abalone iron

Looking for a pair of abalone irons,I'm in Oregon, the reg's say may be taken with ab iron only.
Where would I find an ab iron and are they all the same from state to state?
How much $$$ should I expect to spend?
 
Thanks for any help!

hello boxofrain,

here in california we also have min thickness and width for abalone irons that are used. also, no sharp edges as well. here are the ca regs for irons:

"Abalone irons must be less than 36 inches long, straight or with a curve having a radius of not less than 18 inches, and must not be less than 3/4 inch wide nor less than 1/16 inch thick. "

i have made my own using automobile leaf spring ends but its cheap and easier to go buy one from a dive shop in steel or aluminum. they'll have a nice hole on the end and you can clip a floatline onto it to mark places you saw abalone. the floatline is a great tool when ab diving. you can get the ab and just drop your iron and retrieve it from above. no worries about getting the iron stuck anywhere and holding you under. use the floatline too if you plan on spearfishing.

i get the aluminum ones with an obnoxious neon handle and a cheapo aluminum ab gauge. here in california you must have a gauge but not necessarily an ab iron. some folks just whack em off rocks with their hands.

most coastal dive shops should have them in stock year round.

i can't wait to go next month! some abalone and a nice ling would make any dinnertime more enjoyable.

enjoy!

johnfchen,
Thanks for the info. Called around and found some in the next town south of here in Crescent City, Ca.
worked out great, our oldest dog had a vet visit there todayso afterward we stopped by Pacific Quest just off of 101. Paid $21.00 apiece, sound reasonable or not.
I guess Ca. has a limited season on abs? Oregon's season is year'round 24 hr. a day, but only one a day.
Now if the weather would allow........... 

$21 is reasonable as long as its a nice one.  Happy snail wrestling!

johnfchen,
Thanks for the info. Called around and found some in the next town south of here in Crescent City, Ca.
worked out great, our oldest dog had a vet visit there todayso afterward we stopped by Pacific Quest just off of 101. Paid $21.00 apiece, sound reasonable or not.
I guess Ca. has a limited season on abs? Oregon's season is year'round 24 hr. a day, but only one a day.
Now if the weather would allow........... 

hey there, 21.00 a piece is most likely for the nice stainless steel ones. if they are the ones im thinking of they can also be used to dig clams as well. crescent city, i saw on the history channel there was one heck of a tsunami there. i wonder what would happen if we were to have one down this way

anyhow, thats great you can get them year round although its one a day. but that means today, tomorrow the next day etc... how fun.

enjoy!

john

Hi boxofrain:

 I pick up the cheepos for around $5.00 at chain sporting goods stories. I don't like the huge leaf spring type because of their weight and,  it's like try to pop a Ab with a rudder! The AL. type will bend but, I only pop Ab that aren't clamped down.
 April 1 is Ab season and I'll be popin my Limit at Van Damm State Park in Calif. http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=433
                                                                                                     Ernie

I'm planning to attend the nor-cal spearfishing abalone opener event at fort ross.  Who cares if there's white sharks around if there's 30 other guys in the water. 

Of course it could be like last year and not provide a favorable weekend until may...

Man!!! Only one ab a day... That kind of sucks... unless you live right on the coast. I have about a 3 hr drive to get my abs. You can get them year round... do you guys have a yearly limit on how many you can pick? I'm guessing that your window of oppurtunity to get them is short with the weather and ocean conditions. Good luck picking...

Freddie

It's my understanding that the red abs are very rare in Oregon and their range only goes to about Gold Beach.  Also, there's a larger minimum size limit I believe--isn't it 8"? 

A lot of the abs I get now don't even need the iron, just a quick whack with the heel of the palm.  The AL ones are cheap, but they are thick (which makes em hard to slide in) and definitely will bend in the heat of battle.  Assume you will eventually lose it anyways...but if you dive enough you will also eventually find one! 

abking,
 You are absolutely right on the regs for size. The big snails are fewer here however ther are a few places they can be seen out of the water on rocks at very low tides. Not a diver but good swimmer, these are the ones I will target.
 As well as ab's we also have a good population of scallops in the area, butter clams, mussels, urchin and grass shrimp are all here for the taking as well.
And yes I do live on the ocean in Brookings, Oregon just over the boarder from Ca. With summer fishing on the Winchuck, Chetco and rogue rivers as well as the ocean fishing.
Now if the weather would allow!

Ab irons work pretty well for getting mussels off the rocks.

Stainless ones make pretty good clubs too.  The stainless irons are heavier, so they work better at the end of a floatline. 

I made my ab Iron from a old leaf spring I picked up at work I cut it down and grinded it to meet california regulations the tip has to be as thick as a nickle, the curve on the leaf spring is perfect I had a buddy dip it in crome at his place of buisness and I baught a rubber bicycle handle at walmat and sliped it over the end   drolled a hole in the end and sliped a piec of string through and tied on a cut out piece of inner tube to make a good lanyard, Its lasted 7 years and shows no sign of deteiriation. it is very strong and can never be bent or rust maybee I should go into buisness for myslef after all I am recycling I will see if I can post a picture tomorrow.


James

Oregon regs are 1 abe per day, 8" minumum, and 5 per yr. . Some nice abs there but few and very far between. I'm not sure it's legal to use a abe iron to take mussels here in California? Bob