Lip Grippers

[mike rousseau]

Hey gang

 

So I usually get 10+ musky a year by accident while fishing for walleye and believe it or not some of the biggest musky I've ever seen have fallen to a walleye crank

 

Anyways... hand bombing musky up to and over 50" is a challenge to say the least...

 

My dad has a boga grip that is nice and compact and can easily be stored in the boat at all times... however the boga grips are stupid expensive

 

Anyone ever use the rapala or Berkeley knock offs?

More importantly on bigger fish?

 

Let me know what you think of these cheaper alternatives

 

And to be clear I do target musky and I do handle them properly... this is for the accidental fish I can't plan for

 

Thanks

[Gnote]

Cant say ive used one on skis but i do use them on chinnies up over 30 lbs, i mostly use them to hold them over the boat to revive them but it does help a bit with control.

I think mine are the berkely ones, they have held up so far.

[landry]

The cheaper ones I bought broke. Can't remember brand.

I love my boga I don't lift fish with it but I use it to control its head when in net and unhooking. It was worth the money IMO but I got hooked REALLY bad once so I bought it tighte after that.

[mike rousseau]

Yeah I don't want to lift the fish by the gripper

 

Just get a lock on it so I can control the fish and get a better grip on her and not have her break me off with a lure stuck in her face

 

Had to hand bomb a 55" the other day and a 56" earlier this year.... not an easy task

[Old Ironmaker]

I'm trying to get to bed because we are heading to Lake St. Clare early for Musky. The first time ever going for them specifically on my own. I hope I need a grabber tomorrow. Nice problem to have Mike. If I see a 50" fish I'm going over board to grab it like Tarzan.

[Freshtrax]

I use the ones from Canadian tire on big lake o salmon to revive fish dragging behind the boat for a few min . once the water warms up. No issues yet only had them for one season.

[irishfield]

Why I love my folding 'ski net, no matter what I'm fishing for it's always in the boat and only takes 10 seconds to get it out and ready to scoop.

[chris.brock]

 

funny, I stumbled across this picture just today, hahaha

 

 

 

you don't have a spot to stow a cradle even while you're walleye fishing? especially since you're fluking into quite a few big skis?

[porkpie]

I have the Berkly one. It works pretty good, used it on quite a few big chinooks.

[John Bacon]

funny, I stumbled across this picture just today, hahaha

 

 

 

you don't have a spot to stow a cradle even while you're walleye fishing? especially since you're fluking into quite a few big skis?

 

That's a funny looking "ski"

[Dutch01]

I have the Berkeley gripper with the attached tape measure. It worked great the first year, second year the tape measure rusted through and broke off.

 

The gripper still works great though. Just don't bother with the attached tape.....

[jimmer]

I had one of those made by Matsu (?), it broke very quickly. The pins that hold it all together jamb and it actually did that when I had it on a muskie and I was alone. That was quite the ordeal, but I was able to get it off and the muskie revived fine.

Stick with the best on the market and you will only have to buy it once. The long handled one is the best even though a little costly.

I should have taken this advice. LOL

[Dutch01]

Here's the Berkeley gripper holding up to a 42" muskie I caught on Balsam this spring.

 

 

That fish went crazy too, my hand would have been mulch if I have been "bare handing" it.

Edited October 19, 2016 by Dutch01

[Musky Plug]

X2 on the Berkeley gripper. Worked fine for me too. Also I sometimes use it to hold the fish's head up

( while it's in the basket ) while I unhook it. I've seen other people get hooks in their hands and it isn't pretty.

[singingdog]

I have the rapala gripper, and it has been great...used hard,put away wet, still works fine after 10 years

[NANUK]

Other than Boga grip,

Evolution Gorilla Grippers are probably the 2nd best in my opinion for handling large fish like musky or king salmon. They have a built in scale and swivel like Boga.

They are sold @ BPS for around $60 Cdn,

Make sure you snug the lanyard around your wrist or have the Grippers on a leash before handling a fish. ?

Edited October 19, 2016 by stonefish

[lew]

If your gonna use a gripper to control a big fish close to the boat Mike, try and get one that swivels rather than a solid one. If the solid one is locked onto her jaw and she starts to thrash...which she will... there's every chance you could snap her jaw bone whereas the swivel should just spin without hurting her.

 

Same as holding a fish up with a solid gripper, all sorts of bad things can happen to her when she tries to break loose.

[mike rousseau]

funny, I stumbled across this picture just today, hahaha

 

 

 

you don't have a spot to stow a cradle even while you're walleye fishing? especially since you're fluking into quite a few big skis?

I do but cradles are terrible when alone in the boat

[mike rousseau]

Why I love my folding 'ski net, no matter what I'm fishing for it's always in the boat and only takes 10 seconds to get it out and ready to scoop.

With a 16' aluminum I dint have a lot of room for something that big in my boat when I'm not planning to use it

 

When I'm targeting the big girls I don't mind a net taking up spece

[mike rousseau]

After getting some input and doing research it looks like Baker brand stainless steel grip n weigh is next in line after a Boga grips

 

And they swivel

 

18"

 

Regular price is about $70 USD

 

Tackle direct has the 60lb model on sale right now for $25

 

At that price I have nothing to lose so I ordered one

[farsider]

Wayne is talking about a Stowmaster net I believe.

 

A good investment piece for you if it happens so much.

 

Folds, folds again, and bag wraps around. There is even a bag for it to help prevent tangles and to maintain the net if it just sits in the boat over the years.

 

https://www.norsemenoutdoors.com/product-category/stowmaster/

 

Cheers,

Mark

[singingdog]

The rapala swivels, but it rarely gets a chance. I have the gripper tied off to the yak with 1m of strong cord. When a ski decides to spin, I let go. No leverage on the fish's jaws, and it is easy to pull back in with the cord.

[irishfield]

Yep, that's it Mark. Takes up virtually ZERO space in the boat. Sits along the gunnel with my normal telescopic "pickerel" net beside it. ALWAYS in the boat, no matter the species at hand. Also comes in handy when you tag a 40+ inch Lake Trout downrigging as well.

 

 

 

 

[mike rousseau]

Nice net

 

It must be tricky to get outta the bag and folded when your alone...?

[farsider]

I don't have first hand in-the-boat experience with it. It was very straight forward when I tried it.

 

Jim Saric used it on his show.

 

A capable guy like yourself would have no problem.

 

Easier and safer than hand-bombing a fish for sure. Better for the fish too. A live-well pen for the fish until it is good to release(especially with Walleye gear).

 

Cheers,

Mark