HANDLING A LEADER ~ HOLDING A GAFF

[WAHOONBOX]

WE ALL HAVE WATCHED A GILLION FISHING VIDEOS FROM MANY DIFFERENT WEBSITES OVER THE YEARS....THERE IS ONE MAJOR FLAW WITH SOME OF THE TECHNIQUES SEEN IN THESE VIDEOS THAT STAND OUT IN MY MIND AS "FLAGGERANT"....

HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION: A LEADERMAN AND A GAFFMAN ON ONE FISH (LET'S SAY THE FISH IS UNDER 100 POUNDS)

WHILE VERY FEW VIDEOS WILL SHOW ON FILM THE MISSES ...THE BREAK-OFFS ...THE "OH-SHITS" .......I LIKE TO ANALYZE VIDS ...EVEN MY OWN AND WATCH FOR MY ERRORS......"NOW WHY DID I DO SOMETHING SO STUPID AS THAT???!" SLO-MO PUTS IT ALL INTO PERPECTIVE........ BOY DID I LOOK HORRIBLE! ........MAYBE I'LL DO BETTER ON THE GAFF OR WIRE THE NEXT TIME!!!

WHEN I SEE ONE GUY ON THE LEADER AND HIS HANDS GOING HIGH OVER HEAD ........I CRINGE!!! NOW SOMETIMES THE MONO DO ADHEARE A BIT TO THE RUBBER GLOVES AND IF THE ANGLER CRANKS THAT REEL ....LOOK OUT....THE GLOVED HAND GOES TO THE ROD TIP GLUED TO THE MONO......... LEADER YOUR FISH TOWARDS YOUR CHEST...NOT ABOVE YOUR SHOULDERS....YOU HAVE NO POWER ABOVE YOUR SHOULDERS WHEN IT COMES TO 50 LBS OF BRAWN MEAT DARTING-FIGHTING-PADDLING LIKE HELL FOR HIS LIFE..........

AND THEN WHEN I GET OVER THE SHOCK OF SEEING EL SLOPPY ASS LEADERING.......ANOTHER OBSTACLE LUMS INTO VIEW.....A GAFFMAN! THE HORROR!!!! THE FREAKING HORROR OF A SEPERATE WIREMAN AND GAFFMAN.
I HAVE SEEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN...MANY TIMES ON OUR RIG WHERE WE LET THE PARTY ATTEMPT TO BOXEM THEMSELVES.......WHEN BANGO TANGO...THE "OH-SHITS " COME INTO PLAY


THE GAFFMAN HAS NO CLUE WHAT THE LEADER MAN IS GOING TO DO....AND HE IS NEVER ON THE SIDE OF THE LEADER MAN TO MAKE THE STICK! IT AIN'T HUMAN I SAY!

BE A MATE....BE A PRO .....AND WHEN IT COMES TIME TO STICK BETHLEHEM STEEL IN ITS PLACE......TAKE THE NECESSARY 2-3 WRAPS ON THE MONO LEADER WHEN THE FISH IS APPROACHING THE KILL ZONE ....AND WITH SWISS TIMING AND WITHOUT HESITATION .....YOU THEN PICK UP YOUR GUNNEL ETCHED WARSTICK AND POP HIS ASS!!! AND USE ONE HAND TO DO THE GAFFING!!!

I SAID ONE HAND!!! I LOOK AT VIDEOS DAY IN AND DAY OUT....AND WHEN YOU GO TO THAT TWO-HANDED GAFF TECHNIQUE LIKE YOU ARE USING A PITCHFORK OR A GARDEN HOE......I FREAKING LOSE IT!!!

NO WAY CAN YOU BE MORE ACCURATE WITH TWO THAN WITH ONE...NO WAY!!! ONE HAND IS MERELY AN EXTENSION OF YOUR ARM!! ...IT'S SORT OF LIKE FOLLOWING THRU WITH YOUR ARM PITCHING A BASEBALL.....THINK WHERE THE GAFF IS GOING ....THEN WITH SMOOTH FLUID MOTION EXTEND THE ARM OUT AND RETRACT............BANGA-LANGA-THE FLOWTILLA SPOUTS FORTH DU-HUH!!!


