landing snapper and larger.

[moondancer]

If you're anything like me, all thumbs with a gaff, I would go the largest landing net you can get from a tackle shop. I've always landed my larger fish this way, without a problem - they can handle fish well over the 6 - 8 kg mark. Never lost one this way yet, but HAVE lost some beauts with my comic gaffing techniques!! Reckon we've entertained any nearby boat crews with our many attempts - usually lookinjg a bit more like clubbing a fish to death than gaffing!

Lawry

[Phoenix]

The tool of the trade for me are as follows;

* Lip gripper - ideal for fish up to 5kg, on a leash for me $30.00
* Gaf - Hook Em, quality stainless steel gaf, mine is both leashed and has positive floation $30.00 {you can get these customised for spanyards}
* A landing net - mine is custom made - $0.00 - the guy owed me.
* Rex Hunt clippers & pliers, cost about $12 from KMart.
* A hook out - cost around $6
* A blade runner knife $20.00 - leashed.

Thats about it for me - look around for shops with sales and get what you need for the best price you can, or try to haggle - always worth a try...

Almost everything for me is leashed as I simply cannot afforf to loose it, especially with fish on the bite when you are in a kayak - a leash cost's around $3-5 - positive floation is a bonus.

Allow me to stray a little off subject and offer some advice. Write down the techniques, tackle and locations of sucessful fisho's and do as much research as you can about your target fish - know your enemy Sun Zu. This way when you decided to fish a certain location - you should already know what types of lures, SP's and baits have worked well at that location, seasons will affect this too. But 30 minutes using the search function on this web site can save you a lot of a lot of time and heart ache.