Forgot the gaff

[Gimper]

I just wink at those big female Walleye and they hop right up thru the hole onto the ice.

[sturboy]

Not being ruggedly handsome like the Gimper, I just wink at those big fat walleyes and they shiver with revulsion. Shiver right out of the hole and a couple-three feet into the air, sometimes. That's why I don't use flip shelters--not enough ceiling height.

[Ramp 23]

I agree with Eric, I always have gaff ready. Used properly it causes no harm . Would have lost quite a few trophies had I not had it. Valuable tool .and if I do forget it , which is very rare , I'm uncomfortable thinking about the , "what if "

[esox_xtm]

Sorry erik, never used one. Had a mid 40" musky up through over 2' of ice one late February weekend. No gaff. Unhooked, pics and lives to fight another day. This is a regular discussion with my "old school" fishing buddy every year.

That said, there's a 40"+ pike in Fox Lake that "could" have been iced with a gaff.  As it was, she clamped down so hard on the bait I never moved hooks and on the third pass by the hole, turned on her side, opened her mouth and everything just lifted out as she went by. Auuuuggghhhhh! (channeling by best Charlie Brown). 

[eriksat1]

If I would have been fishing for pike I probably could have put enough pressure on it to get its head turned up the hole. But I happened to be fishing walleye and only had a 8 Lb test mono leader. It was first ice maybe 3” of ice clear as a plate glass window and no snow on the ice. I fought the behemoth until it was tired out and sitting horizontal right under my hole, I dared not put anymore pressure on it. I reached down the hole to grab it right behind the head but it was so wide my hand would not reach around it enough to grab it, I’m 6’1 and have fairly big hands. When I squeezed to try and grab it it bolted and snapped my 8 Lb test leader. To this day that would have been my biggest northern pike. It was almost 20 years ago and I still lose sleep thinking about it like it was yesterday.

[kasilofchrisn]

Once it was forgetting the gaff where I had been fishing lost a nice pike.
Second time was forgetting to remove the tubing protecting the hook.
Lost a Very nice rainbow trout.

[kasilofchrisn]