Do-It-Yourself Project (DIY) – Golf Club Pick Gaff

By Eugene L. • Published October 30, 2026

Sometimes you don’t need a long gaff to land your fish; in those situations, reach for a shorter, handy pick gaff. A smaller gaff, about 2 to 4 ft long, is perfect for handling snapper and grouper at boatside, organizing fish boxes, or pulling your catch out at the end of the day without sticking your hands in the slush. These gaffs can also be made for incredibly cheap using old carbon golf club shafts, some big hooks, and some time & effort. So here’s how to make a pretty cheap and easy-to-make Golf Club Pick Gaff.

Fishing Do-It-Yourself Project (DIY) Coverage on AllOutdoor

For the tools you need for this project, you will need a hot glue gun, a vise, and some sort of cutting tool. You can get away with a hacksaw and file, but I prefer an angle grinder for ease and speed. Supplies you need: some carbon golf club shafts, hot glue, pourable 2-part epoxy, 12/0 big game hooks, and sandpaper.

For sourcing your golf club, DIY pick gaff shafts, look no further than your local thrift stores. I got these four golf clubs shown below for $4 a piece. You can be picky about the golf clubs you pick; thicker shafts are better for holding the hooks, and a grip in good condition is a plus.

Once you’ve got your golf clubs, we’re gonna cut their heads off. Tape off where you’re gonna cut the shaft, and then use your saw or grinder to cut the shafts.

You want to try to have your cuts as square as possible to avoid splintering of the carbon fiber. Use some sandpaper to clean up the ends after you’re done. A slight chamfer on the edge will help keep the carbon fibers from splintering in the future.

Do-It-Yourself Project (DIY) – Golf Club Pick Gaff

Then you can prep the 12/0 big game hooks for use. Put the hook in the vise and cut off the eye of the hook with the grinder or hacksaw. Then you want to notch up the hook shaft for better adhesion with the epoxy. Then turn the hook around in the vise and take the barb out. I used a grinding disc; you can use a file, but that will take a lot more elbow grease. The final step is to take a strip of 220-grit sandpaper and smooth out any sharp edges on the inside of the hook. Any sharp edges could lead to a cut line and lost fish later on when using the gaff.

I do want to note that you don’t have to remove the barb, but gaffs with barbs will lead to damaged fish. And they are potentially a hazard on the boat; a 12/0 barb in an angler is a poor way to end a trip.

Once both the golf club pick gaff shafts and hooks are prepped, do a test fit. Not all golf club shafts are standardized, so some have a smaller inner diameter. If you do find that to be the case and you can’t fit the hook shank into the shaft, take a drill bit and gently bore out the shaft until the hook shank easily slips into the shaft.

Now plug in your hot glue gun, and once it’s ready, seal off the handle of the golf club. You don’t want to have epoxy getting everywhere while assembling your pick gaff. Also, take a couple of zip ties to make a hanger for the gaff.

Once the shaft is prepped, mix your 2-part pourable epoxy. You have to use a slower-curing epoxy to have the work time needed for this. I use about 30 mils of epoxy for each gaff. Using a cheap disposable syringe to inject it into the shaft. Then take some of the epoxy and coat the hook shank, and insert it into the shaft past all the notches. Wipe off any excess epoxy from outside the shaft, and seal it off with plenty of hot glue. You don’t want any epoxy seeping out while it cures.

Hang the pick gaffs upside down from the zip ties overnight or for as long as the instructions say for the epoxy to fully cure. Once that is done, you have a fully functional pick gaff that only costs a fraction of what buying one would have cost. If the color of the golf club shaft isn’t to your liking, you can also just spray paint the shaft, as I did with mine. Just tape off the gaff hook and handle before painting.

Additionally, if the club handle isn’t to your liking, you can use textured shrink wrap for a new gaff handle. I generally now choose to be picky about the clubs I pick to skip this step. My overall cost per pick gaff is about $12, with $4 on the shaft, $2 for the hook, and the rest on other materials. This is with me making several gaffs at a time now, though. So, making just one pick gaff will cost you more with your initial materials purchases.

The post Do-It-Yourself Project (DIY) – Golf Club Pick Gaff appeared first on AllOutdoor.com.