I have mixed feelings about taking and using landing nets on canoe trips. So far I have never taken one and here's why. Generally, fish that I'm not going to eat or photogragh get released without entering the canoe. For the most part, only the largest fish need to be netted so you should take a pretty big net to do the job....bigger than I've been willing to tote along. When I've seen people with nets, usually they are much too small to safely contain a trophy fish. If you don't have a net that's large enough, you will harm the fish and make a successful release more doubtful. I realize that if you are not comfortable handling toothy fish a net is a good option, but do take one that's large enough.
I'm beginning to think that one of   (You need to Login or Register might be a reasonable option for landing those trophies. Any thoughts?

wrote on Feb 10^th, 2006 at 5:22am:

I'm beginning to think that one of   (You need to Login or Register might be a reasonable option for landing those trophies. Any thoughts?

I've taken something similar for the past 2 years ... maybe not quite as heavy duty as the one pictured, but the same general design.  The one I take also has an integrated scale built in.  It obviously packs small compared to a landing net. It is my opinion that it is less stressful on the fish (for catch and release), since it is possible to extract your hook without ever touching the fish.  (Plus, you don't have to extract your hook from the net.)

I'd recommend attaching it to your canoe with a longer lanyard of some kind.  Although I've not had it wrenched out of my hand yet, sometimes your grip on the handle can be a little awkward.  I'd hate to see this and a fish headed to the bottom because of an inopportune fish flop matched with a poor grip.

Of course ... it is going again this year.

dd

Quote:

I'm beginning to think that one of   (You need to Login or Register might be a reasonable option for landing those trophies. Any thoughts?

A BogaGrip is all I use in the Q.

I originally bought it for Steelhead and Salmon fishing on Lake Michigan tributaries. I carry it on a long loop of parachute cord around my neck...hangs down to below my waist...but I clip the Boga to my wader suspender strap to keep it out of the way as I fly fish. When I catch a fish I "grip" him...and then can let it swim in the current on the cord while I put my fly rod down...take the hook out...whatever.

They are awesome but make sure you buy an authentic Boga. Knockoffs from even reputable manufacturers (e.g. Rapala) aren't as good.  The key is the holding power of the grip. I've landed big fish (30+#) with my Boga and have never had one shake loose.

Plus, the Boga has a built in scale...kinda nice.

In the Q I keep it clipped to my tackle bag or thwart...until I need it to grip a monster waldo or laker ;D

If I wasn't a complete moron I would insert a picture here ....I'll work on it. (inserting a picture, that is; I don't have to work at being a moron).

Good Luck,

The Beaver

You guys are right on the mark with that tool!  

Tripper showed me his a couple years ago &, after watching him in action, I just had to have it.  Just as dd says, I often keep mine on a lanyard as it can easily get away from you.  An alternative is to twist the attached cord around your wrist; that approach seems to work well for me, too.  Besides, I prefer to keep the lanyard on my more expensive GPS.  Either one of those items is a goner if dropped.

I find the Bogagrip tool is easy to pack & does a good job of immobilizing & keeping "big toothy" away from fingers while I work with the needle nose pliers.  It has served me well in safely landing & releasing 20+ pound Northerns & Lake Trout.  It often allows you to release the fish quicker than you can with a net (due to hook, fin, & gill tangles).

I highly recommend its use & never bother with a net anymore, myself.

Jimbo   8)

Since the title of this thread is "landing nets", I felt it appropriate to have at least one post favoring them. I take a collapsable net with nylon mesh. It fits nicely under pack straps along one side of pack, for travel, weighs almost nothing, yet is big enough for any fish I've ever sees brought to canoe. I only use it on bigger fish, as I prefer to unhook & release without bringing fish onboard. ;) ;)

Quote:

I only use it on bigger fish, as I prefer to unhook & release without bringing fish onboard. ;) ;)

Agreed. And the Boga really shines here, too. No need to boat the fish if you don't want to.

