How To Net & Gaff Saltwater Gamefish

Employed correctly, nets and gaffs make for quick, easy fish landing. But when nets and gaffs are mishandled, they become instruments of piscatorial nightmares, often resulting in lost or injured saltwater gamefish.The following tips should help you become a netting and gaffing pro while on the water for saltwater gamefish:

Netting Saltwater Gamefish

Netting Small Fish:

Many small fish (under 3 pounds) are destined for release, so care is the catch word here. Good nets for small fish are teardrop shaped, which are lightweight, compact, easy-to-stow and handle. Small fish nets also should have a shallow mesh "pouch," since a deep pouch can make untangling and unhooking small fish difficult.It's important a fish is completely played out before netting is attempted. When fish are properly played out they lay on one side, at the surface, fins fluttering weakly. As a tired fish is brought close, the net is submerged, open-end toward the fish. It's led into a net head first, as the net is raised quickly and firmly.

Netting Big Fish:

Be certain the opening or "hoop size" of a net and its mesh "bag" are large enough to accommodate any fish you may encounter. The best nets for oversize fish have a wide teardrop-shaped "hoop," with a deep mesh "pouch" or bag. Further, the best big-fish nets have a long, sturdy handle for reaching well away from a boat to collect a fish. Some fishermen prefer big-fish nets with telescoping handles, since they stow easily aboard boats.Netting big fish is a two-person job. Angler and netter should stand a few feet apart, watching each other, and the fish, as it's carefully brought near. Wait until the fish is totally played out, as large, active or "green" fish at boatside can befuddle even experienced netters.When a fish is spent, an angler should "lead" it alongside the boat, heading it toward the open net, which is submerged and waiting for the fish. Done correctly, the fish gently swims right into the net, and the netter raises the hoop and mesh quickly, bringing it immediately into the boat.

Gaffing Saltwater Gamefish

Gaffing To Keep The Fish:

The basics of gaffing are similar to netting saltwater game fish. The gaff man stands ahead of the fish and angler, so the fisherman sees the gaffing process and can counter any last-ditch fight a fish makes.For most fish, a gaff should strike deep into the back muscle under the dorsal fin. For some species that have scales like chain-mail armor, gaffing under a gill cover is more sure.Best technique is to hit a fish with a quick, fluid gaff motion, that swings it up-and-over the gunnel and promptly into a fish box. Done the right way, a fish has no chance to spook, and is laying on ice before it realizes it's out of the water.

Gaffing To Release The FIsh:

Gaffing into the thin, fleshy part of the lower jaw is best for fish to be released. For large fish, a gaff can be used to "pin" a played-out fish by its lower jaw to boatside while hooks are removed. Then the fish is gently lowered back into the water, allowed to revive, and the gaff hook is carefully removed from its jaw.