Forgot the gaff

[eriksat1]

How many of you forgot the gaff? For me it seems about the easiest thing I seem to always forget to bring and it cost me 2 huge fish. One was about a 20# northern pike I couldn't get to turn its head up the hole, I tried reaching down and grabbing it behind the head but it was so wide I couldn't get my hand around it to grab it. It bolted off and broke my line. The 2nd was a huge walleye 28"- 29" range hook came out as I was pulling it up the hole, the thing sunk back down the hole like a lead weight before I could reach down and grab it, I stuck my whole arm down the hole to the shoulder but it was gone..

[Tackle]

Never used one. Never plan to.

Hurts the fish, doesn't it?

[Deal Ninja]

Never used one. Never plan to.

Hurts the fish, doesn't it?

I don't give a damn about their feelings, especially if I plan to eat them.

DN

[Ice Scratcher]

I've seen an equal or more number of fish lost due to poor gaffing.. I used to bring one, but i never used it and dont bother bringing it now...

I get too damn excited anyway and just end up with death grip on their skull lol..

No issues with eyes over 30 inches 11+ lbs yet...

Never had a chance on a 20# pike though...

Good luck!

<°)))>{

[WYIfish]

I used the gaff for northern pike If I intended to take them home, same with walleyes. Here in WY, no gaffs allowed on Flaming Gorge which is a good thing, the pup lake trout don't need the  help in landing and the big bruisers usually always are thrown back and one wouldn't want to gaff them anyway even if the law allowed.

I got me one of those jaw grapper tools for $15 the other day, sort of like a non-locking vise grip looking thing. I can't wait to try it out. Will see how handy it actually is.  On thing, it is a fisherman catcher as it caught me.

[eriksat1]

A gaff doesn't hurt them anymore than a mouth full of treble hooks, you gaff them in the snout just under the tip of the lower jaw. Anyway I would have had that pike mounted, and probably the walleye also.

[Seamonkey84]

They’re not even allowed to have in possession on fresh water here.

[river_scum]

brought to you by blamo:

are you tired of missing fish at the hole?  did you forget the gaff again? are you just too fat to reach the hole these days?  you dont need to worry if you have "the crappie kicker from blamo"!!!



 never miss a fish at the hole again!

[Ice Scratcher]

I like this one personally, spring loaded, hair trigger!







Really, throughout the ages, many thorough options...

<°)))>{

[wallydiven]

What kind of idiocy do you have to practice to think eating a 29" walleye is a good idea?

Oh boy........

[Ice Scratcher]

What kind of idiocy do you have to practice to think eating a 29" walleye is a good idea?

Sometimes that's the only size that'll bite!

Duh...

<°)))>{

[Tinker]

  Infinite thumbs up to Ice Scratcher!!!!

[WYIfish]

Infinite thumbs up to Ice Scratcher!!!!

I always have been a good steward of the fishes but I agree, if you are dying for a good fresh walleye (we all should be) and the only one you catch at dusk is a good one, best to save it to eat.  Sometimes they swallow the hook so bad they may die anyway, may as well eat them and leave more food for the smaller fishes to grow bigger on.

[Tinker]

I honestly don't like to take big fish for eating either, but Ice Scratcher's response just made me laugh.  I think even those big 12 inch plus female perch are really not worth keeping but I try to help out with the potential overpopulation of stunted perch that I am all to familiar with from my youth. Those big egg stuffed perch just seem like they give such a small amount of meat compared to the body size that I usually second guess myself as I am cleaning. 

[Ice Scratcher]

I always have been a good steward of the fishes but I agree, if you are dying for a good fresh walleye (we all should be) and the only one you catch at dusk is a good one, best to save it to eat.  Sometimes they swallow the hook so bad they may die anyway, may as well eat them and leave more food for the smaller fishes to grow bigger on.

If you clean them and trim off the fatty meat, they taste just like a 17"....

I'd much rather a limit of 16" though.. Sometimes the little ones are not around to be caught..

This was that nights take 2 are around 29.. I think that little one was 22 the two biggest were the first ones of the evening, after a long day of nothing... Walked two miles of ice just to get there, I was for sure going to keep something...

<°)))>{

[FlamDragger]

I bought a gaff a few years back, then read in our fishing regs that it’s illegal here in Washington State. The gaff looks good hanging on my man-cave wall.

[WYIfish]

I made my gaff out of 3/16"welding rod, and 2'of conduit. Bent a hook in the rod, pinched it in the conduit pipe, wrapped the handle in black electrial tape, put on a cord for hanging on to and it worked 10 years until I moved to a place where I couldn't use it. Makes great memories.

