JTF pounded some butts at the Alameda Rockwall .... 03/21/07

When I halibut hunt, i carry a smaller net and the trusty gaff.

If the fish can fit inside the net, it is a short or marginal.  i can measure it and release if I have to.  Otherwise, I impale it.  I have a good description of typical landing ttechnique in the stories section.

Big nets work, I just feel the gaff is way more of a sure thing, easier to use, store on the boat, and simpler for landing.

I have lost small halibut with the net, but don't remember ever losing one with the gaff.  (hope i didn't just jinx myself!)

Allen

Nice Halibut!!!   I really wanna get one this year...

You guys are awsome.  Just to think I used to pay $$$ on charter boats to catch halibut.  When I grow up to be a big time yaker I want to be like you guys...

Luis

i like the sound of the gaff when it hits flesh, thunk!

  Ditto

You won't see a big'ol net on these dudes' yaks... 

P-shaw!  I don't see them salmon fishing...  I've heard it's legal to gaff a salmon, but it sounds potentially wasteful to me.  I'll give a big "AMEN" to JTF's sentiment about releasing a big fish.  Sometimes I can't win - I caught some crap for talking about releasing a big ling that I'd had my hand holding it's gill plate and my gaff up through it's gills because it might be mortally wounded...  I guess I'm better off to just get a baseball bat with spikes and just start walloping the begeezus out of a fish that makes it to the side of my boat!   

I dunno 'bout the game clip thingy, seems risky, the gaff will be my next endeavor, I just wanted to use my net for the comfort factor, that net I have has landed alot of fish for my friends and myself alike.  JTF..

"The comfort factor"... says it all.  The bottom line is that we all use what we're most comfortable using until bad experiences force us to change.  I've also landed way more fish with my net than with a gaff, so I'm always more tempted to use my net whenever I can get away with it.  I just know I need to learn to use a gaff more to become more comfortable with it.... because someday, I know I'm going to land something huge that's just not going to fit in a net.

No comments on your Game Clip experience Chuck?    I still have visions of that in my head-- biggest fish i've ever seen caught on a shrimp fly

I dunno 'bout the game clip thingy, seems risky, the gaff will be my next endeavor, I just wanted to use my net for the comfort factor, that net I have has landed alot of fish for my friends and myself alike.  JTF..

"The comfort factor"... says it all.  The bottom line is that we all use what we're most comfortable using until bad experiences force us to change.  I've also landed way more fish with my net than with a gaff, so I'm always more tempted to use my net whenever I can get away with it.  I just know I need to learn to use a gaff more to become more comfortable with it.... because someday, I know I'm going to land something huge that's just not going to fit in a net.

No comments on your Game Clip experience Chuck?    I still have visions of that in my head-- biggest fish i've ever seen caught on a shrimp fly

Hey Steve.... you had to bring that up again didn't you. ....  That's cool... I don't mind talking about it.

Steve's talking about a 27+ halibut I caught at the base of Point Pedro/ Linda Mar a few years back.  I was fishing for rockfish with a spinning rod when a hungry halibut bit on a shrimpfly rig.  It took me a long while to get the fish off the bottom and away from the kelp.  I successfully gaffed it, got it on board, clobbered it quick, and put a rope stringer through the fish.  However.... I took too much time tying the rope stringer to the kayak which was just long enough for the fish to come back to life and launch itself off my lap and back into the ocean.  I tried hard to hang onto the leash, but the brute force ripped it out of my hand.  Steve and I looked at each other in silence and disbelief.  I paddled back with bruised fingers, a bruised ego, and story that would have been hard to believe if our buddy SteveS wasn't there to witness it.

The gaff worked fine.  No net would have helped me in that situation.  The hard lesson I learned is to use a game clip, keep it leashed to your kayak at all times, and keep the clip open to so you can quickly get your fish on it.  I now often bring two game clips -- one to hold fish already caught and another one open and ready for my next big fish.

very niceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Nice video JTF -