At Spearfishing Today we love Riffe Gear: consistent quality, Gear that doesn’t fail and the Riffe team is always improving. New designs, new materials and new models. This week Riffe wrote a couple of good words about a Gear question that we are also often being asked. “Do I bring a Reel or shall I use a Float Line?”
Reel or Float Line? What are some of the deciding factors determining which speargun setup to choose? Naturally everyone has their preference on speargun setups, especially as a diver becomes more seasoned with his/her hunting methods. When first starting out the choices can be overwhelming. Below are some of our suggestions on setups based on the diving environment.
Reels
Reels are best used in shallow water where current is flowing or around structure that would tangle Float Lines or cause too much drag to dive effectively. Diving in kelp, around oil rigs, shipwrecks, jetties and bridges are some environments in
which you would benefit from using a reel. If blue water hunting, a reel works well for paddy hopping, shooting smaller fish like mahi mahi, yellowtail, small wahoo, uluas, etc.
Vinyl Float Line Assemblies
The most versatile of securing systems. Vinyl Float Lines can be used with or without buoys and in almost any dive situation. A Float Line allows you to shoot at any depth and let go of your gear for a free ascent to the surface. With your speargun and shaft (or just the shaft with a break away rig) attached to a Float Line and then to a buoy on the surface, you can fight the fish from the surface.
Spectra Fusion Float Lines
This well engineered, extremely abrasion-resistant specialty Float Line creates minimal drag making it highly effective in and around rock ledges and reef where Float Lines are prone to damage. These are dogtooth tuna hunter favorites.
Bungee Float Line Assemblies
These are made of a stretchy material that will expand close to 2.5x its original length. The inner core fabrication is triple the length of the bungee and when a fish is speared the Line will stretch as the fish fights causing more and more drag. This allows resistance which effectively fights the fish without causing too much pressure which may tear soft fleshed fish. For blue water hunting larger pelagic species a bungee is a must.
No matter which environment you choose to dive in, Riffe got your Spearfishing Gear, Reel or Float Line, covered to land the fish of your dinner dreams.
