fish grippers

[Chet C]

my wife wants a pair a fish grippers, she has small hands, there are times when she catches a fish i see she has a hard time getting the fish, so i see there are a few different kind, anyone been down this road on pros and cons which is a good choice.

 

chet

[PhishLI]

The 6" version sounds like what you're looking for. I always have both sizes in the boat. The 6"ers can be a bit sketchy with a huge pickerel. I'd rather be farther away if they wig out.

https://www.rapala.com/rapala/fishing-tools/fish-grippers/floating-fish-gripper/Floating+Fish+Gripper.html

[Bigassbass]

Buy some fishing gloves ones made to pick up fish with and use your hands.  Those grippers hurt fish!  Most people are rough when they use those things you can break a fish's jaw.  Not humane and good to use IMO.

[NYWayfarer]

I recommend The Fish Grip Junior. Usually in a bright color so you can spot it real quick when you need it.

 

You can find it for under $15 on EBay.

 

 

[NHBull]

I use something like these for toothy critters

 

this

[ajschn06]

10 hours ago, Chet Cognigni said:

my wife wants a pair a fish grippers, she has small hands, there are times when she catches a fish i see she has a hard time getting the fish, so i see there are a few different kind, anyone been down this road on pros and cons which is a good choice.

 

chet

You don’t need fish grippers to hold a bass, regardless of hand size 

[scaleface]

I use a fish gripper for bass with treble hook lures in their mouths . I try to be careful with them but I dont want another hook in my hand . Like A-Jay once said "I value my safety more than that of the bass " or something like that .

[BrianMDTX]

Just now, scaleface said:

I use a fish gripper for bass with treble hook lures in their mouths . I try to be careful with them but I dont want another hook in my hand . Like A-Jay once said "I value my safety more than that of the bass " or something like that .

Agree with you there! They are also great when weighing bass vs using the scale hook. 

[Choporoz]

1 hour ago, Bigassbass said:

Buy some fishing gloves ones made to pick up fish with and use your hands.  Those grippers hurt fish!  Most people are rough when they use those things you can break a fish's jaw.  Not humane and good to use IMO.

I think gloves are a good answer for some.  But I respectfully disagree that fish grips are not humane.

 

OP, I like Fish Grips JR.  A great alternative is the KastKing brand that is bundled with a very good scale.

[MN Fisher]

I use the Rapala 6" and it's even handled 4#-5# Pike without an issue.

 

Another who disbelieves the 'grips hurt fish' statement...I haven't seen anything bad happening using them.

[CountryboyinDC]

I usually bring along some Fish Grips (regular size) when I'm fishing in snakehead or walleye territory (so far my hands are safe from the ravages of walleye) https://yakgear.com/product/fish-grips/?utm_term=&utm_campaign=YG+Shopping+-+All&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=6073396121&hsa_cam=10715409963&hsa_grp=106050225539&hsa_ad=453352827568&hsa_src=u&hsa_tgt=pla-293946777986&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5su24bKA7gIVlYpaBR3VNwmeEAQYAiABEgK91fD_BwE.

They also work well for bass if you need to set up a measuring board, phone, etc.  I just leave a carabiner tied to mine with a piece of 550 cord and tie that off to my anchor trolley.

[BrianMDTX]

2 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

I use the Rapala 6" and it's even handled 4#-5# Pike without an issue.

 

Another who disbelieves the 'grips hurt fish' statement...I haven't seen anything bad happening using them.

Well, it was almost bad when I almost had the gripper slip from my hand as I pulling the bass in the boat. It would have sucked to see a 4 lb’er swim off with my grippers. 

[Choporoz]

I always have mine tethered to my kayak.  Every bass that will be measured or photographed goes on the grips and back in the water while I ready my measuring board, phone, etc. 

 

The grips are used on every treble hooked fish even if there won't be pics or measurements.  They are also invaluable for handling big cats and snakehead....IF I can get their mouth open wide enough. 

[DomQ]

3 hours ago, BrianMDTX said:

Well, it was almost bad when I almost had the gripper slip from my hand as I pulling the bass in the boat. It would have sucked to see a 4 lb’er swim off with my grippers. 

I did that a couple months ago with an 8lb pike, the grippers were bright green and I could spot the exact location of the pike for a half hour after it slipped from my grip.

[schplurg]

10 hours ago, ajschn06 said:

You don’t need fish grippers to hold a bass, regardless of hand size 

 

Depends on who "you" is. The fish I have dropped will disagree. I think my tendinitis makes my grip weak sometimes, even though it doesn't feel that way. I've lost a fish while I'm switching hands too. 

 

If you're holding it tight with your fingers I don't see the difference. I also support it's belly most of the time and I never drop them that way. They don't shake hard in that position.

[GreenPig]

Tried most kinds and prefer the Ego Ultra Gripper for their ease of use.

[Bluebasser86]

17 hours ago, Bigassbass said:

Buy some fishing gloves ones made to pick up fish with and use your hands.  Those grippers hurt fish!  Most people are rough when they use those things you can break a fish's jaw.  Not humane and good to use IMO.

I think maybe you're talking about the metal grippers? They can certainly slice up a fish's mouth pretty badly and probably do some damage. The plastic grippers that clamp down behind the jawbone aren't doing any damage and it's way better than having someone drop them hard onto a boat deck to flop around.

 

I have some smaller Rapala grips that my wife and kids use when holding fish.

[Cgolf]

23 hours ago, Bigassbass said:

Buy some fishing gloves ones made to pick up fish with and use your hands.  Those grippers hurt fish!  Most people are rough when they use those things you can break a fish's jaw.  Not humane and good to use IMO.

 

Actually they are more humane, especially with fish like pike and trout that have a heavy slime coat protecting them. Trout are so slippery you need to hold them much too hard for my liking. As long as we hold them correctly, vertical, or support their bellies if holding horizontal, it is the same risk for injury as holding by hand. Actually could be less risk because if a fish thrashes, fish gripper has less chance of dropping the fish. The grippers I use hold them tight enough that they don't drop, but they don't lock them down when they thrash either. I have the rapala grip on my scale, but have yet to use it. I am a bit hesitant because that one really locks them down.

 

 Unfortunately too many pros do a disservice by how they hold bass after a catch and it is caught on coverage, many of them are guilty of this. Wish the tourney circuits would crack down on this and penalize them for it, and allow nets.

 

Back to the slime coat, I have definitely seen pike with infections where there slime coat was rubbed off and it looked to be to human handling. I do everything possible to protect the resource and have caught a few fish with specific markings a few times over a many year span, so I know I am doing something right.

[scaleface]

I have put a big hole in the bottom of a  basses mouth with a plastic  fish grip , I have to be careful with them . Its still preferable to getting trebels in my hand .

[Spankey]

I’ve been using the Rapala version without any problems. Was bought mainly for getting hooks out of toothy critter mouths or the occasional mouthful of crankbait hook from the soft  mouth catty. Could be wrong but I believe years ago I heard that musky don’t fair up well when you touch their bodies. So I try not to ever do that. Never hurt anything on a bass yet. Have only held a fish vertical to remove hooks or trebles. Makes weighing it easier. Grandkids like holding them that way for a few pics. Back in the water in quick time. The smaller version has handled some pretty big catfish. I have the bigger version but has barely been used. In hindsight I wouldn’t have bought it, but only $10.00 and a spare.