Fish grippers on bass? 2024
Hooligan reply :
Really? I mean, sure, Tarpon, or redfish, I get. Even, maybe, on a Muskie or a pike if you're not familiar. Bass though? For serious?
Here's my beef: they damage fish. Period. It's been proven time and again that "fish grips" like the Boga or Rapala break or dislocate fishes jaws at a severely high incidence. Why, for Pete's sake do I see people using these things on little dink green fish and brown fish? It's not like ANY bass is going to do irreparable damage, are you that afraid of them?
Do yourself and the fish a favor. Learn how to handle fish properly. Stop using grippers on fish.
/endrant
CenCal fisher reply :
I don't use mine for landing bass but they are nice on a kayak when I want to put the fish back in the water while I get my phone out for a picture. They are also handy when it comes to putting a fish on a scale
jbsoonerfan reply :
Certainly don't use them to land fish, but use them to weigh fish. I know how to handle fish, but thanks for your PSA.
Bluebasser86 reply :
I was thinking the problem with certain grippers was the fairly thin or sharp metal variety would tear or gash the fish's jaw? I haven't heard of any issues with the plastic fish grippers I guess. I use them on my scale for weighing, much better than jamming the big hole in their jaw or going under the gill plate imo. I don't use them for landing or holding bass, most bass I catch are swung in and grabbed from the air.
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
I use it but only when I want my fish on scale, and only when fish look to be more than 2lb.
On 5/16/2017 at 12:08 PM, CenCal fisher said:I don't use mine for landing bass but they are nice on a kayak when I want to put the fish back in the water while I get my phone out for a picture. They are also handy when it comes to putting a fish on a scale
That was my plan too, to have a gripper plastic type roped to kayak in order to let fish stay in water while I prepare scale or camera.
nascar2428 reply :
I use the plastic one to assist in hook removal on pike.
Sam reply :
I have them on the boat for catfish and bowfin.
Never have thought of using them on bass nor would I consider using them on bass.
J Francho reply :
On 5/16/2017 at 1:54 PM, Bluebasser86 said:I was thinking the problem with certain grippers was the fairly thin or sharp metal variety would tear or gash the fish's jaw? I haven't heard of any issues with the plastic fish grippers I guess. I use them on my scale for weighing, much better than jamming the big hole in their jaw or going under the gill plate imo. I don't use them for landing or holding bass, most bass I catch are swung in and grabbed from the air.
Pretty much this. Also, I'll net a crankbait fish, and then use the grip to keep the fish still while get the trebles out.
Hawkeye21 reply :
I only use them when weighing a good size bass but the main reason I bought mine was for taking pike off. Really don't see the need to get all bent out of shape when people do use them though.
CTBassin860 reply :
Only when i weigh them
Yeajray231 reply :
Definitely the best way I know of to weigh them.. I don't fish tournaments so it doesn't matter to me. If it's truly a big bass I have a tape measure.
I don't use them. I keep an old work glove in my bag should I hook a catfish and if I hook a pike I will get it with the needle nose.
I'm not sure why fishermen pack scales... Most of them are lying anyway 
NYWayfarer reply :
I have the floating plastic Rapala ones. I rarely use them for bass. When I do it's usually to avoid getting a handful of treble hooks.
I have to admit there are days that I don't want my hands to stink like fish. We have some nasty biting flies up here that love that scent. The grips come in handy then.
Turtle135 reply :
I use the plastic fish grip on a 4' tether of paracord. I do not use it to land a bass. I just clip the bass and let her swim while I get my board and camera ready. Get on the board quick, snap the photo and then back into the drink.
NCbassraider reply :
On 5/16/2017 at 11:33 AM, Hooligan said:Really? I mean, sure, Tarpon, or redfish, I get. Even, maybe, on a Muskie or a pike if you're not familiar. Bass though? For serious?
Here's my beef: they damage fish. Period. It's been proven time and again that "fish grips" like the Boga or Rapala break or dislocate fishes jaws at a severely high incidence. Why, for Pete's sake do I see people using these things on little dink green fish and brown fish? It's not like ANY bass is going to do irreparable damage, are you that afraid of them?
Do yourself and the fish a favor. Learn how to handle fish properly. Stop using grippers on fish.
/endrant
Noticed nobody "liking" this post. Lol
When used correctly, which is almost impossible not to do, they do not damage anything. Ever.
It's actually impossible to hold the fish past vertical with them so the angler must support the fish which solves almost every case of dislocated jaws.
They are also best for the bass when weighing the fish as you don't have to gill hook it.
