How to hold a fish?

[Stan Wright]

Stan,
What is the kosher way to hold a fresh water fish? Below is what my friend does. Is there a problem with fish health doing it this way? I see you guys use the Boca grip. I know Ulua and Papio will be mortally wounded if gills are manhandled. Thanks, m

[marcusn]

having the fingers in the fish's gills is like having someones fingers shoved in your lungs. lip them.

[roadwarriorsvt]

I usually just thumb their bottom lip because I don't catch alot of Tucs (lately). During the summer months, you'll get "Tuc Thumb" by holding them this way after a couple of dozen fish, then its time to just belly scoop them. This may take from their slime coat, but it really calms the agressive fish. I see this as less harmful that the fish injuring himself, especially of treble hooks are present.

[Stan Wright]

I was looking at some pictures I took the other day of Chris grabbing
a fish ...
On the 2 pound or less size fish, he grabs them behind the head
from the top. They calm right down.




The larger fish are netted and then grabbed by the bottom
lip using the BogaGrip. Especially if the lure has more than
one hook. Chris grabbed the bottom lip of a 1 1/2 pound
peacock a few years ago and it shook a treble hook through his finger....

The guy with him stepped on the fish and used the pliers
to cut the hook holding the fish. The hook point went all
the way through his finger and out the other side.... so they
cut the point and barb off and backed it out. Normally
ALL the HOOKS on the boat have the barbs bent down,...
for just that reason. This was a new lure that he had not
bent down the barbs yet.

It's not fun having a fish on the front treble hook and you
on the rear hook. He's been very careful since then.

I always use the BogaGrip.

[shanai]

I try to handle the fish as least as possible. Touching the gill area is a definite no-no as this is probably the most sensitve part. Holding a fish in your hands could cause internal damage from squeezing as well remove the slime that provides the fish with a protective barrier against fungus infections. Holding a fish by the lower lip and then raising the fish up could also potentially harm the fish as the weight of the fish could damage the jaw area of the fish so if I need to grab the lower lip I try to keep the fish vertical as much as possible, while using a fish grip.

When ready to release the fish, I try to follow the line to the fishes mouth and then use a plier to get to the hook, hopefully if the fish is not hooked to badly, I can then just shake or twist the hook off without even touching the fish right into the livewell or back into the lake. ( Another good reason why I pinch the barbs down for easier release ).

Steve

[Ca_Bass]

If I'm using a single hook lure I usually "bounce" the fish into the boat even the bigs ones. The smaller fish never actually bounce I just grab them in the air. Then I just lip them. If it's a bigger fish I will usually support it with my other hand. Tucs definately don't get "paralized" like a bass when you lip them and I won't lip them if they have trebels. Lately I've been using a lot of lures with trebels and I tend to grab the fish around their belly and side, behind where their gills are..trying not to squeez them. The bigger I will net and take the trebels out before I take the fish out of the net. Problem with this is, sometimes the spare trebel will hook the fish somewhere else. Call me a jerk, but id rather the fish get hooked than me.

[Stan Wright]

That's why I switched to a rubber dip net... the hooks don't get caught in it.
Much more expensive (about $40) but it's so nice and tangle free.