Floating Plastic Fish Grips

[wellis1840]

I just started Kayaking fishing and wanted a lip gripper for pike. I do not like the look of the Rapala’s, and had a Berkley that jammed over and over again a couple of months after buy it (ended up chucking it). I wanted something else but in Ottawa those are basically ones options unless going to mail order. What I hate about mail order are the huge shipping charges. If getting something “exotic” from the States, duties and brokerage fees could end up being part of the purchase as well.

 

I found “The fish Grip” and I am sure many of you have already discovered them. For those who haven’t check out

 

http://www.nortonbrassrattler.com/Product_Fish_Grip.htm

 

Here is their description of the plastic grips:

* Over center locking - grip to lock, flip to open (like vise-grips)

* Unique jaw design - holds the lip of the fish

* Durable materials - plastic and stainless steel

* High viz color (orange, glow–in-the-dark-white, lime green, pink, blue) - easy to see, day or night

* Weight scale slot - attach to scale, deduct 5 oz.

* Wrist lanyard - in case it slips

* IT FLOATS

* 10 inches long

* Price $14.95

 

I read a number of reviews and it seemed to be a decent product. Will it land a trophy muskie, I do not know but this type of fish is something that I am not targeting….for now.

 

I decided that I would give this product a try. I contacted Norton Brass Rattlers in Mississippi and they immediately gave me a Canadian distributor to contact. The guy’s name is Barrie Welch and he lives in Keene Ontario. I contacted him Wednesday evening of last week and I had the grips that Friday morning from Canada Post. Can’t beat that! The Grips cost me $14.95 and $8.00 in stamps.

 

Went out yesterday to give the grips a test run. My first fish was a pike somewhere between 2 ½ and 3 feet long. The grips performed as advertised. Next was a nice smallie and I couldn’t bring myself to use grips on it. Lastly I landed a baby pike less that a foot long. No grips for him either. By the way the grips do float. I dropped them over board just to see what would happen.

 

If anyone is interested in plastic grips through a Canadian source, I have Barrie’s email address as well as his home phone and cell numbers. PM me if you would like any of those.

 

Cheers,

 

Bill

Edited September 12, 2010 by ELLIS

[Guest Johnny Bass]

I just started Kayaking fishing and wanted a lip gripper for pike. I do not like the look of the Rapala’s, and had a Berkley that jammed over and over again a couple of months after buy it (ended up chucking it). I wanted something else but in Ottawa those are basically ones options unless going to mail order. What I hate about mail order are the huge shipping charges. If getting something “exotic” from the States, duties and brokerage fees could end up being part of the purchase as well.

 

I found “The fish Grip” and I am sure many of you have already discovered them. For those who haven’t check out

 

http://www.nortonbrassrattler.com/Product_Fish_Grip.htm

 

Here is their description of the plastic grips:

* Over center locking - grip to lock, flip to open (like vise-grips)

* Unique jaw design - holds the lip of the fish

* Durable materials - plastic and stainless steel

* High viz color (orange, glow–in-the-dark-white, lime green, pink, blue) - easy to see, day or night

* Weight scale slot - attach to scale, deduct 5 oz.

* Wrist lanyard - in case it slips

* IT FLOATS

* 10 inches long

* Price $14.95

 

I read a number of reviews and it seemed to be a decent product. Will it land a trophy muskie, I do not know but this type of fish is something that I am not targeting….for now.

 

I decided that I would give this product a try. I contacted Norton Brass Rattlers in Mississippi and they immediately gave me a Canadian distributor to contact. The guy’s name is Barrie Welch and he lives in Keene Ontario. I contacted him Wednesday evening of last week and I had the grips that Friday morning from Canada Post. Can’t beat that! The Grips cost me $14.95 and $8.00 in stamps.

 

Went out yesterday to give the grips a test run. My first fish was a pike somewhere between 2 ½ and 3 feet long. The grips performed as advertised. Next was a nice smallie and I couldn’t bring myself to use grips on it. Lastly I landed a baby pike less that a foot long. No grips for him either. By the way the grips do float. I dropped them over board just to see what would happen.

 

If anyone is now interested in plastic grips through a Canadian source, I have Barrie’s email address as well as his home phone and cell numbers. PM me if you would like any of those.

 

Cheers,

 

Bill

 

Great little tool. The only change I think he should do is make the ends larger and more flat so it doesn't pierce the fish's mouth when it squirms and do damage.

[wellis1840]

Great little tool. The only change I think he should do is make the ends larger and more flat so it doesn't pierce the fish's mouth when it squirms and do damage.

 

To expand on “Johnny Bass’” point about the ends of the jaws…. and something I really like about the plastic grips but have not mentioned so far is the following point….. The part of the grip, on most of the metal grips, that actually touches the fish is only the width of the narrow jaws. Good chance of causing tears in the skin of the lower jaw. With the plastic grips, the part that touches the fish is a pad measuring 14mm by 7mm hence reducing the chance of causing a tear.

Edited September 17, 2010 by ELLIS

[Hud]

I use them a bit too when the hooks are in a bad place to slide my finger near the gill plate. The one thing I would say is that don't use them to support the weight of the fish but lift as well under the belly. It will help on the jaw tearing.

[fisherboy]

I just want to add that I am a happy user of the Fish Grip too. (I got it at Cabela's and asked my bro in the US to bring it back.) There is a hole on the handle that you can put your scale's hook in to weigh the fish. Of course then you have subtract the weight of the grip itself (just a few ounces). But I find that feature quite useful sometimes.