Boga grip or cheap knock off?

[stoner]

I know there's a lot of tournament anglers on here and I'm sure they weigh their fish before they hit the box. I rarely tourney fish but thought it would be nice to have a tool like the boga handy for those partners that like to add a pound or two to their fish story.
Not sure i could make myself spend 125 on a lie eliminator. Anyone tried the other models or have one they like over another?

[DJD]

I have never even held one or looked at them close, they look very handy for saltwater fish but I don't see a need for freshwater. Of course there are exceptions....maybe good for musky tournaments? I wonder if they are more accurate than the electronic ones?

We use several types of electronic handheld scales which we buy at Walmart. Between the 4-5 that we all have they usually do a good job as far as weights go. We compare them to each other on occasion and they stay within a few ounces. Usually don't need them since length and girth can get you close enough to toss in the livewell. But yeah when you are looking to cull and gain a few ounces they come in handy.

[stoner]

I don't mind to lip em just
looking for a way to weigh and release kind of in one motion I'm getting too old to dig around for a scale.

[wolfewiz]

I have a boga and it works great. It is high quality.

[sweetwater]

They work very nicely for any type fish game fish. They really come in handy as a safety precaution when dehooking fish, especially if you use crankbaits a lot.

[DJD]

They work very nicely for any type fish game fish. They really come in handy as a safety precaution when dehooking fish, especially if you use crankbaits a lot.

I never considered that but it sure could be useful that way! I have not been hooked by a treble but have come very close.
I know if I had one years ago while living in Florida I would have used it alot on the snapper in the mangroves and blues off the coast. Those dang snapper "snap" like they are trying to bite you and man that have some wicked looking teeth. I think those Blues could take a finger and strip it clean of meat if they clamped on and you jerked back.

[stripernut1]

i have a history with 4 different boga grips on striper boats over time. if you dont want to dig for a set of scales it probably means you want to keep the boga grip at arms length so you can quickly reach it and get it on the fishes jaw as quickly as possible. i can tell you that hanging one on the back of a striper boat(s) out in the environment doesnt do it any favors, expect inaccurate wt measurements during year 2 and occasional malfunctions are on the way. as far as dehooking, this device does not immobilize the fish, it only "hangs" the fish, it can still flop and jerk and wiggle wildly (im talking about bigger fish here, stripes, muskies etc.) if you lay the fish on its side in the bottom of the boat its completely free to try to return the favor of sinking a hook into you. after a "boga gripped" striper wildly slung its head and impaled missus stripernuts thumb with a vmc 4X treble (you dont just snip a 4X ) the boaga grip went flying across the lake! to immobilize larger fish i have a pair of channel locks with a couple of wraps of duct tape on the tip of the jaw, i can clamp down and control just about any fish i catch (im still trying really hard to catch that one that i cant control ) . as for the scales, my wife replaced the "flying boga grip" with a set of berkely scales that cost $30. to attest to their accuracy missus stripernut flies to england a few times a year, we weigh her luggage each trip, record the weight and check it against the weight at the baggage check scales at the airport.....exactly the same weight every time. not trying to talk you out of the boga grips, just my personal experience with them has not been positive.
if you do get them i hope you wear them out !!!

[Duayne]

To Stripernut's point, I have two of these on my boat.

The Fish Grip Fish Holder : Cabela's

They are similar to his channel locks but will not rust and they float. Once locked in, the fish is going no where and it's very easy to turn the fish left or right. They have never failed me and I don't see it happening. They are also very handy when a kid or lady wants to take pics as they can hold the grips instead of the fish.

+1 on the everyday digital fish scales. It's very easy to transfer a fish from these grips to a scale then back again. At under 13 bucks, it's easy to have several pairs handy.

[inrll]

I will second the Fish Grips. I have a glow in the dark Fish Grip and it has served me well for 2 years now. If you want to weigh the fish you just hang the grip off the hook on the scale, no transferring back and forth from grip to scale. If you ever watch Major League Fishing its what they use.
The Fish Grip | Bass Pro Shops

[Duayne]

I will second the Fish Grips. I have a glow in the dark Fish Grip and it has served me well for 2 years now. If you want to weigh the fish you just hang the grip off the hook on the scale, no transferring back and forth from grip to scale. If you ever watch Major League Fishing its what they use.
The Fish Grip | Bass Pro Shops

I like those.. I think they open wider than mine and have a more narrow jaw grip part which will probably mean they can be easier to get in the mouth..

I'd trust mine to hold anything in the lake and I bet yours are the same..

[stoner]

i have a history with 4 different boga grips on striper boats over time. if you dont want to dig for a set of scales it probably means you want to keep the boga grip at arms length so you can quickly reach it and get it on the fishes jaw as quickly as possible. i can tell you that hanging one on the back of a striper boat(s) out in the environment doesnt do it any favors, expect inaccurate wt measurements during year 2 and occasional malfunctions are on the way. as far as dehooking, this device does not immobilize the fish, it only "hangs" the fish, it can still flop and jerk and wiggle wildly (im talking about bigger fish here, stripes, muskies etc.) if you lay the fish on its side in the bottom of the boat its completely free to try to return the favor of sinking a hook into you. after a "boga gripped" striper wildly slung its head and impaled missus stripernuts thumb with a vmc 4X treble (you dont just snip a 4X ) the boaga grip went flying across the lake! to immobilize larger fish i have a pair of channel locks with a couple of wraps of duct tape on the tip of the jaw, i can clamp down and control just about any fish i catch (im still trying really hard to catch that one that i cant control ) . as for the scales, my wife replaced the "flying boga grip" with a set of berkely scales that cost $30. to attest to their accuracy missus stripernut flies to england a few times a year, we weigh her luggage each trip, record the weight and check it against the weight at the baggage check scales at the airport.....exactly the same weight every time not trying to talk you out of the boga grips, just my personal experience with them has not been positive.
if you do get them i hope you wear them out !!!

was leaning toward a set of berkleys just cant make myself drop a $125. Thanks for your input!

[Duayne]

I read a lot of bad reviews on the Boga grip knock offs when I was thinking about getting some. Make sure you study up on them before you take the plunge. I concluded for me that bogas were about the only way to go and even those could be hit or miss but I don't know if anyone has made improvements to their products. The grips I have have been hit every time.