Rigging

RIGGING

Here we will discuss the various ways of holding onto your spear.  The most common rig is to have your spear attached to the muzzle of your gun then a thin rope running from the handle of your gun to a float on the surface.

Whichever method you choose here are a few golden rules:

1.  Never, ever attach anything to yourself.
2.  Always have a line attached to your spear that is at least as long as the depth you are diving.  This is so if you shoot a hard-fighting fish or a fish holes up, you are able to get back to the surface without dropping everything.
3.  Make your shooting line the weakest link.  This is so if something breaks you only lose your spear.
4.  Think about what you are going to do with your fish.

HARDLINES:

The simplest, and probably the best, rig is a hardline or floatline.  This is simply a length of rope attached to the handle of your gun and a float, usually with a swivel and fish threader at each end.  This system is strong, very simple, creates very little drag and gives you a good way to store your fish.  The rope used is usually static meaning that you can keep control of how much line a fish has to play with.

Hardlines are however notorious for tangling and sinking (when compared to other systems).  This can be extremely frustrating when diving in shallow, bouldery water or trying to snoop.
There are several ways you can minimize tangling:
1.  Use the shortest line possible.  You only need 1.5 times the depth you are diving (ie if you're diving 20m you need a 30m line) so don't tow a 30m line when you're only diving in 5m of water
2.  Use swivels.
3.  Coil the rope up on a winder ensuring it doesn't get any twists in it.
4.  Keep the fish up near the float.  Sinking fish halfway along your line will drive you nuts.

A floatline is the best option when diving in deep water, like when weedlining and in situations when you will need to transport your fish for extended periods (ie more than 5 minutes) like when shorediving.

 BUNGIES:

 Bungies come in all shapes and sizes and can be inserted between your gun and normal hardline or can replace the hardline altogether.  The two main benefits of a bungy over a static line are that they don't tangle and, because they stretch, they absorb some of the strain of a fighting fish putting less strain on the rest of the system and the fish's flesh.

Bungies can be made from various materials but the most common are rubber or a synthetic polymer.  They must be hollow and air-filled which makes them float and allows them to be cored with some sort of line so that if the bungy is cut on a rock or something you don't lose your gear.

Short bungies are from 1-5m long and are inserted between the gun and a normal hardline.  These are almost exclusively made of rubber and are cheap.  They typically have a stretch ratio of between 1:3 and 1:5 so they musn't be too long or you will lose control of your fish.  These simple bits of kit can make a big difference when shooting fish such as kingies.
Full bungies replace your hardline altogether.  Rubber or other non-uv resistant materials are unsuitable for full bungies if you want them to last any length of time (you can imagine what will happen to a piece of rubber floating in salt water and bright sunlight for several hours).  These are excellent for blue-water style diving where two or more divers are diving close to each other, in deep water targeting game fish.  Bungies are however generally considered unsuitable for normal day to day use.  This is because they have considerably more drag through the water and are easily cut on rocks (they are cored so you won't lose your gun but they are unrepairable).  Because of their stretch they can make it hard to keep a big fish off the bottom.

Bungies are ideal for blue-water diving for gamefish.

REELS:

The use of a reel means you don't need a line or float at all making you much freer in the water.  The freedom of a reel when snooping cannot be beaten. 

A spearfishing reel doesn't work the same as an idiot-sticking reel in that you don't wind the fish in.  You still play the line through your hands like a normal floatline.  You shoot the fish, swim to the surface, letting line off the reel, then grab the line and pull it in.  Then you need to do something with the fish and wind the line back in.  What to do with your fish is probably the number one drawback of using reels.  It is worth noting that reels are most popular with European divers.  They encounter very few sharks and it is no problem to swim around with your catch attached to your belt.  You would have to be a complete moron to try that here.

 There are several types of reels on the market made of different materials and sporting very different features so what is best?  The two main materials used are plastic or nylon and metal.  Obviously the metal ones are stronger but they are also usually several times the price.  Although the metal ones are marketed as "blue-water" reels they are never really all that good for gamefish.  Good plastic ones are usually more than strong enough for the fish reels are best suited to.  The hardest thing when using reels is preventing tangles.  These usually occur when the fish makes a strong run and the reel starts free-spooling.  To prevent this from happening the reel must have a drag system.  This is usually just a nut and washer.  The other way, especially when dealing with bigger fish, is just to use the palm of your hand.  Obviously you can't do this with an enclosed reel.

Like with floatlines, it is best to have the absolute minimum amount of line on your reel necessary.  This will prevent tangles and stop the line from "jumping" out of the spool and jamming.

Remember not to drop your gun!!!

Reels are best suited to shallow water and small fish.