Gaff or Net? - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Billy V · 07-23-2008, 10:15 AM

I seem to have collected a bunch of different gaffs over time.

The little cheapie from West Marine is hard to beat, although I did spring for a promar floating gaff @ OEX this year just because it looked cool $30

The cheap one works just as well unless you are going to gaff a big shark.

I have this 12" aluminum gaff that I bought 20 years ago that is my favorite.

dsafety · 07-23-2008, 10:31 AM

Billy,

Are those point guards homemade or do they come with the gaffs? If homemade, what do you use?

Bob

Billy V · 07-23-2008, 10:48 AM

They are homemade from clear 3/8" vinyl tubing I bought from Homedepot.

The short gaff has 1/4"

tylerdurden · 07-23-2008, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billy V

...

The cheap one works just as well unless you are going to gaff a big shark...

Don't gaff a big shark. Tail rope and knife the gills. A big shark will got ballastic as soon as it gets stuck. Tail rope a mako though and it will turn on itself and bite through the rope, at least someone else found that one out.

Handymansd · 07-23-2008, 01:24 PM

You definitely need a gaff for game fish. A Boca grip can work for butts, but a gaff is a very useful tool when used properly for YT, WSB, and Butts. It is also helpful releasing sharks, rays etc. And as Dave pointed out... it is extremely useful for tourist crowd control.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tylerdurden

Don't gaff a big shark. Tail rope and knife the gills. A big shark will got ballastic as soon as it gets stuck. Tail rope a mako though and it will turn on itself and bite through the rope, at least someone else found that one out.

Better the rope than an arm!

AYS · 07-23-2008, 08:12 PM

a boga grip is actually a pretty bad idea for halibut. I would net a barely legal over boga gripping it because grabbing it by the mouth allows for it to beat that tail. A barely legal can do some damage, let alone a lunker butt. If your going to get a gaff, take two things into consideratioin. First, get one with a mustad hook. Unless you want to be raplacing it every few trips. A lot of hooks will rust out or are made poorly and will not stick and hold fish. Another thing to consider is a large hook will hold better, but a small gaff hook will be easier to stick in a fish. Check out the Blue Room Special Gaff's at AYS. They are cheaper then the promars, are bright yellow for visibility if you drop it, it floats, it has a mustad gaff, it has a wooden dowel inside for added weight to help sink the hook and to beat fish over the head (works well on lings

), and it is fiberglass so it will last forever. I added a small piece of X-wrap to mine and its just as good now as the day I bought it.

dsafety · 08-07-2008, 04:47 PM

I went looking for a gaff today and came back empty handed. All I could find were the long handled gaffs designed for large boats. Sports Authority, Big 5, even Walmart do not even sell gaffs. I found some in specialty stores but they were to large and really expensive.

Anyone know where I can buy an inexpensive gaff about two feet in length?

Bob

bajadog · 08-07-2008, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsafety

I went looking for a gaff today and came back empty handed. All I could find were the long handled gaffs designed for large boats. Sports Authority, Big 5, even Walmart do not even sell gaffs. I found some in specialty stores but they were to large and really expensive.

Anyone know where I can buy an inexpensive gaff about two feet in length?

Bob

See above

I bought a 3' wooden gaff at West marine for $4.50, then cross drilled a
hole in the handle and ran a lanyard through it to clip to my yak eyelet.

rastrev · 08-07-2008, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Anyone know where I can buy an inexpensive gaff about two feet in length?

Squidco has some small ones with wooden handles for less than $10 too.

dsafety · 08-07-2008, 06:49 PM

Went to West Marine in O'side today. They had nothing under $45. I guess that I will have to grab the fish by the gills tomorrow if I catch anything big. That would be OK since I have had zero luck so far with anything worth keeping. Maybe if I hook up, some friendly member of the kayak nation will paddle over and lend a hand. One can only hope.

The next time I am near Squidco, I will check them out.

Thanks,

Bob

07-23-2008, 08:12 PM	#6
AYS Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Kearny Mesa Posts: 21	a boga grip is actually a pretty bad idea for halibut. I would net a barely legal over boga gripping it because grabbing it by the mouth allows for it to beat that tail. A barely legal can do some damage, let alone a lunker butt. If your going to get a gaff, take two things into consideratioin. First, get one with a mustad hook. Unless you want to be raplacing it every few trips. A lot of hooks will rust out or are made poorly and will not stick and hold fish. Another thing to consider is a large hook will hold better, but a small gaff hook will be easier to stick in a fish. Check out the Blue Room Special Gaff's at AYS. They are cheaper then the promars, are bright yellow for visibility if you drop it, it floats, it has a mustad gaff, it has a wooden dowel inside for added weight to help sink the hook and to beat fish over the head (works well on lings ), and it is fiberglass so it will last forever. I added a small piece of X-wrap to mine and its just as good now as the day I bought it. __________________ 7914 Ronson Rd "G" San Diego, CA 92111 (858)715-4669 10am-6pm Monday- Friday

08-07-2008, 04:47 PM	#7
dsafety Olivenhain Bob Join Date: May 2008 Location: Olivenhain, CA Posts: 1,122	Where to buy? I went looking for a gaff today and came back empty handed. All I could find were the long handled gaffs designed for large boats. Sports Authority, Big 5, even Walmart do not even sell gaffs. I found some in specialty stores but they were to large and really expensive. Anyone know where I can buy an inexpensive gaff about two feet in length? Bob

07-23-2008, 10:15 AM	#1
Billy V Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bay Ho Posts: 1,382	I seem to have collected a bunch of different gaffs over time. The little cheapie from West Marine is hard to beat, although I did spring for a promar floating gaff @ OEX this year just because it looked cool $30 The cheap one works just as well unless you are going to gaff a big shark. I have this 12" aluminum gaff that I bought 20 years ago that is my favorite.

07-23-2008, 10:31 AM	#2
dsafety Olivenhain Bob Join Date: May 2008 Location: Olivenhain, CA Posts: 1,122	Billy, Are those point guards homemade or do they come with the gaffs? If homemade, what do you use? Bob

07-23-2008, 10:48 AM	#3
Billy V Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bay Ho Posts: 1,382	They are homemade from clear 3/8" vinyl tubing I bought from Homedepot. The short gaff has 1/4"

08-07-2008, 06:49 PM	#10
dsafety Olivenhain Bob Join Date: May 2008 Location: Olivenhain, CA Posts: 1,122	Went to West Marine in O'side today. They had nothing under $45. I guess that I will have to grab the fish by the gills tomorrow if I catch anything big. That would be OK since I have had zero luck so far with anything worth keeping. Maybe if I hook up, some friendly member of the kayak nation will paddle over and lend a hand. One can only hope. The next time I am near Squidco, I will check them out. Thanks, Bob