The Complete Handbook of Fishing Gaffs
Selection, rigging, and care for every hook, handle, and gaff type — the working reference for deckhands, charter captains, and serious anglers
by Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
From fly-weight bridge gaffs to club gaffs for bluefin tuna — the complete, practical reference on choosing, rigging, and maintaining fishing gaffs.
About this book
Every serious angler has lost a fish at the side of the boat. The cause is often not the hook, the line, or the angler's skill — it is an undersized, dull, or poorly rigged gaff. This handbook is the first comprehensive reference dedicated entirely to the fishing gaff, a tool that is often bought with a shrug and used with hope. It ends that guesswork.
Covering the full spectrum from the light aluminum bridge gaff at 24 inches to the heavy-duty stainless club gaff with a 6-foot ash handle, the book provides a clear decision framework based on target species, vessel configuration, and angler experience. It details the metallurgy of hooks — the differences between 17-4 PH stainless, galvanized carbon steel, and high-carbon alloy — and explains exactly how handle length, grip texture, and bend angle affect performance when a 200-pound tuna hits the deck.
The handbook goes beyond the single purchase. It includes a commercial-grade maintenance schedule, a step-by-step troubleshooting guide for common failures like hook bending and handle snapping, and a full section on business opportunities, from custom gaff manufacturing to outfitting charter fleets. Backed by a detailed glossary of 20+ species-specific and construction-specific terms, this is the only book on the shelf that treats the fishing gaff as serious equipment for serious anglers.
Reader Reviews
Ronald Harris
★★★★★This is the first book I've seen that treats a gaff as something to actually think about, not just grab off a shelf. The chapter on hook metallurgy alone was worth the price — I had no idea that using a galvanized hook on an aluminum handle sets up a corrosion reaction that can fail in a season. I docked one star because I wish it had a few more photos; as a visual learner, I had to look up some handle-grip styles online after reading about them. But the text is precise and, more importantly, correct.
Matthew Hall
★★★★★I'm a commercial deckhand in the Bering Sea, so I've swung a lot of club gaffs. This book gets a lot right about build quality and maintenance, and I appreciated the section on commercial-grade maintenance schedules — most guide books are written for weekenders. Still, it felt a little terse in the troubleshooting section. When I snapped a handle, the book just says 'replace it,' without doing a deep dive on why the failure occurred in the first place. It's a solid reference, but not the definitive manual I was hoping for.
Angela Carter
★★★★★I run a 40-foot charter boat out of Florida, and this handbook is now required reading for my first mate. The gaff selection chart based on freeboard and target species is spot on — it saved us from a few sketchy moments with the club gaff I was using for mahi. The rigging instructions are the clearest I've found, and the part about grip tape placement is something no other resource bothers to mention. It's practical, safety-focused, and absolutely worth a spot in the wheelhouse.
Joshua Thomas
★★★★★Finally, a book that treats the gaff as serious gear instead of an afterthought. As a tournament angler, I've lost one too many big fish at the boat due to poor hook penetration, and this book's chapter on proper tip geometry and sharpening techniques is the best I've read. The chapter on business opportunities got me thinking about private-labeling my own gaffs, a side hustle I hadn't even considered. It's clear, deeply researched, and written by someone who has clearly bled on the deck.