Kayak Gaff from a broken fishing rod

Started by steelfish, November 01, 2019, 04:50:51 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

steelfish


I have a friend who is a Kayak fisherman and found an old DIY Gaff on a flea market, so he brough to me to try to make it look better, well, not many options to work on an old wood stick other that re-installing the hook with new cord, so I told my friend that I have two surf rods that are missing top section that I can use to make a new gaff with his hook, one is a shakespeare in good shape but missing the top section and the other is a Penn pursuit II with ferrule broken, both options will be tons better for making a nice gaff from them.
he choose the Penn pursuit II, it was brand new with tags but broken by the ferrule, not a problem cuz I cut 10" above the foregrip to make the gaff 3ft long, not too long for the kayak but not too short either.

so, I installed the hook, add wrapped some bright orange thread to make it easy to find on the kayak, cut it off the real seat "clamps" with the dremel and added it a lanyard with reflective dots, for bouyancy my friend is going to add a 6" foam fishing net float in the lanyard.

I tryed it to make it simple and with more epoxy than used on regular rod guides because this Gaff will be always tumbling and rattling on the kayak
The Baja Guy

steelfish

few more
The Baja Guy

RowdyW

Alex, you always amaze me. You turn scrap into gold. You have the Midas touch & the imagination to go with it. Great photos too.       Rudy

Crow

There's nothing wrong with a few "F's" on your record....Food, Fun, Flowers, Fishing, Friends, and Fun....to name just a few !

thorhammer

Alex, that's some really nice work! You can also spray expanded foam sealer in the handle which will give buoyancy without adding a float.

steelfish

Quote from: thorhammer on November 01, 2019, 05:45:55 PM
Alex, that's some really nice work! You can also spray expanded foam sealer in the handle which will give buoyancy without adding a float.

I actually forgot to mention that the blank is filled Up with "shipping foam peanuts" so, the gaff might actually float without the need of a floater, the foam peanuts were put inside and pushed down the blank with a long wood stick, so they are packed tight and to the brim of the blank
but I havent tested the gaff for bouyancy like that
thanks for the tip of the expanding foam sealer
The Baja Guy

Donnyboat

Talented Man Alex, two good ideas about the flotation, cheers Don.
Don, or donnyboat

Fishy247

With the peanuts inside, it should float just fine. Just make sure you seal off the end with epoxy. (You probably already did that though...)

Looking good bubba!

Mike

Newell Nut

Love the createvity Alex. Keep on expanding my friend. There are no rules really so explore.

Dwight

steelfish

Quote from: thorhammer on November 01, 2019, 05:45:55 PMAlex, that's some really nice work! You can also spray expanded foam sealer in the handle which will give buoyancy without adding a float.


JOhn, amigo.

have you tried that method of filling a blank with Spray Foam sealer as buoyancy agent?
I have a friend that also asked me to help him to install a hook and her name etc to a broken rod and he asked me if I believe the spray foam can make it float?

the "problem" is this blank is from a broken phenix rod which are kind of thin in diameter, I dont know how much foam can be poured in and still have enough buoyancy to float with the weight of the hook gaff and the blank which doest float perse.

The Baja Guy

thorhammer

I think you hit it on the head- depends on gaff hook size (weight) and ID of tube used. I've used stuff like surf rod glas butts which may be maybe 20 mm or something ID, with Mustad gaff hooks. The Mustads are thinner, thus lighter, than say, an Aftco gaff hook. Depending on your OD you might put cork on outside as a grip or under shrink that would also add buoyancy. Plenty of surf rod butts around here so plenty of 4 - 6 pieces that work well....but not many Phoenix anything....anything that high end like Century, CTS etc., I'm sure go back to dealer if someone breaks off an $800 dollar rod. Custom Century Drum Gun could go for a grand.


Let us know how it works!

philaroman

Quote from: steelfish on November 01, 2019, 06:06:33 PM
Quote from: thorhammer on November 01, 2019, 05:45:55 PMAlex, that's some really nice work! You can also spray expanded foam sealer in the handle which will give buoyancy without adding a float.

I actually forgot to mention that the blank is filled Up with "shipping foam peanuts" so, the gaff might actually float without the need of a floater, the foam peanuts were put inside and pushed down the blank with a long wood stick, so they are packed tight and to the brim of the blank
but I havent tested the gaff for bouyancy like that
thanks for the tip of the expanding foam sealer

oh, Amigo

hope you used old-school Styrofoam peanuts -- NOT, modern biodegradable!!!
those are made from starch, dissolve in water, feed bugs & grow fungus

steelfish

Quote from: philaroman on July 21, 2022, 06:41:40 PM
Quote from: steelfish on November 01, 2019, 06:06:33 PM
Quote from: thorhammer on November 01, 2019, 05:45:55 PMAlex, that's some really nice work! You can also spray expanded foam sealer in the handle which will give buoyancy without adding a float.

I actually forgot to mention that the blank is filled Up with "shipping foam peanuts" so, the gaff might actually float without the need of a floater, the foam peanuts were put inside and pushed down the blank with a long wood stick, so they are packed tight and to the brim of the blank
but I havent tested the gaff for bouyancy like that
thanks for the tip of the expanding foam sealer

oh, Amigo

hope you used old-school Styrofoam peanuts -- NOT, modern biodegradable!!!
those are made from starch, dissolve in water, feed bugs & grow fungus


well, I dont have a way which one came in a package I ordered which are the ones I used for the gaff, good thing is that one is gonna be used on a kayak only and that guy always carry all rods and gaff always attached to the Kayak so, he might not lose it even if it doesnt float.



BTW, I was thinking to use normal foam to fill this phenix blank, you know, make houndreds of the micro balls of foam on a recipient and the fill the blank with those, compact them with a wood stick and add some more, still I have my doubts that the buoyancy that can promote is not enough compared to the weight of the rod + gaff

any thoughts ?
The Baja Guy

oldmanjoe

  If you are going to use expanding foam , keep both end open to let the air and excess foam to vent .
      You can blow a tube apart .

   I have made a few gaffs .    I use bamboo and old barbecue grates or oven grates for the hook .
Grandpa`s words of wisdom......Joey that thing between your shoulders is not a hat rack.....    use it.....
A mind is like a parachute, it only work`s  when it is open.......
The power of Observation   , It`s all about the Details ..
 Forget about all the reasons why something may not work. You only need to find one good reason why it will.   Alto Mare

steelfish

Quote from: oldmanjoe on July 21, 2022, 08:31:11 PMIf you are going to use expanding foam , keep both end open to let the air and excess foam to vent .
      You can blow a tube apart .

   I have made a few gaffs .    I use bamboo and old barbecue grates or oven grates for the hook .

thanks Joe for the comment

I told my friend to forget the broken rod and lets make one outta Bamboo, I already made him a short Bamboo Gaff and he love it but he's obstinated to use the broken rod because it already have his name on it and its in good shape (the half that survived LOL), anyway, I already installed the Gaff and finished it, then he told me his idea to pour some spray foam  >:(  >:(  so, now only the rear of the rod can be opened to pour the spray foam, the other end is already with cord and epoxy covering the blank, so, according to what you just said, it might not a good idea to fill the blank with the spray foam, it might not have space to run or may break the blank because it wont have a place to run to the tip of the blank (I dont think it can brake the blank but ..)

The Baja Guy