Fish grippers on bass?

[RMax]

Its better to use the grippers to reduce potential injury to the angler and the fish.

 

Also: Aye, a fellow Omaha-ian

[J Francho]

11 hours ago, Darren. said:

 

Or even panfishresource.com!  

 

We'd be arguing over what color bucket makes them taste better, lol

 

 

 

[toni63]

17 hours ago, 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]

19 hours ago, 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]

Pretty much what I'm saying @BassB8Caster

 

That casual fisherman is being watched by an outsider to the sport, or a kid.

[BassB8Caster]

1 hour ago, 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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

4 minutes ago, 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]

3 hours ago, 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]

I ordered The Fish Grip .

[Cgolf]

On May 17, 2017 at 9:59 AM, 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]

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]

4 hours ago, 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]

14 hours ago, 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]

13 hours ago, 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]

I use the plastic fish grips all the time for bass

[scaleface]

11 hours ago, 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 .

[JustJames]

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]

On 5/24/2017 at 10:22 AM, 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?