Clay-Doh

Well, I have done a few things to my Riffe, and thought I would share em.

OK,first thing I did to my gun that I love.........Riding Rig. JoshH had posted a youtube video a while back about this, and I finally got around to doing it. Not everybody may like this idea, butfor me, I have about doubled the amount of fish I shoot, just because this thing makes it so easy to get the fish on the stringer, and reload, that I take a lot more shots.

Also, you never have to worry about losing your gun if a monster fish starts yanking you to the bottom, or worse, to the surface to fast. Or if a 7 foot bullshark grabs your snapper that you just shot and your shaft along with it, and starts dragging you all over the place, you dont have to be an idiot and hold because you dont want to lose your gun, instead all you risk losing is a shaft. In case you havent seen the helmet cam video of that happening to me...heres the you tube link.... (click on "watch in high quality" below the screen when it opens)


OK, heres the pics of the riding rig set up...



And heres a close up of the connection...



I think it was the Hell Divers who invented this, for spearfishing in 3000 feet of water on the oil rigs. They didnt want to risk losing there gun if a monster gave em more fight than they had in em, plus, they could use the rope for leverage by using one of the cross members of the rig as a "pulley so to speak.

Basically, were your shock cord connects to your gun, the lil yellow loop at the top that is usually tied on or looped thru, you undo it, and just hook it on up there. A simple little stainless D-ring like in the picture, and a length of rope long enough to reach back so you can hold it in your left hand, and your done!

The other important part of it is to have a way to clip the gun to you after you shoot. When you shoot this, the shaft leaves the gun, and the shock cord comes right off the "hook" at the end of your gun that it was simply looped onto, and your shaft is now completely disingaged from your gun. I personally have the rope and clip at the butt end of my gun long enough to keep it constantly clipped to a shoulder D_ring on my BC, and still have my gun-arm outstretched and be able to swing my gun around to aim. That way, as soon as I shoot, I can instantly let go of my gun with my right hand, let it float up above my head, and use both hands to pull in my fish!

Why do I like this? Several reasons. NO MORE LINES TANGLED IN YOUR BANDS OR AROUND THE END OF YOUR GUN! Your gun is right above your right shoulder, out of the way! Its great! Also, you have a rope and line to pull your fish in, instead of an akward gun gettin yanked around by the shockcord at the end.

Also, if you really got a monster on, (or a shark), and you are getting dragged to the bottom of the Oriskany, or up to the surface, and you just cannot get the fish under control, you will not have to quickly deside in your head if you are willing to risk your life to save your gun. The only thing you will lose if all hell breaks lose and its beyond you to salvage the situation, is a shaft.

ALso, as in DK's story bout his sweet cobia on the "O", had he had a rig like this, he could wrapped that rope around a railing, tower, or something to give him leverage, an slow that fish down.

Also, you just shot a fish, your pulling it in, and in comes a shark for your fish. Normally you got a hand full of line, and if you do it like most people, your gun is either floating up above you 10 feet, or you are still holding the gun and havent grabbed the line yet, so your gun is worthless to use as a weapon to jab with, because the end of it is gertting yanked all over by theat sweet fish you got on. But with this, your gun is free and clear, with the handle straight abouve your right shoulder to reach up and bring down to jab a cuda or shark, without a fish yanking your gun in different directions.

But I still gotta say, the absolute best reason I love it, is because NO MORE TANGLED UP LINE IN YOUR BANDS AND AROUND THE END OF YOUR GUN!! Sweeeeeet.

OK, next thing...It's time for me to buy new bands, its been bout 6 months, and I did a little math...:withstupid

Follow me here...you will definately feel like you slept at a holiday inn.

standard 9/16th bands that nmost guns, even Riffes come stock with, are 14.2875 mm thick.

5/8th bands, wich I always recomend people to upgrade too, are 15.875 mm thick

3/4 inch bands, wich are just plain STUPID are 19.05 mm thick.

SO, PieR sqaured to figure out the actual amount of rubber you are pulling in square mm is

Three 9/16" bands = 480.72 mm2

Three 5/8" bands = 593.49 mm2

THATS OVER 23% MORE POWER. Pretty sweet. So now I'm thinkin..what about 3/4" bands???

dig this here.........

Two 3/4" bands = 569.76 mm2 !!!!!

Almost the same exact power out of only TWO 3/4 inch bands as compared to THREE 5/8th! AND....that is still almost 19% more power STILL than the three stock 9/16th"!

So...I habve ordered two 3/4" bands, and if I don't blowone of mycohones out to the size of a grapfruit while loading the gun, then I will be happy. Most fish can be takem with only one band, and for longer shots, or a bigger fish, I can load just one more band, and basically have almost the same power I have now with my already upgraded bands!! I'll keep you posted....and if one of the jewels does blow up like a grapefruit...I promise NOT to post pictures of the atrocity.

OK...another thing.....if your losing fish off your tip...go to MBT and buy one of the Spearfishing Speciaties tips....its almost an entire extra 1 inch wide wingspan when it opens up...and has been 100% better! It really makes a difference.

