I've seen a pretty good amount of photo's on various fishing sites this season with some questionable gaff shots and releases so I thought I would share something we put together for releasing small fish. (Not trying to be preachy here or picking on anyone in particular, just sharing something that has worked on our boat).

We have about a 6' length of 1/4" plastic coated cable with a large stainless steel carbiner snap crimped on one end and a loop crimped on the other. Another 6' or so length of 1/4 line is spliced to the loop end.

When the fish comes up and you grab the leader, just form a loop with cable right around the leader. Snap the clip on the cable and let it drop down over the fish, and pull tight as it passes over the 2nd dorsal. Viola - tailed fish. (This works easily even over spreader bars) Simply pull him into the boat - no gaff shot necessary. You can cleat it off on a good fish, and since its about 2000lb breaking strength, you can use it as a regular tailrope on a giant. I've done this with a regular safety line, and it works but not as well - the plastic coated cable has the weight to drop down quickly and smoothly over the fish.

You can just pull them over the rail by the tail, without really hurting the fish. Another thing - when they are on deck, if you throw a wet towel over their eyes- this will settle them down a bit. Makes it easier to safely get the hook out of them, and they don't beat themselves up on deck either.

I think these are commercially available, but I haven't seen one myself in a shop. My father made up ours, it was fairly inexpensive to put together.

If anybody is really interested, I can try to snap a pic next time I'm on the boat.

Another tip with the smaller fish, if you hold them upside down they will lay quietly while you remove the hook. I cradle them in my left arm, upside down while I remove the hook with my right hand and then just drop them over the side as close to the water as I can get.

I've been out with Jay and have used this set-up. Bottom line is that it works great and can really streamline the release process making things easier for the fish to go home, grow bigger, and get caught some other time.

I am no expert, as this is my first year tuna fishing.
But here is what we found was quickest.

Once near enough, one of us grabs the leader and brings it to the side of the boat, then we slip the gaff (its very thin) into the soft part of the lower jaw up near the teeth. We hold it like that in the water to remove the hook. Most of the fish were then just released and swam off just fine. The one I took a pic of in my last post. http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripertalk/showthread.php?t=34931 I lifted quickly, my bud snapped the pic and I lowered it back into the water. It took off like a rocket. You can see by the color this fish was still full of life. No blood putting the gaff in there carfully.

So my gut feeling is whatever we do, it has to be done quickly. IMHO....A small hole in the bottom jaw is not going to hurt a fish as much as being out of the water too long.

Of course this has only been on scool BF. If one day we get a big'in, we gonna need a tail rope, and I like the set-up Jay described.

BJ, I use that setup on sharks as well. Ones that I'm gonnna keep of course, then just drag em. Ones I'm gonna realease I just cut. Not as easy to get the loop around the pectorals of a shark but still a good technique for sharks.

He called you BJ....

Thanks for pointing that out, Ed. Get me out of the house tomorrow - I'm losing it. I'm thinking the cafe might be good for rehab.

Fish on - that's probably where this little rig originated.

Good tip Big Jay :btu: I hope you catch a giant that was saved using this method.
This has been logged in my tuna file - thank you.