One other advantage I like with the Boga-- unhooking fish, whether in the water or out, is fast and easy...with no hooks to tangle in the net.

And just as OS does with his net, I only use the Boga on bigger fish anyway. Waldos for the pan get personal attention, i.e. the grasp of my right hand.;D

To each his own...

The Beaver

Looks like a great idea for me.  

I bring a collapsible net like O_S does and yes it's plenty big, but I just HATE using it because of the hassle factor.  I'm very comfortable landing any big fish except a 15lb.+ pike by hand and if it gets away boatside (infrequent, but it happens) it's no big deal because I would have released it regardless.  I'm the opposite of some of you, almost the only time I do use my net is when I plan to invite a smaller fish to DINNER.  In that case, I'm taking no chances on losing the fish canoeside!!

This boga grip looks intriguing because I'd think if I owned one I could ditch the scale AND the hated net.  I'll still probably land a lot of fish by hand, but this should do nicely when I want a more secure option.

wrote on Feb 10^th, 2006 at 3:20pm:

Waldos for the pan get personal attention, i.e. the grasp of my right hand.;D To each his own... The Beaver

Hmmmm, I think I'm not going to touch this one at all.  Different strokes for different folks!!!   ;D  ;D

My brother and I take a musky cradle and find that it works absolutely wonderful for C&R of 10+ lb pike (we generally don't bother to net anything smaller).  The design is basically two 5' poles with maybe 3' of netting between them.  You guide the fish into the cradle, pull the poles together, then she is trapped.

I don't know how to insert a pic, so here is a link if you are interested to see what one looks like:  

  (You need to Login or Register

We have found that the cradle works absolutely awesome for C&R.  We've boated (from canoe) pike up to 45" and been able to release all of them with no damage.  Any of you guys that have seen a 10+ lb pike start flopping in the bottom of your canoe know that this is a bad thing for the fish, and dangerous thing for the fisherman (3 trebles being ripped violently around your legs and feet!).  With the cradle, I raise the fish out of the water and rest the handles perpendicular   to the canoe's axis on the canoe's gunwales.  The fish can flop all it wants and it receives no damage.  It's also easy to unhook for fish with the cradle sitting right in front of you.... almost like a table.

A fringle benefit is that it would double and a pretty descent stretcher if you ever needed it!  It's also pretty good for carrying 10 paddles across a portage.

In all of my trips since 1991, I have never seen another group that used a cradle.  This is probably because they are pretty useless/unnecessary for bass/walleye/trout, and only really useful for larger pike.

- Dave

  (You need to Login or Register is a picture of the Boga in action.

The Beaver

I'll have to say it looks intriguing. Then I saw the prices!!

Yikes!!  I'll keep my nets. Different strokes... 8) 8) 8)

They are expensive, but they do look pretty handy.  I think that I'd have to first lose a couple really big fish before I'd consider shelling out a $100+, though.

How much does a Boga grip weigh?

Quote:

How much does a Boga grip weigh?

There are at least two models. I have the one with the scale up to 30#. I don't know precisely what it weighs...maybe 2-3 pounds?

It's so compact and packs away easily compared to a net so I am happy to carry the extra weight.

The Beaver

i have used a small folding net with a telescopic handle for years now, it is great because i can extend the handle for landing fish if i'm on a rocky outcropping and can't get my hands on the fish.
it's only drawback is the net size which made landing big fish hard to do as they would get 2/3 in net and then get all tangled up >:( >:( >:(!
as a solo fisherman sometimes your trying to land/unhook a fish and steer at the same time  :-/ :-/!!
this year i bought a new item from Cabelas called "THE FISH GRIP".
it's a cheaper version of the more expensive tool you've been discussing.
it' made out of high impact plastic with stainless hinge pins.
it's sort of like a "visegrip" for fish, squeeze to lock on and flip handle to release.
it's a bright orange, so you shouldn't lose it, it FLOATS and has a WRIST strap as well.
it way's only 5 oz.
the BEST thing about it is the price, $ 9.99  ;D ;D ;D!!
it also has a notch in handle to attach a small scale to.
it's not the "precision" tool the other one is, but IMO it would do most any job that you would need on a trip.
if i works out like i think i'll note it in my may trip report :D :D.

