Fish markers or structure markers have been around for quite some time and they have proven their value amongst H&L'ers. I've been tinkering around with this idea of a spearfishing "reef marker" and how it can be applied to our sport of spearfishing. The idea came about from a necessity to be more efficient when spear fishing patch reefs that are in close proximity to one another, but far enough that you can't see them neither under the water nor when you are on top, doing the "porpoise jump". Of course, its value comes into play when everyone's in the water spearing and the boat is anchored- in other words no driver pointing the spearo in the direction of the next patch reef or in tow.
Not much goes into a regular marker it’s just a hi-viz float that dispenses line and marks an area- they are simple, relatively small, low to the water, and you can spot them easily from your vantage point on your boat. Things get a little tricky if you’re in the water as everything is at eye level with the surface, so a low lying float is not ideal. After searching around a bit and coming up empty handed I decided to build my own.
What You'll need:
A few pool noodle floats ( I got mine at the Dollar Store-for a buck)
3/4"PVC pipe (Home Depo)
5200 Marine Adhesive (Home Depot)
Nylon braid Line or Spectra (Home Depot or old used line from your spearfishing reel)
3-5oz Lead (Tackle store)
Snap swivels
1-Measure off your noodles to whatever height you want, I went with 2 feet, and cut them a miter saw will work just fine
2- Using the same Miter saw cut about 10 inches of PVC pipe, about 6” will go into the noodle and 4” will hang out the bottom of the noodle
3- You're going to put about half (5-6”) the tube onto the noodle and half will hang out so drill a thru hole right where the the tube exits the noodle, run a line in, bring it out the other hole, make a long little wire hook, stick it up the PVC tube and snatch the line and bring it out bottom of the tube,
Just flush with it, snap your swivel combo which should be practically flush with the PVC tube’s interior
Then tie it off with a couple of wraps around the PVC and any flush type knot
4- Dry fit the PVC tube into the noodle jam it up the noodle’s hole up to the tie off, pull it out and repeat again, your basically trying to bore out the hole a bit for utmost adhesion with the 5200
5- Get your 5200 Marine Adhesive, put a generous amount into the noodle hole (that you previously bored out), stick the PVC tube in, pull it out, dab some more 5200 into the noodle as well as on the PVC tube, and stick it in up to your tie off...
let it set
6- Next get your lead weight and hammer it flat
7- Measure off your nylon line- be it 20’, 30’, 40’, 50’, whichever amount you need for the general depths you will be spearfishing your patch reefs. Tie your flattened lead weight to the nylon line, and on the other end make a loop knot and clip to your snap.
8-Now wrap your nylon line around the PVC tube-IMPORTANT- when you wrap your line around the PVC start from the top that is the part close’s to the noodle and end on the bottom, that is the part closes to the snap. In this way the line will dispense quickly and fluidly from the PVC tube
9- Finally get your Flattened lead weight and curve it around the PVC line wrapped tube and shape it tight with a hammer
You can make a few of these and have them ready next time you go spearfishing, and hit some patch reefs. Simply unclip the weight, cruise along the border of the patch reef and and chuck it overboard, if you wrapped it right , it'll dispense the line quick and easy, and wrap itself up on the reef, proceed to the next patch and repeat....now you have all your patch reefs marked with a red 2' marker standing up above the waterline and easily spotted from within the water
Till next spearfishing report, tight bands, straight shafts, and smooooooooth triggers!
Tone
http://www.settingsteelspeargear.com
