Gaff size for Kayak - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Pinhead · 03-21-2016, 08:57 PM

Just curious to hear what length of a gaff seems to be preferred by you'z guy'z?

I would figure a 3' or 4' may be easy to manage on a kayak and still do the job.

Pinhead Out

Dave Legacy · 03-22-2016, 07:07 AM

When I was researching gaff lengths, and there's been some discussion on this forum before, I found that there was a lot of personal preference involved. Some guys thought about a foot long was just right, where others liked three foot or so range. When I built mine recently I ended up at 32", which mostly had to do with where I cut my calcutta to get a clean finish.

Gaff hook size is another consideration. I went 2.5", but those who catch the really big stuff seem to like the 3" gaff hooks.

Mr. NiceGuy · 03-22-2016, 01:37 PM

I agree with Dave. Approximately 32" is my preference too, with 2.5" or 3" hook.

It's short enough to be convenient in the work space of a kayak and long enough to extend my reach for a variety of reasons. I like to condense my equipment checklist to a few things that cover a range of needs so I have less clutter.

----

RANDOM IDEAS FOR MAKING YOUR OWN GAFFS:

My wood gaff is marked with some minimum legal fish lengths with a sharpie, then covered with marine varnish.

Depending on your design, a gaff can double as a club.

I like the gaffs I've made from a hearty piece of dense hardwood, such as a shovel handle or ax handle. You can re-shape the shaft on a belt sander to your liking. Get rid of unnecessary material. If you keep your eye peeled, there are lots of beautiful old materials available that can be salvaged to make nice gaffs. Yard sales, etc. I find old quality materials with the patina of age to be charming and beautiful. I like designing and building things from salvage and scraps. It's a nice way to relax.

You can buy the Mustad style hooks at Squidco for around $6. Mustad hooks are easy and effective to mount on almost any kind of shaft.

If you like the look of Calcutta bamboo, Squidco has that too. I was watching them unpack a long bundle last time I was there. It's a very beautiful material. I think they told me they were $20 per length. I remember them being about 12', maybe more, but my memory is a little foggy regarding the price and length because I wasn't buying any for myself. Calcutta bamboo differs from regular bamboo in that it's solid through the center, strong and flexible.
https://www.google.com/search?q=calc...w=1408&bih=757

If you want to get foo-foo fancy, you can get Shurhold stainless steel hooks cast from a single piece of stainless steel in another mounting configuration for around $25-40, but it's not really necessary.
https://www.primefitnessgear.com/shu...n&currency=USD
Personally, I have more fun with the Mustad style mount and para cord.

I keep my gaffs sharp. Instead of the spring guard, I use a short piece of automotive rubber hose to cover the point for safety when not in use. I cut a few extras for my tackle bucket just in case I drop or lose them. When salt water remains between the rubber hose and a coated mustad hook, the Duratin finish of the hook will discolor. I don't care about that. I still prefer the rubber hose for simplicity and convenience. It won't affect stainless steel hooks the same way. I tried using wine corks, but they tend to fall off. Rubber hose of the right diameter is much more secure. Rubber hose will stay on if you roll and flail around in the surf. You don't want to come in with a gaff in your arm or eye socket by accident.

My first wood gaffs were without butt caps. When they bounce around on end in the pole holders of my kayak, it chips off the marine varnish finish. I use rubber butt caps now as an element of function. Butt caps are available in a wide variety of sizes at Squidco for almost nothing.

For convenience I buy 550# black para cord from Amazon Prime in 100' hanks for $8.25. That's plenty of material to wrap several gaffs and other things that might benefit from para cord wraps.
http://www.amazon.com/Paracord-Plane...ilpage_o03_s00

If you surf around youtube, you can learn how to make ornamental wrappings and clever ways to secure the ends so they blend in and don't unravel. You can fuse the end into wraps with a lighter. If your wraps are tight and ends secured, a couple layers of gloss marine varnish is durable and will help glue it all into place. Marine varnish leaves a nice grip texture on the para cord. You can also smear on some 2-part clear epoxy from Home Depot. Epoxy gives it a plastic coating look, the grip becomes rock solid, but it's also a smoother surface than the marine varnish leaves. Marine varnish shows off detail. Epoxy looks laminated. Both are good.

Once you learn a few techniques for attractively wrapping para cord, you will soon be using your leftovers on all kinds of things. Your gaff will match your pliers, paddle, garden tools, key chain, steering wheel of your car, etc., LOL.