  (You need to Login or Register is what I picked up.  Certainly not the precision instrument of the Boga, but if I loose a fish or two ... no big deal.  (BTW:  That has yet to happen to me).  I just put lip gripper (with extra lanyard added) on a scale ... 6 ounces!  So, if you loose one of the $10 versions, its not much worse than loosing a a couple of lures.

dd

wrote on Feb 10^th, 2006 at 5:22am:

When I've seen people with nets, usually they are much too small to safely contain a trophy fish.

I quit taking a collapsible Masters net after losing a partner's really nice monster pike a few years ago. We weren't fishing for northerns at the time, but hooked a volunteer. Since that day (which he keeps reminding me of) I have taken one of the inexpensive orange plastic clamp thingies with a curly-cue tether from BPS (probably the same as solotripper). I haven't lost a fish (while using the clamp to land) since. It doesn't seem to harm the fish, and helps keep the mouth open while disgorging the bait. Although it clamps and holds pretty tight, it hasn't been tested on a monster like the one I lost with the net. That day will come...

I also pack a yellow fishing pliers that is built along the same lines (lightweight plastic, floats). With the clamp, those are the only tools I have needed to get the fish in the canoe and the hook out of the fish.

-aj

a HUGE (so to speak) ROFLMAO Snowdog!!!!!  :)

Ok folks, I've changed the topic title. Thanks for all the great info. In the past my fish gripper was my hand in a leather glove but I really am concerned about the hooks coming loose at a bad time:(

I was surfing the net while the site was down  >:( and I found this article on the Ontario MRN site.
  (You need to Login or Register
In it they say that landing net 'may' cuase harm by damaging fins and removing the protective fish slime.  Research is ongoing...
I have normally used a net on some species, trout & walleye but for bass and pike I just grab the fish.  

I may consider a gripper if I could manage it easily enough.

good topic it made me think.

Thanks, DentonDoc!

I've always just grabbed fish by hand, sometimes with a glove. I too was intrigued by the Boga - until, like O_S, I saw the prices. Man, they sure are proud of that thing!

My other thoughts are:

1. Nylon nets are not good for fish, the rubber nets are somewhat better, but are still harmful (InFisherman did a study on this sometime back).

2. Only bass (small & large) have the jaw structure to allow them to be grabbed and handled by the lower jaw. No other fish besides bass should be handled by the lower lip. So if you do use a lip gripper, it's not going to be good for the fish to pick them up out of the water with it. Trout, pike, walleye and others should be supported under the midsection. I would think that using it to stabilize them, while in the water, would be okay though.

Ranger

has anyone tried [url=http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0025064&type=pod&cmCat=fishsaled_q106-home021706]these[ /url]

I noticed them on sale at Cabela's and they seemed like a low cost alternative.

Ok, so just how do you add a link??

wrote on Feb 21^st, 2006 at 4:09am:

has anyone tried   (You need to Login or Register I noticed them on sale at Cabela's and they seemed like a low cost alternative.

  (You need to Login or Register

Take the space out after the bracket.

dd

wrote on Feb 10^th, 2006 at 9:39pm:

this year i bought a new item from Cabelas called "THE FISH GRIP". it's a cheaper version of the more expensive tool you've been discussing. it' made out of high impact plastic with stainless hinge pins. it's sort of like a "visegrip" for fish, squeeze to lock on and flip handle to release. it's a bright orange, so you shouldn't lose it, it FLOATS and has a WRIST strap as well. it way's only 5 oz. the BEST thing about it is the price, $ 9.99  ;D ;D ;D!! it also has a notch in handle to attach a small scale to. it's not the "precision" tool the other one is, but IMO it would do most any job that you would need on a trip. if i works out like i think i'll note it in my may trip report :D :D.

