Rigging Cable Shooting Line For Spearfishing

 

When it comes to shooting line in spearfishing, stainless steel cable has some very specific applications. In most situations, it is too stiff and can present safety hazards. With that said, it is the standard for very large fish in deep water. Stainless steel cable needs to be rigged very specifically and correctly to function properly. Many newer divers make some critical errors that result in massive gear failures when first using it. This is a step by step guide to properly rigging your speargun with cable shooting line. 

 

Step One: Gather the Materials and Tools

There are some important tools and materials you will need to rig cable as your shooting line.

Required Tools:

• Crimping Tool

• Wire Stripping Tool or Razor Blade

Required Materials:

• Stainless Steel Cable (Long enough for the number of wraps you want on your speargun)

• Crimps (The correct size for your cable)

Step Two: Strip Coating and Crimp to Shaft

Once you have all your materials together, you need to strip away any coating that may be on the cable a few inches from the end of the cable. If you crimp over the coating, the shooting line will not hold when a fish puts pressure on it. Once you have stripped the coating, place one or two crimps on the cable and run the working end of the cable through the spear shaft. Double crimping is very important for larger fish species. 

Push the working end back through the crimps on the line. When you crimp cable, you want to close the pliers as many times as possible. Unlike Monofilament, you will not cut into the shooting line by crimping the edge of the crimp.

 

Step Three: Wrap Cable on the Speargun and Cut to Length

Once the cable is attached to the spear shaft, route the line up through the bands and wrap it as many times as is necessary. You want to have as much shooting line on your speargun as your speargun has range. Do not limit your range with your shooting line. If your speargun can shoot 20 feet, your cable needs to be at least that long.

 

Step Four: Strip Coating and Crimp 

The final step in rigging your shooting line is a similar process to attaching it to the spear. The difference is in connecting it to either your reel or breakaway setup. Your shooting line needs to be tight, and the reel or breakaway setup need to be tightly rigged like they'd be in the water. Make sure to cut your line to length and then make the correct size loop. Too large of a loop creates drag in the water, but if your loop is too small it becomes difficult to connect and disconnect from your connection point. Just like before, you should use two crimps and crimp it for the full length of the crimp.