Hello all,

I'm going to buy either the "real" Boga (about $125) or a cheaper "knockoff" version (Rapala makes a plastic one for $15).

Do the cheap ones work? It's not like I catch hundreds of monster pike and trout I can't normally land by hand, so I am not sure if the real Boga is worth the money.

Please advise.

Thanks!

I bought a cheaper one and the jaws bent on the first big thrashing fish, a pike that was maybe 15 lbs. Very disappointed, as it was rendered useless. That's my experience with the knockoff, but have no comment on the Boga as I've never used one.

carmike: "
I'm going to buy either the "real" Boga (about $125) or a cheaper "knockoff" version (Rapala makes a plastic one for $15).
"

I think part of the expense of the real Boga is that it is supposed to withstand salt water. I couldn't really justify the cost.

There is a mid priced option that is targeted at cat fisherman who have to handle 20 plus pound fish that have a tendency to bite hands and go into a death roll.

I bought the catfish grips for my trip but I didn't land anything big enough to need it. My son also insisted on bringing the net.

Thank you for the link, rdg. The reviews look pretty good, too.

I have a real Boga that I borrow from a friend (who does fish saltwater) and I love it and would recommend it to anyone who is chasing trophy fish with the intent to catch and release. It is great for safely handling big Lake Trout and Pike (I never use it for walleye or bass). Those larger fish, once you have tired them a little, almost always come at the boat with their dangerous teeth facing you. It is really easy to grab their open mouths with the gripper, allowing for a quicker and easier landing. I also love that the shaft easily rotates to let those angry pike/trout do their death roll without breaking your wrist or banging their head against the side of the boat. I am a firm believer that it is the safest way to handle a big fish (both for the fish and you) in a canoe, get a quick weight/measurement and get it back in the water to revive quickly.
The version I use is the 50#, which is overkill for BWCA fish. I would definitely recommend sizing down to the 15 or 30# model, which I am assuming is lighter weight. After using it for a few years, I am sure it will last a lifetime, as long as you dont accidentally send it to the bottom of the lake. I would defintley recommend tying it to a thwart or getting one of those giant floaties for it, to ensure it never gets lost.
NOTE: it is still important to support the body, even though the Boga does a great job of securing the fish's head. I have seen so many pictures on social media of giant fish dangling from lip grippers (with seemingly broken jaws) that drive me crazy. Any fish over 3# should never be held only by the jaw.

10/10 would recommend a "real" Boga

I agree that it is worth it for that kind of grip as I have had the cheaper versions and every one has failed at some point and none of the scales was very accurate. My boga has handled many catfish between 30 and 60 pounds as well as other large powerful fish for 10 years and is still absolutely perfect in every way, a quality piece for sure. It is heavy and on most fish in canoe country unnecessary. I instead take one of the plastic locking grippers which are light, strong, and float. I take a small scale to weigh fish as there is a hole on those grips for a scale. I do highly recommend Boga's for large and gnarly fish. As stated above, you still absolutely need to support the stomach of really large fish to avoid damaged/dislocated jaws and internal damage. Fish are not designed to have all that weight not supported by water. I quit weighing very large fish up there other than smallmouth to avoid harming them and instead just measure. At home we weigh in the net.

I don’t take a net any more, just use a lip gripper. I think it’s much easier on the fish. Just make sure it has a swivel handle!