Doesn't seem to matter! The only time the deck hands use a gaff other than 6 weeks on Albacore is on some bloated bottom fish that fell off a gannion! Bring a lot of clothes as I've seen more than a few soCal popsicles on board in shorts and a tee shirt...I always tell them to go look at the pictures of the people with good fish hanging in the galley...What do you see.....Lots of clothes and little skin Ha!