Fish Bonker

samba123

Member
I have a fish bonker that is too small and light... takes too many whacks to get the job done... I am ordering a few things from an online tackle shop and want to order a fish wacker/bonker to properly do the job so as to be more humane in the manner in which the fish are handled. The 2 that I saw were different in shape and weight. The first one is a smaller sized aluminum fish bat.. weights approx. 10oz(0.6 lbs) and the other one is a club that is 18oz(1.1 lbs). The aluminum bat while lighter makes up for it by allowing you to swing faster to get a good thump. The heavier 180z fish wacker won't swing as fast but is heavy so should do the job as well. Do you prefer a lighter fish wacker to wack with good speed or a heavier one that carries a punch behind it? Not trying to make this a rocket science experiment.. Just want to find a better way to knock out the fish in the most humane way possible..
 
I have a ironwood bonker that I have used for years-- it was made by a friend of mine. But recently I was given a cutdown fiberglass sledgehammer handle. Dont spend good money on buying the fancy ones from the stores. Look around first.
 
Be careful Samba, don't talk about bonking fish and never show a picture of your prize on this site, or the trolls will attack.
Best of the season!
 
Running the risk of making us sound like rednecks, one weekend, my old man and I used an empty bottle of CC. lol

Now I use a 1 inch piece of wooden dowel that’s about 18 inches long. Works like a charm.
 
I got the machinist at work to turn a block of Teflon down into a 16” Louisville Mugger. One smack its all over except for the high speed wiggle it’s a little heavy though. I got an spare hickory sledgehammer handle I’m thinking of putting on the lathe and turning it into a galf-bonker.
 
If it's too heavy you won't get good speed on the smack. I think a lighter Wacker whipped at a good velocity is better than a heavy Wacker whipped slower.
 
I cut off about 18” of an old hickory sledgehammer handle. Drill a hole for a lanyard to hang it. Works perfectly. They don’t call it the “hickory shampoo” for nothing!
 
If the bonker is made out of wood, then take a 1/2 inch bit and drill a hole approximately 2" deep in the end and then pour some lead into it. The fish won't know what hit them - it's lights out.
 
I use a meat tenderizer. Saw my wife tenderizing meat one day and thought of the idea. Been using one for years no problem. On the plus side, the grooves at the end assist with traction so your smack8 doesn't bounce or slip off.
 
These look pretty cool they sell on Amazon.ca not a bad price at all. Made by Kombo, knife and sharpener and club all in one.

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Running the risk of making us sound like rednecks, one weekend, my old man and I used an empty bottle of CC. lol

Now I use a 1 inch piece of wooden dowel that’s about 18 inches long. Works like a charm.
I’m sure it was empty :p
 
one of the wildest fish bonkers I have ever seen was back in the 70's. An elderly gentleman that used to fish at Ten Mile Point
had an artificial hip attached to a piece of wood. Worked great and a real conversation piece.
 
Mines what AIK stated, 15"-18" piece of 2" dowel with hole drilled in end and filled with lead. Carved a few finger groves in other end and of course the always put your hand thru the rope loop is installed. Can vary weight by amount of lead poured in. No real cost so when someone accidently drops over side while bonking a hali or ling no big deal, make another. Cabelas has the glow fancy ones on their boxing day sale.

HM
 
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