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Member
Posts: 2680
Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | Firstly, this topic is not intended to commend or chastise anybody who does or does not practice gaffing fish when ice fishing. As sometimes subjects like this as well as others like Catch and Release, can really raise the hairs on certain peoples necks. This is not my intention here and hope to keep this topic civil. :p
I see gaffing correlated directly with ones own historic success rate and just how much importance each person puts on icing some fish. That is, how each person own ice fishing prowess has progressed, and how he himself rates a successful trip afield. I do certainly see nothing wrong with it when that "Shiver on the River" winner is hanging poised at the hole, or if it's your full intention to keep all legal fish caught anyway. But some things morally, ethically and esthetically relative to this practice has always personally rubbed me the wrong way, when gaffing a fish for some reason. Call it disrespect for the fish, call it undo inflicted pain or simply unnecessary. This is just my own opinion and the (in my gut) way I feel about it.
Don't get me wrong, I carry a gaff as part of my equipment on all my personal and ice fishing charter trips. But make sure if I do gaff one, that it's in the mouth area of the fish, so there won't be a bloody mess to act as a magnet to every fisherman out there looking for a good spot. Or so the fish can be released if need be.
But few things stop my 4 wheeler faster while moving along on the ice, than a big circle of blood near used or new cut ice holes. Then there's the mishaps that gaffing can cause, both to the fish and sometimes to yourself. These are caused most often by trying to gaff the fish to early in the fight anyway. I'd truly have to say, that I've lost very few fish these last few years because I decided not to gaff them. How about you? |
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Member
Posts: 701
Location: upper michigan | I carry a gaff in my boat for one reason and one reason only thats for real big pike or musky that i hook incadently and i want te recover my lure and maybe get a weight before i release the fish back to the water. I also only gaff in the lower jaw. The net a carry in my boat will easily net a fish to 35" but when you get a 46" musky at boat side the net looks realy small. This happened to us one time while trolling for walleye with a #18 rapala the fish was way to big for my net and those hooks on that rapala looked real nasty hanging out of that big muskies mouth. We did manage to get him into the boat but it was a real hair raising experiance and one that promted me to get a gaff into my boat. |
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Location: Rhinelander | I used to carry a Gries Trip Gaff with me in case I come across the WR Muskie. Now I have a Frabill Big Kahuna. No more gaff in the rig! |
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Member
Posts: 714
| Instead of a gaff, I carry a pair of leather gloves.
I would much rather grab than gaff a fish. Less chance of hurting them. |
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Member
Posts: 279
Location: Rockford MN | Well back in the day, that is when I use to ice fish. I had zero problem using a gaff! Fish always seemed to come up the hole with there mouth open. I used a treble hook gaff and never had a problem hooking them right. Lower lip in to the cartaledge, very tough skin area and they dont seem to bleed then.
I started out never gaffing but after a few slices to my hands found it much easier. Live release is very good is way also, simply grab the tail and lower the fishs head into the water. One quick push on the handle of the gaff and away she goes. |
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