Gaff stories

OceanBlue · 07-23-2003, 08:40 AM

Okay, I've started it now... this is the "unauthorized" thread for "Pilar Can't Gaff" stories...

I'll start. Last August Pilar and I took Pilar's daughter for her first halibut. She hooked a nice 'but and after burning out her arms, finally yarded it to the boat. Excited beyond excited, as only John can get, out comes the gaff. Swing and a bonk on the head. Fish goes back for his cell phone.

Xanah, exasperated, shoots dad an unappreciative look and starts the 'but on a new journey up from the bottom (fortunately, we were at the rockpile, not the ranch)

A now very tired pair peer at eachother. One from the boat, the other from the water. Dad, now determined that the fish is gonna be boated, slices at the fish again. Ooops. There goes FB again.

Xanah now has some not-so-nice comments for Dad. I try to console her by informing her that she only gets to keep one 'but today, so she might as well get her fill of catching.

Fortunately, the fight was a little shorter this time and the 'but came in the boat, sliming Pilar on the way in for good measure. :grin:

C'mon Team Pilar... let the stories fly. [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

Pilar · 07-23-2003, 08:42 AM

ohhhh, babe! :shocked: :blush:

OceanBlue · 07-23-2003, 08:45 AM

I couldn't help it Hon... Janis has to tell her story. I just made it okay.

You know your team luvs ya!

Didn't you lose a gaff? I don't think Ragnar knew about that one... but since you brought it up... Why not tell the story?

Pilar · 07-23-2003, 08:49 AM

There are so many ... but I think there is an albacore swimming around with a gaff stuck in his head. He thrashed it out of my TUNA! slimed grip just as I hauled him out of the water.

ooopppps ...

I slept through the gaffing classes at the temple ...

skein · 07-23-2003, 09:20 AM

Will this thread also include "Tales of the Nuclear Net?"

I'm seeing an image.... a mottled, brown, plywood-shaped creature rising from the depths toward a blue and white boat tossing on the roily seas, its crew armed with hook-and-line, harpoon, gaff, and, yes, a net.

All I am willing to share is that the combatants were ultimately successful in their quest, but not until gaff and net were eligible for Purple Hearts. The gaff, as I recall, is still in service, albeit for very small fish. The net, on the other hand, was last seen leaning up against the dumpster at the carking station, being eyed by the gleaners, like a coke can in a culvert .

And a fine voyage it was.

Skein

OceanBlue · 07-23-2003, 09:22 AM

Yes, yes... nets are fair game, too. :grin:

C'mon DipSeaDiver! Only YOU can tell your story... it's been too long in coming.

Pilar · 07-23-2003, 09:23 AM

Ahhh, come on Skein, tell the story. I have thick skin and can take it. Besides it was on of the damn funniest things that ever happened on my boat.

Don't make me beg ... tell the story.

07-23-2003, 09:25 AM

:smile:
Anyone want to have a gaf biffing contest?

Ragnar · 07-23-2003, 09:29 AM

Here's a Ragnar gaffing story...
A few yrs ago I was working on a halibut charter boat out of Homer, AK during my vacation. We had aboat load of peopl and on of them hooks into about a 75lber and someone else was into another big one. Turns out to be well over 100lbs. The skipper and I help gaff/land the smaller one and coach the customer with the big one. The skipper then goes for the 410 shotgun and has me ready with the gaff. He didn't want the fish to break the surface of the water because it would take another run, so he gently slid his hand down the leader bening over the rail like me and BAM! He shoots it in a bad spot and I have some high velocity fish chunks in my eyes and can't see. Meanwhile, I gaffed this huge fish and it's thrashing about in the water. I do a quick face wipe and by that time he got a gaff too and we managed to get the bahemoth on board. That poor fish took such a beating after that. We sure weren't going to shoot it again laying on the deck. Quite a day. That turned out to be one of many in the 100lbs class that day. I think I got a whole $10.00 in tips that day after I bait hooks, wash off the barf, land fish, do impersonations (extra entertainment value not in the brochure), and fillet their catch. Wow! Ten whole dollars? Oh well. I guess I should be more gracious. No big deal, but I wasn't keeping the money. I was giving it to the regular deckhand who I was sitting for. He was putting himself through college and needed it more. Besides, I was there on paid vacation.
Ragnar

Bait O' Eggs · 07-23-2003, 12:43 PM

Pilar called me mid week of the first halibut season and invited me on go on a short notice trip, I was all over the opportunity to fish with John.

After a long run to the ranch, and releasing a couple undersized chickens, I get into a nice fish. Pilar tells me he has this brand new harpoon that has a scratch that really needs itched. After hearing rumor of some of his prior gaffing stories I am all over an alternate method to secure the fish to the boat.

Pilar is telling me to get the fish along side the boat, and hold him steady. I glance over and see that captain Ahab look in his eye, [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img] gaff cocked over his shoulder and ready to draw first blood.

After what seemed like forever, the fish is all set in place, Pilar lunges forward and makes a near perfect stick, and the fish blows the main tanks and dives back down to find Pilars phone, lost on an earlier trip. Pilar now has that confused Elmer Fudd look on his face as he inspects the bloody harpoon tip still on the shaft, with no fish attached. :shocked:

About the time the fish hits the bottom, Pilar has the tape peeled off the harpoon head he installed to hold the harpoon head to the shaft on the ride out. [img]graemlins/stupid.gif[/img]

20 minutes later it was like a swiss watch, and I was punched out.

I wouldnt have changed a thing

Miss B Haven · 07-23-2003, 12:52 PM

BOE- that's how you pre-bleed 'em before they get in the boat isn't it? [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img] Keeps the boat from getting all bloody, we wouldn't want that now would we? :grin:

OceanBlue · 07-23-2003, 04:56 PM

Oh man! You gotta stop! I'm rolling on the floor now. Good thing I'm not in the office or my co-workers would likely be calling security.

BOE - yer my hero! That was some good writin' there.

Funny... safety seems to be a problem for us lately. John had this brilliant idea to take pieces of tubing and put it over the hook points so that you don't cark your hand when reaching into the tuna tackle bag. [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img]

They work great... except for catching tuna. We couldn't figure out why one line kept getting drive-bys but no fish were sticking to it.

Come to find out, we trolled around half a day dragging a tuna jig that had the hook guards on them. :blush: [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

Miss B Haven · 07-23-2003, 07:54 PM

I hate it when that happens! Ask Rojo about spending most of last Saturday figuring out why that new auotpilot pump would only work in one direction. I had lots of hints/help and symptoms but none of them made sense. The final answer still doesn't make sense but the fix came after a 2 hour break and a few minutes of starting fresh. An old mechanics trick I learned way way way back. :whazzup:
When ya can't figure it out...give up (for a long while at least)! [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img]