# The Spike end of a Stringer



## seacer

Hi Guy's

I never done wade fishing before and have a question about what to do with the spike end of the stringer. Should you just wrap it around your belt. 

So you load fish stringer using the spike end through the fish gills and the fish end up on the float end of the stringer that leaves you holding the spike end, then what? Would like to know 

searacer:texasflag


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## Sgrem

Never ever tie the stringer to you. Ever. The spike is meant as a quick release if a shark or gator grabs the fish on your stringer. 

Most wade belts have a small hole the spike sticks down into. If a shark grabs it may pull you off your feet but it will pull free. I have donated 3 stringers in my life to the shark gods. Give it to em.....dont pull it away as you will just pull the shark closer to you.

NOT THROUGH THE GILLS!! That will kill your fish as fast as possible and put a bunch of blood in the water. you want to keep your catch as fresh as possible by keeping it alive till you can get back to the boat/ice. 

Stick the spike through the corner of their mouth bottom and top jaw.


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## seacer

Thanks SGREM lots of good information here, 

What length of a stringer you recommend a person to buy, I was thinking about the hooksetgear stringer they come in 10' or 15' lengths. 

searacer


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## Sgrem

How close do you want to discover the sharks next to you? 

Go 15ft.


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## SurfHippie

Maybe this is common knowledge, but I just figured it out... Being relatively new to wade fishing, i never used a stringer much until recently. I was just taking the point and running it through the fishes lower jaw and out his mouth. I use a coated cable stringer and while wading in the surf my trout kept swimming "up" the stringer and running into my legs, which made me pretty uncomfortable. Now I go in through the mouth and out the lower jaw, which keeps them swimming towards the float and 15-20 foot away from me. That was a "eureka!" moment for me and I felt pretty dumb for not knowing that.


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## Sgrem

Corner of the jaw keeps them alive best till you can get them on ice.


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## SurfHippie

I'll have to try that out.


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## Fishsurfer

I tie a quick release knot in a 15' stringer on a loop off my chest pack. One tug and it goes. The length I like the fish at is arm extended and to the tip of the rod where I can swat at the sharks to keep them off my stringer. Where I fish the sharks will just eat your fish if the stringer is too far away. Whenever you see a shark eyeballing your stringer you need to take a swat at it and run him off. If you do happen to see a shark as big as you, take a swat at him and get the heck out of the water. They will usually nudge or bump something before they bite it and if it's your leg, oh well. Another thing to consider is; I believe in conservation and catch and release if your not gonna eat it and I won't mount a fish on my wall but I have seen the shark population grow (from my own personal experience) in the last 10 years more so than the 30 years before it. I am not sure why, so if you want to kill a few sharks it certainly isn't going to hurt my feelings. I know this will upset some of you amateur conservationist.


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## artys_only

Make it so you it can release with a slight pull , I have seen a guy pulled backwards with a 10' stringer and a 8' bull shark had it , shark luckily had a fish in his mouth note the rope of the stringer , Bob shat his pants and still has never wade fished since . Be safe , small black tips don't bother me but bull sharks do !


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## seacer

Guy's you are worrying about wade fishing with all these Shark stories ! I not planning on Surf fishing so only inland waters around SLP area. 
Might be something a person could invent a floating net that is not visible to what's inside made of thick mesh materials and thus want draw sharks attention to fish by sight. 

searacer


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## John_B_1

sgrem said:


> Corner of the jaw keeps them alive best till you can get them on ice.


Yes. And go through the top first, going through the bottom first turns them upside down


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## John_B_1

seacer said:


> Guy's you are worrying about wade fishing with all these Shark stories ! I not planning on Surf fishing so only inland waters around SLP area.
> Might be something a person could invent a floating net that is not visible to what's inside made of thick mesh materials and thus want draw sharks attention to fish by sight.
> 
> searacer


http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/tournament-choice-deluxe-float-well?repChildCatid=13988

This will help, but the only thing "shark proof" is an ice chest in a tube like what you use floating the river.


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## big3slayer

I use the spike to stab sharks in the eye when they come to close it worked a few times lol.


