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Old 01-24-2023, 06:01 AM   #4
Keysspearoo
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Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 64
Re: Non-offset double flopper shafts

Quote:
Originally Posted by spearq8 View Post
I used to use these double floppers quite a bit but decided they are only good for very small fish. A lot of the metal has to be shaved off to allow for a double flopper and thus your 8mm shaft ends up about 4mm in some places. Even a mid sized fish can bend that. Also to allow the floppers to close neatly there is another compromise in the thickness of the flopper itself ... so it also bends or flares way too easily if even a smallish strong fish puts pressure on it. Another real PIA is when you shoot a fish that is holed or even semi holed ... it is really difficult to pull the shaft out as it anchors inside.

For smaller fish or for fish that have super soft flesh and can tear out, a double flopper has really great holding power. But IMHO it has more negatives than positives. The over under flopper is a different issue and was really designed with Dogtooth Tuna in mind. Large DT are notorious for destroying floppers. If you look at Hunt's over under floppered shaft ... each single flopper is cut out of a 17-4 PH hardened SS pipe ... which is incredibly strong ... then they have a very large pin holding the floppers which then is TIG spot welded and then hammered. Even with those floppers I have seen them sheered off ... so with 2 floppers you have an extra layer of insurance.
Thanks for the reply, its always good to hear from someone who has done as much testing as you have! Ive always felt the “over under” style of double flopper isnt great because the the spear needs to pass through a few more inches of the fish in order for both floppers to be effective, as opposed to the “european style” double flopper where it just has to pass through the same amount as if it was a single flopper. This could make a difference on long shots, especially with big fish where it might not even go all the way through with a long shot. Thats always been my thinking, but maybe I am just paranoid. I had never even thought of the thinner section where the floppers lay as a failure point until you mentioned it, definitely something to think about. Maybe I will stick with a single flopper then because the gun it would be going on is one that i use for deep reef and wrecks mostly targeting grouper and snapper, but also the occasional pelagic (jacks and wahoo) when they swim by, which is why i wanted the extra security of the double flopper in the first place.
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