I almost always use them with treble hooks as I've had a bad experience that I do not want to re live.
With the disturbing number of people who post pictures of their fish laying in the grass or on marine carpeting, it's hard to take this thread seriously.
bassh8er reply :
On 5/16/2017 at 11:33 AM, Hooligan said:Really? I mean, sure, Tarpon, or redfish, I get. Even, maybe, on a Muskie or a pike if you're not familiar. Bass though? For serious?
Here's my beef: they damage fish. Period. It's been proven time and again that "fish grips" like the Boga or Rapala break or dislocate fishes jaws at a severely high incidence. Why, for Pete's sake do I see people using these things on little dink green fish and brown fish? It's not like ANY bass is going to do irreparable damage, are you that afraid of them?
Do yourself and the fish a favor. Learn how to handle fish properly. Stop using grippers on fish.
/endrant
Thank you and I totally agree.
To me, it's a lot of these wannabe tourney or YouTube guys showing what their best 5 weigh.
I weighed my PB Bass that went 8 lbs 1 Oz and haven't weighed one since. Just my opinion.
Hooligan reply :
On 5/16/2017 at 1:54 PM, Bluebasser86 said:I was thinking the problem with certain grippers was the fairly thin or sharp metal variety would tear or gash the fish's jaw? I haven't heard of any issues with the plastic fish grippers I guess. I use them on my scale for weighing, much better than jamming the big hole in their jaw or going under the gill plate imo. I don't use them for landing or holding bass, most bass I catch are swung in and grabbed from the air.
I get that, but even in the instances I see the plastic ones used, I see them used in a manner that has, without a doubt, caused injury to the fish. And, it generally used to land, handle, weigh, photo and release fish. That's the kind of stuff that I see as completely out of line.
Hooligan reply :
On 5/17/2017 at 10:14 AM, NCbassraider said:
Noticed nobody "liking" this post. Lol
When used correctly, which is almost impossible not to do, they do not damage anything. Ever.
It's actually impossible to hold the fish past vertical with them so the angler must support the fish which solves almost every case of dislocated jaws.
They are also best for the bass when weighing the fish as you don't have to gill hook it.
I almost always use them with treble hooks as I've had a bad experience that I do not want to re live.
With the disturbing number of people who post pictures of their fish laying in the grass or on marine carpeting, it's hard to take this thread seriously.
Hard or impossible to hold improperly? Wrong. The issue that I see more than any other is people use grippers on the lower jaw, and the gripper then comes back under the fish, almost guarantees a dislocation.
The reason this thread comes up, and the reason I DO take it seriously is that in the past month I've witnessed people using them improperly, and have seen a number of pictures here on the board that show them being used improperly. At a couple of lakes I fish that they're inordinately popular, I've also seen a direct correlation to 3# or better fish dead of dislocations or as a result of lacerations from fish grips to the tongue and soft tissues. I get using them as an aid with treble hooked fish, for the same reason I wear a glove when dealing with Muskie.
I disagree with your assertion that it's the best for fish when weighing. A vertical, unsupported hold of any sort is not good for fish. Period. If you wish to debate that fact as well, please. Lead on.
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
So what different holding a fish with thumb and plastic gripper in vertical position?
why don't you show us a proper way of using gripper for bass instead of bashing everyone.
On 5/17/2017 at 12:00 PM, bassh8er said:
Thank you and I totally agree.
To me, it's a lot of these wannabe tourney or YouTube guys showing what their best 5 weigh.
I weighed my PB Bass that went 8 lbs 1 Oz and haven't weighed one since. Just my opinion.
May be because you catch too many giants so you don't care anymore, but to some of us it is an excitement and to weight and taking picture to be a memorable not tourney wanna be. Every once awhile I will open album and I can tell story of every fish I caught.
J Francho reply :
I don't get landing with grippers? I guess I don't watch enough YouTube. It seems like it would be inefficient. Just net the thing, or belly land it.
toni63 reply :
Why? I never used to. Until I did this. Now, I use them all the time and a pliers to manipulate hooks out of them. I have also heard that your hands brushing the slimy layer of stuff off the scaly side of the fish leaves it vulnerable to parasitic infections that can also kill the fish.
So whatever you do, if you have set the hook (in most cases hard enough to rip its head sideways in the water) then landed it (another fight as you rip it through weeds, over timber, through water as it thrashes about getting drug along by its mouth with big hooks jammed into its flesh to keep it coming your way) then flip it out of its environment into the air and onto your boat or into your hands or into a net, sounds to me like the fisherman has already given that fish a lot of "trauma" already. Getting the hook out and securing it with a plastic utensil is probably the LEAST brutal thing you are going to do to that fish while interacting with it, unless you put it in your live well and drive around all day keeping it in Fish jail.
