Sometimes my shooting line gets tangled with the bands when I shoot my No Ka Oi, resulting in the spear stopping way short of my target. Any tips on how to avoid that? Thanks.

It's usually your loop knot attachment to your spear not being tapered enough. Make sure you put the shooting line thru your spear from the same side as your shooting line comes off your gun. Use shrink wrap to taper the attachment knot.

I used to have that same problem and then it suddenly stopped when i stopped line shafting. Amazingly enough.

FREESHAFT !!!!!

Are you using a reel and putting the reel line through a line guide on the bottom of the gun under the muzzle?

attn: Freeshafters There are those among us who prefer to hold their breathe rather than blowing bubbles. They are not always that interested in freeshafting.

i wish i could help answer this question, I m sure Bill Mc or one of the other freedivers have encoutered this issue.

then there is aways Marcus:crazy: :toast:

The same thing happened a few times with my gun, but I re-rigged it(eratic wong threa;speargun section) and it's been fine ever since.

Sometimes my shooting line gets tangled with the bands when I shoot my No Ka Oi, resulting in the spear stopping way short of my target. Any tips on how to avoid that? Thanks.



I wish I knew, since its happenend to me on a few different guns thru the years. I had it happen on a No Ka Oi before and and seen it happen on a few different wongs as well. It can happen on railguns also. I've had it happen a few times and all were really close shoots except one.

We were frediving in 190ft for jacks and I shot a 50 lber at 65ft that was really green and the line wrapped around the bands not allowing the line on my reel to deploy. I had to drag that bitch up and about killed myself. The good and bad thing was I had two buddies looking at me on the surface not knowing what was wrong while I was giving them the sign I need help. One dove down and shot what I thought was my fish but I didn't realize that I had brought up the school of big ones up. I glanced down to see if I could let the gun go but saw he had shot another fish. I was like motherf*#er!!!:pissed: I hit the surface right before I was about to let my gun go and my buddy shoot the winning Aj for the tournament. At least if I blacked out I know I would've had someone to get me. Knowing them, they would've let me sink to attract more jacks.;):D
The bitch was after I got in the boat, I laid on the deck with my gear on for 10 minutes saying I was done for the day. The next spot my buddy shot a 41 lb black gutted at 100ft and I looked at the captain and said I guess that I'm not done quit yet. The first drop I did to almost a 100ft and shot a 30 lb black and then I was done. That was the second black that I needed over 20 lbs for my stringer. Thank god I already had all my other fish.

Sorry for the long story but that was a really bad experience with shooting line wrapping around my bands.

I noticed that when I string my second wrap of line around the line release if the bungee is twisted at all with the second wrap it will tangle up in the bands some times. I also switched from mono to Memo spec line it hasn't happened since.

Ive had that problem with my JBL, the line tends to go up in the slots where the band is to be replaced through. When the gun was new it wasnt any problem. But after the line got some water on it it started getting loosed while hunting then the slack would go up in the slots. SO after a few missed fish, I had a idea nd used some tape to cover the slots. Problem solved, just remember to remove the tape after the trip or it will become messy.

I love to read Bucket's stories - I'm all motivated now to shoot something large next weekend while freediving all the way to 30 ft. Bucket - you ARE the man....

I noticed that when I string my second wrap of line around the line release if the bungee is twisted at all with the second wrap it will tangle up in the bands some times. I also switched from mono to Memo spec line it hasn't happened since.

I also noticed it happening more frequently with mono. I also stopped using it and now use Dyneema. It is very stiff and won't knot up on the shot. However, it has no memory and won't affect the shot.

I had this happen twice on 2 big fish while freediving. The second time I figured it out because I actually saw what happened. When shooting big fish up close, I mean really close, like 2-3' off the tip of the shaft, the shaft stops and the second wrap of shooting line continues to move forward and falls into the bands. Solution- use one wrap of line.

Take your line wraps and loop them from front to line release in a figure 8 fashion. End of problem.

Thanks for the replies. I’m not a freeshafter. I use four gun lengths (two wraps?) of 300# mono as described below. I have these questions about your advice.

The front line guide plate is on the left side (shooter’s left) of the gun. Does it really matter whether the cut end of my shooting line is on the left or right side of the crimp at the shark fin tab?

Icarus, please teach me the preferred figure-8. From the shark fin tab of a loaded spear, the shooting line goes to beneath the line guide plate at the muzzle-end, over the spear shaft to the wooden groove at the end of the gun - that’s one length. Then the line goes to the line release toggle at the butt-end – that’s the second length. To make a figure-8, the line should pass under-then-over the release toggle (instead of over-then-under.) Is that right? Then the line goes back to the muzzle-end passing around the line anchor pin – that’s the third length. . . . Which direction is preferred for the line to pass around the anchor pin, left-to-right, or right-to-left? (from the shooter’s perspective) . . . . Then the line goes back to the release toggle at the butt-end – that’s four lengths. The shooting line attaches to a snap-hook connected to my float line. The snap-hook attaches to the release toggle via a bungee cord.

Here's how I wrap it without getting the bungee caught in the bands while having the reel line go through the line anchor.


Here is the line all deployed as if you just shot.
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m96/mnguy004/DSC00116.jpg

First things first, put the spear into the mech and make the first wrap up around the pin and over into the groove.
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m96/mnguy004/DSC00117.jpg

Then, coming from the underside of the line release, wrap it around the catch and bring it back to the underside of the gun coming up.
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m96/mnguy004/DSC00119.jpg

After that, as you make it back up to the underside of the muzzle, grab the shooting line and the reel line + bungee.
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m96/mnguy004/DSC00120.jpg

Pull both of them tight and put the both of them into the muzzle groove coming from the underside to the top. Make sure to keep both lines nice and tight in this step and the next. Keeping your thumb on it like in the pics works well.
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m96/mnguy004/DSC00121.jpg

Keeping it taut, take the loop that you formed in the shooting line by doing that, lift up the bands and and tuck it plus the bungee under them
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m96/mnguy004/DSC00122.jpg

Get your fingers in the end of the mono loop and cinch it into the line release.
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m96/mnguy004/DSC00123.jpg

All done, and it ought to look like this.
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m96/mnguy004/DSC00124.jpg

You might have to play with it a little to see how much reel line you should let out in order to make it work with your gun. Hope this helps.

I don't know if it will still get caught up if you get too close like John Hanson was saying. Unfortunately, I'm not freakin Aquaman like he is and have to settle for farther shots.:D

That sure looks complicated and time consuming!

WOW there's you problem. Your bungee should be just after the line anchor on the bottom NOT on top of the gun.

Reel line through anchor, crimp to bungee.