Speargun question

[Florabama]

My gun has two bands but I only use one when free shafting. Sorry I forgot to mention that. If I use more than one I blow through fish. If you are using a true freeshaft, shoot them with a quartering away shot, that way when they struggle, they swim back up the shaft, not off the back, a true free shaft has nothing to keep them on the back of the shaft.

If you're going to try freeshafting AJ's, keep extra shafts on the boat. You'll need them. Tough fish to bring down with a single shot, but it can be done with practice. Same is true with cobia and big red snapper.

I'm glad you know about Ray. He's the man for shafts!

Dave

For some reason, I don't have much trouble with AJs. They tend to give me a nice broad side shot. Here's one I shot this summer. You can see where I hit him in the head just behind the eye. He didn't give me too much trouble, but it was not a stone shot.

When I shot him, I was on the way up from a 140 fsw dive, and had missed a nice black snapper. He swam right over to me and didn't give much fight, but I would have lost a shaft if I was free shafting because I shot him at about 40 ft.

On the other hand, this cobe was a team effort.

I shot him almost on the surface. I had uncocked my gun while I was hanging on the anchor rope doing a safety stop, and he swam right under me. I only got two bands cocked but shot him right behind the head from about 10 feet away. My shaft did not even go all the way through and he didn't even seem to notice. I tried to swim with him until he finally pulled off then miraculously, turned back right under us. By that time a couple of my buddies got shots at him. The gash in his side is from a JBL Magnum. It went all the way through, then while he was holding on, my son shot him with his Riffe. With two spears in him, we were able to wrestle him to the boat, but he never gave up fighting.

I shot another cobe this fall that my shaft did not penetrate. It was almost the same shot except on the bottom. I shot down on him and hit him directly in head. He just swam away and pulled off immediately. That, and essentially the same situation with a nice grouper is what got me thinking about changing guns.

 

[rigdiver]

Which Riffes do you shoot?

#3 Standard, No Ka Oi and a Blue Water. My fav is the NoKaOi. Shot JBL's for years and moved to Riffes about 8 yrs ago. Great guns.

 

[Richesb]

I shoot an No Ka Oi modified with magetic track (great gun), girlfriend shoots a Hawaiian modified with magnetic track. Both guns are used 90% of the time freeshafting wih no problems of any kind.
Neither girlfriend or I have rest tabs on Ray Odor shafts, not that it's not a bad idea - if you need one. If you don't I wouldn't get one only because when you have a fish on the Flopper shaft you've made a small hole and if the shaft has to be pushed through it makes it a little tougher. Just personal preference, but definitely not a bad idea if you encounter problems loading.

 

[Florabama]

I shoot an No Ka Oi modified with magetic track (great gun), girlfriend shoots a Hawaiian modified with magnetic track. Both guns are used 90% of the time freeshafting wih no problems of any kind.
Neither girlfriend or I have rest tabs on Ray Odor shafts, not that it's not a bad idea - if you need one. If you don't I wouldn't get one only because when you have a fish on the Flopper shaft you've made a small hole and if the shaft has to be pushed through it makes it a little tougher. Just personal preference, but definitely not a bad idea if you encounter problems loading.

That's interesting that both you and Rigdiver shoot a Riffe No Ka Oi almost exclusively. Richesb, is yours a Standard # 3 like Rigdiver's, and where can I find the magnetic tracks? I looked on the Riffe site and they don't show one available.

Also, what do y'all think of the Spearfishing Specialties Commercial guns? That was what I had in mind when I was thinking of replacing the Riffe. You can switch between line and free shaft pretty easily which seems like a good idea up this way or on the rigs.

 

[rigdiver]

Free shafting is just not in the picture on the rigs out in the Gulf along the TX/LA Coast. You'd never find em. Would love to try it sometime. I'd like to try a Wong also. A Riffe with a 3/8 shaft and 3 bands pack some serious punch.

 

[Richesb]

The No Ka Oi is a mid handle Riffe gun. Mine was modified by Riffe. They charge $30.00 + shipping to do the job. A great option when free shafting.
I hunt with a few people who shoot Kevin's guns SS Specialties Commercial guns. They are REAL GOOD guns.
I personally like my Riffe and every time I think about changing to a SS Comercial gun I have one of those days where I shoot 3 shafts and bring home all we are eating for the week. Makes it hard to switch.
If I was to consider a different gun it would be Kevin's because of the ability to switch from line to free shaft in seconds. Great option at times.
I personally have no need for 3/8" shafts, I shoot "smaller fish". But I can tell you that a 3/8" shaft, 3 bands will stop most living creatures out of an No Ka Oi.