Speardiver composite speargun reel

I don't use reels, I use a float line, and put very light pressure on the fish, just enough to keep the flopper deployed. But sometimes when I know the shot is a %100 holding shot, which I can see after I surfaced usually, I'll put much more pressure on the line.

Can it be inferred, that since you do like to put "very light pressure" on the fish with a reel, that if you could have a reel that would do it for you automatically and reliably, you would set it to have a slight amount of drag? That can't be done with a reel that free spools after the first pull.

I set my reel to very light drag, practically free spool. And I use a hair bungie tied through the trigger guard and looped around the reel's line guide. That keeps enough pressure on the spooled line to avoid bird nests. After the fish is shot, I cup the reel in my hand as Red Tide described to control drag.

parker can you upload some pics of your setup? Thanks!

Quote from jaguigui

parker can you upload some pics of your setup? Thanks!

Will do when I can. Please allow me a day or so to get to it.

Quote from jaguigui

parker can you upload some pics of your setup? Thanks!

Attached pics show orange bungie tied in a loop around the reel line, then stretched over the reel. Notice it passes in front of the line guide for the reel spool. Mine is hooked behind an old reel mounting plate. It could just as easily loop through the trigger guard instead.

Is that an Aussie reel Parker? Thanks for the photos.

Quote from jaguigui

Is that an Aussie reel Parker? Thanks for the photos.

Yes, it is.

Here's a quick and easy way to convert the Speardiver composite reel to a free spooling reel. Unscrew the drag knob retaining bolt, unscrew the drag knob and remove it. Remove the bushing that's under it. Cut the stem of the bushing (1) off with a hacksaw to make it look like (2). Use sand paper or a file to clean up the cut. Install the bushing back in in the reel, screw on the drag knob and retaining bolt. That's it you've got a free spooling reel. If you want to do this but are concerned you may destroy the bushing and render the reel unusable, rest assured I have bushings available separately.

If you do this mod Dan, will the reel be free spool always? I mean, when I load the gun and want the mono to hold the shaft in place, will the reel turn and loosen the whole thing? Or will it work as Harry mentioned back in the day that will free spool only when pulled hard, but hold tight until that happens?

Also it is important, as Red tide said, to have the ability to tighten it when you start to retrieve the fish (by holding the line in your hands) and then, be able to spool it accordingly.

For me as a deep diver, it is also important to swim up without any resistance if I choose to. Unscrewing a drag in the middle of an ascent burns much more oxigen than just holding the reel in your palm during the first fish run, just to prevent it to hole up and then releasing it to swim freely to the surface. Not to mention that things can go wrong in a second.

Probably a drag that stays as it is set is a good option for shallow diving. Not for me.

You can always set it almost free, as I've been doing lately, but as Harry said it is not totally free and I can feel it when swimming up.

Last but not least, if you want your flopper to stay deployed, you have to tune it up by squeezing with some pliers close to the pin area so it stays open and don't worry about keeping pressure on the fish.

I just want to pull it up enough to prevent it to hole in. Then, I like to swim up as free as possible.

With this modification the reel will free spool only after the line is pulled hard. Up to that time it will keep tension in the line and hold the spear in place. I explained how to do this modification for those who would prefer a reel to go into free spool as opposed to maintaining consistent pressure on the line. Other than these two options I don't think there's any other way for the reel to function that would necessitate a drag knob in the first place.