How To Gaff A Fish (Plus Which Size Gaff To Use, Mistakes, & More)
- By: Joseph Simonds
- on
- Found In: Fishing Tips, Weekly Newsletter: 4-12-20
One of the most useful and versatile tools you can have on the water is a gaff.
Not only does it help you bring big, lively fish to the boat, like kingfish, cobia, or tuna, but it can also help you with tasks such as picking up trash or grabbing a crab trap.
In this video, Capt. Mark “Hollywood” Johnson from FloridaKeysFunFishing.com is going to show you the proper way to use a gaff (and the common mistakes most anglers make that cause the fish to break off), as well as some of the extra uses he gets out of this tool.
Watch the video below.
How To Use A Gaff [VIDEO]
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When you’re gaffing a fish, you want to bring the hook over the fish and pull it towards you.
You also want to gaff them right behind the gills, which gives you more control over them.
Also, be sure to keep the line and the gaff far away from each other if you don’t want to break the line and lose the fish.
As far as which size gaff, you can gaff all you want with a hook size under 3″.
Capt. Hollywood was using a 2.5″ gaff in this video.
Gaff Mistakes
Here are three common mistakes that anglers do when gaffing a fish.
- Touching the line or leader with the gaff. This is the easiest way to break your line and lose the fish.
- Gaffing the fish from below
- Gaffing the fish in the middle of its body
These mistakes could increase the odds that you lose the fish.
Other Uses For A Gaff
Obviously you can use a gaff to secure fish, but Capt. Hollywood also finds himself using it in several other applications, including:
- grabbing trash
- grabbing crab or pinfish traps
- using it to hang a dive flag off of during snorkel trips
- and much more
Conclusion
Whether you use it to grab a crazy cobia or pick up trash, gaffs are useful tools to have on your boat.
Do you keep a gaff on your boat?
Have any questions about using a gaff?
Let me know in the comments below!
If you’re in the Florida Keys and you want to go fishing with Capt. Hollywood and his crew, you can get in touch with them at FloridaKeysFunFishing.com.
And if you know someone who needs to learn how to use a gaff, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
Thank you for the gaffing instructional video. was very useful and informative.
I’ve got the 2 1/2 – 3 inch hook size, but I have a 22′ bay boat and was wondering what size handle ? telescopic? or if there was a particular brand/model you would recommend? Thanks