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Location: Hayward, WI | sworrall - 2/13/2014 11:43 AM
Properly used, a gaff is a great way to handle a large fish.
I would venture a guess that most here don't know the proper way to use a gaff (I don't know how I'd use one in a safe manner for the fish).
Care to elaborate? |
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Posts: 1202
Location: Money, PA | Sure...a sharp gaff can be stuck into the light skin behind the lower jawbone. This skin if very light tissue and won't even bleed. We used to gaff from the inside out....and of course support the weight of the fish on the lift. IMO still less harm than netting a fish. |
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Posts: 455
| You need a custom gaff with a deep hook. If I was more competent with my computer I would post a picture. You simply gaff through the thin membrane in the lower jaw where you would hold the fish with your hand. Because a gaff does not spin like a boga you can control the fishes head and safely unhook it in the water. Once unhooked. Slip your hand under the jaw and remove the gaff with your other hand. Lift for pictures. You could just lift the head with the gaff and support the belly with your other hand. The only problem is when people see the pictures the will gasp in horror. (You used a gaff!) As Steve said it does seam to work better for big fish. When I first hired Marc Thorpe he wouldn`t let me use a net. The nets sucked in those days but mine was rubber coated (New at the time.) |
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Location: Smith Creek | If treated nets killed muskies there would be no muskies.
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Posts: 299
| MstormC - 2/11/2014 8:29 PM
I haven't fact checked it but heard that Florida implemented a law that any tarpon over 40" is not allowed out of the water. Anyone else hear the same?
True...the state of Florida does not allow a Tarpon over 40" to be taken out of water. It's the law now..I landed a few giants not long ago and the guide was well aware of laws. That's why you'll see more side shots of angler leaning over gunnel with fish on its side. Even in the flats guys will hop in water with fish for a pic. They don't use gaffs anymore for Tarpon either. Same as the new Muskie laws in Michigan if you want to harvest one you'll need a tag. Nearly all Tarpon anglers think a lot like us Muskie anglers. Preserve, educate and restoration... |
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Posts: 455
| Well that was way back in the day and he had not ever seen a treated net. For all he knew it was just like all the other nets that sucked. Who I am to tell the guide how to land a fish? He has long since embraced nets. |
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Location: Smith Creek | HA! You don't need to justify Thorpe's actions, there's a great reason he did what he did and does what he does.
Gaffs have a time and place. The time is 20 years ago and the place is Thorpe's boat.
Miss with a net, the fish gets away.
Miss with a gaff and it's mortally wounded. |
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Posts: 455
| I don`t miss. Never killed one in over 20 years of catching them. Not many can say that. |
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| The gaff works fine, even in today's modern age. It would be pretty hard to miss. BR |
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Posts: 2015
| Anyone have video of gaff's being used for muskie? I'm curious, is there a difference in C&R gaff's?.....I have a fair amount of experience with gaff's..putting them right behind the head of Mahi Mahi, Wahoo, and Tuna... man I'm getting hungry just tying that!!! 
Edited by IAJustin 2/13/2014 5:51 PM
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Posts: 540
Location: Leech Lake, Walker MN | I'm just sayin gaffs and boga grips are all BAD news |
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| DonPursch - 2/13/2014 6:23 PM
I'm just sayin gaffs and boga grips are all BAD news
Can't speak to a boga, but you are wrong about gaffs. BR |
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Location: Money, PA | Flambeauski - 2/13/2014 3:33 PM
If treated nets killed muskies there would be no muskies.
Who said they killed muskies?? |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | I used a RELEASE GAFF for 15 or more years and have kept one in my boat for fish hooked near the eyes. I have tried most makes of nets and an seriously thinking of going back to the gaff when fishing alone or out of a low sided boat. I don't recall out of hundreds of fish gaffed ever seeing one bleeding from the tail. You never have a fish or hooks tangled in the mesh there is less slime removal no split fins. The downside to a gaff is the fish has to be played down to the point where the gaff can be properly and safely inserted. The gaff is inserted from the inside of the mouth taking care to miss the tounge. THE GAFF IS USED TO CONTROLL THE FISH AT BOATSIDE FOR HOOK REMOVAL NOT FOR LIFTING FISH. After hooks are removed the fish can be lifted for a photo if needed or guided into a cradle. Smaller fish can usually be shaken off at boatside with a Grabit or long pliers. Small fish can also be grabbed by the wrist of the tail and rolled upside down and they will just lay there for hook removal newbies are amazed when I show them this. Once you have played the game for any length of time how many pictures of 40 inch fish do you really need.