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## tomballplugger

seacer said:


> Guy's you are worrying about wade fishing with all these Shark stories ! I not planning on Surf fishing so only inland waters around SLP area.
> 
> Might be something a person could invent a floating net that is not visible to what's inside made of thick mesh materials and thus want draw sharks attention to fish by sight.
> 
> searacer


My only two shark experiences were in the "inland waters around the SLP area". The most memorable being the 5 footer that swam within 6 feet of me with my 3 reds and 1 trout on the stringer. He left me and my fish alone that time.


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## workorfish

*Sharks*



seacer said:


> Guy's you are worrying about wade fishing with all these Shark stories ! I not planning on Surf fishing so only inland waters around SLP area.
> Might be something a person could invent a floating net that is not visible to what's inside made of thick mesh materials and thus want draw sharks attention to fish by sight.
> 
> searacer


Not to rain on your parade but the Chandeleur Islands, Everglades shoreline and south shoreline of W. Matty are the only three places I have wade fished and had more issues with sharks than SPL, or within 1 mile of the SPL bridge. Just because you are in thigh deep water near Bird Island doesn't mean you are safe from sharks. Be aware.


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## Smackdaddy53

I just used my GrindTT stringer and stringer spike holder fir the third trip and I will NEVER use a traditional setup again. Check them out, you will love them for wading or kayaking.


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## iamatt

tomballplugger said:


> My only two shark experiences were in the "inland waters around the SLP area". The most memorable being the 5 footer that swam within 6 feet of me with my 3 reds and 1 trout on the stringer. He left me and my fish alone that time.


Only time I ever been toe to toe tug of war with a large shark sloshing around on my stringer has been in a bay. Crazy but they are there!


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## Bankin' On It

I strung a red wrong one time. Sucker kept swimming to me! Bleeding too! I was nervous to say the least. Wouldn't have been so bad but it kept swimming up from behind and hitting my leg. Freaked me out the first time. I kept tossing it out in front of me and the current would pull him by me...next thing I know, tap tap tap. Ugh.


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## jfish87

sounds like most of you need this :

https://www.surfandadventure.com/product/sharkbandz-shark-repellent-bracelet/


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## Saltstalker

Make your own out of oxygen hose tubing , no big deal , sharks teeth will cut it easily.


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## Majek20V

*scene from jaws*

Made the mistake of tying my stringer to my belt. Had a shark hit three reds in one swipe and yank me a few feet. It then broke the stringer and started dragging the float across the flat, periodically going under and popping back up and circling me.. It was just like the barrel scene from jaws. Fun games!

needless to say, have a quick release.


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## squidly

I use a large tupperware container with a pool noodle hot glued around it, no blood in the water...


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## FOUL HOOKED

I read an article years ago about a guide who kept running into sharks in the bay wade fishing. He then used a do-net with a burlap bag inside of the net. Guess the burlap takes the slim and helps control the smell??? but sounds like it would work


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## cpthook

get the quick release metal holder that goes you're wading belt. The idea is to be able to pull it out and let it go if a shark gets your fish. Quick release.

https://www.google.com/search?q=qui...ishing+stringer+holder+&imgrc=vwj5X4ooWjaXSM:


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## saltwaterjunky

*shootem emmy*

Wonder what they would do,38 or something up on ur wading vest, now that u can open carry if u did shoot the shark ,don`t really want to give up my fish,just curious


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## monkeyman1

I made this in an hour or so. I tie it to my belt with a 10' leash and tie my stringer to it. Keeps the fish away from me and provides a place to park my R&R and a bait box. Need to add a holder for a water bottle. I don't wade without it.

Edit: I've looked for one of those holders for the stringer spike, would cable tie it to the PVC rig. Can't find one tho.

Sent from my iPhone 6 Plus purchased selling eggs.


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## OlRob65

Don't underestimate the creepy factor of your fish swimming into you legs. Especially if the water is a little murky... You'll scream like a little girl if you aren't careful.


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## Smiledoc

My favorite stringer is the Stinky Pants stringer,

http://www.stinkypantsfishing.com/Stringer.htm

It is 12' long, the cord doesn't tangle, the float slips off easily when desired and thus the fish do as well.
I always wear a wading belt. I slip a loop of the stringer up under my belt, then take the hanging spike and insert it into the loop. Then I pull the loop slightly tighter to "lock" it in place. A quick pull of the spike back from the loop and the stringer is free.

I have seen a fabric "channel" for a spike to slip into as well. But my Simms belt does not have one.


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## Fishsurfer

It's happened to me over a dozen times over the years but I only took pics a couple of times.


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