I am not going to get too sentimental about God's precious creature when I set about handling it to get the hooks out and get it back in the water. I love bass FISHING, I don't worship "bass." That thing has survived everything else I just put it through to get it into my hands, it will survive a plastic grip in its mouth (which has to be a darn sight more pleasant than the HOOK I just set into it minutes or seconds before), it will make it through the last minute or two of me getting it released back into the water.
To me, the LMB is not an endangered species, it is a game fish, it kills without hesitation in its own environment, it is a predator in the food chain, it lives by the kill or be killed survival of the fittest mentality, so I'n not too hard pressed to treat it with kid gloves.
It's a bass, not a Faberge' egg.
Now I have zero tolerance for flippant disregard for the thing, or abusing it, or using it as a football for sport or whatever, but there are 100's of thousands more where the one I am currently holding with a gripper to remove a hook from its mouth without impaling myself came from, and its not made of fine spun sugar. It will live. And I doubt it will go off into the wild thinking "man, I didn't mind that big hook driven halfway through my skull, or that dragging me across the lake through the moss and over that log by my face, and even the getting hauled 6 feet into the air wasn't that bad, but those darn plastic grippers! Those things just irritate my jaw, that smooth plastic is like chalk on a chalkboard! Whey can't they just manhandle me with their big fat fingers squeezing me tight over my back scraping against my skin!?"
So anyway. That's my take on pampering the catch. No need to be cruel to the thing, but no need for kid gloves either. The best thing to me is to get it off the hook and back in the water as fast as possible. That is what that fish wants most of all. To be back in it's own environment and away from you. So if grippers make that a faster and smoother transition and enhances my safety from getting hooked again, then grippers it is.
NYWayfarer reply :
On 5/17/2017 at 9:21 PM, toni63 said:So whatever you do, if you have set the hook (in most cases hard enough to rip its head sideways in the water) then landed it (another fight as you rip it through weeds, over timber, through water as it thrashes about getting drug along by its mouth with big hooks jammed into its flesh to keep it coming your way) then flip it out of its environment into the air and onto your boat or into your hands or into a net, sounds to me like the fisherman has already given that fish a lot of "trauma" already. Getting the hook out and securing it with a plastic utensil is probably the LEAST brutal thing you are going to do to that fish while interacting with it, unless you put it in your live well and drive around all day keeping it in Fish jail.
Ouch! that looks like a nasty wound.
Your point is well made if you think about the hypocrisy of a fisherman ripping a Bass out of its natural environment then complaining about using a fish gripper. If we were that worried about damaging Bass it would be better not to fish for them at all.
toni63 reply :
It's kind of like starting a thread that implies we should set hooks gently so as not to harm the fish. Seriously? I get the points made about no using the tool correctly and hurting the fish that way, but I have also seen many fisherman holding fish in their hands in ways that are also damaging the fish. Like the two hand hold, one under the jaw, one under the tail end, grip and grin for the camera. The more contact you have with the fish, the more damage you are doing to it. Keep your paws off it, it wasn't made to be held, it was made to live in water. Your hands are just scraping away it's natural layer of defense, the slimy outer coating, from parasites.
My philosophy is it was fun catching it, but the quicker I get it unhooked and back in the water with the least amount of contact between my hands, boat, net, etc with it, the better for that fish. Grippers go a long way toward accomplishing that goal.
Choporoz reply :
On 5/17/2017 at 1:26 PM, Hooligan said:The reason this thread comes up, and the reason I DO take it seriously is that in the past month I've witnessed people using them improperly, and have seen a number of pictures here on the board that show them being used improperly.
If your true intent was to educate on the proper use, perhaps that would have been a better way to begin. I'm afraid that your OP comes off as a scolding, if not an insult, to all who do use them. I won't hesitate to land treble caught fish in my kayak with fish grips. In fact, the smaller the fish, the greater risk to me, IMO. I'm more likely to use them on a 14 incher caught on a DT6 than I am on a 5 pounder. The larger the mouth, the more room there is for error in lipping them.
Darren. reply :
I disagree with not using grips on bass. I use bogas and
will continue to do so. I teach my sons to properly use
them. On the flip side, here's an old pic I recently posted
of one of my boys holding a 4lb bass - his first drop shot
bass on first cast.
The (not boga) is dangling from the mouth. This is NOT
good, and an example, IMO, of improper use of the grip.
It was released immediately after the pic. He's 17 now,
doesn't hold like this anymore. Why didn't I fix it before
snapping the pic? We all learn.
