Is it possible to land a big fish without a gaff or net?

[steveooo]

My first few fish from the yak I did with a Boga grip and tail grab. Now I use a gaff.



If the fish comes up gassed, you should be able to do it no problem. If its still green and lively, make sure you have the go-pro running

My biggest fear is hooking a big barn door Hali, getting it yak side, and then realizing I forgot the gaff

[Pocoloco]

regs state you must have a net on board to safely land fish. You should have both.

[Hondatom]

I just put together a 1.5 inch closet bar(wooden) and a 9-0 hook with a screw and some fiberglass resin. The fact that I can't catch any big fish might be why I have not tried it out yet. I'll get back to you on Monday and tell you how it worked.

[taggermike]

Sure you can land a big fish w/o a gaff or net. YT and wsb are usually tired out.
Grab the yt by the mouth gills or tail and wsb under the gills and pull
Them in to your lap. A big halibut would be a nightmare nothing much to grab,
Slimey, powerful, and pissed off. Good luck to you.
But get a net and buy or make a gaff. Seriously. Mike

[StinkyMatt]

Run your Video when you do it, please!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_bhy2zlsj0
Skip to 2:45

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWF7Mu0lR20
Skip to 4:50

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lvx7hpvnzY8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4noONiAFyQ

[FlyFishinYakr]

Originally Posted by steveooo

My first few fish from the yak I did with a Boga grip and tail grab. Now I use a gaff.



If the fish comes up gassed, you should be able to do it no problem. If its still green and lively, make sure you have the go-pro running

My biggest fear is hooking a big barn door Hali, getting it yak side, and then realizing I forgot the gaff

DITTO!!!
FFY
FYI: be careful if you bounce a sea bass with a jig! When I worked on a boat, we were in the middle of a once in a lifetime wide open bite. One guy (a regular and talented) tried to bounce a 20+ lb'er the hook pulled and one of the trebles ended up in his forehead!!! He was Lucky..he was using a white PL68 which also hit his head missing his eye. He was one of those tough guys though. He had us/me cut the hook with my dikes pushed the end through and kept on fishing. We called Redondo harbor parol who set up a pick up/transport. It was a good thing because he had fractured his skull also!!! I've also popped a couple also resulting in flying projectiles when they reach the surface...just missing my head!