# Harpoon Adaptor



## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

I decided to turn one of the flying gaffs into a Harpoon. I think that it will be easier to use on Sword Fish and maybe even on YFT. I guess I'll just have to wait until I try it out.


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## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

Interesting. How long is that handle though?


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

I think the AFTCO flying gaff handle is six feet long.


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## purple haze (Sep 2, 2013)

Kim It is a good ideal but I don't think a 6 foot gaff handle will work. The weight will be off on the throw. Tournament Cable makes a great 8' with a 4' add on section for that long shot with the correct head weight. The AFTCO gaff handle also has a floatation grip that will prevent a shot under the water that some times goes 30 feet or longer. The 12' section makes for a long aimed shot. Don't forget that 150' of painter line and a good float.


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## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

Weight will be off and way too short. If the fish is close enough to hit with a six foot harpoon, he is close enough to stick. The poons we use are 8-10' long, and can be thrown or "punched." Weight forward. And do not become a statistic by just tying the rope off to a cleat, either, or you will learn a very hard lesson that every serious south florida swordfisherman already knows!


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## purple haze (Sep 2, 2013)

Kim I would also recommend that your dart lanyard would be longer then you shaft so you can tape it to your handle. I did not see the end of the handle so I could not comment on how you would attach the painter line to the handle after the dart detaches the handle.


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## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

We just rubber band the dart line to the shaft. Works fine in keeping rope flush to tip and comes off after dart sticks in fish. Easy peezy


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

Thanks for the input and I understand what you are saying. I have a 10 foot Poon harpoon which is a lot heavier that the flying gaff handle so I thought that a lighter cockpit gaff would be handy for me. I'm over 60 and not as strong as I once was and my thinking was a light cockpit harpoon would let me stick them boat side and pull them through the tuna door. I sure won't be going Captain Ahab with it.


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## samoajoe (Dec 28, 2010)

Just a thought.......Harpooning YFT in the Gulf maybe a bit much.....they're not exactly the 300-400lbs cows they have off Mexico.


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

Who knows maybe when you get to be older and gaffing a big fish and pulling it up over the gunnel starts to tear and strain things in your shoulders and back you may try to think of things to make it easier on yourself, pieces and parts wear out as you get older. More of a kill stick for me rather than a true harpoon. I'm just trying to hang in there, wait until I get Alzheimer disease and then I probably post some really weird stuff.


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## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

samoajoe said:


> Just a thought.......Harpooning YFT in the Gulf maybe a bit much.....they're not exactly the 300-400lbs cows they have off Mexico.


Ha!! Wait til you lose a good fish 150-200+ a few feet outside of gaff range and then come revisit this comment! The first few seconds in my bloopers video is a good scenario illustrating this. Probably every person who goes to purchase a harpoon has a heartbreaking story as to how he got to the point of needing to buy a harpoon


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

Captain Woody you are right. I can tell you that it can get funnier. The first time around you figure out that "dang a harpoon would have done the trick". So three hundred and change later you have a nice modular harpoon and after the second one swam away you figure out "dang I need to take this thing out of the case and assemble it and have it ready to use". Both of those were Sword Fish but I wishing for a tuna in that weight range.


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## Fish-n-Fur (Apr 2, 2009)

Kim said:


> Thanks for the input and I understand what you are saying. I have a 10 foot Poon harpoon which is a lot heavier that the flying gaff handle so I thought that a lighter cockpit gaff would be handy for me. I'm over 60 and not as strong as I once was and my thinking was a light cockpit harpoon would let me stick them boat side and pull them through the tuna door. I sure won't be going Captain Ahab with it.


Not too far behind you in age, and i'm listening budda :yes: .....so, how do i make a harpoon....


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## purple haze (Sep 2, 2013)

Kim said:


> Who knows maybe when you get to be older and gaffing a big fish and pulling it up over the gunnel starts to tear and strain things in your shoulders and back you may try to think of things to make it easier on yourself, pieces and parts wear out as you get older. More of a kill stick for me rather than a true harpoon. I'm just trying to hang in there, wait until I get Alzheimer disease and then I probably post some really weird stuff.


Kim I have found the secret of getting old and still fishing for big fish. When the rest of the crew is between 31 and 40 the old guy has it made.


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

Must be Gene, only problem with that is it make you wish you were ten years younger lol.


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