How to Gaff a Fish
Reel in the fish as close as possible., Wait until the fish gets tired and calms down., Hold the back grip of the gaff with your dominant hand., Lower the gaff and position it behind the gills., Pull and lift the fish into the boat.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Reel in the fish as close as possible.
To get in range to gaff the fish, you'll need to make sure that it's right against your boat.
Reel in the fish so that it's as close to the side of the boat before attempting to gaff it.
Gaffing a fish on the side of the boat is optimal because you'll have maximum mobility and can use the side of the boat to help stabilize the fish once you gaff it.Reaching for a large fish that's too far away from the boat could destabilize you and cause you to fall into the water. -
Step 2: Wait until the fish gets tired and calms down.
When the fish is still fighting on your line, don't try to gaff it because it can easily become unhooked and you can lose it.
Instead, hold the fish on your line and wait for it to tire itself out.
Once it's calm, you can begin to align your gaff.Take a look at the fish while it tires itself out and make sure that it's the species you want and is big enough to take home. , Hold the back most grip of the gaff with your dominant hand so that you can get the longest reach possible with the pole.
Stick the gaff up and over the side of the boat while holding onto it tightly., Move the gaff across the backside of the fish and position the hook facing down.
You should aim for the spot that's right behind the fish's gills, right under the dorsal fin.
This soft area is easy to penetrate and can hold the weight the fish.Other areas, like near the tail or stomach, are softer and could cause the gaff to become dislodged, or you could rip the fish apart. , With one quick motion, you'll want to penetrate the flesh of the fish by pulling on the gaff pole.
Once you've hooked the fish, lift up to sink the hook into the fish.
Use your other hand and grab the front grip of the gaff pole to help stabilize the pole and drag the fish in.Try to do this in one fluid motion.If the fish is still thrashing around, you can hold it on the side of the boat until it calms down before transferring it to the boat's floor. -
Step 3: Hold the back grip of the gaff with your dominant hand.
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Step 4: Lower the gaff and position it behind the gills.
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Step 5: Pull and lift the fish into the boat.
Detailed Guide
To get in range to gaff the fish, you'll need to make sure that it's right against your boat.
Reel in the fish so that it's as close to the side of the boat before attempting to gaff it.
Gaffing a fish on the side of the boat is optimal because you'll have maximum mobility and can use the side of the boat to help stabilize the fish once you gaff it.Reaching for a large fish that's too far away from the boat could destabilize you and cause you to fall into the water.
When the fish is still fighting on your line, don't try to gaff it because it can easily become unhooked and you can lose it.
Instead, hold the fish on your line and wait for it to tire itself out.
Once it's calm, you can begin to align your gaff.Take a look at the fish while it tires itself out and make sure that it's the species you want and is big enough to take home. , Hold the back most grip of the gaff with your dominant hand so that you can get the longest reach possible with the pole.
Stick the gaff up and over the side of the boat while holding onto it tightly., Move the gaff across the backside of the fish and position the hook facing down.
You should aim for the spot that's right behind the fish's gills, right under the dorsal fin.
This soft area is easy to penetrate and can hold the weight the fish.Other areas, like near the tail or stomach, are softer and could cause the gaff to become dislodged, or you could rip the fish apart. , With one quick motion, you'll want to penetrate the flesh of the fish by pulling on the gaff pole.
Once you've hooked the fish, lift up to sink the hook into the fish.
Use your other hand and grab the front grip of the gaff pole to help stabilize the pole and drag the fish in.Try to do this in one fluid motion.If the fish is still thrashing around, you can hold it on the side of the boat until it calms down before transferring it to the boat's floor.
About the Author
Andrew Hughes
Brings years of experience writing about hobbies and related subjects.
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