if its just a minor bend you can use a pair of channel locks and carefully try to bend it back into shape. if its bent to bad you might try a rubber mallet and try to knock it back into shape. Just remember that it is aluminum and may break in trying to bend it back into shape. Good Luck in however you deal with it.
The most effective way to straighten it with impact blows is to place an "anvil" against the bent tip and gently hammer the "bow" on the other side. That compresses the metal, as opposed to hammering the bent tip, which stretches the metal, and is more prone to cracking.
Any large, heavy object can serve as an anvil. Use a hammer with only enough force to bend it a bit at a time.
Mine had a curve to it when I got my boat. I was leery of beating on the aluminum so I cut a couple pieces of 1" square tubing about 6" long and put them on each iside. Then I clamped a fairly large C clamp to them and tightened. It straightened right up. No heat. No beat. Nice steady pressure.