And speakin of tips...heres a tip for your tip...feel free to take them bad boys to a bench grinder once in a while. Some of you guys have such dull and bent over blunt, mangled tips, I wonder if your tryin to knock the fish out with the impact instead of penetrate it! And you guys know who you are! :moon I personally resharpen mine every time before I go diving.

Next thing..and these are for sale...is an addition of a kill spike.

I have got to say this is awsome. IT serves several great purposes.

1. When you got the fish close in, and he is goin apeshit on you, and trying to fin you, or you just need to get him pinned againts something to get him on a stringer, instead of reachin down for your knife, and risking the finning, you can just jam him in the head with this, pin him againts something, and make much easier work out of him!

2. If you have a fish on, a lot here have had sharks decide to come in THEN, and all you have to jab em with is the blunt wooden end of your gun. Which usually doesnt do that effective of a job (at least for me it hasnt), and they keep comming back for more, However, a jab with something sharp usually does the trick! And when your gun is empty, the kill spike is perfect for convincing them to permanantly leave! (Cudas too).

3. If it gets ever gets REALLY crazy with an agressive shark, yet your gun is empty from just having shot a fish, the BECO pwerheads will slip right onto a kill spike, and you can ram it into the shark to permanantly ruin his day!

4. You have just shot a fish, pull him in, and then there in the sand below you is a doormat flounder, or a big dinner size plate trigger comes up to check out your struggling fish, but your gun is empty...:doh Haa haa..not with the kill spike its not! You can still nab that second fish who gets too close and is just too dumb to know better.

5. Your dive buddy is being a total ass, and shootin every fish that you are takin aim at, over your shoulder, between your legs..ect. With the kill spike...a quick jab into his BC bladder...and by the time he realizes something is wrong, and ditches some weight and gets his bouyancy under control...you can have 3 fish on the stringer!! :moon

Ok...heres the pics. They are 100% stainless steel,TIG welded. $35 normal, or $40 highly polished to a mirror finnish on my buffing wheel. Includes 3 stainless steel screws, ready to mount.











And heres with a BECO .223 powerhead slipped onto it if your gun is empty and you cant put the powerhead over the tip of your spear.



I dont shoot awhole lot of fish, or big trophy fishwhen I go diving, but these things have helped me get the ones I have got!

I got one more trick up my sleeve for the ol Riffe that I havent got around too. Ill post pics when I do. Will make a Riffe as easy and fast to reload as a Biller or JBL, or no need to restring at all!

Anybody who wants a Kill Spike same as in the pic let me know!

__________________
SO EASY A CAVEMAN CAN DO IT.
MY UNDERWATER SPEARFISHING VIDEOS

need2fish

Wow. Thanks for all that info/insight - that's a mouthful.

craasch210

Clay I love all of the additions, except for the spearfishing speacialties tips. I was a big fan of them also because of the large wings. The only problem is that they tend to break at the point where the wings are mounted to the head. I have broken two of them now on large fish. Never had that happen before, but apparently its pretty common with these tips. I now use the slip tip, which has worked out better for me.

Stressless

Great stuff Clay. \\ Here's the rigging of the gun...



http://www.youtube.com/swf/l.swf?swf...s=1&fs=1&hl=en



Going to get Nitrox cert as soon as I get back from Sandland and start getting out again. Good Stuff!



:mmmbeer

Stressless

Clay-Doh

Here ya go Bob...the youtube video showing how to rig one...Personally I feel he overcomplicated it a bit.


Chris, I have never had the tip itself of ANY tip break...yet. Seems my point of fAILURE ENDS UP BEING THE SHAFT AT THE THREADS. OOps..caps.

__________________
SO EASY A CAVEMAN CAN DO IT.
MY UNDERWATER SPEARFISHING VIDEOS

TONER

Thanks for the great ideas please give us an update on the 3/4 bands and if they work where to get them Thanks Chad

Clay-Doh

I will, they should be in any day now. If they arent to difficult to load, it will be great having the same power with only 2 bands!

__________________
SO EASY A CAVEMAN CAN DO IT.
MY UNDERWATER SPEARFISHING VIDEOS

lastcast

Clay-Doh, I have a stupid question. I watched your video of the shark and was wondering if they make a blunt tip shaft, or something that you might use to deter the shark from taking your fish ?



Skip

__________________

bmoore

Ha you put a bayonet on your gun!

Now that I do like........

Clay-Doh

Used it first time a week and a half ago out with Crash...Loved it man! the big black goin nuts in a pile of rubble, I didnt have to try and reach in there and get finned to grab him, just pinned him againts the concrete with my "bayonet" as you say!

Then the nice size AJ, the tip only made it HALF way thru his fat monster head...even with all 3 bands cocked on the "monster hurniater super macho 3500" speargun....but with the kill spike? BAM! Before I woulda even had time to pull out my knife, and try to grab him and risk him shakin the shaft lose...I just pinned him againts the wheelhouse with the spiek, and jammed the stringer thru his eyes before I even took the shaft or kill spike out!



Worked like a charm!!!

If we dive togetehr sunday....you might get a kick outta it! Crassh said if I can get one made by then, he wants it.

__________________
SO EASY A CAVEMAN CAN DO IT.
MY UNDERWATER SPEARFISHING VIDEOS