# Pier net vs Weighted Treble hook



## 77834 (Aug 18, 2015)

I have a few extra bucks. What will serve me best on the pier in the long run, a pier net or weighted treble hook gig?
Pros and cons?


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## Sunshine17 (Dec 11, 2009)

What are your primary targeted species? It makes a difference when you consider them


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## 77834 (Aug 18, 2015)

Sunshine17 said:


> What are your primary targeted species? It makes a difference when you consider them


King Mackerel, Cobia, almost anything caught on the Navarre Pier octagon.
Bigger and tastier the better.


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## Sunshine17 (Dec 11, 2009)

Weighted treble hook, or just a normal pier gaff. If you put a 20lb fish or bigger in the pier net you run the risk of it not fitting, or flopping out and in the process tangling your line up with the net and loosing the fish. With a pier gaff or weighted treble hook the fish can fall off and you have minimal risk of getting it tangled and loosing the fish


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## 77834 (Aug 18, 2015)

Sunshine17 said:


> Weighted treble hook, or just a normal pier gaff. If you put a 20lb fish or bigger in the pier net you run the risk of it not fitting, or flopping out and in the process tangling your line up with the net and loosing the fish. With a pier gaff or weighted treble hook the fish can fall off and you have minimal risk of getting it tangled and loosing the fish


What do you do when you get that gaffed King Mackerel up on the pier and it measures 23 inches fork length? One of my concerns is gaffing a king or red fish and then finding out that it's size isn't within limits.
What is lawful proper etiquette?


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## Sunshine17 (Dec 11, 2009)

I agree with your concern. If a fish looks questionable to me I will just hand line it up, or ask an angler near me if I can borrow their pier net. A slot red only weighs 8 or 9 lbs at max which should be easily hand lines up, and an illegal king about the same weight. Its just my opinion that I would rather loose that questionable sized red or king to hand lining, instead of loosing that 20-50lb king or 20-80lb cobia to it not fitting in the pier net or flopping out.


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## Sunshine17 (Dec 11, 2009)

And lawful proper etiquette is to not gaff that fish that looks questionable.


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## leonreno (Feb 26, 2008)

ffury10 said:


> Sunshine17 said:
> 
> 
> > Weighted treble hook, or just a normal pier gaff. If you put a 20lb fish or bigger in the pier net you run the risk of it not fitting, or flopping out and in the process tangling your line up with the net and loosing the fish. With a pier gaff or weighted treble hook the fish can fall off and you have minimal risk of getting it tangled and loosing the fish
> ...


If it's a tough call on size you better borrow a net or just hand line it up. Only lawful method is to net it, if you gaff an undersized fish that would be illegal. I would never try and gaff a redfish, regardless of its apparent size, too risky, use a net. Best situation is to have both but if not, borrowing one should not be to hard. Most people will help.


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## Jgatorman (Jun 8, 2013)

ffury10 said:


> King Mackerel, Cobia, almost anything caught on the Navarre Pier octagon.
> Bigger and tastier the better.


Smaller kings taste better and less mercury!


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## weedline (Aug 20, 2011)

get a net someone always has a gaff and will help u a net can be harder to come by


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## reelthrill (Oct 3, 2007)

weedline said:


> get a net someone always has a gaff and will help u a net can be harder to come by


This


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## Pier#r (Oct 2, 2007)

Why poke holes in perfectly good fish?

;-)


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## Mullet Killer (Dec 25, 2012)

if your targeting the bigger species defiantly get a gaff


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## bdyboarder86 (Apr 25, 2013)

weedline said:


> get a net someone always has a gaff and will help u a net can be harder to come by


This is very true there are a lot of people who have gaffe on the pier you rarely see a net. But fish don't usually cooperate getting into the net


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## 706Z (Mar 30, 2011)

If you decide you want a gaff,go to Gulf Breeze bait and tackle,theres a stainless steel one for sale there


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## captken (Feb 24, 2008)

*Well said Sunshine 17.*

Never gaff a questionable fish. I saw a deckie on a Panama City Head boat club a questionable Red Snapper then measure it then releasing it. Uncool!

That being said, I use a release gaff on all Tarpon these days. I can release them far quicker using the gaff and the tiny hole the gaff leaves minimal damage.


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## ironman172 (Sep 28, 2007)

Get both......30.00 for a net and 50+ for a gaff...


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