But FWIW, you see that hole in its lip to the right, under
the eye? That was already there. This bass had been caught
before. Hooks make holes, sometimes gaping holes. So can
we also argue that using hooks is bad? Especially hooks with
a cutting point like Trokars?
A little education goes a long way....
J Francho reply :
Great post, @Darren.
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
@toni63your point is very well put, I like yours better than mine?.
Any way I have total of 3 grippers. One is metal one like boca grip which I use mainly for catfish. Second is 9" plastic gripper which I bought when I plan for strippers and big bass trip at diamond valley where I can sefely grip and release it without risking my finger with those treble hook. And Last my 6" plastic grip where i use mainly to just weight fish and will be used in kayak.
I even have one of those grip with small nail poke into fish mouth to hold it more firmly but I don't use that anymore since I found it too cruel.
A-Jay reply :
For me this comes down to priorities. And mine start with my own safety first and then for the safe handling of the fish.
That said, I feel confident that I'm taking reasonable care to handle & release the fish responsibly.
When landing a fish caught on a bait with treble hooks, after netting it in a Frabill Conservation series net, it's placed on a clean, food grade non-toxic silicone mat, I then use a Boga grip to hold / maintain control of the fish.
I choose to use a 'hemostat' type pliers to remove the hooks. This is a light wire tool that does not possess much in the way of grip, so care & finesse are required to back out the hooks. This ends up being a little easier on the fish, (and the hooks) as well as being safer for me.
This process keeps me away from the trebles mostly, and allows for minimal handling of the bass.
Beyond whatever damage the treble hooks inflicted, I have not ever noted additional injury or hardship to the fish as a result of this process. If there is any at all, I have to believe that it's fairly minimal and I'm perfectly willing to accept that.
YMMV
A-Jay
Steveo-1969 reply :
I only use fish grippers to weigh fish and that's not often as I find my "hand scale" gives me much more pleasing results! Electronic scale says *** pounds but "hand scale" says 3 pounder!!!! YAY!!!!!!
To the OP @Hooligan - are you saying that MLF is damaging/killing bass every time they weigh one? Hmmmmmm.......
Edited by Steveo-1969My "one point three" got ***
NYWayfarer reply :
On 5/17/2017 at 11:12 PM, A-Jay said:
When landing a fish caught on a bait with treble hooks, after netting it in a Frabill Conservation series net, it's placed on a clean, food grade non-toxic silicone mat, I then use a Boga grip to hold / maintain control of the fish.
That's the first thing I noticed when watching your videos. I started carrying one of these when fishing with my father-in law after that. Landing a fish on that mat has to be better than boat flipping them into a hot aluminum boat or boat carpet.
First time my Father in law saw the mat he thought I brought it to filet the fish on the boat.
NCbassraider reply :
On 5/17/2017 at 1:26 PM, Hooligan said:The issue that I see more than any other is people use grippers on the lower jaw, and the gripper then comes back under the fish, almost guarantees a dislocation.
I can't even begin to debate nonsense like this.
And I would love to see proof of all the dead fish you say are a "direct result" of fish grippers. And who performed the autopsies on all these fish that lead you to arrive at this conclusion? What a joke.
On 5/17/2017 at 11:14 PM, Steveo-1969 said:
To the OP @Hooligan - are you saying that MLF is damaging/killing bass every time they weigh one? Hmmmmmm.......
Yes, that's what he's saying.
Hooligan reply :
On 5/17/2017 at 10:38 PM, Choporoz said:If your true intent was to educate on the proper use, perhaps that would have been a better way to begin. I'm afraid that your OP comes off as a scolding, if not an insult, to all who do use them. I won't hesitate to land treble caught fish in my kayak with fish grips. In fact, the smaller the fish, the greater risk to me, IMO. I'm more likely to use them on a 14 incher caught on a DT6 than I am on a 5 pounder. The larger the mouth, the more room there is for error in lipping them.
Pardon my error, it isn't scolding, I just don't get landing fish with them, and using them on fish that are clearly not treble hook fish. I don't get it. Seems like an unnecessary extra step, as well as seeing improper use.
Hooligan reply :
On 5/17/2017 at 11:14 PM, Steveo-1969 said:
To the OP @Hooligan - are you saying that MLF is damaging/killing bass every time they weigh one? Hmmmmmm.......
You can infer what you like, however that is not what I said, nor what was intended. It's very well documented that vertical holds harm fish. It's very well documented that grippers have higher rates of injuries to fish, as well. Thats what I'm saying, nothing else implied.
