lip grip

so i'm thinking of buying and using some kind of lip grip tool. Anybody use these, do they work well or when that nice ling you managed to fight to the boat struggles will he slip free? i see they go from really pricey to a pair of plastic floaters for 14 bucks.

I love my plastic floaters.

Michael

you never had any trouble with them holding a fish secure?

this is the one you want.....cheap, floats and works great. Also you can use it as a kelp anchor

http://www.kayakfishinggear.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=183

this is the one you want.....cheap, floats and works great. Also you can use it as a kelp anchor

http://www.kayakfishinggear.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=183

+1

I've held a thrashing 34" ling with it and not even a hint of worry that it would let go.

I have this gripper also..  very nice, light and easy to use.. best of all when you order it from hook1, you will have it in about 2 days. 

right on,thanks guys. those are the ones i checked out the other day i'll pick up a pair.

Its all I use for lings, never use the gaff or net anymore,works great, watch out using them for halibut though, I lost a nice one this year because of the lip gripper, they have funny mouths and I needed that fish for aoty, still no flattie for me...

I don't trust those things, but they do appear to be quite effective.

I think there's much value in learning to handle fish without such tools.

This may sound completely insane but somewhere along the line I started wearing a thick leather glove on my left hand. Originally it was for spine protection on rockies, but I soon found I could jam my thumb into a fish's mouth to grab them and they really couldn't penetrate the leather. Lings, rockies, halibut, works great*.

*Stick your thumb in at your own risk. Not recommended for some species.

   I always use a lip gripper for lings. Be sure to use a leash. I've had a smaller (27"?) ling twist the thing out of my hand.

If you enjoying fishing at night, the glow in the dark version is really nice to have.

I think there's much value in learning to handle fish without such tools.

purist!!!   

Saltwater killed my small Berkley gripper and my standard Rapala gripper. Now I rock the plastic floating gripper like everyone else. Although I seldom use it. Often easier to just lip the fish like a bass, remove the hook, and release.

I think there's much value in learning to handle fish without such tools.

I agree, and have managed to go this long without one.  But I am considering one for butts and big lings, (being an optimist).

Just curious if anyone has managed wrangling LARGE toothy ones barehanded?

My last decent ling I CnR'd but put him on the game clip in order to get a photo.  Sure would like to hear about it if there's a way to grab em safely by hand.