Wayne posted a picture of our friend Jerry with a Dorado on another thread. Here it is below. Notice the gaff mark on the fish. I have gaffed many fish and I was taught to gaff the fish in the head so that one does not ruin the meat. You know on that fish there will be a blood stain on both filets that will need to be trimmed and discarded. It is not easy to gaff the head and takes some practice. Indeed sometimes the gaff will slip on the armored part of the gills, but if the gaff is sharp it will pierce the gill plate. I have argued with my crews down in Mexico that I do not want them to gaff the fish where it ruins meat but it is like talking to the door. They will not listen. There I ranted. Now you know why the wineries are rich. :D Hand me that bottle of Zin. Dominick
(http://i1257.photobucket.com/albums/ii518/wdeutscher/Los%20Cabos%20Fathers%20Day%20Week%20June%202013/photo3_zps9559cb3b.jpg) (http://s1257.photobucket.com/user/wdeutscher/media/Los%20Cabos%20Fathers%20Day%20Week%20June%202013/photo3_zps9559cb3b.jpg.html)
Head only. Tell the pangalero their tip depends on where the gaff strikes.
Usually through the bottom jaw or through the gills
in one eyeball, out the other. no small feat with a halibut!!!! ;D
It seems a shame to waste tasty Dorado but the last guy (who shall remain nameless :)) that tried to gaff my fish in the head swung and missed and broke me off >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(.
At this point anything that gets them in the boat is fine with me.
best :)
All you guys are better then me because 50 yrs. ago I was taught to Gaff the fish in the water.
Dorsal surface of the head, or jaw, or better yet through the brain, piercing the brain/spinal column connection is best. Avoid the gill plates, viceral cavity, or tail area. The meaty part of the shoulders will hold the gaff well, but it damages the meat, and you lose some control of the fish. A tournament winning or world record marlin, that is to be killed should be gaffes in this shoulder region with a flying gaff, since it will likely stay put. Gaff technique is often just as important as placement too. The gaff is a precision instrment not a baseball bat. A sharp gaff should require very little pressure to set (except on large sharks), and should be lifted into place, always behind the hook/line. Chopping down at, swinging, or batting should be avoided. Don't touch the hook or line. Staying calm and focused works best.
Only fish similar to what y'all catch that I gaff is a king Mack, on a boat I'm goin for a head shot, or in the gill plate. On a pier a good body shot with two prongs in atleast. On a ray or shark off the pier I go for the head or body on a shark, and head or thick part of the wing on a ray
I hoping I'm needing two maybe three gaffs. In that case..ANYWHERE!!
If I'm keeping the fish, through the brain or jaw
Ive lost to many fish watching people try to be Michal Jordan with a gaff. Especially since I cook everything, I get the fish on board.
Ron
My captain was almost as anal as I am about proper gaffing and if I misgaffed a fish he would always say something from above.
So long I as don't I get the leader it's all good...
Rgds
Mark
Bluefish... ;D ;D You got it right in a comical way.
Quote from: Tightlines666 on January 24, 2014, 01:38:50 AM
A sharp gaff should require very little pressure to set (except on large sharks), and should be lifted into place, always behind the hook/line. Chopping down at, swinging, or batting should be avoided. Don't touch the hook or line. Staying calm and focused works best.
Tightlines got it right. You put the gaff in the water and lift to allow the point to pierce. It takes a practiced movement to get it right. However, once you see it done correctly you will understand it. Dominick
Dominick
I had faith in you that you would get it.
Like most I like head shots but those smaller Dorado are a PITA to gaff so anywhere works for me. All Dorado are spiked before being removed from the gaff, tuna and yellowtail are gill slit and tail hung overboard to bleed out.
One handy trick for dealing w/Mahi once in the cockpit or cooler, is to grab them by the tail, bend their body over back towards their head (against the floor), to get them under control immediately, then spike them in the brian (just above and behind the eye, or through the eye socket angled up and back at 45 deg ang). I've also seen Mexican deckhands use the pour a cervesa in the mouth/over the gills trick to calm em down.
Quote from: Tightlines666 on January 25, 2014, 06:35:19 PM
I've also seen Mexican deckhands use the pour a cervesa in the mouth/over the gills trick to calm em down.
This is downright sacrilegious. Why waste a perfectly good cerveza when a baseball bat will do. :D Dominick
Small fish like that Dorado I would just lift on board with the leader. I only gaff fish that I am going to eat and I always try for under the head.
A dorado is not easy to gaff
They move like a stripper that sees a $100 Bill in your hand
They jump and spit the hook, and leave you with the gaff in your hands
Looking dumb, normally I let the fish tire
dig the tip of the rod in the water when they are about to jump
And give them tequila with a spray bottle before boating it
They go limp and you can gaff them wherever you please.
My 2 pesos hehe
:D
From all my years of charter fishing it depends on the fish. Most you gaff in the head yeah I know it takes practice but gaff placement with some dictates your tip so go figure. On sharks the only place to gaff is in the gills unless you want to get a rude surprise. Now one fish I know all too well is the Ling or Cobia as it's called in the Gulf, there is only one way to gaff them and that is right between the pectoral fins in the belly. This move stuns them for just long enough to get them in the kill box. If you gaff one in the head or body you are asking to get your arms twisted painfully and beaten with the gaff, actually a .22 to the head first is preferable. But with gaffing getting in a hurry wastes more good fillets than anything.
It depends on the fish and how the hook is looking when it comes up, ideally under the gills and out the mouth, but if sharks are chasing it, or the hook looks like it may come out, then just anywhere will do, you don't lose much flesh putting a gaff through the shoulder. Try to avoid the stomach as the gaff may rip through and you'll probably make a mess.
I gaffed more fish then I could ever count......This by no means makes me an expert, Two things that are foremost and utmost important. A needle sharp gaff, and a calm but deliberate approach. Then it is the anglers job to tire the fish and hold steady so you can find the right gaffing point.
To me the Ideal point is head or jaw if it presents itself. To many rushed attempts cause miss gaff or lost fish. Using a net for a lot of species is better then a gaff any day.
Quote from: Reel 224 on January 02, 2015, 03:44:45 PM
I gaffed more fish then I could ever count......This by no means makes me an expert, Two things that are foremost and utmost important. A needle sharp gaff, and a calm but deliberate approach. Then it is the anglers job to tire the fish and hold steady so you can find the right gaffing point.
To me the Ideal point is head or jaw if it presents itself. To many rushed attempts cause miss gaff or lost fish. Using a net for a lot of species is better then a gaff any day.
Completely agree on the net.
dollies are a head shot for sure,haha!safer with a net,sometimes.
i watched a bloke trying to gaff a dolly with one of those
funny shaped power gaffs.what a giggle.