Ajay- Thanks for your post. An example of great handling, and a tip I've used from you for as long as you'd told me about using the mat. Again, however, not an instance of what I was talking about with their use. Like I said, I under stand that aspect of it: I'll never understand landing a fish with them, horizontal holds with the grip placing pressure on the lower jaw, no using them on exceptionally small specimens...
QUAKEnSHAKE reply :
On 5/17/2017 at 5:59 PM, JustJames said:So what different holding a fish with thumb and plastic gripper in vertical position?
why don't you show us a proper way of using gripper for bass instead of bashing everyone.
May be because you catch too many giants so you don't care anymore, but to some of us it is an excitement and to weight and taking picture to be a memorable not tourney wanna be. Every once awhile I will open album and I can tell story of every fish I caught.
Thats just what he likes to do and does it often. His way is the best way PERIOD notice he likes do use that word. His way of thinking is the only way to think. He will tell you you are wrong but never shows proof to back up his claims, hasnt shown proof yet on this topic. He is very egotistical in his postings even before his hiatus he was like this so same ole same ole from him. The way he portrays himself in his posting speaks volumes over and above his denials. Thats a fact PERIOD.
toni63 reply :
On 5/18/2017 at 1:08 PM, Hooligan said:Pardon my error, it isn't scolding, I just don't get landing fish with them, and using them on fish that are clearly not treble hook fish. I don't get it. Seems like an unnecessary extra step, as well as seeing improper use.
The fish that buried that Trokar trailing hook through my finger wasn't a treble hooked fish. Single shaft steel hooks penetrate just as well as trebles, and a treble wouldn't have gone all the way through that digit like that. By the way, I play guitar, a lot, and an injury like that has the potential to do enough damage to end my guitar playing how I do it now for good. Now, I don't really want to lose one passion over an injury from another hobby.
On 5/18/2017 at 1:21 PM, Hooligan said:
It's very well documented that vertical holds harm fish. It's very well documented that grippers have higher rates of injuries to fish, as well. Thats what I'm saying, nothing else implied.
..............I'll never understand landing a fish with them, horizontal holds with the grip placing pressure on the lower jaw, no using them on exceptionally small specimens...
I'd be interested to read the studies that documented this. Please share.
And the fish that put that hook straight through my finger? That was no more than 10 inches, I doubt I could have even got my finger in its mouth and I was holding it with my hands to remove the spinner bait main hook that it ate. So, in these cases, size really doesn't matter.....
As far as what we are doing to the fish when we catch them at all, I did find this research, and it discusses mortality rates of caught and released bass. Apparently, if we are all going to get really serious about being mindful of the outcome for the LMB we catch, we oughta, at a minimum, stop using artfificial plastics on Carolina Rigs. Mortality rate within 72 hours? 28% dead.
So if this is really such a huge concern, maybe we all oughta just find another hobby, because we are killing a significant amount of the fish we are catching just by catching them at all.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1997-02-23/sports/9702230224_1_largemouth-lake-fork-bait
Darren. reply :
For interest of the conversation, the scientific study I know of was
done on bonefish.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165783608001781
If you read my earlier post, I use and will not stop using my Boga grips
when bass fishing. I often net the bass, then I use my grips to aid in
hook removal and weighing the bass, measure, take a pic, release.
And there's also this rebuttal to this very issue. The author disclaimer
is of note, he's a pro-staffer of Lucid Fishing which makes grips. But many
points he makes are good - the rebuttals start below the video on the page.
Fishes in trees reply :
I have a 30" long fish gripper that I got a number of years ago from BPS. Sadly that tool is discontinued/ no longer available/ . . . .whatever ..
Anyway, when I'm fishing by myself I find that it is easier to use the fish gripper than it is to take the time to deploy the net on any fish that I'm not going to just lift into the boat with my rod.
Hawkeye21 reply :
I find this debate to be as ridiculous as whether it's ok to keep bass for eating. Why do some feel the need to tell others how they have to fish or even do anything in life? Unless you are just making a polite recommendation and have facts to back up your claims then just keep it to yourself.
J Francho reply :
On 5/18/2017 at 8:35 PM, toni63 said:http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1997-02-23/sports/9702230224_1_largemouth-lake-fork-bait
This statement alone discredits everything in the article. Never mind it's 20 years old.
"Durocher explained that many deeply hooked fish were saved merely by clipping the line at the fish's mouth without trying to remove the hook. Strong body acids soon dissolved the hook, the wound healed and the fish got along fine. Of 17 fish hooked this way, nine survived."
That just isn't true, and the advice is wrong.
