I was looking into buying a lip grip and wanted to know if anyone has used the Berkley lip grip series. It's a cheaper alternative to the Boga but is it durable? Thanks!

If all you want to do is grab fish with it Cabelas has one for $10. Plastic and floats and is durable. I have landed over 1000 fish with it (including blues) and it hasn't failed me yet! It's bright orange and works like vise grips.

If all you want to do is grab fish with it Cabelas has one for $10. Plastic and floats and is durable. I have landed over 1000 fish with it (including blues) and it hasn't failed me yet! It's bright orange and works like vise grips.

Yeah, I'm just looking for something to grip the fish with, no scales needed. I will check that out. thanks!

kippy, buy it. its durable.

Just grab em by hand....
More crap to carry = :smash:

I saw the cabellas model but I like the longer handle on the 12" berkley lip grip, anyone else use this? I know its more crap to carry but I cut the hell out of my hand Friday night landing that fish so it would make life easier.

I agree with an earlier post, just grab them by hand? thats what most of the surf rats I know do..never had a problem and they dont bite :fishslap:

More crap to carry is never good.

I agree with an earlier post, just grab them by hand? thats what most of the surf rats I know do..never had a problem and they dont bite :fishslap:

More crap to carry is never good.

except when you tangle with a few blues.. :devil:

never had a problem with those either exept for a few hook impales, anyway most people jist grad there bass under the gill plate or lip them just like a largemouth

I got the small berkley..around like 10-20 bucks or so. small, light, and have it attached to my belt and can't even tell it's there. Perfect for dem blooos

I got the small berkley..around like 10 bucks or so. small, light, and have it attached to my belt and can't even tell it's there. Perfect for dem blooos

Yeah I like the berkley, I think I'm going with that one..save my fingers from the bloos :vamp:

If you have to have one, save your money and get a Boga.
I had the $29.00 Berkley and it rusted out in one season :doh:

love my boga :love:

funny, i always have it on my belt, but still lip bass. bloos on the otherhand, get 'the boga treatment'. I really only use it for a quick 'weigh-in' and then release.

FWIW, I just bought the new one Mike is carrying at M&D's. It has the lock back feature then just push the button and it clamps down. 60 lb scale and able to certified (much like myself) I really like that thing. I used it quite often (small fish mind you) and it held nicely and did not appear to have too much tension that might appear to harm the fish. It cost something like $95 and was well worth it, thusfar.

I just bought the new one Mike is carrying at M&D's. It has the lock back feature then just push the button and it clamps down. 60 lb scale
SOLD OUT

except when you tangle with a few blues.. :devil:

In almost 40 years of fishing, I've only been nailed once by a blue. And it happened while the bastage was laying high and dry on the bank of the Canal. I was holding the leader about 6" from its mouth and reaching for pliers with my other hand when it flopped up. That was back in 1982.

Now I grab the suckers behind their head so they can't flop. Sometimes I don't even use pliers.

I once got a deal on those Rapala lip grips, the original ones with the small jaws. Useless on any bass more than 15 pounds.

Kippy I had the same issue and went with a small 12 inch hand gaf

Kippy I had the same issue and went with a small 12 inch hand gaf

I would be nervous about carrying a gaff in the water. I would probably impale myself! :err: It's whatever works for each person.

sometimes its not so easy to grab a thrashing bass full of trebles while wading in 3 ft. of water. i have a berkely lip grip and i use it in these situations. i made the mistake of not carrying mine the other day and a fish drove the hooks through my waders :mad:

sometimes its not so easy to grab a thrashing bass full of trebles while wading in 3 ft. of water. i have a berkely lip grip and i use it in these situations. i made the mistake of not carrying mine the other day and a fish drove the hooks through my waders :mad:

Good reason to have it Rob. I'm lucky the fish from Friday didnt do the same thing.

I been useing the Berky lip grip this year and realy haven't gotten a hang of it. I find its more time spent griping and unhooking when I could be fishing. I was almost going with the Boga for the qaulity and scale. There's alway a bit a doubt when I hear reports about guys who don't use scales and by the time hear it, who knows. IMO, few are consistant.
I agree with MikeP, a firm grip behind the head is the way to go, even I've been stuck a couple times it wasn't because of that technique.

Bought one two years ago.........got in the way more then anything else.......I found on bigger fish the clamp couldn't open wide enough to easily get the fish's lower lip on it....and getting it off was even harder. Very hard to use if by yourself.

I use my hand now....much easier, quicker and less traumatic on the fish.

Just my $0.02 worth....

just rinse it off with a fresh water and spray WD40 on it. I own a 30 lbs test boga grip and it has served me well for three years.

The reason I went to a gripper is having one trebble hook implailed in my hand and the other still in the fish and everytime the fish flopped the hook went deeper into my hand. I have use the Cabelas gripper for 4 years and haven't had a hook in my hand since. :jump1:

i have the berkley gripper, and i really like it. i don't use it when i fish the surf, but i do use it all of the time on my kayak. the gripper is secured to my kayak with some cord that is rated to 100 lbs. so, what i do is when i get a fish up to the side of my kayak, i use the gripper to secure the fish, and then i let it go. the cord holds the gripper and the fish against the kayak, but still in the water. i then secure my rod. at that point, i grab the gripper, grab my fly or plug, and unhook the fish.

all in all, i am very happy with the gripper. it makes unhooking a big fish pretty easy, and it has held up nicely. mine is always wet (it sits in the bottom of my kayak, and the water comes thru the scupper holes), but a rinse with fresh water and a spray of wd-40 every now and again works great. it's going on its third year of service.

Save for a Boga grip if you can. They are fantastic.

I have been using the berkley lip grips for the past 2 years and the have worked great.
I wanted a scale so I got the rapala lock'n weigh... big mistake, any good size bass lip is too big for it. They do make a wide jaw version now but I'm sticking with the berkleys.or maybe the new XTool gripNweigh

I have one it works great .the only problem is the pin that holds the spring in comes loose

boga = quality I only use it for the big ones ,the little guys dont need it kinda overkill for the smallies ! but the big ones XXXXXXX and trebles fogeda bout it.