Making own gaff

[faker]

Hi all,

 

Does anyone know simplest way to make a 6m gaff?

[slowjigger]

A good bit of cane - though 6m might be a bit on the long side. Then you just lash the hook on with cord and coat with epoxy.  I still have a 4m one I made many years ago and it has gaffed many big fish. 

Edited November 7 by slowjigger

[faker]

1 hour ago, slowjigger said:

A good bit of cane - though 6m might be a bit on the long side. Then you just lash on with cord and coat with epoxy.  I still have a 4m one I made many years ago and it has gaffed many big fish. 

Any chance of extendable one?

[slowjigger]

1 minute ago, faker said:

Any chance of extendable one?

I don't know how you would do that yourself, at least in a way that would be cheaper than one off the shelf. 6m is pretty long and unwieldy anyway - why do you want one that long?

[faker]

2 minutes ago, slowjigger said:

I don't know how you would do that yourself, at least in a way that would be cheaper than one off the shelf. 6m is pretty long and unwieldy anyway - why do you want one that long?

Rock fishing may need 3-4 m

[slowjigger]

2 minutes ago, faker said:

Rock fishing may need 3-4 m

Yes but you said you want to make a 6 m gaff. You should be able to find a strong enough cane for a 4 m gaff. 

[faker]

39 minutes ago, slowjigger said:

Yes but you said you want to make a 6 m gaff. You should be able to find a strong enough cane for a 4 m gaff. 

Mmmm wondering if anything from bunnings

[Green Hornet]

2 pieces of aluminum tube, different diameters so one slides neatly inside the other. A couple of 3/16 or 1/4 inch stainless bolts to lock it in place (extended and retracted) and there’s your pole.

Hook and fixing is something else. I bought my hook from a professional fishing co-op and set it in a solid aluminum rod that sleeved into the handle.

Google around, they are commercially made and probably cheaper than making your own and fine for most fish you’ll encounter these days. I made a stronger one years ago for live baiting, when big yellowfin still roamed the inshore currents.

I also felt more comfortable with a longer gaff than the store bought ones. Mine was around 7 metres and built to suit the rock platforms around Jervis Bay.

Edited November 7 by Green Hornet

[Steve0]

For 6M, you might start thinking about a cliff gaff. 

Limited discussion only here:

 

Search Google images for "cliff gaff" to get the design.

[Burger]

2 hours ago, Green Hornet said:

pieces of aluminum tube, different diameters so one slides neatly inside the other.

This is what two of our luds group have done for loooong landing nets.

[DerekD]

What sized fish are you expecting to land? How often is this likely to happen. How much is your time worth?

Not to discourage you from trying it (learning is never wasted) but this is one of those things that you might be better off just buying. By the time you've done the research, got the materials, put it together, realised it needs some modifications, upgraded it I see at least 8 hours of your time.

[faker]

3 hours ago, DerekD said:

What sized fish are you expecting to land? How often is this likely to happen. How much is your time worth?

Not to discourage you from trying it (learning is never wasted) but this is one of those things that you might be better off just buying. By the time you've done the research, got the materials, put it together, realised it needs some modifications, upgraded it I see at least 8 hours of your time.

At moment I have a 4m net but i have been seeing kingfish up to 1m caught at balmain wharf main issue is it am not sure how big of a fish I can lift up on PE 3. 

Edited November 8 by faker

[slowjigger]

4 hours ago, DerekD said:

What sized fish are you expecting to land? How often is this likely to happen. How much is your time worth?

Not to discourage you from trying it (learning is never wasted) but this is one of those things that you might be better off just buying. By the time you've done the research, got the materials, put it together, realised it needs some modifications, upgraded it I see at least 8 hours of your time.

A cane one is very easy to knock up - that's what most of us used in the old days. 

[noelm]

Unless it’s multi piece, then transport is going to be a pain……me being the fishing inventor, I would make it three piece, and make it possible to use it as a 2m, a 4m or a 6m by adding or removing sections. Depending on how “handy” you are, it would be simple enough with Aluminium pipe and slightly bigger pipe with small bolts as a slide over join, or better still, fabricated screw together sections, but that’s just me, I tend to overdo everything once I get the idea in my head.

[slowjigger]

14 minutes ago, noelm said:

Unless it’s multi piece, then transport is going to be a pain……me being the fishing inventor, I would make it three piece, and make it possible to use it as a 2m, a 4m or a 6m by adding or removing sections. Depending on how “handy” you are, it would be simple enough with Aluminium pipe and slightly bigger pipe with small bolts as a slide over join, or better still, fabricated screw together sections, but that’s just me, I tend to overdo everything once I get the idea in my head.

4m one piece (or a bit over) is no problem if you have a car with roof racks.  

[noelm]

1 hour ago, slowjigger said:

4m one piece (or a bit over) is no problem if you have a car with roof racks.  

Yep, but……he wants a 6m!

[slowjigger]

1 minute ago, noelm said:

Yep, but……he wants a 6m!

Seems to have dropped that notion. And as I and other pointed out one that long is too unwieldy and a cliff gaff would be a better option. And it's unlikely to me that building a multipiece one would be worth the time, effort and expense.