The debate rages on whether or not fish grippers should be used and lots of anglers say yes. Some even say they are the most important tool in there fishing tool box. As they allow you safely hold the fish to unhook your catch.
The first thing is for you to find the best fish lip grippers to protect yourself and the fish. We have found the best five available on the market. Also, if you need more help choosing we have put together a complete buying guide.
SF Fish Grip Holder Stainless Steel Fishing Gripper
Most places now have restrictions in place that keep people from taking home fish of certain sizes. This is a necessary step to keep fish populations healthy so we can all keep enjoying our favorite hobby. For generations to come but it can cause headaches for anyone who doesn’t know what size their fish are. With the SF Fish Grip Holder Stainless Steel Fishing Gripper you will never have that problem again. This handy tool will allow you to easily grab and grip your fish so you can take it in or out of your cooler or remove your hook but the ingenious features are the extras.
The SF Fish Grip Holder Stainless Steel Fishing Gripper will weigh and measure your fish for you. Simply pick the fish up with the gripper and hold it up so the fish hangs down and watch as this tool ensures that your fish meets all of your local requirements for size and weight. Made with high grade materials in the handle and corrosion resistant metals for the grip itself and you have an invaluable tool that is built to last the test of time.
- Easily grab and grip your fish for transport or hook removal
- Hold fish up to get an accurate length and weight to meet regulations
- Quality materials used at every stage
Stainless Steel Fishing Lip Gripper with Sheath and Lanyards
You have your rod, you have your reel, you have your tackle and your sunglasses and everything else, now finish off your ultimate fishing setup with this amazing cutting set. The Lix&Rix Saltwater Aluminum Fishing Pliers for Braid Line Cutter is a complete set that comes with everything you need to finish out your fishing setup.
This ultimate kit includes a set of pliers that is perfect for hook removal or line cutting, including braided line and tough modern fishing lines. It also has a fish grabber so you can easily layout your fish to measure or remove the hooks with your pliers. Finally, it includes a scale so you can weigh your fish for bragging rights or appease the local authorities. The pliers feature an incredible blend of stainless steel and tungsten for ultimate sharpness, power and durability. With the Lix&Rix Saltwater Aluminum Fishing Pliers for Braid Line Cutter you won’t need to buy any other fishing tools for your kit.
- A complete fish handling kit for a great price
- Tungsten augmented pliers keep the power and durability up
- Comes with everything you need to finish up your fish once you have it reeled in
ZACX Fish Lip Gripper, 8½-inch Grabber Grip Tool
Here is a simple, useful, and effective fish gripper. The ZACX Fish Lip Gripper, 8½-inch Grabber Grip Tool Stainless Steel Fish Holder is the perfect tool for simply holding your fish and moving them around. Many people get caught up in the thrill of the fight and the reel but what happens once you get your fish onto dry land? You need to dehook it and either release it or prep it for transport and cleaning. Anyone who has grabbed a slimy fish or caught an unseen spine in the thumb knows that grabbing a fish with your bare hands can be dangerous and nasty.
That is where the ZACX Fish Lip Gripper, 8½-inch Grabber Grip Tool Stainless Steel Fish Holder. This is a simple and affordable gripper that grabs and holds the fish fast for you so your hands do not have to touch the fish if you don’t want to. For a surprisingly low price, you will never have to wrestle with a wriggling fish with your bare hands again.
- Comfortable EVA grips
- Stainless steel grabber
- Affordable and useful tool makes fishing easier
Piscifun Fish Lip Gripper with Scale
Grab your fish, hold your fish, and weigh your fish, all at the same time. Now, this is not only possible but positively easy to do with the Piscifun Fish Lip Gripper with Scale 28lb Camouflage Fish Grabber. This simple looking tool is extremely powerful and extremely useful. Don’t get busted with overweight fish again with this handy grabber and scale combination.
You can easily attach this tool to your belt, throw it in your tackle box or put it in your pocket. It is made with a potent combination of stainless steel and aircraft grade aluminum which gives it unbeatable reliability and power. The scale works easily and accurately and can hold fish up to 28lbs meaning it will be able to cover the vast majority of freshwater fish you are catching and many saltwater fish as well. Make sure your fish are regulation or just make a note of the weight for your next fish story, either way this powerful grabber and scale is a tool you do not want to go without.
