouldn't necessarily go after a diver with a fish.

These of course are generalities, and things I tell myself to put me at ease. Diving conditions and potential threats certainly vary with location and conditions.

I've found that by stringing and carrying a fish behind my back in this fashion, I am able to continue diving in our kelp forests without the fish getting hung up. However, in extremely dense kelp, or perhaps with strong surge, this could be difficult. I would be interested to see the kidney-shaped weights that you use.

The easiest and quickest way for a diver to bleed a fish is to cut the gills. Use a knife, and sever all or most of the gill rakers on one side of the fish. Watch that you don't cut yourself in doing this. Some divers prefer to tear out the gills, but a clean cut will allow the fish to bleed out faster.

The sooner you do this the better, because the heart is likely to slow over time, and is needed to help pump out all of the blood. A bled fish makes for superior fillets, both in taste and appearance. Once I retrieve and "brain" a fish, I immediately cut the gill rakers before stringing it and continuing my diving. Of course, the wisdom of bleeding a fish must be considered in light of the threat potential for each dive area.

Safe diving,
Chip

[Mr. X]

Originally Posted by Seacidal

... A bled fish makes for superior fillets, both in taste and appearance. Once I retrieve and "brain" a fish, I immediately cut the gill rakers before stringing it and continuing my diving. Of course, the wisdom of bleeding a fish must be considered in light of the threat potential for each dive area.

That's interesting. My brother was in north Africa a while back and said the meat looked great (he has never been a big meat eater, despite being a keen shooter) as it was all bled. As somebody who ate black pudding (made from blood) less than a week ago, I'm surprised that a little blood makes much difference, but several people have assured me that it does. I didn't realise it applied to fish too.

[azapa]

Originally Posted by Seacidal

azapa,
I would be interested to see the kidney-shaped weights that you use.

Hi Chip,

Here are those weights. they are covered in wheel barrow (!) inner tube pieces for grip and stealth. Each is 2kg.

Sounds like our conditions are similar, our kelp is short (less than 1 1/2M high) and quite dense. Full of fishies though

good hunting.

[Lenny]

As you all know, here in False bay we try to keep blood down to a minimum. So I came up with an Idea, not sure if it will work, some comments would be cool.

My Idea is based on the car innertubes we use for catching crayfish. I want to get a shortish but wide bucket/basin say 20cm rims, 50cm in diameter. mount that in an inflated inner tube, and make a net openening with a drawstring. This would serve double purpose as float (whole thing sprayed rocket red) and a place to put fish in without getting very much blood in the water. What do you think?

[deep thinker]

Hi Lenny, a good idea but two comments that needs a bit of throught. 1 Youll have to find a way to keep your fish fresh, theyll dry out quickly and wont be too yummy if they spend a whiles in the sun. 2 Youll have to find a way to reduce drag, as you will be towing it behind you in the water, if those two obstacles canbe overcome it will be a very cool idea...
Cheers mate

[Mr. X]

Somebody posted a picture of something like that, which you can buy. It was on Island_Sand's Float thread. Its like an inner tube with a cover than opens on the top (providing a shaded storage area).:

I think somebody posted a link for a site which sells them in the USA but I'm unable to find it now. It might have been a tyre/tire cover but I have a feeling they sold the whole thing.

Still, making your own might be cheaper (not always the case). That stretchy, tough, shiney waterproof material they make Dutch fisherman's waterproofs (excellent for glissading) & triathlon wheel covers from might be ideal.

[Seacidal]

Azapa,
Thanks for the pictures of the weights. There's a tendency among freedivers here to use many smaller 1-2 lb. weights, rather than a few larger ones. Personal preference again, I guess.

Regarding the float for holding fish, you guys might want to look at the "innertube" and similar type floats commonly used by divers in Northern California. I'm sorry I can't provide a link to a source, but maybe someone can help out.
Chip

[carlo8989]

when bleeding fish if you take it on boat ( not string it this is very unlikly ) then place 1/2 teaspoon of salt on each cut you make at the gills, thus stopping coagulation. Try not to let the fish "flop" as this causes bruising, especially in Halibut.

[settingsteel]

Very cool setup carlo!
I use something similiar, that I optional will carry on my belt, from a float, or left tied to a rock (fish lure), my son uses a setup that has 3 large snaps (keeps fish from bunching up), as well as a spike.

Seacidal, curious as to the "backpac" you show in the pix, it does not look like a wet pack, can you elaborate

azapa, that is a nice custom tailored belt, how is the diving in chile?, when is the best time to go?
Sorry carlo don't meaqn to hijack the thread, plaaning to go to columbia for business, might hop over to chile or argentina fora few days

[Seacidal]

SettingSteel, the weight pack I wear is a "harness" style weight belt. I use it to help distribute the weight. I usually dive in a full two piece, 7mm suit, and tend to wear a lot (25+ lbs) of lead. The harness allows my shoulders to bear some of the load, and provides some versatility in how the weights are worn. A number of companies make them, mine happens to be an old Sporasub model. I believe that Beuchat makes them now. Also, some local dive shops in California may make their own. I prefer to use rubber belting material for the straps, while some prefer nylon belting. It's largely a matter of preference. It should be kept in mind that ditching a harness weightbelt is not as easy as with a standard waist belt, but can still be done.
Safe diving,
Chip

[azapa]

Originally Posted by settingsteel

azapa, that is a nice custom tailored belt, how is the diving in chile?, when is the best time to go?
Sorry carlo don't meaqn to hijack the thread, plaaning to go to columbia for business, might hop over to chile or argentina fora few days

Hi. Diving here is great, but we are in spring time now and the ocean goes crazy, some calm days, some awful, and quite murky as the ocean is "in full bud".

https://www.fnmoc.navy.mil/ww3_cgi/c...rod=sig_wav_ht

should let you know what to expect. Let me know when you have your dates set up and we can arrange some dive days...

[settingsteel]

Thx Chip, I thought it was, but had some doubt...WOW 25#, quite a workout!!!

Azapa it looks like Columbia will be around X-MAS timenot certain, as clients need to arrange details, will keep you posted, if indeed we go towards the end of the year then Chile would be around the beginning of January...indeed the seasons are opposite than ours like in Argentina, your neighbors...have you done any diving there?