Is   (You need to Login or Register what you bought? It looks interesting.

Thanks DD!

has anyone tried   (You need to Login or Register  

I noticed them on sale at Cabela's and they seem like a low cost alternative.

KINGFISHER ;D
I JUST GOT ONE OF THOSE FISH GRIPS I METIONED IN ARTICLE.
I THINK YOU WOULD BE IMPRESSED??
THERE EASY TO OPERATE, SEEM TO BE WELL MADE AND FOR $10 BUCKS THEY WOULD BE HARD TO BEAT??
THERE A BRIGHT ORANGE AND FLOAT AND LOCK CLOSED SO YOU COULD HOOK TO JUST ABOUT ANYTHING.
I READ THE POST ABOUT ONLY BASS HAVE JAW STRUCTURE TO TOLERATE HANGING OUT OF WATER SO I'LL KEEP THAT IN MIND!!
BEING ABLE TO HOOK THE JAW OF A BIG PIKE OR ANY FISH YOU WANT TO RELEASE AND HAVING THE OTHER HAND FREE TO GET THE "BARBLESS HOOK OUT, I HOPE" WOULD BE GREAT!!
IT WOULD BETTER FOR FISH AND SAFER FOR YOU RATHER THAN TRYING TO HOLD ON TO BIG FISH FLOPPING AROUND BOTTOM OF CANOE OR TANGLED IN NET?
FOR THE MONEY IT'S WORTH A TRY IN MY BOOK ;D.

note to the_beaver concerning the "boga in action photo"

dunno if you ate the fish but for a photo op only you should never support the fish by only the jaw.  i think that position by itself would have done more harm to the fish than netting it.  Jan

wrote on Feb 21^st, 2006 at 10:47am:

Is   (You need to Login or Register what you bought? It looks interesting.

That is what I have used for a few years. It works surprisingly well and weighs practically nothing.

-aj

I just use a landing net with a telescoping handle--reaches out quite a ways. The netting is rubber-tangle free. I used to hand grab them, but once they are in the boat one occasionally gets loose if ya know what I mean--not good for the fish or me then. Most of the time I try to release them while they are still in the water.

The telescoping Feature is nice when I am with my wife--she is good at hooking/catching them, but not very good at unhooking them--I'll gladly do that, but with the canoe being 18'5"  long I need to reach out and get that fish for her. The net straps on to the canoe while in transit.

Some of the devices mentioned seem worth a second look.

Tim

When landing a 10 pound walleye...........is the clinching apparatus of the boga grip large enough to give confidence when grasping and securing the fish?

I haven't caught a walleye of THAT size since owning the Boga Grip (last couple years).  Perhaps there are some mouth-structure issues peculiar to walleyes that I am unfamiliar with (walleyes are largely unfamiliar with ME as I seldom catch them).  Nevertheless, I have personally handled 20+ northerns & lake trout with the Boga (short version, too) & w/o issue.  The fish swam off happily.

I'm not saying Bogas the best thing since sliced bread or anything.  Nor would I say they are better than some other devices... especially the cradle.  What I do say is that they are handy, compact, & effective for most of my uses in the park.  Also, I must have gotten a superior deal on my Boga a couple years back.  I'm sure we didn't pay half of what folks are saying they cost now.

Anyhow, my guess is that the Boga would handle your 10 pound walleye well enough.

I only hope I can say the same for MY 10 pound walleye after this summer's trip.

Jimbo   8)

Hey Jimbo, how about my 12 lb walleye? Do you think it would work?  ;)

OS -

Hmmm...

OS, I figure a 12 pounder in your world runs about the same size as a 10 pounder for the rest of us... maybe with some to spare.

The short answer? "Yes."

Jimbo   8)

Quote:

When landing a 10 pound walleye...........is the clinching apparatus of the boga grip large enough to give confidence when grasping and securing the fish?

