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Mark Knapp

Gill Fingers

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As part of my occupational rehabilitation I wanted to re-learn (remember) how to write a program and make something with my CNC mill.

I decided to make a tool I saw years ago but is becoming more rare. They are useful for picking up fish by the gills that you are planning to keep. We like them especially for anything with spikes like rock fish, ling cod and fish with spiky gills and are hard to handle like pike. These are not for sale, it was just a personal project.

DSCF6042.JPG

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Nice job, I can see how that would be pretty handy.  What the name of the tool?

As I read the inscription, I was hoping it was going to say 'Capt Ronnie of the Alice May'

 

Edited by niveker
Nevermind, just read the title.

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Yeah, you can't so easily use a net or sling when ice fishing.

Would make a decently effective personal protection device as well, you're kinda teetering on the  karambit notion there.  More of a tooth/spike than blade, but still.  None for me though, I'd hurt myself with it somehow.

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3 hours ago, niveker said:

Nice job, I can see how that would be pretty handy.  What the name of the tool?

As I read the inscription, I was hoping it was going to say 'Capt Ronnie of the Alice May'

 

I call it the Gill Finger. This one was made for a friend of mine "CAPT. Ronnie of the Jenny Lynn.

There are others for other friends of mine and some for me.

Thanks guys.

 

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Many years ago my Dad told me the problem with knives (or similar "personal protection device"...) is that you have to get entirely too close to someone who really doesn't like you.  He was a career Army officer (volunteered for the draft in 1942 - then did 28 years as an Engineer...).  In my years as a cop I saw first hand what he was talking about... Me?  I'll stick to fish - they're safer.. 

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9 hours ago, Capt Bob LeMay said:

Many years ago my Dad told me the problem with knives (or similar "personal protection device"...) is that you have to get entirely too close to someone who really doesn't like you.  He was a career Army officer (volunteered for the draft in 1942 - then did 28 years as an Engineer...).  In my years as a cop I saw first hand what he was talking about... Me?  I'll stick to fish - they're safer.. 

Yeah, these are strictly for fish.

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Nice Mark.  Glad you hit another milestone.  Given the colors, holiday gifts?

Yeah, there are no winners in a knife fight only survivors.  You are gonna get cut if the other person has any clue at all.

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I may have inadvertently mislead people about the use of these tools. They for picking up dangerous fish by the gills that you are going to keep. In Alaska we like to use them for big pike, ling cod and rock fish. Those species post the most harm to humans while taking out hooks, because they are spiky and/or have teeth or toothy gills. A lower 48 species they would work well on would be large cat fish.

Thanks everybody for looking and the kind comments.

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21 minutes ago, Mark Knapp said:

I may have inadvertently mislead people about the use of these tools. They for picking up dangerous fish by the gills that you are going to keep. In Alaska we like to use them for big pike, ling cod and rock fish. Those species post the most harm to humans while taking out hooks, because they are spiky and/or have teeth or toothy gills. A lower 48 species they would work well on would be large cat fish.

Thanks everybody for looking and the kind comments.

Can you do other colors, like gold and then you can call 'em....Gold Fingers. Glad you're doing better Mark!

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22 minutes ago, Sandan said:

Can you do other colors, like gold and then you can call 'em....Gold Fingers. Glad you're doing better Mark!

That's a great idea. 😄 I don't think UHMY comes in the color gold though. They do float.

Thanks.

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3 minutes ago, Mark Knapp said:

That's a great idea. 😄 I don't think UHMY comes in the color gold though. They do float.

Thanks.

Was just noodling things.😉

 

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6 hours ago, Sandan said:

Was just noodling things.😉

 

I know, I was trying to think of something clever to say.... couldn't.

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How many 100lb flatheads have you caught? I’m pretty sure there have only been  a handful of 100 lb catfish of any kind  ever caught in the USA. I’m to lazy to look it up though. 

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3 hours ago, Noah The Flyfisherman said:

whats that made of? i think itd break on a 100 lb flathead

As I said in an earlier post, it's UHMW, (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) It's tensile strength is 3100 psi which means,  since the bottom of the "hook" is about .500" by 1.00 inches, the tensile strength of it is 1550 pounds. It should handle a 100 pound flatty.

That's beside the point though, because, the tool is designed for the user to hold a fish with one hand while unhooking it and otherwise preparing it for ice, (We bonk the fish, cut the gills and bleed it in a bleeding bucket, a 15 gallon drum with the top cut off)  The gill hook has only room for one hand in the handle. Not a lot of people can handle a 100 pound, thrashing, flathead with one hand. I'd use the gill hook to drag the big cat up on the beach, bonk it, etc. Not necessarily to lift the whole fish.

Thanks for asking.

Have fun, catch those hundred pounders, and be safe, Mark

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