Hawaiian kage spear gaff revisted

[Mr. NiceGuy]

I lost a big halibut last summer at the end of Zuniga jetty. When I tried to gaff him he went berserk. Those suckers have some strength when they decide not to cooperate. I was frustrated, to say the least, so I came home and built this whatchamacallit with a slip tip:



The matching hook gaff to make a set was for fun, and to use up some leftover materials. I like fiddling in my garage for relaxation.

In retrospect, I should have stained the wood with a dark oak penetrating oil stain, added some gnarly teeth marks or teeth, and given it the patina of age and experience. It still has the "new car smell" which just isn't right.

I haven't hooked another halibut big enough to use it since then, but it fits nicely on the right side paddle holder of my Outback as backup. Maybe when halibut see it on the side of my kayak ready to deploy they become more docile?

As my endurance for peddling my Hobie continues to build, maybe I'll pedal up to Alaska. Once we cross the border, I think it's not uncommon to shoot 'em in the head to subdue them.

The spray bottle with vodka sounds interesting. I haven't tried that yet.

[pingpangdang]

Originally Posted by Mr. NiceGuy

I lost a big halibut last summer at the end of Zuniga jetty. When I tried to gaff him he went berserk. Those suckers have some strength when they decide not to cooperate. I was frustrated, to say the least, so I came home and built this whatchamacallit with a slip tip:



The matching hook gaff to make a set was for fun, and to use up some leftover materials. I like fiddling in my garage for relaxation.

In retrospect, I should have stained the wood with a dark oak penetrating oil stain, added some gnarly teeth marks or teeth, and given it the patina of age and experience. It still has the "new car smell" which just isn't right.

I haven't hooked another halibut big enough to use it since then, but it fits nicely on the right side paddle holder of my Outback as backup. Maybe when halibut see it on the side of my kayak ready to deploy they become more docile?

As my endurance for peddling my Hobie continues to build, maybe I'll pedal up to Alaska. Once we cross the border, I think it's not uncommon to shoot 'em in the head to subdue them.

The spray bottle with vodka sounds interesting. I haven't tried that yet.

Nothing like building something yourself and putting it to use...adds to the fun. Thanks for posting that.

[pingpangdang]

Some good feedback and some good laughs... Thx for the feedback

I heard pepper spray works as well. It not only stuns the fish but you won't need to marinade the fish because it will have an ole bay cajun taste from the spray.

Maybe a stun gun next to the pressure point...the stun guns that shoot the darts that pierce skin w/ the wires attached. Anytime the fish acts up stun'em until they learn to behave. It's also known to keep sharks away and serves as an electric fence type of stringer.

I think I'll go invest in a gaff for now but will try the tail flip method on the YTs. Seen plenty of catch and release w/ a pic on PB...they seem to be too gassed and seem somewhat manageable.

One more thing...has anyone used a boga grip on YT? I have the cheaper basspro models w/ the build in scale.... How many lbs of fish is too much to even consider using one? I've used them on japanese sea bass in the 60+cm range and they lock pretty good on those lips.

[Hammerhead_77]

Originally Posted by pingpangdang

Some good feedback and some good laughs... Thx for the feedback

[snip]...

One more thing...has anyone used a boga grip on YT? I have the cheaper basspro models w/ the build in scale.... How many lbs of fish is too much to even consider using one? I've used them on japanese sea bass in the 60+cm range and they lock pretty good on those lips.

Dude... a 24" yellowtail is affectionately called a "rat". (slightly larger than a 12" 'mouse')

You just bounce them with your rod, grab them by the shoulders, unhook them and send them back to the deep with instructions to call you back when they get about 130 cm.

[chris138]

the only time you need a kage on the yak is for a big tuna, like over 80#.

[pingpangdang]

Originally Posted by Hammerhead_77

Dude... a 24" yellowtail is affectionately called a "rat". (slightly larger than a 12" 'mouse')

You just bounce them with your rod, grab them by the shoulders, unhook them and send them back to the deep with instructions to call you back when they get about 130 cm.

Maybe my question wasn't clear enough. Has anyone used one of those generic boga grippers on a 40lb YT and did it hold through a second wind of thrash'n?

Hammerhead when I referred to my grip the size reference was in regards to handling Japanese sea bass not a 24" rat YT.

[Hammerhead_77]

Originally Posted by pingpangdang

Maybe my question wasn't clear enough. Has anyone used one of those generic boga grippers on a 40lb YT and did it hold through a second wind of thrash'n?

Hammerhead when I referred to my grip the size reference was in regards to handling Japanese sea bass not a 24" rat YT.

Ah. OK. low comprehension day I guess. I've never used anything on a YT except the gaff or a landing net if I was going to release a small one. Some guys really rock at wearing the fish out to the point it just floats...not me. I lose too many fish when I screw around so I tend to get them to the gaff fast, which can mean you end up with a little bit hotter fish on the gaff than would be ideal.

[taggermike]

I made a kage a couple years ago, took it on a few trips, but didnt catch any thing big enough to use it. Mostly I made it for fun, not cause I felt I needed one.

Don't wanted to diss our local fishing but we don't have any big dangerous fish (except sharks, which I don't fish for). In HI they use kages on billfish, wahoo, n big tuna. You really want these fish dead and held at a bit of a distance until they die. They can stab you, cut you, and beat you to death, respectively. Sadly, we don't have fish like these.

WSB are strong but fade fast and are usually gassed out and exhausted at boat side. They have teeth but nothing that's gonna tear you up. YT basically don't have teeth, and only a few spines. Halis always have potential to freak out, but again, they can really hurt you. There's a poster here on BWE from AK that uses a harpoon with a break away head on pacific halibut. These fish can get huge and a freakishly powerful. A harpoon is the only safe way to dispatch then.

Ive found YT super easy to release. They have a strong tooth less jaw and thin caudal peduncle you can hold. I grab the jaw then the tail and pull them across my lap. Remove the hook. Then slide them off the the other side head first with a bit of a push and off they go.
Mike

[King Saba]

Originally Posted by pingpangdang

Maybe my question wasn't clear enough. Has anyone used one of those generic boga grippers on a 40lb YT and did it hold through a second wind of thrash'n?

Hammerhead when I referred to my grip the size reference was in regards to handling Japanese sea bass not a 24" rat YT.

Can't vouch for using it on rat yellows as I've yet to even get me one of those, but I've tried using those bogas on barracuda and they don't seem to get a very good grip into the fish when they're thrashing around. But, as Hammerhead mentioned just grab the fish with your hands. A 24" fish doesn't need any special gear to land unless you're using your light gear again.