- A deceptively small and simple grabber and scale
- Affordable power fits almost anywhere
- Can weigh fish up to 28lbs
Stainless Steel Fish Lip Gripper
You can grab, measure, and weigh your catch all with one fluid motion. This is possible with the Mona’s Creations Multipurpose Stainless Steel Fish Lip Gripper. Unlike other grippers that are just grabbers, or a grabber and scale combo, this iteration is a grabber, scale and ruler all in one so you do not have to fumble around with multiple tools once you pull your fish up.
Most municipalities now have strict length and weight restrictions on fish which can carry hefty fines or even jail times for repeat offenses. Do not get caught on the wrong side of the law ever again. With the Mona’s Creations Multipurpose Stainless Steel Fish Lip Gripper you can quickly check each of your fish to make sure that you are well within regulation in case you ever get stopped and checked. In order to make this effective, Mona’s Creations ensure that all of their rulers and scales are supremely accurate, every time.
- Ruler and scale all combined into one handy gripper
- Can measure up to 39” and weigh up to 40lbs
- Made with comfortable and durable materials for a slick, top-notch design
Best Fish Lip Grippers Buying Guide
While people may be divided over the use of fish lip grippers, there is no denying the fact that it brings so much ease and comfort to the process of handling a fish safely. Additionally, this little fishing equipment can be easily carried and is even easier to use.
Why Use Fish Lip Grippers
Fish lip grippers aren’t really used to land a fish but to simply handle and control it easily.
- Lip fish grippers give a strong grip over the caught fish, otherwise, there are high chances of the fish struggling and falling back in the water. This can happen to both new and experienced anglers. Having a gripper ensures that the fish is secure once caught.
- Apart from this, grippers do not hurt the fish as much as many other tools do. The grippers are only clamped around the jaws/lips and the plastic ones are even easier on the jaws.
- With the secure grip of the gripper, the angler can easily handle the fish inside the water to minimise the time it is outside.
- Also, while using a kayak, there might not even be enough for things like a net. In such a case, a gripper will come in handy since it is so compact.
Fish lip grippers come in a wide range of prices so a moderately priced one can be bought because one never knows when they feel the need for this useful, little fishing tool.
Types of Fish Grippers
There are 3 main types of fish lip grippers: traditional T-style grips, floating plastic grips, and pistol grips.
Traditional T-style grips
These fish grippers consist of two claw arms that clamp together to tightly secure a fish lip. The material used for these is usually stainless steel or aluminium. The name ‘T-style’ comes from the design of the handle which is shaped like the letter ‘T’ and can be held in the fist.
It is not uncommon to have a scale attached to the gripper but this is usually for the high-end grippers. Also, these are mostly used for smaller fish.
Floating plastic grips
Made from plastic, this type of grippers has a float attached to the lanyard to prevent it from sinking to the bottom of the waterbody. Since these grippers float, they do not run the risk of sinking to the seafloor.
Though the use of plastic for these grippers does have its drawbacks, they are quite popular among new and experienced anglers.
Pistol grips
The ‘pistol’ in the name comes from the shape of the grippers which are designed like a handgun. The ‘trigger’ on these pistol grips is used to open or close the jaws at the muzzle. Also, these grippers are suitable for handling small-sized fish.
This design of fish grippers was developed while keeping hand ergonomics in mind – to give the angler most comfort and enable them to perform with precision. These lip grippers also ensure that the hands don’t feel fatigued.
How To Choose Quality Fish Grippers
Before buying a fish gripper, the following features should be considered to ensure that one is buying a fish lip gripper that they really need.
Material
The most common materials used to manufacture fish lip grippers are aluminium, stainless steel, and plastic. Apart from these a few metal alloys and cellulose composite are also used.
Stainless steel is the best material for grippers. Not only does it have incomparable strength, but it is also corrosion-resistant, and the surface can be easily cleaned.
Aluminium and its alloys are also commonly used for grippers which are very durable and less expensive than the stainless steel grippers.
Lastly, even though plastic is inexpensive and resistant to corrosion or rust, the grippers made from it are often somewhat flimsy as compared to the aluminium or stainless steel ones.
Type
As mentioned above, there are three main types of fish lip grippers: T-style (traditional), pistol, and floating plastic grippers.
