HANDLING A LEADER ~ HOLDING A GAFF

[MakoMike]

Marty,
I'd love to tell you you that I tried it your way and its better, but I have been doing it that way for years!

[WAHOONBOX]

Marty,
I'd love to tell you you that I tried it your way and its better, but I have been doing it that way for years!

YOU MADE MY DAY MAKO!

I MEAN IT AIN'T "MY WAY" ....IT'S THE WAY I WAS TAUGHT....EVERYMAN HAS HIS OWN TECHNIQUE BUT THE BASICS ARE AND SHOULD BE THE SAME

BILLS VIDEO IS A PRIME EXAMPLE.....THERE ARE MANY OUT THERE TO WATCH-GOOD AND BAD

AND I AM THE FIRST TO SAY I MAKE WIRING AND GAFFING ERRORS TOO!!! HELL YES!!!.....NBO ONE EXPERIENCES THE HELLOOK FROM A CAPTAIN LIKE I DO WHEN I GOOF!!....THE PROBLEM IS....MY HELLOOK IS NO FREAKING LOOK AT ALL....NOT A WORD...

HE KNOWS I WANT EM BAD.....HE KNOWS THE BONES ARE WEARY....I THINK I'LL GO DO A COUPLE CURLS WITH THE OL IRON RIGHT NOW.....YEP

I GOT 20 LARGE ON EACH ONE

[John Rogers]

Great information Marty, thanks for taking the time to explain how you gaff.

John, great video on how to gaff, you sure know what your doing.

[terpheels]

1 thing I always find interesting is how guys just don't let em swim along w/the boat. Majority of the time the fish will swim just below the surface, this is critical, don't pull their head out of the water! I love to watch em look back at me w/that big ole eyeball. Don't freak and start swinging, give em a chance to settle.

Now what does get interesting is when you don't have the boat pullin them. We chunk a whole bunch up here in yankeeville and that throws something different into the mix. They normally don't come along side in any sort of predictable manner.

[SharkJP]

Now what does get interesting is when you don't have the boat pullin them. We chunk a whole bunch up here in yankeeville and that throws something different into the mix. They normally don't come along side in any sort of predictable manner.

Terp, you touched on a whole new subject. The DEAD BOAT TUNA GAFF. . .this takes timing, grace, skill, luck. . .a few coor. . . . opps, nevermind

The dead boat gaff is a whole different ball game as the tuna makes his death circle. . .keeping the line off the hull, this is definately a time when you know when that RIGHT moment is. . . 3 circles away, 2 circles away. . . 1. . . STICK 'EM!!!!!!!

[budddavid]

Probably not the smartest tale to share but I believe it is a mistake we have all made one too many times, sticking a fish too close to the tail.

I was filling in for a talented mate on a neighboring boat in OC, MD out of commision due to a nasty infection on a mid-summer chunking trip. The well known captain of this vessel is a virtual hub of communication among the fleet and if anything dumb happens on his boat the entire fleet will learn of it. We had some meat in the box and everything was going well. Maybe I was still a little gun shy as I reached into the depths with a 10 foot custom gaff to stick a nice sized yellow fin, and I'm pretty sure that I got him too far back because he pulled like a fat woman headed for the buffet. One, two mighty shakes of the beast and suddenly nothing. The gaff head releasing from the handle would have been just fine had I been using a flying gaff but this departing pelagic had just pulled the head off of a fixed head gaff. I was ready to swim home.

[Chilli]

Nice Twist terp... Dead sticking tuna... That is a bit different. Timing timing, oh shnickies watch the anchor line....

Yep that takes a bit more skill...

[Big Jay]

Interesting, i have always used one hand/arm to gaff. Never both. In fact i have always felt more comfortable holding the leader AND gaffing.

#1 i don't trust anyone to gaff in my pit but me
#2 i don't trust anyone to gaff in my pit but me

Then that brings the whole problem of pulling there heads out of the water. Mostly what my father does when he leaders them. How the hell you supposed to stick them then.

I have never lost a fish at the gaff by the way. I know other ppl who have, not i though.

[HOLWACHAGOT]

Never lost one at the gaff? Keep trying, you will. One suprises everybody after enough chances. Or maybe after about your 20th fish of the mornin and your hands are bleedin and your arms are burning and your charter smacks you inthe back of the head with the rod as they reel the tip down into your hand and your glove gets tangled in the roller tip about the time someone yells out of the head that the toilet is clogged. keep tryin big jay...you'll miss one.

[WAHOONBOX]

Interesting, i have always used one hand/arm to gaff. Never both. In fact i have always felt more comfortable holding the leader AND gaffing.

#1 i don't trust anyone to gaff in my pit but me
#2 i don't trust anyone to gaff in my pit but me

Then that brings the whole problem of pulling there heads out of the water. Mostly what my father does when he leaders them. How the hell you supposed to stick them then.
I have never lost a fish at the gaff by the way. I know other ppl who have, not i though.

I AM CONFUSED ON YOUR COMMENT HERE....SORRY


I PERSONALLY NEVER TRY TO LIFT ANY HEAD OUT OF THE WATER WHEN I GAFF........THEY NATURALLLY ARE FIGHTING FOR THEIR "BREATH" WHEN THIS HAPPENS.....I STICK EM JUST UNDER THE SURFACE WHEN THEY ALLOW IT


AND I HAVE .....I MOST DEFINITELY HAVE LOST MY SHARE OF FISH GAFFING..........I TIP MY RIGGERS TO THE FIRST MAN THAT I HAVE EVER HEARD OF THAT HAS NEVER LOST A FISH AT THE GAFF.......I HOPE THAT FORTUNE AND SKILL FOLLOWS AND STAYS WITH YOU FOREVER.....


HEY BIG JAY.......I NOTICE THAT PICTURE ICON UNDER YOUR NAME.........DO YOU TRUST THAT DRIVER OF THAT AIRBORNE BOAT?