Lip Grips good or bad?

[rayke1938]

Came across this whilst researching my pet hate AKA as the ABT hold or swinging the fish around by the neck whilst taking photos.

Realist that there will be a difference between American species and over here but the evidence is pretty compelling that we should think twice about using lip grips if we intend to release a fish.

http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/articles/08.19.2009/2549/An.evaluation.of.the.injury.and.short-term.survival.of.bonefish.%28Albula.spp.%29.as.influenced.by.a.mechanical.lip-gripping.device.used.by.recreational.anglers/index.htm

Cheers

Ray

[Old Scaley]

Thanks for the info, Ray. Very interesting. Personally, I use grips to protect me, not the fish. Much easier to handle catfish and other nasties with lip grips. Fish that I want to release are usually dealt with differently depending on size and shape etc. Some fish seem a lot more resilient than others - bream and snapper seem to release pretty quickly and with no apparent effects, but others like threadies need a bit more care.

Unfortunately, inflicting pain and injury on fish is part and parcel of fishing. You do what you can to minimise it, but if people are really against injuring fish - don't go fishing and don't buy fish (not you personally, Ray - just a general statement).

[rayke1938]

there is definitely a use for them but they are not the magic tool that the manufactures claim.

Came across another USA thread where they promote the use of a gaff in the gills of bass over landing nets and lip grips.

Cheers

Ray

[ryanyoung]

I have recently changed over to riggers gloves for my cod fishing. I reckon lip grips are fine just to control the head and remove trebles, as long as you are supporting the body, however lip gripping a fish in order to land it without a net causes a bit of damage.

Ryan.

[tugger]

I dont own a set of grips I reckon all these new fangle things are makng you all soft :evil:

[elops]

Ridiculous things particularly the latest smaller type. In the yak land everything by hand comfort lift or glove if required, in the boat a large environet covers everything unless it is getting eaten then I have a gaff and a donger or spike. Find it hard very hard to take any "pro/sponsored/staff" et al seriously who pose for pics with the stupid things laugh out loud at bream being held with them.

Though I can understand people who don't have much experience handling fish using them.

[Binder]

Use them with the kids all the time. They do a great job. Certainly less damage to the fish than the kid dropping them 4 foot on to the boat floor.

[Dinodadog]

I caught 46 yellas one morning and ended up with my thumb in a brace for a few days, so now I use the lip grips for yellas, tandans and forkies.Bass use thumb grip and in the yak use landing net for all fish and then use lip grips while removing hooks and taking pics. As long as your lip grips are clean and no sharp edges and you are not waving the fish about I see no problems whatever. A lot better than you see in some pics where rusty old pliers are used on fish like bass. Like I have said before we all mishandle fish at sometime either in the catch or the release or in between but as long as we at least try to help the fish survive we shouldnt have to many problems with thier survival.

Dino

[zippyz]

I think they are ok for fish with big teeth as long as you support the fishes body weight with your hands. I hate seeing people hanging fish by their bottom jaw. Unless they are going to keep them.I certainly wouldn,t want to be hung by my bottom jaw.

[Manni79]

I dont own a set of grips I reckon all these new fangle things are makng you all soft :evil:

I don't think they make lip grips for massive Mackerel !!

[Manni79]

Lip grips are basically an extension of someones hand - they are great for controlling the fish to remove hooks, especially with some hard bodies that have 2 or 3 sets of trebles, a fish that gets a bit too exited in the boat could mean a hook in the finger whilst trying to remove them,

Also a lot of people like to photograph fish with lures still in their mouth, again the lip grip just keeps the fingers clear of the mouth and allows a bit of control over the fish whilst supporting the fish with the other hand.

If you're one to hold a fish by the mouth with no support with your fingers in its mouth or gills then you will probably do the same if you had a pair of lip grips, either way it pays be be educated on how to handle fish safely with or without them.

Hopefully the common sense approach should prevail and using this type of tool to better aid in the catch, photograph and release as oppose to swinging the fish around like a cat by the tail :S

[Tom156]

I think they have there time and place, but personally I don't like them. I hate seeing pictures of the grips going through a fishes mouth, especially on bass cause they have such a soft mouth. As well as people skull dragging a fish in using the grips and not supporting the fishes weight. Its just as easy to use a net as it protects you and especially the fish.

[darcy]

i reckon its just a convience thing because they sell heaps of them. I reckon its just easier to put a lip grip in your bag than lug around a net and i reckon they are more aimed at land based fishos who cant just have a net sitting in there boat. I have used them for jewfish but unless they have teeth just grab them.