WRB reply :
I agree with the OP, learn how to handle bass properly and safely. MLF has popularized the use of fish grips to weigh bass and instant release, they are also trying to promote landing bass without bouncing off the boat carpet or use of landing nets.
I believe the fish grips should be replaced with a catch & release weigh bag designed to instant drain any water and not to cause any skin/slime coat damage.
Don't own a fish grip or a Boga grip type scale. I do own a knotless net to land bass with multiple treble hooks occasionally.
Tom
kickerfish1 reply :
I gaff all my bass!
NCbassraider reply :
On 5/18/2017 at 8:35 PM, toni63 said:
I'd be interested to read the studies that documented this. Please share.
I would love to see these studies as well.
Also would love to see documentation of the countless dead fish he has encountered and the proof that they were all killed by fish grippers.
Not holding my breath.
J Francho reply :
His rant was about the idiots that leave the gripper hanging from their jaw, or torque the jaw with it. No different than jaw-jacking that you see on TV all the time too. My other favorite is when guys shake the fish out of excitement. These goofs on YouTube are setting an example for their fans. They should step up.
Yeajray231 reply :
Ok... So what I've gathered from this thread is that
1. Holding fish vertically unsupported is bad for the bass.
2. Supporting the fish with both hands removes their protective slime coat , leaving the bass exposed to harmful bacteria and other things.
3. Hoisting the bass with the rod is harmful to the bass.
4. Using fish grippers is no better (and somehow worse?) Than holding the bass vertically unsupported
I've had my Cheech and Chong moments but I think some of you guys are a step above tree huggers . Sounds like some of ya shouldn't fish for bass at all. You should join PETA. That'll really stick it to those ungrateful ignorant bass fisherman.
J Francho reply :
1. No. Just don't torque the jaw.
2. Wet you hands and any surface the bass touches. Keep off the carpet. The slime coat isn't that delicate.
3. Not a little one.
4. Properly use, they are fine.
It's not that anyone is a tree hugger, it's that it shows a lack of respect, and sets a bad example for others - anglers and non anglers. Remember, what someone sees you do is being judged. All anyone can do is at least try to do their best.
WRB reply :
We are discussing fish lip grippers, not grippers that hold the fish by it's body.
Lip grippers that have a built in swivel gimbal allow the fish to flip around and twist, grippers that hold the bass by the lower jaw like those used by MLF have a swivel attached to the scale. When you grip a bass with a grippers by hand the fish tries to flop and twist, however the lower lip grippers is ridged can tear the thin lower jaw tissues and dislocate the jaw. You can't hold a bass tight enough by your fingers to tear through the jaw tissue, you can hold the bass incorrectly and dislocate the jaw. The vertical hold position is good, the gripper jaw damaging the basses mouth isn't good.
A lip grippers used to control the bass without damaging the bass like A-Jay clearly demonstrated is ideal use.
If your goal is to eat the bass you catch it doesn't matter how you handle it, put the fish on ice immediately.
Tom
Choporoz reply :
I like to think that I exercise considerable care when handling bass. I do, on occasion use Fish Grips when I believe I have a reasonable risk of getting trebled.
I sheepishly admit, however, that I do not exercise the same care when it comes to other species. I use Boga-type grips and jaw spreaders on catfish, snakeheads, pickerel and pike. And, I've been known to be much less patient when removing hooks from perch, shad and bluegill. I don't know where my two-facedness comes from....but, while slightly ashamed...I don't expect I'll change my behavior any time soon.
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
Soon enough this site will become Troutresource.com ? just saying.
J Francho reply :
Lol, please no @JustJames
Darren. reply :
On 5/19/2017 at 4:53 AM, JustJames said:Soon enough this site will become Troutresource.com ? just saying.
Or even panfishresource.com!
NCbassraider reply :
In conclusion, fish grippers are safer for the fish and the angler and this thread is absurd.
RMax reply :
Its better to use the grippers to reduce potential injury to the angler and the fish.
Also: Aye, a fellow Omaha-ian
J Francho reply :
On 5/19/2017 at 8:54 AM, Darren. said:
Or even panfishresource.com!
We'd be arguing over what color bucket makes them taste better, lol
toni63 reply :
On 5/19/2017 at 2:43 AM, Yeajray231 said:Sounds like some of ya shouldn't fish for bass at all.
Kinda what my initial response was. Considering all the other trauma we just put that thing through just catching it, it's a little much to start lecturing people on "you're hurting the bass!"
