I keep getting my hands cut up grabbing the cats in the mouth even wearing gloves. Is anyone using a lipper to lift them out. I don't want to buy something cheap that will fall apart or not work. I tried a fish grabber that was plastic and it broke on the first fish and it was in the boat. They said it would handle a 30 lb fish it didn't handle a 20. What to buy and what to stay away from.

WE USE THE TEAM CATFISH FISH GRIPPER,THEY HAVE HANDLED SEVERAL 50 PLUS FISH. I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THEM...I FORGOT THEY HELD STEVES 78 LB BLUE NO PROBLEM...

Get a good net with a strong handle. You have to wear a fish completely out to use a lipper beside the boat -- not good. Use a net to lift him out of the water and then the lippers to lift him out of the net and hold for weighing and pictures.

I HAVE TRIED ABOUT EVERY NET I CAN FIND AND STILL CANT PICK THEM UP WITHOUT BENDING THE HANDLE,SO WE HAVE TO GRAB THE MOUTH OF THE NET.WHAT TYPE NET ARE YOU USEING?

Thanks BIG MICK

I am pretty sure this slide show speaks for our catfish grip!

http://www.teamcatfish.com/catfish-products.html

They even float!!!

I ordered a Team Catfish Gripper today and a little more. I will have my picture in their slide show.

Got my gripper and used it Saturday, they already got the picture in the slideshow, great product you guys have!

Nice blue Chase

I"ve never seen a net handle that'll pick up big fish much over 30 lbs ... when you net a fish all you need to do is get the net around the fish and then grab the net itself and have another in the boat grab the opposite side of the net and lift the fish in the boat via the net instead of the handle. they'll last a lot longer like that.

once you get the fish in the boat and hook out of the fish I'd imagine that team catfish grabber would be ideal for you to handle the fish and take pictures and what not but I think I'd remove it before lifting the fish over into the water to release it because one quick flip of a big fish could send your team catfish grabbers off into the abiss unless maybe you had a super strong lanyard wrapped around your wrist ... maybe those catfish grabbers already have one attached.

I've had a 45lb plus flathead in my cheap net before and learned from a fishing show I watched one time that once you have the fish in the net to hold the handle straight up and let the net fold around the fish, then lift the fish out of the water straight up. The flathead barely fit in the net but it worked. It may take two people to do it but you don't put as big a load on the handle or the frame of the net. Unfortunately the fish we lifted wasn't one I caught but I took half credit for furnishing the boat and net . Sometimes my two brain cells really pay off.

Thank ya, I got that fish about a month ago. It's my new PB of 50lbs!

I do it the hard way and grab the catfish. I do not like "tools" besides my R&R to help get the fish in the boat. I've only lost one big fish over 20 lbs. out of around 60 or so. It was barely hooked and even if I had a net it may have gotten away.

THEY DO...

Looks like that TC lipper should work just fine so long as it's spring activated and can be operated with one hand. Hope the plastic doesn't get brittle in cold weather. We use the mid sized Berkley lipper cause that's what somebody gave me. I haul em in pretty much the way Tiny and alakabama suggest. Get the fish to swim into the net and then lift it enough so it's mostly wrapped up. Point the handle straight up - set your rod down out of the way - and then use both hands to grab the hoop portion of the net and lift his slimy hide over the gunnels. Works up to at least 52# that I can attest.

We recommend using a rubber coated net to land all big cats. We also recommend leaving the net and catfish in the water untill you are ready to take a picture or un hook and release the catfish. This is accomplished by laying the net handle in the boat while the bag and catfish remain in the water. We grab the catfish with the grip, pull him out of the net and try not to lay him on anything that will harm its slime coating unless its dinner. No one has to get in a hurry or harm the catfish this way. If you want weigh the catfish you can use our gripper since it has a hole in the handle for a scale or you can weigh the catfish by hooking your scale onto the net hoop and lifting them up together. Its very easy un hook the catfish in the net when you clamp our grip on them. It locks down like a vise grip and you can turn their head anyway you want. Clamp the cat, pull out the hook, pull the cat out of the net, take a picture and release with this system. If you need multpile pictures but your arms are tired you can drop the catfish back into the net with the grip still attached untill you arms are not tired any longer. I use a large LOKI net called THE BEAST. It takes a little longer to do it this way but its the best for the pictures quality and overall health of the catfish.