float line set ups?

[jtkwest]

i just hooked up with a boat captain, who spearfishes also,(blue water) and we are joining the key west open spearfishing tournament, next weekend,(he won three divisions two years ago, incidently) and i need to hook up a float line system, that incorporates a way for me to retain the gun,(spear is hooked to float directly, gun stays with me) i was discussing gear with him , and he showed me his homemade rig to accomplish this, that was just a small pvc tube, , 2 1/2 inches long .,screwed in place, on trigger guard, that had a piece of band rubber about the same length that fit snugly inside, it had a knotted string through it, making it tight enough that it takes about 5 to 10 lbs of pressure to dislodge it. you hook float line to this and when you fire, it releases, and presto. this seems like it works, but i am intersted to know what y'all are using for this? fish will be mahi , cobia,wahoo, not huge tuna, if that makes a difference. is there something i can buy? or just make it only?

[Bill McIntyre]

The simplest, cheapest, and most foolproof method is known as Hawaiian breakaway. Cut your shooting line so that the loop in the rear end is a few inches from the line release. Put a loop of bungee through the loop and stretch it over the line release. Attach the clip on your float line to the loop in the shooting line (NOT to the bungee).

When you pull the trigger, the bungee comes off of the line release and your gun is out of the chain.

[jtkwest]

Originally Posted by Bill McIntyre

The simplest, cheapest, and most foolproof method is known as Hawaiian breakaway. Cut your shooting line so that the loop in the rear end is a few inches from the line release. Put a loop of bungee through the loop and stretch it over the line release. Attach the clip on your float line to the loop in the shooting line (NOT to the bungee).

When you pull the trigger, the bungee comes off of the line release and your gun is out of the chain.

thanks i like the simplicity, one ques.: when you are swimming along with bouy towing behind, wont pressure from float possibly unhook it from release?i mean to say weight of float would pull towards rear of gun, possibly dislodging it ? obviously not , but why? i guess bungee needs to be relatively tight to prevent this?you are a knowledgable guy. thank you again. if you ever come to keys, PM me.. i will buy you a beer .

[bgill]

Awesome set-up! I'll have to rig mine up like that too!
Great idea!

[Bill McIntyre]

Originally Posted by jtkwest

thanks i like the simplicity, one ques.: when you are swimming along with bouy towing behind, wont pressure from float possibly unhook it from release?i mean to say weight of float would pull towards rear of gun, possibly dislodging it ? obviously not , but why?

Yes, it can happen. In California, it most often happens when our little egg size floats that we use in kelp beds get hung in the kelp.

But if it happens, so what? Where is the line? Its right next to you, held in tension by whatever pulled the bungee off of the line release, and you reach out and put it back on.

I once had a Riffe Island and used Riffe's breakaway in which the rubber thingee takes a 90 degree turn through a hole in the butt of the gun. It had worked fine a lot of times, but then the time when I shot my first yellowfin tuna, it didn't work. The rubber thing stuck in the hole, the gun was almost torn from my hands, and the slip tip pulled out of the tuna.

A few weeks later I was in Hawaii and went out on Daryl Wong's boat. Every gun on the boat was rigged with the Hawaiian breakaway. He is a world class diver and has shot big fish all over the world. I switched.

If it pulls off too much, use thicker bungee cord and cut it shorter.

The only way it can pull off is if the shooting line stretches. If you are using steel cable, its not going to stretch. If you are using mono, it can stretch.

[jtkwest]

If it pulls off too much, use thicker bungee cord and cut it shorter.

The only way it can pull off is if the shooting line stretches. If you are using steel cable, its not going to stretch. If you are using mono, it can stretch.[/quote]
good stuff, thanx. i take it you use cable? i currently use 300 lb mono double crimped. is that gonna work ok for blue water? mostly dolfin,(mahi) wahoo, cobia. unlikely any tuna, and if so not too big,(not likely , anyway) you are the man. no hurry on info, anytime is cool. thanx again.

[Bill McIntyre]

No, I don't use cable here in SoCal- its not necessary and its too dangerous if you don't need it. I use this 400 pound mono, mainly because it shows up so well down in the murk and the shade when its wrapped in the kelp, but of course that's not a concern for you.

I think mono should be fine for the fish you are going to be shooting.

[settingsteel]

Mono is fine or go cheepo and use weedwhacker (one in particular is very hydrodynamic) or dyneema or what I use 1/4 dyneema 3/4 marine bungee ......as far as the line coming loose BM's point is right on but if your anal about it...and anal is legit... do a Hells Hole set up. As for a floatline if you got the time...do a search here a recent thread goes over the details...if you need some links to material PM me but I've posted it here already (do the search) if you want to KIS just use a ski rope or yellow poly it works just fine and will hold on to anything you shoot in the Keys. good luck!