Quote:
Originally Posted by snooknreds2
Dude DO NOT DO THAT!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok especially if you are trying NOT to kill the fish do NOT attach the headd to the pole that way. If you get a green fish and stick it with out killing it the fish will jump around and since the pole is attached to the same line the fish is, the fish in turn will be slnging the 15 foot long ple around with it also 
Instead attach a seperate line to the end of the pole and a second line to the head. I like your idea of a disconnect to change heads quickly though 
this way you stick the fish. let it run momentarely while you set the pole on the ground. now grab the line that the poon head is attached to and you have your direct connection tot he fish with out the 15 foot pole being slung into the side of your head |
This is how i've alway rigged harpoons. Few of the multitude of fish i've darted have jumped (i'm from NJ, we deal with tuners more than swords) The few fish that have jumped usually either just wiggle the shaft enough to get it out of them and fall harmlessly then its dragging behind them or jump and have it stay in them. i've never had one come back at me but i can see how that could seriously cause some major cockpit issues. For the most part i'm NOT throwing but rather jabbing, at which point i hold the shaft and let the fish swim off with just the head in them. If i throw, the fish is usually deep enough or far enough away that the shaft wouldn't come back in the boat. i just get leery about having a line attached from the harpoon to the boat and having the line come tight and not having the harpoon be completely buried in the fish. I've never had a harpoon pull and i'd like to keep it that way by getting maximum penetration. More likely, when i jab, i bury the connector between iron and the shaft into the fish and the shaft stays there until i pull it out with the fish on deck