We had the pleasure of interviewing Manny from Stingerz Custom Gaffs (otherwise known as The House of Badassery). All we can say is, “Please take us fishing!”.
Manny and crew have us feeling some serious FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) because if you spend just 2 minutes on his website, you’ll get the sense that they are having a lot more fun than you are.
Read on to learn Manny’s story…
(photos courtest of Stingerz Custom Gaffs)
Orion Trading: Hi Manny! So, we already know you’re awesome but can you tell our readers who you are and how you got started?
I'm Manny and I'm in the business of making ultra-custom fishing gaffs & harpoons. Been in business for almost 3yrs now.
I was inspired to start building bamboo gaffs because my brother and I just bought a boat to start our fishing charter business and we needed to stock the boat with new equipment and the gaff was one of them. So my brother and I headed to a popular California boat show "Fred Hall Show" to pick up some new gear but nothing really impressed us as far as custom gaffs. To make a long story short I purchased some Calcutta bamboo from a local dealer and built my own custom Calcutta bamboo gaffs. As time went on I started building gaffs for other local fishermen and before I knew a brand was born.
Orion Trading: What makes bamboo a good material for a gaff?
Not all bamboo species are good for gaff making because to make a good gaff one has to have certain qualities about it. First, it has to be strong to withstand the power of big fish like the Bluefin tuna, Swordfish, Yellowfin tuna, Giant Halibut of Alaska just to mention a few. It also has to have a certain amount of flex but, still rigid at the same time. Also, it should be able to withstand elements like saltwater and the constant beatdown of the harmful UV rays of the sun. So it all comes down to Calcutta Bamboo as the prime choice for gaff making. Its tensile strength is nothing short of awesome, it's not called "Ironwood" for nothing, and if you ever drop it in the water it will float, bamboo is very buoyant. Last but not least Calcutta is very beautiful once it's finished in epoxy, not to mention Calcutta bamboo has been used by fishermen from around the globe for centuries.
Orion Trading: Do you have any awesome stories to tell about what you’ve caught?
My story on what I've caught pales in comparison to those anglers that use our product and our gaffs. Our gaffs can be found around the globe. From Florida to Maine all the way to Alaska, In the United Arab Emirates to the Caribbean islands, and across the pacific in Hawaii as well as Australia, South America, and even Africa just to mention a few places.
Some of those stories can be found on our Instagram page @stingerzcustomgaffs through videos sent to us by our loyal customers who truly believe in our product.
Orion Trading: Do you have a website and social media channels for us to send our readers to?
Our website is www.stingerzcustomgaffs.com as well as Instagram @stingerzcustomgaffs
Orion Trading: Did you learn to make bamboo gaffs on your own or did you already have some knowledge about crafting such a tool?
I learned the art of making bamboo gaffs through trial and error but it came a lot easier being an artist and craftsman.
Orion Trading: Is there anything you’d like to share with us about the gaffs, yourself, your business, and/or how we can best support you?
SCG is still in its infancy but we are growing fast as a brand. We are also leading the way as the best gaff customizers in the fishing industry. We take our time and put a lot of love and effort into each and every single custom gaff we produce and ship out as if it was being entered into a beauty contest. All of our custom gaffs are 1 0f 1 meaning there will never be an exact duplicate of your gaff unless it's a matching set and we build it your way with your specs. There will only be a duplicate if the customer requests the same one on the next order. So if you want something made quickly then we are not the brand for you. We make sure that you get the best built and 110% of quality is put in all products that we build. By 2022 of next year we'll be introducing a lot of new products including harpoons, our very own Stingerz patented titanium billet hook as well as other patented products. So please check out our website and give us your support by following our Instagram page.