Norton Fish Grip 

I have recently been testing the Norton Fish Grip, Item #3785 in the Glow color. I instantly became curious when I received the fish grip due to its lack of weight and the design of it. It is completely made of plastic other than a few pins. I opened and closed it several times, and was pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to operate. When the grip closes down, it locks, and feels very secure. Yet, it is easily opened back up with just one finger. It is very simple to use while fishing, reel the fish in, when it gets close to the boat reach down and grab it out of the water. The curved tip makes it ideal to push into the fishes mouth, therefore making the fish open its mouth whether it wants to or not. Once the fish grip is in the fishes mouth the design of the tip helps it stay in place because of the inward curve. It simply hooks the inside of the lip but does not puncture the fish. Clamping it down on a fish assures that the fish is not going anywhere, because you have to pop it loose to release the jaws. These grips are very strong, and well made. I would feel comfortable grabbing a 15-20 lb. fish with these grips. Also, the mouth of the fish stays open due to the thickness of the grips tip, making it easy to get a pair of needle nose pliers or a hook out to retrieve your lure. My nephew, 9 years old, loves these grips. He now does not want to touch any fish without them. Fully extended the tip of the grips open about 2 inches, which I never opened them up more than about a half inch while inserting them in a fish’s mouth. The Glow color is neat, but if you are going to go out at night you will definitely want to leave them in the sun during the day. It doesn’t glow very bright, but will make it easier to locate in the dark. The only thing that could be improved is the texture on the handle, it is really smooth and after handling the first fish it was slick. I lightly sanded mine with 80 grit sandpaper, just on the handle where my hands touch, and it solved all my problems on the next trip out. This grip is a great addition to the gear you bring along with you while fishing. It is lightweight, slim, and very handy to have around. I have used it in saltwater with no sign of rust on the pins. Some so called stainless steel tools rust anyway, but this looks to be of good quality. For the price you cannot beat this fish grip. It does not matter whether you fish freshwater for Bass, or saltwater for Redfish, this grip will handle it all.

I have been using the Fish Gripper for about 2 months now and have been fairly pleased with the overall performance of the product. They are lightweight, bright colored so they are easy to see, and best of all they float. I mainly use the gripper in the marsh for redfish, trout, and flounder. When I go offshore it will handle the smaller species but has a harder time handling larger fish. Compared to the price of other lip gripping holders out there, this particular product is a steal and a good item for any avid kayak angler to have. Pros: The best feature of this product is the fact that it floats if dropped into the water. All other grips are made of metal and cost 30-100 dollars more, but sink as soon as you drop them into the water. If you drop the Fish Gripper, all you have to do is paddle over to where it has floated off to and scoop it up. Also since it is made out of plastic, you don’t have to worry about it rusting up and corroding which practically renders metal grippers useless. Without proper care you may have to buy 3-4 metal grippers over the course of a fishing season, but the plastic Fish Grippers eliminate that whole aspect. For smaller game fish these are perfect and easily secure your catch for you to pick them up and snap a picture or throw them on the stringer. Cons: If I were to make any improvements to this product it would be to make a stronger locking mechanism so that it could hold fish of greater weight. I have had bigger fish pop the Gripper open and then fall back into the water. This can be a little annoying but it’s not a huge deal. I would also like to see the handles be a little bit longer to give you some more reach. Overall: All in all I have been fairly pleased with my Fish Gripper and would recommend it to any person who is into kayak fishing or wanting to get into kayak fishing. I would give this product 4 out of 5 stars.

The Norton Fish Grip is an excellent tool and works even better than advertised. When I’m fishing it’s usually for bass and I’m not as concerned about fish with teeth as much as I am concerned with treble hooks. If you’ve ever experienced having a hook in you at the same time that it’s in a thrashing fish you’ll appreciate the Norton Fish Grip as much as I do. I fish from a kayak and have attempted to use a net when using lures with multiple treble hooks and it just doesn’t work for me. I have enough gear in the boat without a big net and taking the time to untangle lures from the net during tournaments was the deal breaker. The Norton Fish grip is compact; it floats and comes with a very flexible and durable bungee cord that you can attach within arm’s reach. I’ve landed lot of fish using the fish Grip and have had no problems. I was concerned about slippage or the strength of the grips, what could be worse than losing a tournament fish to a failed fish grip…not a problem. While fishing for bass I hooked a 20 lb freshwater drum and was able to pull it from the water with the Fish Grip. One handed operation is simple and leaves the free hand to remove hooks improving efficiency. I highly recommend the Fish Grip to anyone who uses artificials with multiple treble hooks or anyone fishing for Pike, Muskie, or salt water species where sharp teeth come into play.

Showing first 4 Reviews - Click Here to see all Product Reviews
Reviewer:	Chasinfish -Yakdawg	Rating:	5	Date:	12/29/2011
Review:	Nice product made from what appears to be high quality, impact resistant plastics. The fact that it floats is a huge plus when fishing from a kayak. I'd rather pay $15 for one of these than $100+ for a boga.
Reviewer:	hazelqj	Rating:	5	Date:	10/21/2011
Review:	Great fish grip. Doesn't damage the fish like a traditional metal lip gripper can. Plus it floats, which is always a good feature for a kayak fisherman.
Reviewer:	Mari_n_me	Rating:	5	Date:	06/17/2011
Review:	Everything we hoped for. It holds on to the fish without piercing through their lips and keeps a tight grip on them. Floats perfectly, easy to see both during day and night..
Reviewer:	DMJOHNO	Rating:	5	Date:	05/07/2011
Review:	Easy to use. And works well.

Watertrail Floating Kayak Fish Net
Price $69.00

Snap Shot Fish Measuring Ruler
Price $7.99

Boga Grip 15 lb Fishing Tool Model 315
Price $119.00

Blakemore Brush Gripper
Price $11.99

CamelBak 21 oz. Podium Ice Water Bottle - BPA Free
Price $15.96