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Posts: 455
| That was my bad Ben. You looked like you saw a ghost when I pulled the wire out. You said you didn`t like wire and stupid me says (Oh it`s no problem it won`t backlash. ) Lesson learned. If someone does not like something there is usually a good reason. |
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| muskyrat - 2/15/2014 7:19 AM
That was my bad Ben. You looked like you saw a ghost when I pulled the wire out. You said you didn`t like wire and stupid me says (Oh it`s no problem it won`t backlash. ) Lesson learned. If someone does not like something there is usually a good reason.
I learned to use/enjoy the wire:) Just not that day! |
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Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | 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
Moderators you were looking for topics for future...This would be a great one to get video on! I say work on getting a video made on proper use of a Gaff and Boga. When to use what, the benefits of them, and how not to use them. I say the vid should also have the use of a net, and proper hand landing technique. Compare the various techniques. Don't bash one over the other, but rather let the audience decide what to use. Kind of like equipment promotion. They all have there time and place. I think it would be great to have a vid showing the various tools with benefits and drawbacks. |
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Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | Out east the gaf was The Tool to use. I was showed how good it was when we had a 50# muskie boat side with a mouth full of lure. If she was netted it would have beat her up for sure. The gaf inserted into the mouth and poked down through just past the jaw gave us full control of this beast. This controled the fish while it was 3/4 still in the water.
I have been part of this system and can tell you its nothing bad for the fish. One little hole in the bottom jaw is all it leaves.
Im sure everyone has had a muskie at one time that had a hole or tear in the bottom of the mouth from poor handling. U know the area where your thumb and fingers meet while holding the gill plate for a picture.
A good gaf is a very long deep hook. Not what some might think. I believe its a great tool for the big fish. You can catch, gaf the lower jaw, control the fish with one hand and remove the hooks with the other hand. All while the fish is still mostly in the water supporting the weight of the fish. Then just lower the head back into the water to be released. All this can be done without even touching the fish. How can this be a bad thing?
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Location: Eastern Ontario | I have recaptured gaffed fish a relatively short time later and the gaff spot was completely healed with just a small spot of hard scar tissue.
You can't gaff a green fish and you must be reasonably close to the water
Edited by horsehunter 2/15/2014 12:05 PM
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