T-style grippers are most commonly used since they are the traditional ones. Pistol grippers are recommended for those who want to go for comfort, even though these are usually expensive. And the floating plastic grippers are suitable for newbies since they are easier to handle.
Size
Although there isn’t much variation in the size of fish lip grippers, they are commonly between 6 to 15 inches in length. Before buying a fish gripper, one needs to consider their requirements and the size of the fish usually found in the sea they fish at.
Handle
Those who rank the handle of a gripper high on their priority list when getting a fish gripper, usually go for a pistol one because of how comfortable it is to hold. However, depending upon the design and the material used, the other two types of fish grippers can also have comfortable handles.
Durability
Durability is a very important aspect of a fish gripper because being constantly exposed to water, it will wear and corrode easily if it isn’t durable. Those who want the most durable of fish grippers should look for grippers made out of stainless steel.
Safety Features
A fish gripper that is easy to handle and use will usually pose the least threat of injury. The more difficult the handling on the gripper is, the higher the chances of accidental injuries.
Additional Features
Many fish grippers come with extra equipment or features. These include a digital or regular scale, measuring tape, pliers, or lanyard, etc.
Price & Warranty
Even though fish lip grippers are not expensive fishing items, they are still sold in a range of prices. Fish grippers can be found as low as a couple of dollars to a couple hundred dollars even.
The warranty on fish grippers isn’t usually much. A warranty of a year is considered very good, if found.
How To Use A Fish Lip Gripper
Learning to use a fish lip gripper is fairly simple. All that one needs to know is how to operate – open and close – the jaws or clamps of the gripper.
Some clamps open and close on the touch of a button while others have to be mechanically operated. After the clamp is opened, the fish can carefully be released back in the water.
While these are the general instructions to use a fish gripper. The required steps may vary a little from model to model and manufacturer to manufacturer.
Safety Tips For Lipping A Fish
The following tips can ensure that neither the angler nor the fish are caused any harm while landing the fish.
- To stay safe while lipping a fish, one needs to let go of the fish as quickly as they can without causing any harm to the fish.
- Apart from this, the use of a gripper gives a lot of control over the fish. So the hook can be safely removed while the fish is still under the water.
- Lastly, it also helps to handle the fish with wet hands and avoid touching the gills.
Best Fish Grippers Brands
A few high-quality models of fish lip grippers from trusted brands are mentioned below.
Rapala
Rapala is a trusted name in the fishing equipment business and provides various types of fish grippers.
The Rapala 50-pound Fish Gripper is a traditional fish lip gripper with a length of 11 inches. Made from stainless steel, it comes with a digital scale for measuring the weight of the fish caught and can carry weight up to 50 pounds.
Rapala also offers a premium quality Floating Fish Gripper which is 9 inches long and made of plastic. Its unique feature is its quick release.
Cuda
The Cuda Grip & Scale, which is an 11.5 inches long traditional fish gripper, is made out of aluminium alloy. It has a weight capacity of 50 pounds and comes with a scale.
Entsport
The Fish Lip Gripper Fish Scales by Entsports is a traditional lip gripper and is one of the best stainless steel grippers available. It has a maximum weight limit of 33 pounds and has a length of 9.6 inches.
Berkeley
Berkely also offers all types of fish lip grippers. Two of its most popular designs are the Big Game Lip Grip and the Pistol Lip Grip.
The Big Game Lip Grip is a traditional fish gripper made out of stainless steel and measures 11 inches. It comes with a tape measure.
The Pistol Lip Grip, on the other hand, is a pistol grip fish gripper and 7.5 inches in length. It is also made of stainless steel and comes with a digital scale. The weight capacity is 30 pounds.
Baker
The T-Handle Grip ‘n’ Release is a T-style lip gripper by Baker. Made from stainless steel, it measures 15 inches and comes with a fingertip trigger.
The Fish Grip
The Gamefish Model Original by The Fish Grip is a floating type gripper and is made out of cellulose composite. It features a lanyard, measures 10 inches in length and has a weight capacity of a hefty 100 pounds.
Conclusion
We have left the debate at the door with our guide and just found the best fish lip grippers available.
I don’t think there is any debate they make the angler safer. You just need to protect the fish by finding the best pair. We have many other articles for fishing accessories including Best Fishing Scissors.
I hope my guide helps you do just that in protecting yourself and the fish. And you have a much safer trip next time out at the lake with plenty of tight lines.