Gripping Or Netting?....that Is The Question....

[B@ssCrzy]

I've been looking at getting a Boga Grip in order to be able to weigh fish, but also deal with some toothy critters.  However, in looking into them I have read about how gripper tools can damage and harm fish.  Both from the metal tearing and harming their lower jaw, but also from the way it causes them to be hung vertical causing damage to vital organs.  On the other hand it allows you to get the hooks out quickly without the fish flipping around and harming itself or you, and taking off their important slime coating.  So which is better using a net or a Boga Grip type device? I would appreciate your input.  Thanks Guys!!

[Dwight Hottle]

On erie I use a net then a boga to unhook multiple treble jerk baits. I have never seen any damage attributable to the use of a boga grip in salt water or fresh water. When fishing for toothy critters the boga can be very helpful for most fisher people.

[Darren.]

I use both when necessary. A Boga is on my wish list for sure. I have a knock-off right now that works great. Never seen damage to the fish. In fact, I think we do more damage when we lip grip and lift the fish to hold it horizontally, torquing the bottom jaw out of whack.

 

The grip will spin if the fish thrashes, too, minimizing damage.

 

Just my .02.

 

Toothy critters, a lip gripper is essential IMO.

[A-Jay]

The Net / boga combo approach noted above by Dwight is a very safe and effective method.

After seeing it in action, it's one I've adopted as well.   Keep in mind, we're talking about the 15lb Boga.  This is not meant for plus 15lb fish and is especially not for long fish like big pike and musky.  But for most of the bass us mortals routinely catch (Big O excluded) this works well.

 

Previously I used the boga to initially grasp / land the fish while it was still in the water. This usually required a couple of attempts while all the while playing chicken with triple treble hooks, as in the cast of a jerkbait.

 

 Scooping a fish with a face full of trebles in a net is pretty safe for all involved.  Then using the boga, grasp the fish with one hand while using pliers to remove the hooks.  This is a high percentage way of keeping your trips to the emergency room down to a minimum.  You can then lift the hook-less fish clear of the net,  get a quick weight, a photo if you like and then the release; with very little additional trauma to the fish.  The lure can then be extracted from the net Without the unpredictable complication of a wildly flopping bass involved in the process.  

 

I've only used a Boga, but there very well could be other models, with and without scales that would work well.

 

A-Jay

[Bankbeater]

I just lip them.  I carry too much stuff already.

[Phranchise1213]

Boga style grips work great especially when dealing with trebles. I have never seen any ill effects of using one. I would say using stringer style culling kits where you stab the metal through the fishes jaw does more damage than a boga grip and those are common tools in tournament fishing. The good thing about the real bogas is that they rotate 360 degrees thus doing less damage to a thrashing fish. To answer your question though, I use both, bigger fish I will net and then I use a boga when dealing with trebles.

[B@ssCrzy]

The Net / boga combo approach noted above by Dwight is a very safe and effective method.

After seeing it in action, it's one I've adopted as well.   Keep in mind, we're talking about the 15lb Boga.  This is not meant for plus 15lb fish and is especially not for long fish like big pike and musky.  But for most of the bass us mortals routinely catch (Big O excluded) this works well.

 

Previously I used the boga to initially grasp / land the fish while it was still in the water. This usually required a couple of attempts while all the while playing chicken with triple treble hooks, as in the cast of a jerkbait.

 

 Scooping a fish with a face full of trebles in a net is pretty safe for all involved.  Then using the boga, grasp the fish with one hand while using pliers to remove the hooks.  This is a high percentage way of keeping your trips to the emergency room down to a minimum.  You can then lift the hook-less fish clear of the net,  get a quick weight, a photo if you like and then the release; with very little additional trauma to the fish.  The lure can then be extracted from the net Without the unpredictable complication of a wildly flopping bass involved in the process.  

 

I've only used a Boga, but there very well could be other models, with and without scales that would work well.

 

A-Jay

So do you mean that for Pike and Musky you just use the Boga and not try and net them first? or you believe that the Boga will damage them and so you just use the net?

[A-Jay]

So do you mean that for Pike and Musky you just use the Boga and not try and net them first? or you believe that the Boga will damage them and so you just use the net?

 

I fish waters that are often full of overly co-operative pike.

 

The ONLY hooks that have ended up in me - started out hooked into a pike first - never a bass.

So I handle these fish carefully - every one.

 

For me, pike over say 30 inches or so, I don't mess around with the boga - they are just too big and even though the boga affords you a little distance between the hooks and your hand,  aside from the fishes brute strength and generally bad attitude, that length is such that I can't really get them high enough off the deck to handle them safely with a boga.   These fish go in the net and rarely come over the side into the boat.   I prefer to conduct all necessary hook removal procedures with the fish in the net.   As I fish from a canoe, there are times when it's best for the fish and I take a little trip to the shore where all of this can be conducted with the benefit of stable footing.  Once the fish is hook free - there might be a photo or two.

 

Smaller pike I can and do handle using a net/boga process mentioned

 

If you've never had a hook in your hand you might consider most of this as "excessive"  but if you have  . . . . . .

 

A-Jay

[SirSnookalot]

Bass I just flip them up, that said there aren't that many that go over 8 pounds and I'm doing it from shore which is easier to land them IMO.

From personal experience I would look for a net that had some rubberized griping on the handle, the aluminum handle can get pretty slippery.  I had about 30 or 40 # cobia swim off with my net because it slipped out of my hands, then broke my line.  Had we not been limited out I would have gaffed it.

[5fishlimit]

I lip my catches, too.

[B@ssCrzy]

Thanks everyone for your input.  Gives me some things to think about.  Really appreciate it.

[BassinB]

For smaller pike and musky (under30") the boga is a decent tool.. much bigger than that however and holding a fish in excess of 12lbs buy the gill or mouth will cause damage to them.  the only time I pull a fish like that out of the water is to snap a quick picture and then I make sure to support them horizontally.

[BradH]

if you want a cheaper option for toothy fish & gettin hooks out...The Fish Grip, like 13bucks, i never leave home without it =)

 

 

I have these and I love them.  I also always have a jaw spreader, small bolt cutter for hook cutting, an assortment of pliers, split ring pliers and a big landing net.  I've also had my share of hooks through the hand while dealing with a pike, even the little ones will spin like a crocodile ripping apart a gazelle, with a mouth full of teeth and hooks.  If I want to weigh the fish I hook the scale to the net.

[Dwight Hottle]

For smaller pike and musky (under30") the boga is a decent tool.. much bigger than that however and holding a fish in excess of 12lbs buy the gill or mouth will cause damage to them.  the only time I pull a fish like that out of the water is to snap a quick picture and then I make sure to support them horizontally.

 

 

Good point. For larger musky or pike you can still use a boga instead of grabbing them by the gill plate as long as you support them with your other hand under the belly. Just support the bigger ones horizontally.