Start making gaffs of different lengths and styles to find your favorite. If you start longer you can always cut them shorter. Give the extras away to your fisherfriends as gifts.

UNRELATED BUT USEFUL INFORMATION FOR NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE:

Speaking of Amazon Prime, I found a nice digital weight scale with 110# capacity from American Weight Scales for only $7.29. I have always liked the quality of AWS products.
http://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh...ilpage_o05_s00

There are lots of Chinese clones that are similar, but AWS is a good brand and they come with a 10-year warranty. Hang any size hook you want on the bottom before you turn it on and it will re-calibrate itself to zero. These weight scales are small and rugged. Accurate to within 1 ounce from a minimum weight measurement of 3.5oz.

Hang your new gaff over a pole or stick it in a tree branch, etc., then clip your weight scale to the wrist strap with a carabiner clip so you can hang your fish for a selfie or step back for a trophy photo to share here. String a loop of para cord through the weight scale handle so it forms more of an apex and hangs straight off your gaff. Easy-peasy, then grill it with a little lemon-squeezy.

More information than anyone wanted to know :P

Life is sweet.

Rocketfish · 03-22-2016, 02:32 PM

Mr. NiceGuy.... this post is EXACTLY what I've been looking for as I wanted to start wrapping my own stuff, especially a homemade gaff. I have a bunch of rattan for Kali martial arts that I want to use for a gaff and was even wondering where to get inexpensive chord!

thanks for a great post.

momo fish · 03-22-2016, 02:43 PM

Is that you Jim Day??

Mr. NiceGuy · 03-22-2016, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rocketfish

Mr. NiceGuy.... this post is EXACTLY what I've been looking for as I wanted to start wrapping my own stuff, especially a homemade gaff. I have a bunch of rattan for Kali martial arts that I want to use for a gaff and was even wondering where to get inexpensive chord!

thanks for a great post.

Welcome to my world of rip-roaring ADHD and eternal restlessness.

Fishing gaffs made from martial arts materials opens even more possibilities. Maybe you can help would-be thieves in the launch area behave themselves.

A Kali practitioner (Filipino mixed martial arts) with a fishing gaff sounds formidable. I hope we're always on the same side :P

Mr. NiceGuy, aka Mr. BlabberMouth

Rocketfish · 03-22-2016, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. NiceGuy

Welcome to my world of rip-roaring ADHD and eternal restlessness.

Fishing gaffs made from martial arts materials opens even more possibilities. Maybe you can help would-be thieves in the launch area behave themselves :P

Mr. NiceGuy, aka Mr. BlabberMouth

HAHA, my kali, rattan sticks are super sturdy, almost impossible to break and really light. They can't get wet, though, so the various coatings you mentioned above would seal them perfectly. My dad was explaining to me how they used to have classes in the Philippines when he was in high school, where they would take rattan, soak it in water, and then shape it into anything you wanted, like furniture and stuff. After it dried properly, the rattan maintained its shape. THIS is why it can't get wet, at least not for prolonged periods of time supposedly.

At any rate, YES, I'm gonna wrap the sh** out of everything!

Mr. NiceGuy · 03-22-2016, 03:21 PM

Marine varnish is superior to general use formulations of polyurethane or spar varnish.

I am currently using McCloskey Marine Spar Varnish that I bought at Dixieline for about $25 per quart. Gloss is stronger than semi-gloss. It's a relatively slow-dry that continues to harden with time. It adds a traditional amber varnish color to natural wood. Dry to the touch in 6 hours, can re-coat after 24 hours.

Pinhead · 03-22-2016, 04:22 PM

Man, I only asked about size ! Lots of good info Mr. NiceGuy.

I have a mini Jet lathe and was thinking about turning a gaff outta ( ? ) some kind of wood. I'm not sure about the flotation characteristics of available woods tho. Time for some research. The Calcutta bamboo you mentioned is pretty tough to beat.

I like your idea of customizing the gaff...a little *foo foo* as you say. I've seen some pretty nifty strong/colorful cord used by others that wrap gaffs. I have used the two-part epoxy from HD before. Extremely tough and long lasting. And most important, the rubber hose over the hook. I'm not a fan of being a skewer-victim.

I'll have to put my scrounge-hat on and haunt a few of the tackle stores and check out your links to see what I can fabricate. Love a good project.

