Doin a blue water trip soon, what's too big for a reel(assuming it's not a stone shot) I'd like to try a sailfish

I am pretty sure it is illegal to shoot billfish off FL. If it is legal, I would use a float

Rules, damn rules:D If you can shoot a Permitt in Fed. waters and still bring it in, wonder why you couldn't do the same with a sail? How far do you have to go to hit international water anyway?

Doin a blue water trip soon, what's too big for a reel(assuming it's not a stone shot) I'd like to try a sailfish

Everything BW is to big for a reel.

Depends a lot on both the fish and the reel, but in general, if you are hunting in water that is hundreds of feet deep, why risk it? You can get a floatline and float for reletively cheap, and you can make your own for really cheap.

I know some people who have tried shooting wahoo with reels. I'm told that it doesn't work too well. They spool the reel so fast that you have to put a lot of pressure on them. They generally pull off.

Obviously, the risk of losing your gun is high, but so is the risk of having an awesome fish swim off and die. I think we should do everything possible to insure that we take home what we shoot.

Mahi are a different story. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot the biggest one with a reel. Of course it would sure suck to be holding that reel gun when an 80 pound wahoo, or 150 pound yellow fin swam up.

Float it is. Thanks for the good thoughts!

Rules, damn rules:D If you can shoot a Permitt in Fed. waters and still bring it in, wonder why you couldn't do the same with a sail? How far do you have to go to hit international water anyway?

The difference between permit and billfish is that billfish are managed federally as highly migratory, and spearfishing gear is specifically not allowed.....sucks.

It all depends. Every mahi and wahoo we shot out here could have been taken easy with a reel. But they were all under 30lbs. Im sure with the big fish out there you should probably use a float. Be easier for the capt to see you too. I have seen 50lb tuna taken with a reel, it drug me and my dive bud to china but we landed it. I know float lines suck but its better for bw.

gotta love people with no bluewater fish under their belt giving bluewater advice. This only applies to those of you who know who you are:chuck:

I have landed many (and I mean many!) Wahoos with a reel (and a 100 cm single band Omer Euro gun).

It depends on the dept you're diving. I have a spot 100' deep where wahoos periodically show up.

Now that I'm older, I bought bigger guns.... :D

If you're going REAL BW, you better get a float.

I may not be a real experienced spearo but I had my first encounter with a 25lb bar jack and he pulled pretty hard on my 30ft of wrap I could see each line VANISH as he sped off..now if that was a 25lb barjack in only 40ft of water what would a 150lb tuna in 500ft do?My guess is your reel would be a blur from spinning soo fast lol...itd be fun but very dangerous id say go for a float or stone the fish.

I have landed many (and I mean many!) Wahoos with a reel (and a 100 cm single band Omer Euro gun).

It depends on the dept you're diving. I have a spot 100' deep where wahoos periodically show up.

Now that I'm older, I bought bigger guns.... :D

If you're going REAL BW, you better get a float.


Must be nice to catch "many" wahoos, damn, I've never even seen one.

*don't mean to derail the thread...I can't say anything about blue water b/c I've yet to do it. However, after being tangled by a big fish while using a reel, I would imagine that I would benefit from a break away system...thats just me.

but again, I don't know anything about blue water.

Check this picture out (I'm sorry, I'm wearing a "hammock"...:);)).

http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/6096/5petosconfrancovm7.jpg

Check this picture out (I'm sorry, I'm wearing a "hammock"...:);)).

http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/6096/5petosconfrancovm7.jpg

Damn Marco great catch man those be some big and thick 'hoos:BoomSmilie_anim::BoomSmilie_anim:

Check this picture out (I'm sorry, I'm wearing a "hammock"...:);)).

http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/6096/5petosconfrancovm7.jpg

Damn Marco, thats freakin awesome, looks like I'll have to contact you when I go fishing out in your back yard. Congratulations man those are freakin beautiful!!!

If you check out CheekyBastards avatar, the 80lb dogtooth was shot with a reel.

As I said, all depends on the depth below your fins.

also depends on the type of fish, tuna usually go deep and then go into their death circles which is not good for a reel but dolphin, hoos,mackeral can be taken fairly easily with a reel. Wahoo are the harderst of all those and dolphin are EASY to take with a reel, but hard to handle. Like mentioned its cheap to get a breakaway system so just do it because you get a big fish and lose it you will be VERY upset.