I fish the Larry frequently from a friends 27 foot cruiser here the high sides make proper gaffing impossible and a 50 inch or better fish in a Big Kahuna is a serious lift for 70 year old man.
Edited by horsehunter 2/14/2014 8:54 AM
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Location: Smith Creek | ShutUpNFish - 2/13/2014 10:55 AM
Yes, netting is safer all around for the angler, but NOT the fish. A safer method all around, for me, is the use of a Boga grip and long pliers on 90% of our fish.>
Bogas and gaffs in the right hands may be safer for the angler and fish in certain situations. But the thought of every muskie fisherman, no matter the skill level, trading in their massive treated nets for a boga or gaff makes me shudder.
How do you get them to hold still so you can bury the hook? |
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| Flambeauski - 2/14/2014 8:53 AM
ShutUpNFish - 2/13/2014 10:55 AM
Yes, netting is safer all around for the angler, but NOT the fish. A safer method all around, for me, is the use of a Boga grip and long pliers on 90% of our fish.>
Bogas and gaffs in the right hands may be safer for the angler and fish in certain situations. But the thought of every muskie fisherman, no matter the skill level, trading in their massive treated nets for a boga or gaff makes me shudder.
How do you get them to hold still so you can bury the hook?
I seem to have less issues putting the gaff into the fish's mouth than I do netting them:-) Slide gaff through bottom jaw pinning fish against the boat. Remove hooks, remove gaff, and fish swims off. Never lifted or touched. BR |
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Location: minocqua, wi. | never understood a boga for freshwater fishing, i suppose it makes sense they are used if you're a troller. |
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| jonnysled - 2/14/2014 9:06 AM
never understood a boga for freshwater fishing, i suppose it makes sense they are used if you're a troller.
Might make it easier to handle larger fish, probably not much of a problem in your neck of the woods;) |
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Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | Gotta ask, what is so bad about the Boga? Using a Boga, Gaff, or pulling a fish out of the net by hand are all the same. If the fish is unsupported it doesn’t matter what tool you use. I am tired of hearing one tool is better than another including hand landing. If you grab the fish by the gills/jaw and lift them vertical without supporting them right from when they leave the water the method used doesn’t matter. Anglers will argue just to argue. These fish are tougher than we make them out to be. Should caution still needs to be used but gosh dang before you know it we’ll be putting antiseptic in the hook holes like the English do with carp because we have become so anal. |
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Location: minocqua, wi. | you pull a fish out with one hand? |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | I wish people that vertically lift fish by a gill plate would let me lift them by the ear. |
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Location: minocqua, wi. | BenR - 2/14/2014 9:17 AM
jonnysled - 2/14/2014 9:06 AM
never understood a boga for freshwater fishing, i suppose it makes sense they are used if you're a troller.
Might make it easier to handle larger fish, probably not much of a problem in your neck of the woods; )
there are no big fish in Wisconsin |
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Location: Sawyer County, WI | jonnysled - 2/14/2014 9:27 AM
BenR - 2/14/2014 9:17 AM
jonnysled - 2/14/2014 9:06 AM
never understood a boga for freshwater fishing, i suppose it makes sense they are used if you're a troller.
Might make it easier to handle larger fish, probably not much of a problem in your neck of the woods; )
there are no big fish in Wisconsin
Too bad we can't say the same for trollers...  |
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| horsehunter - 2/14/2014 9:25 AM
I wish people that vertically lift fish by a gill plate would let me lift them by the ear.
Since you and CiscoKid both mentioned it...
Does everyone realize that in ALMOST EVERY video of pro's, amateurs, guides, everyone, they lift the fish from the water, vertically, with one hand, and then bring it to a horizontal position once they have sure footing on the deck of the boat? Even when it's an instructional on how to handle a fish - they lift it to photograph-level with one hand. And if the fish flops, they usually wait for it to calm down before supporting the weight of the body with their other hand. Often the only out-of-water fight that a musky puts up is in that 0.5 - 1 second time period of being lifted out of the net, which is when the angler has just one hand holding the jaw.