REMEMBER: AFTER YOUR FIRST MISSED-WHACK AT HIM......HE IS NOW DARTING AROUND LIKE A BANSHEE FROM HELL CAUSE YOU HIT HIM IN THE SHOULDER WITH THE GAFF SHAFT...NOW THE PANIC SETS IN....IT MAY BE TIME TO DUMP THE WRAPS...AND REGROUP

NOW LET'S SAY YOU DO FIND THE FLESH WITH A GOOD STICK!.......NOW WHAT.....CALMLY BEGIN WORKING YOUR HANDS(FISTS) ...WORK THEM BOTH DOWNWARDS TOWARDS THE GAFF HOOK DIRECTION.......THEN AND ONLY THEN DO YOU ATTEMPT TO LIFT A HEALTHY FISH OVER THE GUNNEL.........IT WILL BE EASIER ...MORE PROFESSIONAL.......AND THE TAG END OF THE GAFF POLE WILL BE STRAIGHT UP OUT OF RANGE .....FREE OF COLD-COCKING YOUR BUDDY DRINKING BEER

LETS ALL TRY TO QUIT STABBING...SLABBING...HACKING..BUSHWACKING...AND SCARING AWAY OUR FISH AT CRUNCH TIME....YA MIGHT JUST YIELD MORE MEATNBOX

JUST FOR ONCE ...I'D LOVE TO HEAR SOMEONE SAY " 'BOX.....I TRIED YOUR WAY AND IT IS MUCH EASIER"

[O-SEA-D]

Great post Marty. I will try your way tomorrow.

Thanks

[Capt-D]

Like I have told ya before Marty, weather its just me or its me and a wire man, I gaff with my right arm! Yes people, I said ARM. Like the man said its an extension of your arm! grabbing the top of the gaff and tucking the end snug (not tight) under my forearm reaching over the fish and pulling towards me! It is the easiest and cleanest way to hit them IMO.

If Its just me double dipping on duties, I wrap so I finish with two in the left and plug with the right arm. If its bigger, or I have extra help for a duet, then I use my left arm only to steady myself with the transom or gunnel. Let the wire man do his job and don't interfere with him with your left hand/arm.

Now the over the top of the fish will get people going as much as the shimanno and penn thing, but that's my comfort zone. As long as you practice it and are smooooooth in the effort you won't startle the fish an he wont run. If you gaff over the fish don't hack at him. All you do is piss him off!

That's my way!

-D

[SharkJP]

Marty, I have a few clips for you to critique. . . stand by

[SeaBiscuit]

Will be trying to do you proud tomorrow Marty. Only Matt and I so far on the boat. It should make things the way they are supposed to be. I think in a charter situation, trying to include everybody results in two wiring / gaffing. Surely there are fish lost because of that. Teaching a charter to do it right puts you and Brian above the rest though, so don't ever quit!
I will, hopefully, only do one thing different than you tomorrow: I'll be stickin' their head or heart with that gaff and not their belly!
Wish me luck.
SeaBiscuit

[SharkJP]

Marty, this short little video is for you bro. Im waiting to hear reactions. what is good and what is bad, but most of it goes right along with what you are saying.

www.adrenalinelures.com/~videos/gaffclips.wmv

[extreme-measures]

You can work the pit on the RUN-OFF any day. Pretty work shark. Capt. B.

[Chilli]

Back off Brian... He's mine!

[WAHOONBOX]

Marty, this short little video is for you bro. Im waiting to hear reactions. what is good and what is bad, but most of it goes right along with what you are saying.

www.adrenalinelures.com/~videos/gaffclips.wmv

WELL......YOU DANG SURE DREW A POST OUT OF CAPT BRIAN WITH THIS VID!!

SHARK....I MUST SAY YOU WERE FLAWLESS ON THE FIRST GAFF.........TEXTBOOK

AND THEN THE SPREADER BAR ACTION WAS SUPERB TO SAY THE LEAST.............

I GUESS THIS IS WHY I MADE MENTION OF YOU IN ONE OF MY '05 VIDEOS

www.wahoonbox.com/videos/govcup2.wmv


and.....AND......AND THIS IS A BIG AND.......IF YOU LIVE THE PIT AND LIVE THE DREAM LIKE YOU DID IN PC'05 IN THIS NEXT VIDEO CLIP....and part of the 05 governors cup championship team THEN SOMEDAY ...SOMEWHERE...AND AT NO PARTICULAR PLACE NOR TIME.....SOME RICH ASS WORLD BILLFISH CRUZER WILL WALK UP TO YOU ON YOUR LEFT FLAT AND SAY........LOCK & LOAD DUDE....LETS GO WIN 'EM ALL!

CRANK THIS MUTHER UP ...A REPEAT BUT A DANG GOOD ONE!

www.wahoonbox.com/videos/cup2.wmv

IT TOOK A LOT OF BALLS TO MAKE THAT POST OF YOURS SHARK...............OR WAS IT COINFIDENCE?

[Capt-D]

Shark You Show-off!!!!

That's exactly what I was talking about! Chilli Your in good company dude!

I don't want to speak for Marty, but I think the only thing different from what he was saying is that you choose to go over the fish vs Marty's under the fish. (That's one of the reason why Marty foam fills his gaffs - to get lift when he comes under the fish). Again as long as you are smooth its preference at that point!

My thoughts

-D