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.