I just happened to be watching ESPN today when Saltwater Sportsman Magazine Editor Spider Andresan's show came on. He was on a charter out of Alabama fishing for monster cobia, which needless to say they found. I thought they were looking for a world record cobia, but were in fact looking for the largest cobia to tag and release them. He and the boats captain and first mate had a great time catching and landing the fish. They used eels and a lead head jig setup spiced with some chunk bait. Both were quite well. They would cast from the tower and then climb down to the deck and fight the fish. I was amazed though when after seeing the cobia gaffed, naturally thinking they were keeping the fish to eat, the cobia was tagged and released. I would have thought netting would be more appropriate and less harmful to the fish. Doesn't this setup seem a little odd or am I the only one who feels this way? What do you think ladies and gents? Gaff or net that is the question.

One must wait till evening to see how the day has been.......Sophacles

Got Net? Too much damage and chance for damage with a gaff...

Were they gaffing the fish thru the bottom jaw or just like, thru the back or something...

I've seen folks (on TV) gaff fish thru the lower jaw which does seem unnecessary but probably doesn't really hurt them.

It would seem that these shows best interests would be served by promoting excellent treatment of the fish they catch and most do, but once and again, I'll see something that makes me shake my head.

This sounds like one of those times.

Through the bottom jaw , I'd prefer to see them Gaffed. Anywhere else , they should try to tag them without lifting them out of the water at all.

I saw a program on tarpon fishing and they were gaffing them in the lower lip just to lift the fish and take a picture. Then they released them. I didn't see any sense in that at all either.

It seems to me the could tag them by just pulling them along side then jabbing the tag thing into them.

Swimmer,
I SAW THE BIGINING, AND AFTER READING YOUR POST I AM SORRY I DID NOT STICK AROUND FOR THE END OF THE SHOW. I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE WITNESSED THE TECHNIQUE.
I WOULD ALSO, WOULD LIKE SOME MORE INFO. WAS IT IN THE MOUTH OR IN THE SIDE?
I MAY HAVE MORE TO SAY ABOUT THIS.
LATER, LINESIDES

[quote]LINESIDES (06-11-2001 20:27):
Swimmer,
I SAW THE BIGINING, AND AFTER READING YOUR POST I AM SORRY I DID NOT STICK AROUND FOR THE END OF THE SHOW. I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE WITNESSED THE TECHNIQUE.
I WOULD ALSO, WOULD LIKE SOME MORE INFO. WAS IT IN THE MOUTH OR IN THE SIDE?
I MAY HAVE MORE TO SAY ABOUT THIS.
The fish were gaffed under the head in between the gills, at least the ones that were shown on TV. Regardless of how accurate the gaffer is the gaffee I doubt approves. It seems to me that the mortality of the cobia would not be as long as a result of being gaffed. When the reason for catching and releasing the cobia were for a study in the first place and a large part of the study most probably pertains to migration, life span, and propagtion then gaffing or purposely causing a wound the size of a 1/4 inch stainless gaff seems moronic at best. One would think that the tagging program was being run by a government agency. Sorry I couldn't resist the cynicizm.

One must wait until evening to see how the day has been.......

The swimmer

That doesn't make sense at all to me. Why poke an extra hole in them, regardless of in the mouth or along the side? IMHO, the only fish that should be gaffed are ones that are going to be kept. Small fish can be lipped, netted, gripped with one of the many items out there for lipping, pinch their sides. There are a lot of options, even if they have teeth. Most large fish are dragged along side the boat and unhooked or have the leader cut.

It just isn't good sense to add another place where infection can begin.

Patrick,

Lip gaffing some fish, like a tarpon, is common. While I'm sure the fish doesn't like it, some fish can't really be netted or Boga gripped. It does the fish little harm if done right.

Can't see how a fish can survive a body gaff though. I bet they got lots of calls and letters for that one!

Drug use is common, murder is common, rape is common. Doesn't make it right. Now I know tarpon have sharp gill plates so putting your hand there isn't good. But from what I've seen and the gear used (no wire leaders), they don't have much in the way of teeth. Why can't a photo be taken, grab the fish by the lip while he is in the water, leader cut or unhooked and the fish is revived. I don't see what the problem is.

Patrick,

I guess tarpon fishing is something you've missed in your vast but limited experience.

While they have no teeth they do have *powerful* jaws and sharp corners. You don't want to put your bare hand into the mouth of even a small tarpon! When you get a 100 pound tarpon boat side you don't want to fool around. He's still got a lot of fight in him.

If lip gaffing was such a hurtful thing to the fish I think we'd see acres of dead tarpon and other fish floating around.

If I'm not mistaken, don't they use really heavy leaders for tarpon? Like 100lb test leaders? Couldn't they just handline him up and pop the hook out?

Patrick (06-14-2001 06:29):
If I'm not mistaken, don't they use really heavy leaders for tarpon? Like 100lb test leaders? Couldn't they just handline him up and pop the hook out?

LOL!!!!

Take a trip down to Florida's Boca Grande/Boca Pass, or to the marinas at Key West. See the tarpon there. Or just go to your local aquarium. Then come back and ask the same question.

Sorry Patrick, but I'm gonna need to say this :P - At least a Tarpon is 600 pounds short of a Blue Fin, hehehe...

In all seriousness - it can't be the same a "lipping" a large bass. I'd also say that with a 150 pound Tarpon, extremely few people are strong enough to hand net a fish like that as you are already well on the wrong side of mech-advantage lifting that net out...