Steve Arnold
Well-known member
I quite agree with you on the positive qualities of catfish!
Also brave of you to mention that a gaff can have its benefits when used properly!
I used two gaffs when landing huge common skate. The sharp and strong gaffs were inserted in the leading edge of the wings, maybe just 2" in from the edge, where there was little flesh or blood vessels. The skate was not bodily lifted on them, just slid over the side of the boat, so its full weight did not bear down on the gaffs.
Eventually I found I could manoeuvre the skate by barely pricking the thick skin, remove the hook and release the fish. No damage whatsoever!
Skate landed this way have been known to be caught more than once during a days fishing and no noticeable damage seen done to them.
If you consider a silure, they have massive jaws and jaw muscles. Probably the strongest part of this predator. A small strong gaff place behind the bottom lip would do no more damage than a big hook - as long as the silure is slid out of the water and not have full body weight put on the jaw hold.
Like you I still do not use a gaff, some places illegal anyway! In careless hands it can be fatal and leave horrible wounds, no tool for the amateur or psychopathic!
What I have got is the biggest "lip-grip" tool imaginable. Probably 2' long and 3/4" diameter stainless steel, I used it to hold the skates mouth open for unhooking, now I find it a useful tool with the silure. A bonus with this tool is in holding the mouth for unhooking and then an easy release - I do not get slimed!