Thanks for all the hard work spelling out all the gaff info. I will be passing that along to a few buddies as well.

dmrides · 03-22-2016, 06:58 PM

I started with a 2' gaff, it was tough, you had to lay the fish out just right and pull it in very close. Then I got a 4'er. Made it so much easier, perfect gill shot every time. Still use the same 4'er on my skiff. You could get it done with a 3'er, but that extra reach especially with an 8' or 9' rod is very nice to have.

03-21-2016, 08:57 PM	#1
Pinhead We all Stink Sometimes! Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: San Diego Posts: 171	Gaff size for Kayak Just curious to hear what length of a gaff seems to be preferred by you'z guy'z? I would figure a 3' or 4' may be easy to manage on a kayak and still do the job. Pinhead Out

03-22-2016, 01:37 PM	#3
Mr. NiceGuy Manic for Life Join Date: May 2015 Location: San Diego Posts: 839	I agree with Dave. Approximately 32" is my preference too, with 2.5" or 3" hook. It's short enough to be convenient in the work space of a kayak and long enough to extend my reach for a variety of reasons. I like to condense my equipment checklist to a few things that cover a range of needs so I have less clutter. ---- RANDOM IDEAS FOR MAKING YOUR OWN GAFFS: My wood gaff is marked with some minimum legal fish lengths with a sharpie, then covered with marine varnish. Depending on your design, a gaff can double as a club. I like the gaffs I've made from a hearty piece of dense hardwood, such as a shovel handle or ax handle. You can re-shape the shaft on a belt sander to your liking. Get rid of unnecessary material. If you keep your eye peeled, there are lots of beautiful old materials available that can be salvaged to make nice gaffs. Yard sales, etc. I find old quality materials with the patina of age to be charming and beautiful. I like designing and building things from salvage and scraps. It's a nice way to relax. You can buy the Mustad style hooks at Squidco for around $6. Mustad hooks are easy and effective to mount on almost any kind of shaft. If you like the look of Calcutta bamboo, Squidco has that too. I was watching them unpack a long bundle last time I was there. It's a very beautiful material. I think they told me they were $20 per length. I remember them being about 12', maybe more, but my memory is a little foggy regarding the price and length because I wasn't buying any for myself. Calcutta bamboo differs from regular bamboo in that it's solid through the center, strong and flexible. https://www.google.com/search?q=calc...w=1408&bih=757 If you want to get foo-foo fancy, you can get Shurhold stainless steel hooks cast from a single piece of stainless steel in another mounting configuration for around $25-40, but it's not really necessary. https://www.primefitnessgear.com/shu...n&currency=USD Personally, I have more fun with the Mustad style mount and para cord. I keep my gaffs sharp. Instead of the spring guard, I use a short piece of automotive rubber hose to cover the point for safety when not in use. I cut a few extras for my tackle bucket just in case I drop or lose them. When salt water remains between the rubber hose and a coated mustad hook, the Duratin finish of the hook will discolor. I don't care about that. I still prefer the rubber hose for simplicity and convenience. It won't affect stainless steel hooks the same way. I tried using wine corks, but they tend to fall off. Rubber hose of the right diameter is much more secure. Rubber hose will stay on if you roll and flail around in the surf. You don't want to come in with a gaff in your arm or eye socket by accident. My first wood gaffs were without butt caps. When they bounce around on end in the pole holders of my kayak, it chips off the marine varnish finish. I use rubber butt caps now as an element of function. Butt caps are available in a wide variety of sizes at Squidco for almost nothing. For convenience I buy 550# black para cord from Amazon Prime in 100' hanks for $8.25. That's plenty of material to wrap several gaffs and other things that might benefit from para cord wraps. http://www.amazon.com/Paracord-Plane...ilpage_o03_s00 If you surf around youtube, you can learn how to make ornamental wrappings and clever ways to secure the ends so they blend in and don't unravel. You can fuse the end into wraps with a lighter. If your wraps are tight and ends secured, a couple layers of gloss marine varnish is durable and will help glue it all into place. Marine varnish leaves a nice grip texture on the para cord. You can also smear on some 2-part clear epoxy from Home Depot. Epoxy gives it a plastic coating look, the grip becomes rock solid, but it's also a smoother surface than the marine varnish leaves. Marine varnish shows off detail. Epoxy looks laminated. Both are good. Once you learn a few techniques for attractively wrapping para cord, you will soon be using your leftovers on all kinds of things. Your gaff will match your pliers, paddle, garden tools, key chain, steering wheel of your car, etc., LOL. Start making gaffs of different lengths and styles to find your favorite. If you start longer you can always cut them shorter. Give the extras away to your fisherfriends as gifts. UNRELATED BUT USEFUL INFORMATION FOR NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE: Speaking of Amazon Prime, I found a nice digital weight scale with 110# capacity from American Weight Scales for only $7.29. I have always liked the quality of AWS products. http://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh...ilpage_o05_s00 There are lots of Chinese clones that are similar, but AWS is a good brand and they come with a 10-year warranty. Hang any size hook you want on the bottom before you turn it on and it will re-calibrate itself to zero. These weight scales are small and rugged. Accurate to within 1 ounce from a minimum weight measurement of 3.5oz. Hang your new gaff over a pole or stick it in a tree branch, etc., then clip your weight scale to the wrist strap with a carabiner clip so you can hang your fish for a selfie or step back for a trophy photo to share here. String a loop of para cord through the weight scale handle so it forms more of an apex and hangs straight off your gaff. Easy-peasy, then grill it with a little lemon-squeezy. More information than anyone wanted to know :P Life is sweet. __________________ Another ho-hum day in Paradise Last edited by Mr. NiceGuy; 03-23-2016 at 11:17 AM.

