# Any fish giggers here?



## Guest (Feb 7, 2007)

I know it's not too comon in most states but here in Oklahoma there are 2 or 3 counties that allow you to harvest fish with gigs. Of coarse it's only the non-game rough fish that we are allowed to harvest with gigs. And some places it's only allowed just a few months during the winter. 

Well I signed up for an evening gig making class at my local technical trade school. We meet every Tuesday night for 3 hours. Last week which was the very first week our instructor told a little about the material and tools we would be using and then we out in the shop and watched him make a whole gig head from start to finish. Awesome. One look at that gig head and the fish would rather just jump in the boat instead of be impaled. 

Well I got to do one tonight. Didn't quit finish it yet. But I will next class, and start on another one. Couldn't make it as fast as the instuctor did. He had the whole shop to hisself while we (8 people) had to wait our turns on the different machineries. 

I definitely couldn't make these at home the way we are making them at the shop. At shop we have Plasma cutters, mig welders, belt grinders to do the work fast. At home I have a sawzall and a file!  

We're making the gig heads out of car leaf springs and scrap perlin for the collars. Maybe at the end of the course I can take some pictures and learn how to post them on here for you to see.


----------



## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Been a long time tradition here.Nothing like a night on the river Gigging Suckers.Then setting around the fire,frying them up and having a few Brews.

big rockpile


----------



## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

snagging suckers here is an activity during their spring spawing runs up fast waters of creeks and rivers going into lakes. A heavy dacron line (non stretch is better) has a single large snagging hook tied about 18" above the end where a quarter pound weight is dragged to keep the line on the bottom. Rod is pumped along reeling in line until a sucker is snagged and reeled in. A good number of suckers can be taken by this method. Sucker bait is what is used that is cut up from the big suckers and frozen to use for ice fishing lake trout the following season. Some can suckers also for consumption.


----------



## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

moonwolf said:


> snagging suckers here is an activity during their spring spawing runs up fast waters of creeks and rivers going into lakes. A heavy dacron line (non stretch is better) has a single large snagging hook tied about 18" above the end where a quarter pound weight is dragged to keep the line on the bottom. Rod is pumped along reeling in line until a sucker is snagged and reeled in. A good number of suckers can be taken by this method. Sucker bait is what is used that is cut up from the big suckers and frozen to use for ice fishing lake trout the following season. Some can suckers also for consumption.


We do the same here too,but take and tie a bright ribbon above the hook so we can see when the Suckers come in line with the hook.

big rockpile


----------



## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

big rockpile said:


> We do the same here too,but take and tie a bright ribbon above the hook so we can see when the Suckers come in line with the hook.
> 
> big rockpile


no need here they run so thick up the rivers that every cast assures a sucker to be reeled in with bare hook drug along the bottom when cast across the run of fish.


----------



## Junkman (Dec 17, 2005)

My brothers and I used to go frog gigging years ago. A good pan of fried frog legs tastes mighty good. First time the wife cooked them and when the tendons got hot and moved the lid off the pan, she bout had a kitten! We had more fun just being together than actually gigging. One brother gone now but have lots of memories. Youngsters are missing a lot now days.


----------



## tyusclan (Jan 1, 2005)

We used to gig flounder in the river when they came up to spawn in the early spring, but haven't done it in years. Just got to doing other things. We were talking about it the other day, and said we'd like to do it again, but so far we haven't. Remodelling the house is taking up most of the spare time right now.


----------



## electronrider (Nov 10, 2004)

If it is your first time gigging, you may want to attach a lanyard to the end of your gig. This will prevent you from fumbling your gig away, and having to get considerably wetter to retrieve it


----------



## cowgirlone (May 9, 2002)

We used to gig frogs and noodle fish.  

That sounds like a fun class r.h., could you post some pictures when you get one made?


----------



## Clifford (Aug 14, 2004)

I attached my frog gig to one of those extendable aluminum painting poles. It extends to about 12 feet and gives an excellent reach. Doesn't scare so many frogs off from that distance.


----------



## blue gecko (Jun 14, 2006)

We used a flashlight to "stun" the frogs before we gigged them.

I picked up an interesting gig at an auction a couple of weeks ago. It's a spring loaded affair that looks like a lobster claw at the end. It's wicked. Sounds perfect for fish gigging.


----------



## Stephen in SOKY (Jun 6, 2006)

Gigging yes.........Noodling ........NO


----------



## bgak47 (Sep 4, 2003)

Used to gig flounder when I lived on the Gulf coast.


----------



## Guest (Feb 7, 2007)

cowgirlone said:


> We used to gig frogs and noodle fish.
> 
> That sounds like a fun class r.h., could you post some pictures when you get one made?


I'll see what I can do Cowgirl. I'm not very pecuter literate, but I'll see if I can figure it out.  Next on my list is too see what kind of spear heads I can make to do some snorkel fishing with. That's what I really would like to do.


----------



## Homesteader at Heart (Aug 11, 2003)

I used to gig flounder some when I lived in South Texas. A while back I went gigging peacock bass at night with a couple of locals here in Suriname. I only tried once and missed, but they caught several.


----------



## Guest (Feb 10, 2007)

electronrider said:


> If it is your first time gigging, you may want to attach a lanyard to the end of your gig. This will prevent you from fumbling your gig away, and having to get considerably wetter to retrieve it


Not my first time gigging, but it has been several years since I've been. I can assure you that I have gone swimming on a cold wintery night before! It wasn't much fun at all!


----------

