Jono1387 108 Posted April 9, 2014 Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 Caught my first gummy the other day well kinda, it was a monster about 6-7 foot got it up to the boat and tried to gaff it the first strike I tried to get it in the side, got the gaff under it and gave it a huge heave, it just went balistic the gaff didn't go in and it went for a run, anyway got it back up again this time I tried again but went for the gills same again the gaff just wouldn't go in an the shark went for another screaming run and snapped me off . I had a look at the gaff thinking there was something wrong with it it's pretty sharp but the point angles slightly away from the handle could this be the problem? Or am I doing something else wrong? I have caught plenty of sharks from the beach before but never had trouble gaffing them as usually they are just opening their mouths at you saying feed me the gaff so I gaff them through the side or roof of the mouth and drag them up if planned on eating them. What am I doing wrong or are they just a pain in the arse to gaff? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dutchy 451 Posted April 9, 2014 Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 Not sure Jono I catch them someone else gaffs them 😆 Back the drag of a bit and be patient the fish is already tired Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jono1387 108 Posted April 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 Yeah was 3 of us I was gaffing we all had no idea why it wouldn't sink in I wasn't gentle with it maybe I just got unlucky, regretting not looping a rope around it as we got I tight up to the boat I could have almost leaned over and lifted it out but wasn't so keen as it was bloody huge never seen a gummy so big. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brankim 945 Posted April 10, 2014 Report Share Posted April 10, 2014 Neva gaff a shark!!!!! Unless ure gaff can bend like a cork screw Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jono1387 108 Posted April 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2014 And what do I do to lift them on board brankim if I'm not gaffing them? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
trihull 177 Posted April 11, 2014 Report Share Posted April 11, 2014 tuff but small flying gaffs, and a tail rope...................... If you do tie off your ropes, be sure it is to something that wont pull out and become a missile hazard ... !!!!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kon 300 Posted April 11, 2014 Report Share Posted April 11, 2014 My compadre usually does the gaffing (has bigger guns than moi!) - techniques is to come in from underneath, towards the front of the fish (just think in terms of slightly forward of centre-of mass), lots of oomph and speed, straight up and importantly continue the motion up and into the boat without pausing. Two-handed use from go to whoa of course. We haven`t caught anything bigger than about 6ft but the technique seems to work consistently enough. A pretty darn sturdy home-made gaff about 5ft long with the point paralleling the shaft, but I can`t see why there would be any issue with a slight angle out. Sounds like you`re trying to do all the right things? As has been stated, the shark may of course part company with the gaff in very short order once in the boat(!) but we`ve never had any problems with one jumping off the gaff during the lift, due to the weight. Actually they usually tend to stay on long enough for someone to grab the tail, as long as the gaffer keeps the thing slightly off the deck. Heh heh - on one occassion things didn`t quite work out as planned, four people were sitting on the gunwales and watching a rather displeased beastie do two or three lizard thrash circuits around the esky in the middle of the boat, I seem to recall a small tackle box ended up a little second-hand and a rod standing up in a rear corner of the boat got a decent whack...that was one time when we thought a tail rope may probably not have been such a bad idea... The rope proponents do have a point, on two counts - lifting-in insurance and assistance, and an initial handling aid. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
baitwaster 202 Posted April 14, 2014 Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 from experience, club it on the scone first or buy a cheep flyer (got a good 1 from ray and anns) even my 6ft hammer made a mess of the side of my boat after being pinned with a flyer, near on 6ft schoolie a few year back I hit with a fixed snapper gaff nearly ripped me arms off but managed to hoist him in, gota think seriously about anything over about 4- 5 ft coming into a boat with or without teeth!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jono1387 108 Posted April 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 Yeah had to be careful was only on 20 lb line lol made myself a tail rope kind of thing for the future, a 3mm wire snare with a clip so I can just loop it over the main line slide it over the head then pull it tight, rigged it up to some braided rope so for have to worry about cutting hands on the wire if it thrashes around hopefully works in practice. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brankim 945 Posted July 5, 2014 Report Share Posted July 5, 2014 U use a lasso. When u got it close, put the loop around ure rod from the butt and let it slide down over his head or tail. I used to fish I.g.f.a competitions in South Africa for provincial side u21's 10kg game fishing. In a comp,only sharks that count are mako's, threshers and bronze hammerhead and that's how we did it. The big 1s around the tail, and u drag them backwards with the bout to kill them. Had a shark break the Baffin 1 comp, and next fish I hooked was a 32 kg jewfish ( data salmon) on 10 kg mono with no gaff is no fun!! Landed it though and won the comp. my best day ever!! And a12 kg gt. Also no gaff.seniors comp iwas a last minute fill in for. And they made me captain at 17... Definately my proudest moment after getting laughed at the day b4 by all the old guns... Won 8/9 prises. Top angler, top captain, top team, biggest bottom fish, biggest gamefish, and a couple more. But I learned that day... manège gaff a shark!!! Flying gaffs also work, asking as it has short handle, and you let go instantly after gaff goes in. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brankim 945 Posted July 5, 2014 Report Share Posted July 5, 2014 Or a big environet Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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