03-22-2016, 02:43 PM	#5
momo fish Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Camarillo Posts: 1,491	Gaff size for Kayak Is that you Jim Day??

03-22-2016, 03:21 PM	#8
Mr. NiceGuy Manic for Life Join Date: May 2015 Location: San Diego Posts: 839	Marine varnish is superior to general use formulations of polyurethane or spar varnish. I am currently using McCloskey Marine Spar Varnish that I bought at Dixieline for about $25 per quart. Gloss is stronger than semi-gloss. It's a relatively slow-dry that continues to harden with time. It adds a traditional amber varnish color to natural wood. Dry to the touch in 6 hours, can re-coat after 24 hours. __________________ Another ho-hum day in Paradise Last edited by Mr. NiceGuy; 03-22-2016 at 03:32 PM.

03-22-2016, 07:07 AM	#2
Dave Legacy Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Hacienda Heights, CA Posts: 427	When I was researching gaff lengths, and there's been some discussion on this forum before, I found that there was a lot of personal preference involved. Some guys thought about a foot long was just right, where others liked three foot or so range. When I built mine recently I ended up at 32", which mostly had to do with where I cut my calcutta to get a clean finish. Gaff hook size is another consideration. I went 2.5", but those who catch the really big stuff seem to like the 3" gaff hooks.

03-22-2016, 02:32 PM	#4
Rocketfish Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: North O.C. Posts: 156	Mr. NiceGuy.... this post is EXACTLY what I've been looking for as I wanted to start wrapping my own stuff, especially a homemade gaff. I have a bunch of rattan for Kali martial arts that I want to use for a gaff and was even wondering where to get inexpensive chord! thanks for a great post.

03-22-2016, 04:22 PM	#9
Pinhead We all Stink Sometimes! Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: San Diego Posts: 171	Man, I only asked about size ! Lots of good info Mr. NiceGuy. I have a mini Jet lathe and was thinking about turning a gaff outta ( ? ) some kind of wood. I'm not sure about the flotation characteristics of available woods tho. Time for some research. The Calcutta bamboo you mentioned is pretty tough to beat. I like your idea of customizing the gaff...a little foo foo as you say. I've seen some pretty nifty strong/colorful cord used by others that wrap gaffs. I have used the two-part epoxy from HD before. Extremely tough and long lasting. And most important, the rubber hose over the hook. I'm not a fan of being a skewer-victim. I'll have to put my scrounge-hat on and haunt a few of the tackle stores and check out your links to see what I can fabricate. Love a good project. Thanks for all the hard work spelling out all the gaff info. I will be passing that along to a few buddies as well.

03-22-2016, 06:58 PM	#10
dmrides Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Point Loma Posts: 584	I started with a 2' gaff, it was tough, you had to lay the fish out just right and pull it in very close. Then I got a 4'er. Made it so much easier, perfect gill shot every time. Still use the same 4'er on my skiff. You could get it done with a 3'er, but that extra reach especially with an 8' or 9' rod is very nice to have.