Gaff or Gaffe?

[Parapapam]

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source gaffe also gaff

1. A clumsy social error; a faux pas: "The excursion had in his eyes been a monstrous gaffe, a breach of sensibility and good taste" (Mary McCarthy).

2. A blatant mistake or misjudgment.

Well yesterday was a Gaffe... a mistake in judgement with my gaff (the one with the sharp hook), but it could have been worse. It only cost me the only shot we had all day... no one got hurt.

I'd like to tell the tale of heroics and monster fish, but you'll have to settle for a beautiful day on the water and a question.

We left West Falmouth at 2:30 am for Stellwagon. I've never fish the bank before so I was excited. We had my wife and three kids on board plus a 17 year old exchange student. We were trying very hard to get him on a fish. The run down BB and through the canal was great. At 3 am the patrol boats didn't really seam to care that I was running at 28 knots as long as I slowed down to pass the only other boat in the canal (which was a barge. I don't think he was too concerned with my wake).

We went line in at 5 am at a well known spot and started our troll. At 6 am the orange bar disappears and we are tight. We suit up the young man and he starts the fight. 10 minutes into it, he decides he has had enough and goes to the bow to rest. Kids these days!!! In any case he hands me the rod. I finish it off until the end game.... where I blow it big time!

Given my choice to help now are my wife with the bad back, my 11, 8 or 7 year olds or I try it solo. I went with the last option. I leadered the fish in grabbed the gaff and just could get comfortable with how I was going to hit 'em. After several loops under the boat, the fish pops. Bye, bye.

Well it was 6 am and I thought we would get another shot. From 6 am until 11:30 we trolled in and away from the fleet. Bait, Whales, but no Charlie. The only bent rod I saw was from a bottom fisherman. No tuna, no boats in circles, no sign of Charlie. The only life on the radio was bluefishermen or striper guys in by P-Town.

So my question for you guys with more experience going solo, give me a step by step guide to leader and gaffing solo. Here is how I failed to do it.

I had the fish and leader with my left hand forward (I would have perfered my right on the leader since I am a lefty and more coodinated to hit my spot with the gaff with my left...what can you do?) I had my thumb down towards the gaffs point... mistake! Since pulling up with your elbow up is harder. If I had my thump up towards the handle end of the gaff it would be more like a curl with a dumbell.. more natural. Lastly I spent to much time messing around for a perfect shot. Whne solo, I should just stick him whenever I can and not try to be to perfect.

How do you guys do it?

Mike

[#1Gaffman]

Well, as im not perfect, and im certain others have a diffent way.

My way is simple.

Skipper(you) just keep the boat in gear, i wire the fish up along side the boat NOT BEHIND. If the boat is in gear the fish will usually swim right along side of the boat. keep constant upward pressure on the fish and hell slowly start to swim upward. I like to wire them on the starboard side(personell prefrence). I use a 6 foot gaff, i like it light, mainly becuase most times i gaff, i also am wiring the fish. Ive heard a lot of controversy on underneath VS. Overtop, but personlly i never go underneath. I simply put the end of the gaff a little shy of my elbow and reach overtop of the fish and stroke.


Hope i helped and didnt make it more confusing.

[johnseafood]

This is what we do on a 2 man trip, I will fight the fish all the way to the boat and have my gloves right next to me. When the fish comes to leader I will put on my gloves and leader the fish.

Now the captain will put the boat on auto pilot and have the trolling valves set to about 1.3 kts. The fish will swim right with the boat and not circle. He will stick the fish first and if its a big fish I will follow up with a second gaff.

I leave the rod right in the holder and back off the drag alittle so if he does run it just pulls off the reel and you won't loose him.

If you fish with wind-ons its so east because you can crank right to the fish and never have to leader a fish. If i know i'm fishing with only one other thats what I will do. It doesn't let me change out baits real quick with already having 8-10 baits done rigged. But it is alot safer in the long run.

With kids on board in that situation I would go with all wind ons so you can have the reel man go right to the fish and you can concentrate on the fish not about the leader.

Hope is helps you out, if you ever need any help with anything just p.m me and i'd gladly help you out

[Parapapam]

... took me a while to get back to this.

Thanks guys. You both offered good advice. I've replayed this gaffe a million times in my head. I think I figured out what I did wrong and how to
fix it.

Hopefully Wednesday I get to try it again.

Mike