How to Make a Fishing Gaff

Landing large fish, such as halibut, grouper, marlin or shark, can be challenging; if fish are too big to fit into a net, fishers must use other equipment to haul them from the water. Constructed of a metal or wooden handle with a sharp hook at one end, fishing gaffs are designed to pierce fish through the head or jaw before hauling them onto a boat or onto shore. While many commercial models are available for purchase, making a gaff yourself is easy and inexpensive.

Things You'll Need

  • 6-foot wooden dowel, 1-1/2 inches in diameter
  • Drill
  • 1/4-inch and 1/8-inch drill bits
  • 200-grit sandpaper
  • 1-foot piece of paracord
  • Scissors
  • Lighter or matches
  • Two-part epoxy
  • 20/0 fishing hook
  • 1-inch steel pin, 1/8 inch in diameter
  • Rag
  • 1/8-inch PVC tubing
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Instructions

    • 1

      Drill a hole, with a 1/4-inch drill bit, perpendicularly though the dowel; place the hole 2 inches down from one end of the shaft. Sand both ends of the hole with 200-grit sandpaper.

    • 2

      Cut a 1-foot piece of paracord with a pair of scissors. Wave a lit match or lighter under each end of the paracord, just until the frayed edges of the cord are seared. Run one end of the paracord through the hole in the dowel. Line up the two ends of the paracord evenly. Form a small loop with the loose ends of the cord, insert the ends of the paracord through the loop and pull the knot tight.

    • 3

      Drill a 6-inch deep hole down into the center of the opposite end of the shaft with a 1/8-inch drill bit. Drill a 1/8-inch hole, perpendicularly to the shaft, 5-1/2 inches down from the end of the shaft. Drill the perpendicular hole to intersect the parallel hole running down the center of the shaft. Sand the edges of the holes smooth with 200-grit sandpaper. Fill the two holes with two-part epoxy rated for wood-to-metal bonding.

    • 4

      Insert the eye of a 20/0 fishing hook down into the hole in the end the shaft until the eye of the hook lines up with the hole in the side of the dowel. Insert a 1-inch long, 1/8-inch-diameter steel pin into the hole -- and through the eye of the fishing hook -- in the side of the dowel. Wipe any excess epoxy from the dowel with a rag. Allow the epoxy to cure according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

    • 5

      Cut a 3-inch section of 1/8-inch PVC tubing. Heat one end of the tubing with a lighter or lit match until the end of it melts into a ball. Allow the tubing to cool then thread the open end of it over the point of the hook, to protect the hook and guard against injury.