What's your end game (net, lip grip, gaff) and why?

Lip grip and net. I have never use a gaff.

gloved hand for rockies, gaff for legal lings, butts, seabass and a HUGE net for salmon. I carry a boga grip to release undersize fish.

Gaffing a hot salmon is hard. Netting them is much easier.

It isn't all that difficult to tell a coho from a king and you can almost always tell before they get to the boat just by the way they fight and where you caught it, how big it is, if it jumps, if it looks green coming boat side, and if it been shedding scales in the water. I

If you still aren't sure then the white in the mouth and the spots on the back and the lower half of the tail and the ridging in the tail rays will let you know.

About now is when someone breaks out a pic of claymans trinity river frankenfish. I still don't know what that one is.

Gaffing a hot salmon is hard.

and if I recall correctly its also illegal

For good-sized lingcod, I use the orange plastic lip-gripper, while for rockfish, it's the old thumb-in-the-mouth trick (as Maxwell Smart might say).

For salmon, I use a net and, based on advice from the experts here, I plan to upgrade to a really, really big net for this season.

For halibut, I rely primarily on indecision, which might explain why I have yet to actually land one...

Gaffing a hot salmon is hard.

and if I recall correctly its also illegal

Only in fresh water like the Sac. legal on salt. Key to netting or gaffing is tiring the fish out. Whether to use one tool or the other comes down to personal preference.

I use lip grips for just about everything if I can. I net salmon and gaff halibut. Some fish that are under probably two pounds, I just lift them up with the rod. Would LOVE to use a bang stick!

I love the gaff for Halibut, WSB and Big Lings that I am going to keep and eat
Net for Salmon because they move "WAY" too much to even get a clean gaff job, but i "heard" you can gaff kings if they are positively identified, but some look too close to silvers so it's best to use a net.

I use my hand for smaller fish like RF
Small nets for Freshwater.

I'll even punch fish in the face if i forgot my club in my car or home. (Don't knock it until you've been there).

Tossed the lip grips after 1 season and won't ever use em again.  I love gaffin fish but big 34+ lings will get the net along with salmon.

Oh and don't ever  lip grip a salmon trust me.

Tossed the lip grips after 1 season and won't ever use em again.  I love gaffin fish but big 34+ lings will get the net along with salmon.

Boga grips are great.

The only time I ever bring a gaff is when I am fishing for Halibut. Lip Grip or Net everything else!

If I am going to release, I lip grip in the water, pop the hook and release. If I am using barbless hooks I just pop the hook without lip gripping.

If I am going to keep them:
Lings: lucid grip or net
Salmon: net
Rockfish: flip them
Halibut: net if small, gaff if big
Yellowtail: net if small, gaff if big
White Sea Bass: lucid grip

I hardly ever use a gaff though I always carry one. Unless you get a clean head shot or belly shot, chances are, you are going to damage some meat. Gaffing WSB is totally unnecessary in most situations.

Gaffing a hot salmon is hard.

and if I recall correctly its also illegal

It is ABSOLUTELY legal to gaff legal sized salmon, this is a common misinformation.  Commercial fisherman use a bat with a spike and head spike the fish so the scales stay perfect, which increases market value.  You have to carry a legal sized net, but you do NOT have to use it on a legal salmon.   On a very large salmon, a gaff is WAY easier than a net.   Carry the net, use the gaff and anything small gets hoisted aboard.

Ditto with Johnz