What's the biggest AJ any of you all have shot with a reel? I really hate dragging a line. Any practical experiences appreciated. It would seem that as long as I've got more line(on my reel) than the depth I'm hunting in I should be fine with a reel, as long as he doesn't bolt for the next reef;)

Aim for the stripe on there nugget.I think mine was low 50s.I shot a bigger one and he dumped the reel and pulled the gun under and tangled WAYYY deeper than I can dive.The gun was about 50 foot under.Oil rig in 400feet of water.

Floatline with a big float on the surface...use a breakaway type set-up so you have your normal shooting line but the line is attached to the float. then he cant go anywhere without you being right there with him.

Noah, I don't think that anyone has really shot an AJ while using a reel, except for chasintail.

O lots do it including me, but I'm sure as hell not shooting a 130lbr with a reel.

If I were to choose between a reel and breakaway floatline, I would pick the breakaway over the reel. I have no experience with either yet but I would choose the breakaway cause it is safer, the float fights the fish. You also get to not lose your gun as if something were to go wrong with the inline floatline setup. Only downside to the breakaway floatline is if you miss it will take forever to get your spear back and get reloaded. Of course you had weighed all those options already.


Then again you could throw it all out the door and get a pelagic 90 and have at it cowboy!!:bringiton: :toast:

Noah, I don't think that anyone has really shot an AJ while using a reel, except for chasintail.

Euros shoot ajs over 100lbs always with reels.

O lots do it including me, but I'm sure as hell not shooting a 130lbr with a reel.

I know, I was trying to stimulate the conversation to see "What's the biggest AJ any of you all have shot with a reel?"

As we both know, Noah would shoot something that big, given the chance. :2gunsfiring_v1:

I bust a 130 in a heart beat with a reel.You can always just let go if need be.But how cool would it be if you stoned a reef donkey that size freediving with a reel.:toast:
I hate float lines unless I'm in open water.But i dive around rigs that are above and below the water line so the are constantly getting tangled.

It would seem that as long as I've got more line(on my reel) than the depth I'm hunting in I should be fine with a reel, as long as he doesn't bolt for the next reef;)

I use the reverse rationale. I will only use a reel in water that does not exceed my max depth capability. I don't care how far a fish runs laterally. It's how deep it runs that I am concerned about. If the fish pulls off a 100' of line and ties up at 120'(+shooting line and shaft), I am phucked! However by using a floatline and float, I can set the max depth by adding the length of the floatline and the shooting line to match my max depth.

If you insist on not using a floatline, I would suggest keeping a CO2 inflatable float on your belt, like the Carter Or Riffe float. That way, if you get in a jam, clip the float to your gun and activate it. It may just save your gun at the very least.

Side note, if your considering getting a floatline PM the guy above this post. He makes GOOD ONES!

But how cool would it be if you stoned a reef donkey that size freediving with a reel.:toast: Euro gays do it all the time

That settles it, reel it is, if euro gays can do it, I can sure as hell do it:bringiton: If I get spooled and can't make the surface I'll just cut the damn line.

Somewhere off Key West is a 100 foot float line, 67 inch shaft, Mori Slip Tip, and an inflateable float that are attached to the head of a 70 plus lb jack. The last time I saw this rig it was passing me at warp speed heading to the bottom 240 feet below. The crushed inflateable came wizzing by me at 70 feet as I was heading to the surface. :banghead:

I stoned this 30+ lb donkey with just a reel, I think I'd shoot one up to about 40 lbs with a reel, anything bigger and I'd really think twice before pulling the trigger. Also depends on how deep the water is, if it's over 100 ft then I'd probably be a lot more careful, even though AJ's don't hole up they can definitely wrap up on some deep structure or reef, I've had them do that many times in the past. You could always cut the line if you get spooled and the AJ is still heading deeper, but do you really want to lose a shaft and 200 feet of reel line for an AJ?

