To: Grainne who wrote (13487 ) 11/3/1997 10:02:00 PM From: Krowbar Read Replies (1) | Respond to
Hi Christine, A gig is a simple a pole with prongs to impale the fish. Mine is a wooden handle, similar to a broom handle, with 2 prongs on the end. There is no electricity with it. After gigging the flounder, I reach down to put my other hand under the fish to bring it up, and put it on the stringer. It's not quite as ghoulish as you describe. Flounder are not much brighter than a carrot, and don't seem to feel pain. There is no writhing in pain and groaning and gnashing of teeth as you describe. In the rare case that I gig one under the 14" legal size, ( if it looks too close to call i pass it up) I release it, and many times it will swim 20 feet or so away, and go do it's business of lying on the bottom waiting for prey as though nothing has happened. The ones on the stringer are very docile and don't even seem to know that they are captured.
