"Gaffers"

[scattered_grass]

Lot's of people use the term "Gaffer Dolphin" very freely these days, partly because there are simply not as many fish out there as there used to be....many times I see slingers and bailers given this name.

This is what I consider to be a good catch of Gaffers

Hatteras, NC

[Captain Fred Archer]

GrassMan,

No question, the three bulls being held by the anglers are nice, big dolphin. We didn't call them gaffers down in Cabo. Nor did we keep bailers or slingers unless for bait, for which we preferred tuna or skipjack. Severe limits on the charter fleet of over 200 boats (5 fish per boat at the time for those who fished legally) was obviously the reason why we had so many big-to-huge dolphin down there. It was sort of a forced conservation thing and it sure seemed to work. I have never seen a place with as many big dolphin on a regular basis as Cabo.

Then came the longliners. Then they started to target dolphin. They took and are taking huge numbers. Now the game has changed radically. Way, way less dolphin and vastly smaller numbers of big ones.

Dolphin are a gamefish in Mexico. It is illegal to commercial fish for them. Yet many hundreds of boats do. The vast majority of those dolphins are sold in the U.S.

[seapower]

I went out Sunday, while they weren't the class of fish we had 2 year's ago (we may never see that again) we ended up with a very respectable catch. Had a really good sign of life too. Looking for a good season coming up. Frank

[scattered_grass]

GrassMan,

No question, the three bulls being held by the anglers are nice, big dolphin. We didn't call them gaffers down in Cabo. Nor did we keep bailers or slingers unless for bait, for which we preferred tuna or skipjack. Severe limits on the charter fleet of over 200 boats (5 fish per boat at the time for those who fished legally) was obviously the reason why we had so many big-to-huge dolphin down there. It was sort of a forced conservation thing and it sure seemed to work. I have never seen a place with as many big dolphin on a regular basis as Cabo.

Then came the longliners. Then they started to target dolphin. They took and are taking huge numbers. Now the game has changed radically. Way, way less dolphin and vastly smaller numbers of big ones.

Dolphin are a gamefish in Mexico. It is illegal to commercial fish for them. Yet many hundreds of boats do. The vast majority of those dolphins are sold in the U.S.

yea, definitely small fish compared to what's down there...I would love to make a trip sometime and catch a true "SMOKER BULL".

I can remember back when I started going fishing with dad roughly 17 years ago, the size and number you would catch compared to now. A little bit different...

I see boats bringing in 15 in. fish today and throwing them on the dock for a picture.

[scattered_grass]

I went out Sunday, while they weren't the class of fish we had 2 year's ago (we may never see that again) we ended up with a very respectable catch. Had a really good sign of life too. Looking for a good season coming up. Frank

That's good to hear Frank, pretty work. You're right, 2 years ago was fun. Got high hopes for this season.

[000's]

I remember down in the keys it was,its been a while so someone correct me if Im wrong
Shakers
Lifters
Gaffers
Slammers

[clt_capt]

We use the following (in size order);

Flip-flops - about the size of your flip-flop
Peanuts - big enough to maul a ballyhoo - almost not worth cleaning
Slingers - easier to just sling over the gunwale than to gaff
Gaffers - ain't coming over the rail without a gaff
Nut-busters - if it hits the deck (instead of the fish box) someone is gonna get whacked in the nuts by the tail

[scattered_grass]

We use the following (in size order);

Flip-flops - about the size of your flip-flop
Peanuts - big enough to maul a ballyhoo - almost not worth cleaning
Slingers - easier to just sling over the gunwale than to gaff
Gaffers - ain't coming over the rail without a gaff
Nut-busters - if it hits the deck (instead of the fish box) someone is gonna get whacked in the nuts by the tail

lol

[MAKO19]

If fishing is tough and I want meat in the box I'm not risking pulling the hook on a 10 pounder trying to sling him over the side. He will most certainly meet the steel and that's my definition of a gaffer. Usually 10 pound fish and above. I like the term slammers! You usually only hear that used when referring to Bluefish. Good stuff!

[Captain Fred Archer]

Those who have been around goodly numbers of truly big dolphin are painfully aware of what I call their "Testicular targeting talents" in my books. Man, their aim is amazing and they can hurt ya and endanger future generations! And a bite from a big can really do a lot of damage, to say nothing of the potential infection...been there, done that. We discuss the cure for those in detail in my Dolphin book.

Oh, and dorado/dolphin are responsible for more hooks, treble or one of a double set finding their way into cherished body parts and then jerking the heck out of them...yeeow...than any other fish! We cure that too in the book.

Little dolphin, no matter what you call them, are a lot of fun, especially on light tackle. And they surely do eat good, no matter the size. But still, when I see some of the outright slaughters of dinky little ones I can't help but think that there would be more of the bigger, even more fun to catch models and some of those giants if there were some kind of reasonable limit put on them.

Little ones are cool as heck, but a nice-to-huge, forty to eighty pound bull is an awesome and near unforgetable animal and just one provides as much meat as a whole bunch of little dinky ones. No matter how you slice them, though, they sure are a great fish!