Lip Grippers

[robfisher]

I was searching for rules of bass fishing and found this? ?The use of grippers in landing bass is prohibited?? I wondered why on ESPN that they never use nets or lip grippers? they always use their hands? what?s the status in SA?

[lazy-ike]

i don't know if there's any regulation but personaly i dont like mr./mrs. bucketmouth dangling from just her jaw. what would you like more a fleshy thumb gripping you by the lip or a piece of steel? bass big bass especialy should be held with both hands. don't try to see how big the things mouth can open, you are going to dislocate the jaw and the fish will starve.
i think it's allright if you have one for tiger fishing but then you should have the one where the grip is on a swivel so it can move with the fish when it decides to flap around.

[kuipie]

I agree, lazy ike, we catch pike here, and ther is no way in hell i am gonna stick my thumb in its mouth...although, if it was bass I certainly would...seems far more humane than the piece of metal. I don't know if there are regulations as far as using lipgrips in comps, but there must be a reason why they don't....

[Fab]

Now how are we going to get bleeding thumbs with a metal gripper?!?!?!?! :?

King Dinger.... You were the one always trying to get a bloody thumb from it, are you tired of that now??? :roll:

I would like to use a device like that on a bass.... I think it a bit inhumane and a bit stressful on the fish....

Rather lipland with a soft fleshy thumb thanks!!! :wink:

:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

[robfisher]

I do lip land 95% of my fish? the big ones get the net treatment because I don?t want to lose them.. my question was what do the RULES say?

[robfisher]

And yes I do love Bass thumb? so I lip land everyone I can!

[Fab]

Aaaaaahhhh..... my bad!!!!! :roll: :wink: :oops:

Thought you were getting soft on us maybe and didn't want that bleeding thumb!!!! :?

I don't think you will have any type of regulation on this type of thing... I think it will be more of an "ethics" and "unwritten code of conduct of a bass fisherman" type of thing.... :?

Are you referring to comps specifically or just as a day to day thing?? :roll: :?:

:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

[robfisher]

Just competitions? and specifically the Inanda Bass Classic in April!

[Fab]

I've never heard of a regulation against it, but I personally wouldn't use one....

It is alot more difficult to get a gripper in a fishes mouth than to scoop him with a net.... I've had it a couple of times that as you get the fuuush in the net the hooks pull out his mouth.... :roll:

Imagine trying to use a gripper on a hawg and while you have him at the side of the boat trying to get the gripper in his mouth, the hooks come out!!!! The things alchoholic stories are made of!!!!! :roll: 8O

Then one gets back to the stress on the fish and the strain on its jaw etc etc....

Personally, something I would never use..... :wink:

:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

[Guest]

There's no regulation on netting or "lip grippers" in SA. The banning of nets in B.A.S.S. events I think was to prevent the net damaging the fish, alhough, I don't know if handling the fish by hand is any better. In Zim, their regulation nets are rubber, so the fish do not get damaged by the fine nylon netting.

[Fab]

Mmmmmm...... when you watch how the fish get hauled on board and are left to flip and flop all over the boat before they grab them with their hands and put them in the livewell.... 8O :?

A net is a lot less stressful and stops the fish from potentially injuring itself.... My common sense tells me to net as it is the all round best thing for the fish.... :roll: :wink:

:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

[pomerob]

On the contary, a cheap nylon net can cause just as much damage if not more than a fish flopping around on a dry carpeted deck. Doesnt matter how the protective mucas is taken off if it is by being handled with dry hands, nets or by the deck of a boat it all has the same result. The fish are a lot more vaunarable to infection.

Have a look under bass biology and read the post I posted regarding fish mortality and how to reduce it.