Yes. The largest fish I've landed with the Boga was a 30+ pound King Salmon. Certainly could handle a puny 10# 'eye.

I also respectfully disagree with Jimbo: the Boga is better than sliced bread. Never been a fan of a bread you don't carve up yourself.

Here is the best thing about bogas...the fish is secure but you can allow it to stay in the water...swimming around.

It's better for the fish. It's better for you. The grip is rock solid. It's compact. Crap. This has turned into something that sounds like a shameless endorsement....like a Hair Club For Men commercial.

The (hairy) Beaver

"It slices, it dices, & it's just great on those hideous but previously elusive protruding nose hairs that you've always wanted to pull.  You can now yank away with asssurance.  Boga Grip by Ronco."

Jimbo   8)

Quote:

"It slices, it dices, & it's just great on those hideous but previously elusive protruding nose hairs that you've always wanted to pull.  You can now yank away with asssurance.  Boga Grip by Ronco." Jimbo   8)

...change blades and give your son a haircut...and boy does it catch fish!...but wait...order now and you receive our recipe file for free....if not completely satisfied return for a complete refund....but keep the recipe file as our gift...

I am not only the owner, I am a client,

The Beaver

Can I use it for a potgrabber too?

With the optional extension handle, can I use it to "goose" Old_Salt up in the bow while he's tying on expensive lures or unhooking pike?  ;D

I must admit to being a little disappointed.

Here I thought that I was over-geared in the BW, and you guys are coming out with gear that I had never heard of before.  My tackle box is pretty full, but it can't be considered complete without one of those $100 fish grabbers.  And if it would double as a pot grabber/skillet holder, it would save me the weight of a vise-grips.  On second thought, maybe the vise-grips will do the job of getting a bite on the fish, so it doesn't get the bite on me, and I could save the $100 expense.  Just need to loop about 6 foot of parachute cord to it so it doesn't end up on the bottom of Knife Lake.

The other reason I'm disappointed is the whole idea of  "sure landing  a hooked fish."  Getting dinner into the boat is half....sometimes more than half the excitement.  Several times we've paddled to shore to beach the toothy leviathan rather than risk tipping,losing, or getting gnawed by it.  I still smile when I think of my buddy doing the Northern Pike Jig.  Strange how they can seem so docile and played out in the water and can get a second wind the moment they are fully out of the water.  A true dance-of-death.

We still land them by hand.  

I did have a big Northern up to the canoe once while fishing with my dad.  Having lost a laker earlier, he looked at it and said, "You're going to have to land that fish."  I said...OK.  The fish jumped into the canoe...with a little encouragement from me.  I don't think my dad thought of me as anything other than a fishing pro from that moment on.  No $100 fish grabber could have given 1/10th the satisfaction as landing that monster without a net.

Sometimes one of the guys will bring a net, but after they catch a Northern in the net, and spend the next hour working it out of the mesh, they look at their net as a poor substitute for experience in landing them by hand.  Besides....like I said earlier......bringing a nice fish into the boat by hand is VERY exciting!  If it wasn't dangerous, it wouldn't be near as much fun.

I haven't given up on fish grippers, but I have given up on this one:

  (You need to Login or Register`n%20Weigh&category=ProGuide%20Lock%20`n%20Weigh%20Series

I got it on sale last summer before my Q trip and brought it along.  My expectations were not all that high and yet this still managed to come in far beneath them.  On a sacale of 1 to 10 I rank it a 0 (zero).  Other than the fact that it was incredibly clumsy to try to hold the jaws in the open position long enough to lip the fish with it, it also completely failed to adequately grip any fish over 2#.

After the 3rd attempt at using it, I threw it in the bottom of my personal pack.  When I got home, it went straight into the trash because I could not in good conscience even give it away to some poor unsuspecting sap.