[eriksat1]

I have no problem eating bigger walleye they taste just as good. If the fillets are too thick I slice them in half.  A gaff is perfectly legal here. Actually the prime walleye spawners are 22” - 24”

[baogongmeo]

What kind of idiocy do you have to practice to think eating a 29" walleye is a good idea?

I don't know but I sure hope to find out someday!

[nocod]

I have lost more than 1 nice fish without a gaff,usually when on foot,trying to go light.

[bobberbill]

Young and dumb and hungry, I used a hay hook for pike and muskie. Worked good. Food for the family.

[Chute82]

I bought a gaff a few years back, then read in our fishing regs that it’s illegal here in Washington State. The gaff looks good hanging on my man-cave wall.

Tell the Fish cop it’s a back scratcher or pull your hand up your sleeve and tell the fish cop the VA replaced your hand with this hook

[eriksat1]

Young and dumb and hungry, I used a hay hook for pike and muskie. Worked good. Food for the family.

The gaff is for after the fish is hooked and used to help get a really big fish up the hole, not for some type of spearing or grabbing fish that are not on your hook and line. It is a tool to help land a big fish. I guess the places where it is illegal people have other ideas for its use. If you are catch and release fishing you probably wouldn’t be to upset to lose a big one halfway up the hole.

[Huntindave]

Young and dumb and hungry, I used a hay hook for pike and muskie. Worked good. Food for the family.

The gaff is for after the fish is hooked and used to help get a really big fish up the hole, not for some type of spearing or grabbing fish that are not on your hook and line. It is a tool to help land a big fish. I guess the places where it is illegal people have other ideas for its use. If you are catch and release fishing you probably wouldn’t be to upset to lose a big one halfway up the hole.

Where did he say he used the hay hook in a manner inconsistent with how a gaff is used?  Sounded to me like he was simply using a hay hook as a gaff. 

[Tinker]

Isn't a hay hook a rather short device?  If a guy can gaff a pike or musky under the ice with a hay hook without catching that fish on hook and line first then that fellow is well out of my league and I think he deserves all the fish he can hook.  I suppose next you're going to tell me he can walk on water as well!! 

[Huntindave]

Isn't a hay hook a rather short device?  If a guy can gaff a pike or musky under the ice with a hay hook without catching that fish on hook and line first then that fellow is well out of my league and I think he deserves all the fish he can hook.  I suppose next you're going to tell me he can walk on water as well!! 

I am confused, is your response directed to me? (you don't indicate otherwise and your response directly follows my remarks.)

[Tinker]

I guess its in response more to eriksat1.  Just trying to lighten the mood a little.  Seems folks on IS are a bit edgy this year.  Anytime anyone in general gives me crap for thinking I'm better than them I kindly remind them that I can also walk on water    Do it every year, heck I have even driven full size trucks on water 

[eriksat1]

A ice fishing gaff is way smaller than a hay hook, how anyone could gaff a fish through a 6” hole with a hay hook is beyond my skill set. A ice fishing gaff is usually made with a big single fishing hook or a big fishing treble hook. I think people are confusing a open water deep sea fishing gaff with a small ice fishing gaff. If they are so illegal why do ice fishing company’s like HT make them?

[WYIfish]

I have not tried it yet but a couple of fishermen have told me they take panty hose and wrap it tightly around a shortened shovel handle. When the fish comes up in the hole you stuff the tennis ball sized wrap down their mouth, the teeth are slanted back somewhat and they get caught and one yanks the fish out of the hole.   I think it would be nearly as easy to just hand gab them.

[Tinker]

Just trying to spread some good cheer and laughs.  I haven't held a hay hook in probably 25 years but I think it would fit down a 10 inch hole.  Not trying to bust chops or tell anyone "I can walk on water".  A hay hook would likely be one of my last choices for making a gaff unless I was after something that can get big like a paddlefish or sturgeon, but I think I would still want to mount it on some sort of pole I can use 2 hands on. 

Okay joking aside.  Sounds like the mere possession of a gaff is illegal in some states.  So in those states can one use the curved hook end of the ice scoop to assist a large pike out of the hole by hooking it under the gill?  My brother does this with pike, I prefer my stainless golf club handle with large treble attached.  Just wondering what is considered a gaff in those states, does it have to be sharp?  What if f I use my finger to hook a fish under the gill could some puffy chested warden write me up for using a gaff?  I mean after all I could "hook" a fish with my finger.