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 to view media files and links) might be a reasonable option for landing those trophies. Any thoughts?

Quote:


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

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

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.

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.

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 to view media files and links)

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

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

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

Quote:


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

(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) 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

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

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 to view media files and links)
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.

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

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

Quote:

Is (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) what you bought? It looks interesting.

KINGFISHER
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 .

Quote:


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

-aj

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?

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

Quote:


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

Quote:
...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

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.

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

butthead

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


Ditto. I think it would, too.

-ajaj

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

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

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


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.

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

$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

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.

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.

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

Yea man that fish was a beauty! 

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

Now if you have hands that can palm a basketball in 5th grade, then I guess you can grab them anyway you wish
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