Gaffing Salmon

Good info guys, thanks!
+1 on the heavier gaffs. They're usually longer too...
And I'm going to borrow that term princess-dressed Sharky...

The thing with gaffing a salmon from a kayak seems risky for sure. On a boat, you just need to get the fish over the rail...then you can drop it on the deck or wherever else. And the fish isn't getting away. But on a kayak...not much room to work and not much deck space, especially for a pissed-off salmon. You'd probably have to keep it hanging on the gaff and get it on the gameclip at the same time.

The whole point of a stunning rap on the head of a salmon next to a kayak is to be able to quietly slide it over the yak edge into the yak. One would not except as a means of last resort attempt to gaff a hot fish and have to deal with the thrashing in very limited space. I use a commercial SS gaff hook but on a gaff handle shortened for the yak. You are at fish level so to speak and do not need the gaff length needed on a boat. Be it gaff or net, whatever one is most comfortable with, the more played out the salmon is the easier it is to land. Horsing them too fast to the kayak usually leads to the landing problems.