pier gaff

[hokieboy]

Does any one know the size of a pier gaff. And by that i mean the hooks. Im looking at one that has 12/0 hooks. Is this big enough.

[MBsandflea]

Mine are bigger than that. Don't buy one of the cheapo knockoffs that are shark hooks stuck in melted lead, if it's cheaper than $25 it's probably not of use gaffing a big fish.

[chris storrs]

most are around 8" in diameter....and it should be heavy...also dont get a 3 hook....4,5, or even 6 is better...

[hokieboy]

where can i get a good one like that?

[striperswiper]

i got the 16/0 for 30 or 40 its works great i also got the 12/0 its also fine

[Drumdum]

i got the 16/0 for 30 or 40 its works great i also got the 12/0 its also fine

You'll find that size to rip out of a big fish very easily.. I have one that has gaffed some "real fish" from back in the day when I used to pier fish for kings and such. It has three stainless prongs,leaded in center heavy enough to gaff in a decent blow,it's an easy 12" from point to point.. Gaffed many a fish with it,knock on wood,never a miss either... She's an oldy but it sure worked..;)

[hokieboy]

Does anyone know where i can get a decent one?

[Digger]

THe 4 hook 16/0 is the best commercially made gaff. After that you need to find a good welder that has Stainless stock around and have them make for you remembering to add weight. But most importantly you need to learn to use it and it is harder than it looks. I'm pretty decent but I hand my gaff off if there is somebody better out there.

[hokieboy]

Is it hard to make one.

[AtlantaKing]

I didn't think it was that hard to make one. I used some 3/8" diameter, 4" wide U-bolts that had two long legs, and ground one side down to a wicked point. Then, using 4 such hooks, I "tied" the bundle together with some wire at right angles to each other and sleeved the whole shebang with a 1" piece of metal conduit about 9" long. I also made a line tie with a piece of 1/8" iron, crammed down into the conduit. After all that's done, I filled the pipe with as much molten lead as it'll hold. After the whole mess cools, you should have something like a bridge gaff, although it would need to be painted to prevent rust.

[MBsandflea]

Boaters worlds sells Pier/Bridge gaffs, so does Bass Pro Shop and most any tackle shop along the coast.

And yes, it is harder than it looks. Wind, waves, pilings, sharks, a fish than can come back to life and run any direction, twenty people piled over your shoulder, another guy on the other side of the fisherman with a gaff, wrong stick and you pull the hooks or break the leader, too hard and the gaff might pull, not hard enough and the fish can flop off AND one SOB complaining that you're going to lose his fish because you aren't getting it gaffed fast enough and that you don't know what you're doing.

Put yourself in that SOBs place....I've handed the rod off to a complete stranger, grabbed the line with one hand and gaffed my own in the past.

[GWC]

when you do find your gaff put at least 3 ft of heavy chain on first (helps to keep sharks from biteing it off) also it helps with added weight I use 4 ft of plastic coated chain and 5/8 in rope it has a better hand grip and doesn't slip in the hand , also put a loop at the end of the rope to hang onto