I'd like others to chime in here please.
But I'll start with an observation and see what some more experienced fishermen think.

Once I get a hold of a big Pike with my lip grippers. I keep it's head underwater. My intent was mostly to let it breathe. But I'm finding it stays pretty calm too. Heard a remark once that SM will jump out of the water cause it's easier to shake it's head to spit things out. Theory is less resistance to throwing it's head in the air, than in the water.

Last fall some tripping members struggled with a large pike ~38". Holding it up out of the water and trying to control it. It twisted and shook itself till it's jaw ended up being broken. I was nearby in my solo, but in the excitement advise is hard to hear even if it's given. 1st big fish for the guy catching it and it took several fumbles, well it just wasn't very smooth. Everyone was sorry how it turned out.

Not much later I caught another ~38". Things went so much better and couldn't have been more different. Even though I was in a solo it was a nice safe release for both me and the fish. I had to use a spreader too. Also I had removed all but the back treble hooks from my lures.

The take away for me is just keeping the fish's head underwater as much as possible. Pike are pretty tired once you land them and only want to recover. It's a good time for me to calm myself and slowly go through the steps to release the fish and keep us both safe.

Pictures without the orange handle grippers are better IMO.

Grab the bottom gill cover near the front of the bottom lip, tight, away from the sharp gills.

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Here's a tip: Have your partner get the camera ready well ahead of time while you're fighting a big fish.

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Over the years, I have handled a number of large pike.  In my earlier years, I would net the pike, but then the pike would jump around and create a huge mess which took way too long to get the fish back into the water.  I tried a lip grabber after reading some of the reviews.  So my son and I are fishing and I catch a northern over 40 inches long.  My son gets the Berkley grabber on the fish and he goes to lift the fish into the canoe.  After he lifts the fish as high as he can, the fish's tail won't clear the canoe so he hesitates.  The fish flops and into the water it goes.  The northern was still on the lure so I started to bring the fish in again, but it got off.  This was good for the fish and the fish was unharmed so everything is good.  BUT I really would have liked a picture, length and weight.

I now just use my bare hands on large northerns.  I grab them by the back of the neck and get my hand under the gill covers.  If you don't get you fingers under the gill covers you won't be able to hold the fish when it flops.  Several of you are going to say that my hands will get all cut up.  Actually, I get very few cuts.  Last fall, I boated a 38 and a 36 inch northern, plus several over 30 inches. with no problem.  The biggest thing to do is make sure the northern is played out.  Not to the point of exhaustion, but tired.  You can check for the level of fatigue by touching the fish, if it isn't tired it will take off when you touch it.  When the fish doesn't respond to being touched, it is ready to be picked up.  It is also essential that you have the pliers and jaw spreaders right in front of you.  To measure the fish, I have a metal yard stick taped across the canoe for quick measuring.  This method won't work unless you have confidence you can do it and have a firm grip on the fish.  Sometimes you will lose the fish by playing it longer, but if you do the fish is released unharmed.
Westwood