Flying Gaff Question's

[Rockstar II]

Again, thanks for all the great info, and I was hoping for a little more help! I have a fair amount of offshore fishing experience with varying degrees of success, and I am looking at buying a flying gaff. We went sharkin for the first time last weekend, and were working on our shark tail roping technique. We ended up just reaching down and grabbing the 5 foot dusky and bringing it into the boat to take the hook out of it after unsuccessfully trying to tail rope it. I am not a big fan of having a gun on our boat because I am fairly certain that one of my friends would shoot themselves with it, or at the bare minimun my boat. All that being said, what size flying gaff should I get? I presume 8". Are there disadvantages to using an 8" Flying Gaff? How long should the rope be? I know I am supposed to hit the shark or other giant pelagic in the gills, but then what do I do with a 200 lb mako that is flying gaffed in the gills and cleated to my boat? Thanks for any advice!

[lazyfatass247]

Get your self a poon and a flyer. After you hit, get tail rope on the sucker. 10 to 12 feet of line will do. You don't want the shark to get full speed if it should swim away. The poon is overly recommended but you will not be IFGA legal.

Good Luck with the sharks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Deane

[frankypettolina]

You want the rope to be as long as you can reach over the side, so a 10 or 15 foot prespliced rope will work.

I like to be able to take the rope of of the head to wash it after it has been bloodied up, so I either tie a bowline on it or loop the spliced loop back on itself.