I make it no secret that I am a huge fan of a Boga grip which I believe is the ultimate fish handling tool. Better for you and better for the fish and I find it eases the need for a net.........I lose very few fish not having a net and instead rely on the boga grip. But they come at a rather hefty price tag.......and if your not careful you can lose them (Bloop!).

I have no experience with the flood of "Boga knockoffs" but those that have them might weigh in (pun intended ;-) Bass Pro has an interesting option at a reasonable price......Whats so great about a Boga is the shaft spins freely and thus even big fish can't break your grip. Not sure about the "knock offs" but they certainly are quite a bit less expensive thats for sure.

Grip Master

Aha! I read a few reviews and apparently it does have a rotating handle.......nice! Cant beat the price!

Look into Lucid Grips. I have them and am very pleased. I have had them for almost 2 years and used them on hundreds of fish. No issues at all so far. The only drawback would be I have a hard time reading the spring loaded weight scale but that probably is my bad eyes and not the grips fault.

They're not Bogas but almost an exact replica. And yes the shaft spins freely just like Bogas.
~JOE~

Good job Joe........these look very comparable to a boga at less than 1/2 the price. Sounds like they may be lighter as well!

Yak review Lucid grips

MT, thanks for starting this thread. I had read about your love of Boga's, but the price was just too steep to justify in my mind. I ordered the 30 lb version of the Lucid grip, hopefully they will do the job!

Available at Bass Pro for 11.99

Fish gripper

Why look for knock offs when you can have the real thing? The highest quality, made in the USA, product. Sure, you could spend $12 on the Chinese bootleggers. But would you feel good about it? Part of fishing in the BWCA/Quetico is the aesthetic of honest/pure work. Why compromise? If you want a Chinese knockoff, just book a fishing trip on the Yangtze River.

quote jeroldharter: "Why look for knock offs when you can have the real thing? The highest quality, made in the USA, product. Sure, you could spend $12 on the Chinese bootleggers. But would you feel good about it? Part of fishing in the BWCA/Quetico is the aesthetic of honest/pure work. Why compromise? If you want a Chinese knockoff, just book a fishing trip on the Yangtze River."

I like Capitalism.......I like competition........if someone can make something which is comparable in quality and effectiveness and sell it for less than 1/2 the price as per the Lucid Grips then why shouldn't that be applauded rather than derided?..........not everyone can afford a $125 fish gripper.

On the other side of the coin let the buyer beware. A Boga knockoff for 11.99 does not have the sound of something I would put any faith in.

Well said MT.

quote gymcoachdon: "Well said MT.
"

I call bullshit. Obabahaha's monitary policies strengthened the dollar to the point that American made products can't compete. Buy American!

quote Wables: "

quote gymcoachdon: "Well said MT.
"

I call bullshit. Obabahaha's monitary policies strengthened the dollar to the point that American made products can't compete. Buy American!"

I know where your coming from Wables........but the fact of the matter is we live in a global marketplace and goods and services are available to the consumer in mind numbing variety and thats not changing any time soon. So the obvious plan is for American products to be able to compete and that should be economics 101 taught to our grade schoolers but unfortunately its not. Perhaps with the coming lower corporate tax rates and far less productivity strangling costly regulations we just might be able to and of course that translates to more jobs for American families.

I like the Boga as it is extremely well made and durable. But if the Lucid grips do the job as well and in fact it sounds like they are lighter it may be a better choice. Besides, with the extra money saved I might be able to take my wife out shopping, dinner and a movie. More money in your pocket to spend on something else is not a bad thing either. (Just ask the people who shop at Wal-Mart who have, on average, an extra $2,500 per year in their pocket to use for something else). Lots of ways to look at stuff ;-)

I don't know where Lucid Grips are made but the owner of the company is a local (Chicago) kayak angler.
~JOE~

I received my Lucid Grip today. Looks to be a quality piece of equipment, the only knock so far is the scale looks like it might be tough to read. Maybe daylight will help.

As far as buying American, I do it when I can, but when you are saving $60 over a similar item (50% off), that allows me to have the item instead of it being on my wish list. I look at this as a safety item for my solo trips, especially after trying to unhook crankbaits from thrashing hammerhandles on my first trip. Should be safer for the fish as well.

I looked at what little info came with the gripper, and no mention of the country of origin. Didn't see it on their website either.

The true test will come in June, when I head to Quetico for my solo trip.

You will come to enjoy its usage Don...............if the scale isn't certified I probably wouldn't bother using it which is probably just as well as weights seem to be a different language than lengths.

A few thoughts.......be sure to slide on the wrist strap as these are easy to lose if your not careful and confident. If pike have their mouths tightly clenched shut they are still ready to explode even though they are just laying in the water. You will never even have to touch the slimy buggars now if you don't want to (hurrah!)

I like everything within quick easy reach with all operations done perfectly silently......no laying tools on the bottom of the boat! Check out my set up. Pliers mounted to the side of the boat and my boga hanging from a shock cord (which also traps my map when traveling).