Making a Gaff

[JasonGotaProblem]

I wanna make my own gaff. I could buy one but I was surprised by the cost of a decent one, and the making is half the fun.

To make a wrap on head I was thinking clamp it in my bench vise next to a mini sledge and then hammer the heck out of it til it bends enough for me to put it in the vise and sorta fold it.

Should I torch it first? Or will that weaken it?

Edit: I got (2) ~16" sticks of 8mm 304 stainless to use for this.

[oc1]

Get a Mustad shark hook and grind the barb off.

[JasonGotaProblem]

Get a Mustad shark hook and grind the barb off.

Sounds very efficient. Are those stainless steel?

[steelfish]

I wanna make my own gaff. I could buy one but I was surprised by the cost of a decent one

how munch it was the cost of the gaff hook ?

mustad gaff hooks are not that expensive considering they are SS, since I might use the gaff on a heavy grouper I wouldnt trust on any bent metal stick from a DIY job

[thorhammer]

I'd heat the 8mm, and not worry too much about breaking it on a fish. The Mustad gaff hooks work well but are lighter. Plenty for kingfish, dodo, etc but I'd want the bigger diameter steel on tuna, grouper, 'hoo.
JMO.

[Bill B]

When I made my hand gaffs I used 1/4" carbon steel rod and wrapped it around a pipe to get the bend I wanted.  Heat helps it move easier.  Bill

[Keta]

I would recomend not heating SS, it could aneal it and be too soft to hold it's shape.   Like Bill said, use a piece of pipe slightly smaller than your finished bend and do it cold.  I would sharpen it before bending.

I have used my 3/8" tubing  bender in the past with good results.

[UKChris1]

Mustad gaff hooks come in various sizes and make excellent gaffs using a sturdy pole (a broomstick for smaller sizes and a sturdier pole for larger ones). Although not stainless, they last donkey's years if given a wash now and then.

For something lighter still, any large hook in whatever size you like will work. File off the barb though. I've used 14/0 O'Shaughnessy hooks lashed to bamboo poles or lengths of solid glass from old rods to make gaffs for smaller fish that don't need anything more powerful. A commercial 5/0 Round Bend (about equal to a 16/0) would also do a good job.
 
If you want stainless, I'd suggest looking for a Sea Demon hook in the size you want.

But, I've no knowledge about walloping stainless rod into a gaff hook shape; you'll need a point on one end and something to stop it twisting on the pole when in use.

Good luck!

[JasonGotaProblem]

The #2 wrap on from mustad arrived today. Figured start with an existing one before i try my own, if nothing else I can compare results.

Am i correct assuming the idea is to drill a hole in the intended blank for the point at the base of the hook? Am i also correct assuming that point can be shortened if it happens to be longer than the diameter of the blank I wanna use? Considering a larger rod is also an option.

Glad I didn't start with a larger size.

[steelfish]

https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=29778.0


yes amigo, you can cut the "locking/secure" end point of the hook at your desired length, I have done it many times as you can see in the link, it just one example.

 

[thorhammer]

Jason, since you have a rod lathe: I have built several with the Mustad hooks, on a variety of staffs. one thing that gives me piece of mind is after drilling the tag hole and mounting hook, I epoxied the hook to the shaft, under and over like a I would a guide, THEN wrapped the hook. If I used thread over hook then it gets more epoxy, but on a couple where I used seine cord and didnt epoxy over it, the extra grip underneath makes me feel better. I know a bajillion tuna have been hauled up on boo gaffs just wrapped over the hook, but this is just me...