This is probably the wrong thread for this. |
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Location: Hayward, WI | jaultman - 2/14/2014 10:34 AM
horsehunter - 2/14/2014 9:25 AM
I wish people that vertically lift fish by a gill plate would let me lift them by the ear.
Since you and CiscoKid both mentioned it...
Does everyone realize that in ALMOST EVERY video of pro's, amateurs, guides, everyone, they lift the fish from the water, vertically, with one hand, and then bring it to a horizontal position once they have sure footing on the deck of the boat? Even when it's an instructional on how to handle a fish - they lift it to photograph-level with one hand. And if the fish flops, they usually wait for it to calm down before supporting the weight of the body with their other hand. Often the only out-of-water fight that a musky puts up is in that 0.5 - 1 second time period of being lifted out of the net, which is when the angler has just one hand holding the jaw.
This is probably the wrong thread for this.
I do think that's a good point. I'll admit that when I first started this sport maybe 7 years ago I didn't realize the importance of supporting the weight of the fish with BOTH hands at all times, including lifting them from the net. The first time I caught a little bit bigger fish, I heard a "pop" (like cracking knuckles) from just behind it's head when I had probably 3/4 of the fish out of the water. I figured that was not good...
Ever since then I make sure to support the belly of the fish as much as possible with my other hand as soon as I can. Makes lifting them a little harder because you're more off balance but haven't heard one pop since.
I rarely have to worry about my footing anymore. I tend to kneel down, and stay that way. I'm more balanced, and if I ever do lose my grip on a fish it wouldn't fall as far.
Tucker |
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Location: Walker, MN | If I had a choice of being netted, Boca'd or gaffed...I'd take the net job thank you very much! |
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| Masqui-ninja - 2/14/2014 3:21 PM
If I had a choice of being netted, Boca'd or gaffed...I'd take the net job thank you very much!
Would you rather a gaff or DBL 10? |
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Posts: 455
| Not if you had a hook in your eye. Frank got it rite. If your experienced you can use the gaff for fish that have hooks in gills or the eyeball area. For the guys who just have a net what do you do? You net it anyway, fish rolls in the bag, the eyeball is gone or the gills are yanked out and bleeding. Also agree with Frank that once you handle hundreds of fish you get a pretty good idea what works. I shake most fish off as my hooks are almost barbless. I do use a nice soft Lokie net if I want a photo. However if one is hooked bad or is mega big and I`m alone it is nice to have a gaff. Now I understand concerns about new people trying it. I was lucky to have expert instruction on big fish. Oh and no they don`t hold still. You have to know when to pull the trigger just like a net. Not for everybody or something you want to try without seeing it. However for old school guy`s who learned back in the day it`s just something else you have in the tool box. I don`t have a problem if Ben gaffs every fish because he is comfortable with it. Unlike wire line that he is not comfortable with lol. Andy |
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| DonPursch - 2/13/2014 6:23 PM
I'm just sayin gaffs and boga grips are all BAD news
Give reasons.
I've seen Boga's used after netting to help hold a Muskies jaw for quick hook extraction. I use a gaff occasionally for catch and releasing big Pike, often never taking them from the hole. |
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| muskyrat - 2/14/2014 4:45 PM
Not if you had a hook in your eye. Frank got it rite. If your experienced you can use the gaff for fish that have hooks in gills or the eyeball area. For the guys who just have a net what do you do? You net it anyway, fish rolls in the bag, the eyeball is gone or the gills are yanked out and bleeding. Also agree with Frank that once you handle hundreds of fish you get a pretty good idea what works. I shake most fish off as my hooks are almost barbless. I do use a nice soft Lokie net if I want a photo. However if one is hooked bad or is mega big and I`m alone it is nice to have a gaff. Now I understand concerns about new people trying it. I was lucky to have expert instruction on big fish. Oh and no they don`t hold still. You have to know when to pull the trigger just like a net. Not for everybody or something you want to try without seeing it. However for old school guy`s who learned back in the day it`s just something else you have in the tool box. I don`t have a problem if Ben gaffs every fish because he is comfortable with it. Unlike wire line that he is not comfortable with lol. Andy
I recall the wire reel, oops! |
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