Bluewater on a Budget

Okay. I have never hunted Bw but my knowledge tells me that for long shots you need more power and more power usually needs more mass to weild it. I see BW as the most opportune time to power up a big ole log and make some 20+foot shots.

I am sure a lot can be done with a big rail gun too but it seem like a heavier wood gun might be needed

You look like you got enough skill to pull it off with a 140 railgun like a Rob Allen

Quote from ddonnell

Alright folks, the time has come for me to step up my game and I'm taking my game to Texas this October for some primetime bluewater fun.

So I'll be getting a whole new set-up for the occasion and I'll be needing some help both technically and logically. I have the basic set up idea, but want to hear from some of the more experienced guys and see what their set ups are. The two main species that we will be targeted are wahoo and yellowfin. Now I'm not going to be going for any records or anything, but not going to be picking on the babies either.

Here is what I have planned-

So guns- What is the go-to size for many of you. I know that alot of guys like stuff within the 60" range with multiple bands, but could a 140-150 railgun work with say, (3) 5/8ths?

Floatline/bungey- Run 50 or 75' floatline with a 10' bungee in between the gun or shaft and floatline

Floats- one 2ATM bouy with 10' bungee and single ATM?

Suit- I'm thinking of just a 3mm bluwater camo just to keep the sun off me.

Thanks for your time and insight.

-Davis

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Damn Davis I wish I owned that terminal gear setup. The 2ATM buoy costs a pretty penny.

Oh and sorry about not saying anything about the Malibu trip. I didn't know if I would be up for that dive since I've been having some ear problems lately. After that dive with Darren on Friday my ear just clogged up and I've been out of the water since then.

I asked similar questions in this thread regarding the setups.

http://spearfishing.world/divi…ngee-setup-questions.html

Intended target: Wahoo.

I'm no expert, but I've talked to a lot of people and the opinion varies on how to exactly do the bungee/floatline combo. I called Nathan (spearstudtx) about Galveston spearing for opinions on setups. I ended up getting a 50ft bungee and I have to get a 50ft floatline to complete my line setup. The bungee length is really what most disagree about, some say 10' is enough, some want 75'. I just picked 50' and will try that.

The Riffe float is highly regarded and if you handle one, you'd know why. It's pretty robust. I ended up buying 4 Rob Allen inflatable floats (2 11liter, and 2 33liter) and an Aimrite BW float used, but not all are for me.

As far as the gun, I'm not sure. Wahoo are soft fish and should be easy to penetrate, so that's not a huge issue. I decided to build a gun instead, 65" 4-band 5/16ths shaft rear plus handle. That said, if you look on the thread (on SB) where the guy shot the new "WR" tuna, he did so with a railgun. I suspect you'd want a 7.5mm shaft for wahoo, 8mm for Tuna.

I'm guessing my setup would work fine for big tuna, but I can let you know after a couple years of using it!

I just saw this Davis, I'll get back to you after work.

Cheers, Don

Im no bluewater guy but cd's will lose there silver coating after one dive and end up as just clear disc's.

Try a couple of wine cask bag's cut into shreds or large and small ss spoon's.
They wobble when bobbed up and down which sends out really good vibrations/pulses, in no so great vis water a small baby rattle is great on the bottom of the flasher to bring them in from far away but a real rob allen isn't really all that expensive.

Alot of serious bluewater guys in Australia use rob allen 1.4 metre guns, normal flopper for wahoo but a slip tip for tuna.
The standard is 7.5mm spears but 8mm for larger fish or slip tips.
There is a thread on an australian forum which i will look up for you, showing how to attach a pelagic open muzzle onto the rob allen to let it fit three bands apparently with the 3rd band it is hard to control recoil even when using two hands.
I have not heard anything about carbon rob allens longer than 1.3 metres but imagine anything larger than a 7mm spear would be hard with recoil.
This setup has been proven through a number of trips to the coral sea and will not let you down

sorry just noticed the ra chicken float question, i have one with a rob allen combo flasher on it and it works fantasticly, it can be slightly annoying to wrap it around the chicken float when not in use but like all gear it has its ups and downs. it comes with 15 metres of mono between the flasher and chicken float which i have never needed but is great none the less.
i am not a rob allen sales rep, i am just about to get into bluewater hunting here in aus for our winter (tuna and marlin) and am sharing what i have heard with you

http://www.extremespearfishing.com.au/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=46

there is a link directly to the thread i hope it works

yea im not to familiar with wahoo rigs just because we won't get them this far south with the cool water, but who needs floatlines bungies or reel's when you can just catch them like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FRNEidx6eY&feature=related

I am pretty sure most of the guys down here use a trap bouy and cheap line. I have a 130 railgun a 75' float line 10ft bungie and a RA 11L Hard Float. I am quite sure that setup should land one without much trouble although I do know for a fact that a slip tip is a good investment.

Quote from ddonnell

Whats the main size of fish you target? That sounds just about what I may get except with more bouys to back it up. I already have planned to order a 130-140 with a flopper and two extra shafts and slip tips.

I would say that setup could easily take a fish in the 60lb range. That is being on the safe side, I would shoot a 100lb fish with it myself lol.