This year, maybe I'll spring for the Boga, or just keep lip-landing my walleyes, trout, and pike like before.   ::)

The Rapala fish gripper worked for me!
Pike on Adams last Sept.

butthead

---

SD, before you spend the BIG $$$ on the BOGA(nothing against it), try the fish gripper from Cabelas!!
I think you would be pleasantly surprised??
its all high strength plastic, except for stainless hinge pins.
it floats and is a bright neon orange, so you won't leave it anywhere.
the best thing is its only 9.99!!!
It doesn't have a scale and might not hold a huge fish(i think it would)but for the money, its pretty hard to beat??
it also has a wrist lanyard on it.
For the money, I don't see how you can go wrong???

solotripper wrote on Jan 23^rd, 2007 at 11:34pm:

...might not hold a huge fish(i think it would)...

Ditto. I think it would, too.

-ajaj

Here is the Cabela's fish gripper in action:
  (You need to Login or Register   (You need to Login or Register

Kingfisher,
you should send that pic to Cabelas??
Doesn't get much better than that!!!
I'm glad others think its a good value.
I'm thinking any toothy critter that it couldn't handle, I don't want in the canoe anyway ;)

solotripper wrote on Jan 24^th, 2007 at 10:19pm:

Kingfisher, you should send that pic to Cabelas??

The real credit goes to Yellowbird who did a great job with the camera during our trip last summer.

I'm a Boga fan. Originally used it for river Steelhead fishing here in Wisconsin. The holding power has never let me down. I keep it on a long lanyard around my neck and the fish stays in the water. Built in scale is accurate, too. Very durable and well-made.

My Boga goes with me to the Q, now.

Never used the Cabela's grip but sounds like others like it fine.
Whatever works for you, as they say.

The Beaver

I looked at the cabela's floating gripper thing at cabela's last year - they seemed kinda flimsy - thin shelled hollow plastic, pretty flexible in the handle.

How do they hold up? l

Mister_Bubble wrote on Jan 25^th, 2007 at 9:35pm:

How do they hold up? l

What attracted me to this gripper was the ultralight weight and the fact that it floats. The price is a bonus.
As far as durability; I've only used it for 2-10 day trips and landed maybe 25 fish with it. I use it only for the larger fish that I intend to photograph or fish that I have trouble unhooking at the side of the canoe that I want to release. I use it on a 10' leash tied to the center thwart so it can be used in the stern as well as the bow. So far it has alot of teeth marks but does not seem anywhere near the end of its life. The biggest fish I've landed with it is a 15lb lake trout. It will be going with me on trips in the future.

At $10 a pop, even if it lasted 1 or 2 trips, you could still buy a dozen for the price of a Boga Grip!
There's no comparing the quality, one's a Mercedes and one's a Cavalier, but if your just trying to get a occasional large or toothy critter under control, I think it will last quite awhile?
If I was fishing for Steelhead, especially in moving water then it wouldn't be a contest, I'd want the Mercedes ;) ;)

Gosh, I'm late jumping in this thread. Some good thoughts and I'm not going to elaborate. Yet, I think the "grippers," even the really good ones like Boga, are hard on fish and heavy.

In Quetico, I've landed 15-pound lakers, 18-pound pike, 12-pound walleyes, 6-pound smallies by hand. (And I don't lip the pike or walleyes). Some who do not know me (maybe those who do as well) will think I'm just bragging, but I've got pictures as well.

Bottom line, grabbers and nets are simply one more thing to carry.

Tim

I whiffed on which fish gripper I used and threw away.  I had looked at 2 of them, and remembered the wrong one.   :-[  Might have been easier to remember what I used if I hadn't thrown it out as fast as I possibly could.

So, my apologies to the fine folks at Rapala, I have no idea whether their product is any good or not, but it sounds as if others have had good results with it.

Berkley should have been the object of my displeasure with this waste of raw materials (Pocket Lip Grip):

  (You need to Login or Register

My reasoning behind the purchase was that if a $9.99 plastic gripper could handle some nice fish, this one should do at least as well.