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa55/surfunc/a1-7.jpg

Nice Donkey! I've shot them up to 60lbs but I was in 55ft. Hell I would be willing to give anything a go if it's shallow enough.

I stoned this 30+ lb donkey with just a reel, I think I'd shoot one up to about 40 lbs with a reel, anything bigger and I'd really think twice before pulling the trigger. Also depends on how deep the water is, if it's over 100 ft then I'd probably be a lot more careful, even though AJ's don't hole up they can definitely wrap up on some deep structure or reef, I've had them do that many times in the past. You could always cut the line if you get spooled and the AJ is still heading deeper, but do you really want to lose a shaft and 200 feet of reel line for an AJ?

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa55/surfunc/a1-7.jpg

Nice padonk. That pic looks like a post card. Do they still have post cards?:scratchhead:

If you stone it, game over. If you hit it hard in the head or gills, fight it and let it bleed. If you gut shoot a big AJ, you stand a good chance of losing gear regardless of the setup.

After you shoot it and they flair their gills a couple of times, then its game on

One thing that has not been mentioned when it comes to fighting big fish, is the importance of a good pair of fins!

They must have some thrust. Here is a pic of me fighting a Yellowtail (cousin of the AJ) on Farnsworth Bank in CA, a place that is notorious for tackle busting yellowtail. For some reason these fish have twice the strength and spirit of the YT in other locations.:FIREdevil: The fins shown here were a "little" soft:p I went and bought a new pair of Spetton Mat Mas Blades right after this trip. Those Spetton Blades rock!


BTW, Farnsworth is pinnacle that comes up from deep water really fast to ~55' at the top. The guy who shot the picture, said that fish was 6" off the bottom for the first 80% of the fight. My legs almost gave out on me. That pinnacle drops off to 90' real fast and then continues to ~200'.:smthumbup:

Check this out: http://www.freedive.net/ibsrc/fish_frms/f_greater_amb.htm

BTW, the wahoo from my avatar was shot with a reel...

:whistle::corkysm60:

Just shoot it with a powerhead and call it a day...

Just shoot it with a powerhead and call it a day...

Any Joe-shmo can PH a fish.

I rolled one last week 45 ft down in 450 ft of water with a reel inside of an oil rig. I figured I would lose everything as i did last year when an unmentioned reel locked up and I lost a gun and reel to a similar sized one. Luckily I stoned it and landed the 85 lb'er.
Even better, Chad Morris (Griswold) landed one that was 96 lbs!!!! a few weeks ago that he stoned on a rig in 1000 ft of water. That is no joke. There is no room for error on a fish even 25 lbs on these deep rigs.
Better lucky than good. Maybe we can get Chad to post some pics of his beast.

Hey Cam, I was talking to Kane Grundy a while back and he mentioned you might be interested in the Vanuatu trip. Did you decide on the Omer HBWO instead?

Chad's AJ pictures are already posted somwhere, but I think it's only one of him in the water with it.

Here's my AJ. But to be fair it was shot with a float, just didn't use it - grabbed the cable and swam it up. As Cam said - better to be lucky than good.

Nice,nice,nice! How deep did you have to go to get the shot?

About 50'. I was watching a hundred small silky sharks when 3 AJ's about this size came up from DEEEP to check me out.

Cam pulling the trigger on one 85 pounds with a reel in the middle of the rig is no joke - good way to lose all your stuff.

Interesting Question. I'm responding in hopes some new spearos will think twice before shooting any big fish (esp AJ) w/ reel.

The first "really big" AJ I shot was with a reel - no float line. I had no concept of the power they possess. Prior to this, I had shot some 30-35 pounders and managed O.K, but this fish was in a different world class! I got spooled just as I reached the surface, grabbed two gulps of air and got pulled back down. It was like being tied to a car. I let go and the gun shot out of my hand like a bullet. It made me realize, if the line had caught on my knife or foot, I would have drowned. I quit wearing a knife on my calf after this.

I have shot some big AJs (70) since then, but not with a reel.

Les

Wow Chad kick ass! that is a pig!