BassB8Caster reply :
On 5/19/2017 at 2:55 AM, J Francho said:
It's not that anyone is a tree hugger, it's that it shows a lack of respect, and sets a bad example for others - anglers and non anglers. Remember, what someone sees you do is being judged. All anyone can do is at least try to do their best.
With all due respect.....Isn't this part of the problem? Showing respect for the sport, for the fish needs to happen from the top. If there are people/companies promoting the sport they should be setting the example, no? Turn on any bassmaster tournament weigh in, you will see every fisherman hoist their one or 2 biggest fish up, holding by the jaw. Some get excited and move the fish around. That has got to be bad for the fish.
Then pay attention to how a high percentage of fish are landed, pulled up with the rod onto the deck of the boat. What sort of support/care is shown here?
The pros are supposed to be the idols aren't they? They are supposed to set the examples. They make a living off those fish, they of all people should show the utmost respect and care. I don't see that. Do you really think they are trying their best?
No personal attack here. I just strongly feel your comment hits at the exact moral of this thread. It should be about the best for the sport, the best for the fish. If the casual fisherman turns on a tournament and sees fish flung into a boat and waved around by their mouth, easy to "do what the pros do".
I personally use grippers for weighing fish only. Keep fish in a net until hooks are removed then carefully handle fish.
J Francho reply :
Pretty much what I'm saying @BassB8Caster
That casual fisherman is being watched by an outsider to the sport, or a kid.
BassB8Caster reply :
On 5/19/2017 at 10:40 PM, J Francho said:Pretty much what I'm saying @BassB8Caster
That casual fisherman is being watched by an outsider to the sport, or a kid.
Sure but the casual fisherman should be expected to be doing more things wrong. Pros need to be held to a higher standard. the amount of fish they handle vs an average fisherman isn't close. As a kid we look up to the pros, not the average fisherman. These things cannot be tolerated just because they are pros and help sell gear. Something is either right or wrong, regardless of who does it.
Anyway....back to the fish grips talk
J Francho reply :
I agree, it's a top down thing. MLF seems headed in the right direction with their rules on fish handling. Still not perfect, but there isn't a perfect answer. You can already see that with diversity in answers already about fish grips.
WRB reply :
The Elite Texas Bass Fest tournament is going on as I write this and is a catch & release B.A.S.S. event based on the MLF format of weigh and release. Better handling of bass being caught and weighed and brought to the stage is changing tournaments. You will see more and more use of fish lip grippers and weekend anglers using thier livewells less as time goes on. My guess is improved lip grippers will be developed, I would rather see better weigh bags being used and understand it's part of fishing to show off and hold up a catch.
Tom
BassB8Caster reply :
I agree. It's all about awareness. Worst thing we can follow is sweep an issue under the rug. I think that's what gives a forum like this so much power. Real issues can be discussed with every skill level all over the country (and world really). Change takes time. But it does no good to not allow criticism of pros. Without a healthy fish population there are no tournaments. No tournaments and pros wouldn't exist. I'm not a tournament fisherman but reading topics such as this heightens my awareness even more when I'm handling fish. And I'm sure it impacts others as well which in turn Translates into actions on the water. And that's exactly how it should work.
Hawkeye21 reply :
As long as the pros are making their living off of catching fish they are going to care more about getting that fish in the boat any way possible before they care about the life of that fish.
LxVE Bassin reply :
I refuse to touch catfish which I have caught while bass fishing on artificial lures so the lip grips come in handy for that. I use them to weigh bass over 3 pounds.
XF15-Loader reply :
Wow...OP, does seem a bit harsh.
Anyway, I purchased a Samson scale and the lip gripper Jr for weighing fish that appear to be at or near my PB. I've only used the scale a coupla times but both times I've wondered if I should be using the full sized grippers.
Of the fish I've weighed it seemed difficult to find an appropriate spot for the grippers. Does anyone have suggestions on where to clip it or possibly a good image of an appropriate use?
Thanks!
-J
scaleface reply :
A trip to the ER today to get two barbs out of my thumb . I'm going to get some grippers for "landing " bass with treble hooks in its mouth . What kind should I get ?
A-Jay reply :
On 6/23/2017 at 8:33 AM, scaleface said:A trip to the ER today to get two barbs out of my thumb . I'm going to get some grippers for "landing " bass with treble hooks in its mouth . What kind should I get ?
Sorry to hear that ~
Get what is comfortable in your hand and something that you can safely manipulate.
I go with this
A-Jay
NCbassraider reply :
On 6/23/2017 at 8:33 AM, scaleface said:A trip to the ER today to get two barbs out of my thumb . I'm going to get some grippers for "landing " bass with treble hooks in its mouth . What kind should I get ?