Nice theory, but it didn't hold up (literally).

Sorry for any confusion.   :-[ :-[

$10 dollar gripper from cabelas's.   it has my vote.  the good old boy who came up with it (somewhere down south) obviously lipped alot of cats with it before he marketed it.  i think its an efficient design, it floats...and its cheap!  its worked well for me (i prefer to keep the beasts OUT of the canoe.  sure...it has kmart written all over it (appearances), but it works!  hell, save the $110 of what yould shell out for a Boga and spend it on more important stuff!  like .....qty.3,  2 piece berkley lightening rods....perhaps?  oh yeah....thats just cheap old me talking....i somehow still manage to trip with an antiquated, monsterously heavy, old town penobscot, 16 ft., 58 unGodly pounds!   how could i possibly do the bw without kevlar?  somehow i do. (a jab)
:)  Jan

Ancient discussion I know, but I thought I'd share another landing option that works very well. It's called a "Fish Handler Glove" and it's made by Lindy. Not sure what the material is made of, but it's extremely effective for grabbing all species of fish........even slippery lakers. The only drawback is with large fish that you can't grab behind the head, however, those fish they can still be "tailed" quite easily. They also protect your hands from dorsel fins and sharp gill plates and work exceptionally well when catching & releasing numbers of walleye. They cost about $20 and we use them to land 90% of the fish we catch. My partner and I each carry a large, left hand glove at all times as it eliminates having to toss a lip gripping tool (or net) back and forth in the canoe. Won't leave home without it.

I have been leery of landing fish, especially northerns, ever since I reached down with a pair of channel locks to remove a magnum rapala (the kind with the metal lips and big hooks) from a 26" hammerhandle and that buggar jumped and deposited the forward hook all the way through my palm. Fortunately the fish got off or it would of been a real mess. I was also lucky it went all the way through and triple lucky I didn't drop the channel locks because that's what I used to crimp the barb down. I got off rather lightly.

I picked up one of those Lindy gloves but I am trying to figure out how to get it on while I have a fish on the line. I would like to employ it on this summers solo but it seems awkward at best as you need the other hand to put it on. You know, the hand that is holding the rod with the angry fish on the end. I can't picture it.

Granted, slightly awkward, but I can honestly say we've never lost a fish boatside as a result of sliding on the glove. The newer version has a velcro tab and is slightly more constricted around the wrist, but the original version can actually be slipped on while it's laying on the bottom of the canoe. Even with the new model, while holding the rod with your right hand, we use the left hand to position the glove between the right hand thumb and the rod butt, then simply slip the left hand in.  Keep in mind, most fish are somewhat wore down at boatside. Besides, I don't like boating any fish that's still "green" as they're more prone to getting injured.....especially in a net. Considering you have one of these gloves I'd highly encourage you to give it a try this year. I also take a Boga that we occasionally use to land and/or weigh large lakers & pike, but almost all walleye, pike and lakers are landed with the glove. Smallies are typically lipped. I think the best attribute is that you don't have to manuever the fish boatside to get a shot at an open mouth for the lip gripper. If you can touch it, you got it.

i use pretty light tackle and tend to fight the fish longer than most people. although this might wear out fish a bit, what is the point of fishing if you are just going to winch them in with heavy line? the most exciting part of the fish catching experience is fighting a fish. why do you think largemouth bass are the top game fish? they fight really well!

with that said, i never ever ever boat a green fish. its dangerous for me and dangerous for the fish. because i only boat fish after a bit of a fight, i go gloveless and grab them with my bare hands. i grab right at the back of the gill plates where there is a bit of hollow area before the meaty part of the back starts. i grab bass by the lip. barehanded makes me feel manly. and what is better than a roughed up thumb because youve been catching fish all day? nothing i can think of. occasionally you will lose a fish with this method (i lost a walleye in the 30-35" range due to a slippage of grip), but thats life and you move on.

