Gaffs and Harpoons

[SwordSlasher]

I am about 1 week from selling my new gaffs. They will be 6 feet and 8 feet long. They are all T-6063 marine grade aluminum poles and electropolished stainless steel gaff heads and (2) 10 inch EVA foam grips. The gaffs also have a gimbal butt w/a removable cover on them. The gaff heads have a 3" gap on them, but they are interchangeable with the 5 inch gap gaff head and also a 20 inch harpoon shaft which are in production right now.
Just imagine one product with three functions and if your hook should get bent your gaff isn't shot, you can simply purchase a replacement gaff head.
Unfortunately the 5 inch gaff heads got held up along with the shafts in production. I should have them in about 4-5 weeks.

The adjudtable harpoons have been held up and should be back out on the market in 4-5 weeks I hope.

There have been some really nice improvements to the harpoon, and the gaffs are SWEET. So I figured I would give you all a heads up

[JahMussa]

We saw the new and improved products and I'm hear to say they looked really good.

[Boboe]

The problem I've had with my large gaffs has never been the hook bending out. I'm speaking of gold Aftco gaffs that are about 6-9' long with appx 6" gaps. The problems I've had have been that the neoprene/foam handles will slide off the end of the gaff and big tuna can bend the shaft of the gaff. We never trust the foam grips (because you'll lose a gaff if you do), but rather wrap the shaft with sandpaper-type grip tape. You can trust that, but never the foam grip.

[Jesslyn]

Bobe if your bendinng the shaft of a gaff I have been told you are not useing it right. You should lift a fish straight up out of the water with the gaff and not have the gaff on the gunnel creating the bend.

[Nick C]

Originally Posted by Jesslyn

Bobe if your bendinng the shaft of a gaff I have been told you are not useing it right. .

Not true. Stick a green swordy are big tuna... if he decides to run under the boat atfer being hit, you have a little problem. The gaff can bend. Been there done that.

[Jesslyn]

Nick so you dont think most guys bend the gaff because they use it as a pry bar over the gunnal?

[Boboe]

I've never bent a gaff from using it as a lever. The gaff and fish come out of the water straight up and down, not horizontal. If you gaff a good sized Yellowfin or Swordfish, and he gets his head down and hauls ass under the boat, and you're going to either:
a) Hold on tight and bend the gaff shaft, or
b) Lose your expensive gaff overboard in water that's way over your head

[Nick C]

Originally Posted by Jesslyn

Nick so you dont think most guys bend the gaff because they use it as a pry bar over the gunnal?

I don't understand why anyone would do that.... but that's just me

Scott, heard the new gaff's look sick! I still need a big strait gaff... i'll be taking a close look at yours when I get some money

[collinspaul]

I am a screenwriter living in Shanghai, China. I am currently working on a screenplay about a man who works harpooning swordfish in the waters off the East Coast of Taiwan. I'd like to start with a fast opening. Something with a harpooned swordfish breaching, fighting back, maybe even jumping in the boat and attacking the fishermen. All the videos I've looked at though pretty just show them sinking and dieing after they've been harpooned. A couple of guys from the site have confirmed that the fish they have harpooned pretty much just die right away. Has anyone ever have an experience with a harpooned swordfish turning on and attacking the boat and/or you? If not, can you share some stories about a dramatic swordfishing event? Something cool and dramatic enough to open a movie. Thanks very much for your help.

[SwordSlasher]

I have seen gaffs bend when a fish was hauled out of the water and the gaff was used as a lever. I have have stuck quite a few yellow/bluefin/bigeye tuna up in the canyons off N.J. to Ma. and never had a gaff bend on a fish.

That doesn't mean that a gaff or gaff hook will not bend or the hook open, I quite sure it has happened. The point is with my gaff is you can use a 3" hook on Kingfish, Dolphin, Wahoo...etc. Then if you want you just unscrew the 3" gaff head and screw in a 5" hook and you can go after larger game fish. You don't need to buy 2 different gaffs and spend double the $$.

Then if you want you can use it as a cockpit harpoon by just changing out the gaff head for a harpoon shaft. It really isn't made to be a throwing harpoon and doesn't at this time have any safety loops on it because of the Gimbal on the back end, so don't let it go or bye, bye unless you secure it in some way. It definately has the weight behind it to go through a fish.

But I have lost several gaffs due to the back grip slipping off. The last time was back in 1991. I was fishing with some friends off the keys and I stuck a 25-30# dolphin. The next thin I know I am holding a grip in my hand and the fish was still in the water. Luckly we got the fish and gaff back.

I don't know how Aftco fits their grips on and I will never knock thier products, I have fished with and a used a lot of their products most of my life.

I bond the grips in place on my gaffs and there is also a gimbal bonded in place behind the last grip to act as an additional anchor.

Pictures are coming. I am waiting for a friend of mine who is a professional photographer to take pictures of them with a 3" gap hook in one of each size gaffs and a harpoon shaft in the 8 footer instead of a hook. The shafts and 5inch gap hooks got held up in production and I should have then in 4-5weeks.

I do have inventory in both 6' 8" and 8' sizes with the 3" gap hook now. I am waiting to meet with some people to come up with a fair retail price for 6' 8" and the 8' foot gaffs.

I will also have inventory in my patented improved adjustable harpoon as soon as the shafts come in.

I can asure you my gaffs/harpoons were very well thought out in design, construction and only the best materails were used to produce them.

They were also built here by Americans, so I am proud to say They are MADE IN THE U.S.A.