The Rapala for about $1 at BPS does the job just fine.
scaleface reply :
I ordered The Fish Grip .
cgolf reply :
On 5/17/2017 at 10:59 PM, Darren. said:I disagree with not using grips on bass. I use bogas and
will continue to do so. I teach my sons to properly use
them. On the flip side, here's an old pic I recently posted
of one of my boys holding a 4lb bass - his first drop shot
bass on first cast.
The (not boga) is dangling from the mouth. This is NOT
good, and an example, IMO, of improper use of the grip.
It was released immediately after the pic. He's 17 now,
doesn't hold like this anymore. Why didn't I fix it before
snapping the pic? We all learn.
But FWIW, you see that hole in its lip to the right, under
the eye? That was already there. This bass had been caught
before. Hooks make holes, sometimes gaping holes. So can
we also argue that using hooks is bad? Especially hooks with
a cutting point like Trokars?
A little education goes a long way....
Great post, and when I use my gripper, to protect myself from the hook and the fish from me touching it, I always hold the fish and gripper vertically by the lower lip. If the illustration above is correct I can't do any better.
To the OP leave the fish gripper out of the conversation, the people jaw jacking them with a gripper would do the same without! A lot of bass pros also hold fish improperly and swing the fish onto the carpet setting a bad example for everyone.
d-camarena reply :
Then we are gonna need a fish blanket to lay the fish, a fish swimsuit so we can put him in live well without getting any infections, a mini bass cpr kit and some bandaids for the hook scars. We all see things differently but i respect everyones opinions
cgolf reply :
On 6/23/2017 at 8:39 PM, d-camarena said:Then we are gonna need a fish blanket to lay the fish, a fish swimsuit so we can put him in live well without getting any infections, a mini bass cpr kit and some bandaids for the hook scars. We all see things differently but i respect everyones opinions
No not to that extreme, I just try to respect the fish and get it back into the water in a reasonable amount of time. I know for a fact that I have caught some fish multiple times. My first 20" smallie was a fish that I had tangled with 7 years earlier (it has recognizable markings). The whole point of CPR is to be able to catch the fish again as the get larger.
tander reply :
On 6/23/2017 at 5:08 PM, scaleface said:I ordered The Fish Grip .
That's what I use, works great. I mostly use it on the small fish that has been caught with treble hooks.
A-Jay reply :
On 6/23/2017 at 8:39 PM, d-camarena said:Then we are gonna need a fish blanket to lay the fish, a fish swimsuit so we can put him in live well without getting any infections, a mini bass cpr kit and some bandaids for the hook scars. We all see things differently but i respect everyones opinions
OK.
A-Jay
bigturtle reply :
I use the plastic fish grips all the time for bass
scaleface reply :
On 6/24/2017 at 7:58 AM, tander said:
That's what I use, works great. I mostly use it on the small fish that has been caught with treble hooks.
Ive landed thousands of little bass and never been stuck but it was inevitable . I dont even know how it happened . The fish had a hook in its throat with some line hanging out , I was looking down his mouth when I got hooked At first It was just one barb then he sunk the other in and was still thrashing about . Little booger .
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
I have read too many horror stories of fisherman got hook while trying to lip bass with bare hand but very rarely to none that fish killed from gripper. Anyone wanna make a poll?
tcbass reply :
On 5/24/2017 at 11:22 PM, LxVE Bassin said:I refuse to touch catfish which I have caught while bass fishing on artificial lures so the lip grips come in handy for that. I use them to weigh bass over 3 pounds.
Why?
LxVE Bassin reply :
On 6/25/2017 at 12:37 AM, tcbass said:
Why?
I would rather use my lip grippers to prevent myself from getting horned.
scaleface reply :
I used the Fish grips for the first time . They are big and clumsy but work well .I did notice tissue damage when I used the locking clamp , but most of the time I didnt have to lock down . On small bass my Leatherman is usually easier and faster .
Doelman reply :
I don't understand this argument, how is fish grips any worse than lipping a bass with your hand? Yeah, if you try to lift a big bass horizontal with a boga you're going to rip it's jaw off, but you would do the same with your hand. If anything I think it's better for the fish to use a boga, that way you won't drop it into the boat which is one of the worst things you can do to a fish. Don't even get me started with these idiots that drag fish onto the bank....
RB 77 reply :
On 5/19/2017 at 8:37 PM, J Francho said:
We'd be arguing over what color bucket makes them taste better, lol
Classic!
related Fishing Tackle topic
previous topic
© 2024 - fishing.qciss.net. All Rights Reserved.