There is a little something to be said for fighting fish with heavier line and that is you get to feel how strong they are. You can actually put a little weight on them and can feel the power. I like doing that with carp and I also like having a 50+ lb amberjack on with 80lb mono. Serious fun once you get past the bruising part.

The largest walleye I have ever hooked hit around noon in 15ft of water in the St. Clair river and clobbered a grandma musky lure. At least 12lbs it bounced off a salt water gaff twice before coming unglued. That is some tough scales as this was a serious gaff. I wished I'd had a net. Probably better it got off...........the meat would likely of been as tough as well. What a fish.

Once in a while a fish comes along where your hand is not going to span the distance across the back and under the gills. Or maybe you just barely get a grip and he thrashes free. I'm pretty much sold on the boga. I had actually thought to use the glove in conjunction with the boga. I'm thinking one of the biggest threats to my trip is a tore up hand. Fish day after day and hour after hour and sooner or later there is likely to be a close call especially with so many northerns around. Wear a big plug one time and you get a little careful.

If you want to be REAL manly, lip your walleyes and NP with your bare hand  ;) :o

mastertangler wrote on Apr 27^th, 2011 at 8:44pm:

Once in a while a fish comes along where your hand is not going to span the distance across the back and under the gills.

lucky for my i was blessed with some monster hands. i could palm a basketball in 5th grade. this spring i grabbed a 44.5 inch muskie bare handed. i dont think i will come across something bigger than that because i only fish freshwater.

Yea man that fish was a beauty!  [smiley=thumbup.gif] [smiley=thumbup.gif] [smiley=thumbup.gif]

jaximus wrote on Apr 27^th, 2011 at 8:15pm:

i use pretty light tackle and tend to fight the fish longer than most people. although this might wear out fish a bit, what is the point of fishing if you are just going to winch them in with heavy line? the most exciting part of the fish catching experience is fighting a fish. why do you think largemouth bass are the top game fish? they fight really well! with that said, i never ever ever boat a green fish. its dangerous for me and dangerous for the fish. because i only boat fish after a bit of a fight, i go gloveless and grab them with my bare hands. i grab right at the back of the gill plates where there is a bit of hollow area before the meaty part of the back starts. i grab bass by the lip. barehanded makes me feel manly. and what is better than a roughed up thumb because youve been catching fish all day? nothing i can think of. occasionally you will lose a fish with this method (i lost a walleye in the 30-35" range due to a slippage of grip), but thats life and you move on.

I enjoy light tackle fishing as much as anyone else, but I also believe in using appropriate tackle for the fish you're after. Several years ago I landed a 44" northern on 8# test while casting for smallies, but I would have felt much more confident if I'd hooked em' on my pike rig. This was especially true while he was thrashing around behind the canoe while being blown across the bay by heavy winds. Another situation would be lakers in warmer water where the stress of a long fight on light tackle could lead to death.
I've landed hundreds of fish by hand and don't mind a "roughed up thumb" from lipping bass, but I can't say the same for a deep slice from a walleyes gill plate. You know the kind....just when they start to heal they split open again and never heal until you get home.
And personally, I hate losing big fish! I would consider it more "manly" to land a 10lb.+ walleye like the one noted above than losing it because of "slippage".  :)  That's just me.

I think there's even more important consideration back country paddlers should be considering than if their fishing handling is " manly" or not ::)

On a Q trip, last thing you need is an infection in your hand/fingers from a lure/gill plate or toothy critter. Even if you dress it properly and disinfect, your always using your hands. Paddling/fishing/camp chores.
The risk of serious infection is there and shouldn't be treated lightly.

I'm a fan of the cheap orange grips, but any way you use that takes in account the possible consequences is better than tearing your hands up and calling it manly ;D

Now if you have hands that can palm a basketball in 5th grade, then I guess you can grab them anyway you wish :o
For the rest of us mere mortals, I think avoiding anything that can injure ourselves and possibly cause issues is the smart if not " manly" way to go ;)