Rig trip, sugestions

[shaggie]

Thanks for the tips. Especialy the one about some coveralls. Do most people keep their fish on stringers or do they boat them after a kill to keep down the problem of predators going after fresh meat hanging so close to ones leg?

 

[rigdiver]

Thanks for the tips. Especialy the one about some coveralls. Do most people keep their fish on stringers or do they boat them after a kill to keep down the problem of predators going after fresh meat hanging so close to ones leg?

Most use a stringer. You can tie it off on a central location on the rig if you like. Triggerfish like to eat anything that's on the stringer. That is one reason to keep it on you with a quick detach. I generally use a dog snap and clip it to a belt loop on my button up Levis. If triggerfish are eating your snapper on the stringer you can stab them with your speargun. Just hold the gun with both hands and jab the triggers. If something worth shooting comes by just shoot through the trigger on your gun tip. Hope all of that made sense.
Bill

 

[MichaelBaranows]

We made two rig dives yesterday and picked up a few fish. I got 3 snappers nothing big and one AJ. My dad got his first AJ and the other diver shot his first fish. I use a stringer and haven't had any problem with being atatcked by other fish. By clipping off my stringer I am able to keep them away from my stringer.

 

[shaggie]

How far out did you go and what was the water temp? Also, what do you mean by clipping off your stringer to keep them (other fish) away from your stringer?

 

[MichaelBaranows]

We were about 20 miles offshore in 115' of water. Most of the dive we were about 70' deep and the water temp was 79-80 degrees. And 75 degrees on the bottom.

Yes, I have by stringer clipped off to my d-ring and when trigger fish start to eat my fish I just puch/fan them away.

 

[rigdiver]

We were about 20 miles offshore in 115' of water. Most of the dive we were about 70' deep and the water temp was 79-80 degrees. And 75 degrees on the bottom.

Yes, I have by stringer clipped off to my d-ring and when trigger fish start to eat my fish I just puch/fan them away.

Triggers are VERY good eating. Hard to clean, but well worth the effort. A pole spear with a paralyzer tip is the way to go for triggers. I think it is a limit of 10 per person on the boat for triggers.

 

[shaggie]

I remember catching/eating trigger fish in Mexico back in my youth. Mmmm good fish.
sounds like the water is going to be warmer than I figured on. Guess I'll plan on wearing my 5mm shortie and a pair of jeans. It's always nice to drop some lead out of my bc.

 

[MichaelBaranows]

I wear a 3mm which was comfortable in the water but had to gear up fast in get in the water or I would burn up. There were tons of trigger and even some that are probably records but to me they are too tough to clean for my liking. I am more interested in larger fish. You can get 20 triggers as your combined reef fish aggregate which is 20 reef fish.

 

[shaggie]

What makes triggers so hard to clean? Bones?

 

[Chad Carney]

Triggers will bite the piss out of you if you don't stone them.
String them out the mouth to prevent losing some meat of your own!

Their skin is tough so it dulls a knife quick, and the yield is low, but otherwise they're not that tough to filet.

My 6 lbs trigger took 1st in the skindiver category of the Hell Diver Rodeo this weekend. The scuba 1st place was 11 lbs -11 oz!!

I get cold easy too, so I wore a 3mm full and it was fine. A beanie helps without adding buoyancy and protects your head somewhat if you get too close to a pipe... easy to do with some narcosis.

I'd get some cable for that gun. If there is an experienced shop around ask them to show you a "riding rig" set up and how to use it.

Good Diving!

Chad