whichwaysup Posted May 5, 2017 Report Share Posted May 5, 2017 I've never used a boca grip before, but have been thinking about getting one for the boat. I pulled up "Boca grip" on amazon and fell out of my chair when I saw the price tag at $125 . . . then right below it were about 10,000 knock offs that looked identical, had high reviews . . . and were less than $20. Anyone have any experience with the knock offs? Is there a (good) reason that the name brand is 10x more expensive??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt. Troy Posted May 5, 2017 Report Share Posted May 5, 2017 I have had mine 20 years. IGFA certified if you send it to them to test. Can't comment to the knock offs because I have never had to replace mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justfish Posted May 5, 2017 Report Share Posted May 5, 2017 What knock off ? I've had 2-3 similar ones but wouldn't nessessarlily call em knockoffs and they were ok for a while but scale wasn't accurate and eventually they quit working in some fashion. ive always wanted a true boga, just seems like something a man should have...like a quality watch and pocket knife.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernWake Posted May 5, 2017 Report Share Posted May 5, 2017 I use the plastic "fish gripper" no scale but nothing to rust. had a knockoff one but it rusted out quickly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt. Troy Posted May 5, 2017 Report Share Posted May 5, 2017 2 hours ago, justfish said: What knock off ? I've had 2-3 similar ones but wouldn't nessessarlily call em knockoffs and they were ok for a while but scale wasn't accurate and eventually they quit working in some fashion. ive always wanted a true boga, just seems like something a man should have...like a quality watch and pocket knife.... Buy a salt life sticker and a cheap fish gripper. Just another part of the things we all spend money on. I purchase my guns and tools for life time investments. They are what keep me alive. A pair of vice grips will lock a fish down if you set them right. One rod and reel costs more than 125 bucks and they don't last either. As said earlier my Boga is 20 years old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fin-addict Posted May 5, 2017 Report Share Posted May 5, 2017 there are several like boga grips on the market. never used them. my boga is about 14 years old. has always been stored after trips. last two years left in console side rod holder shaded by t-top. still and works like new. you get what you pay for, high quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunstone Posted May 5, 2017 Report Share Posted May 5, 2017 I've had mine since 2004 and it just stays in a rod holder. I do garage my boat but never a hint of rust. I think I paid $110, that's about $8.46 a year, good deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnd Posted May 5, 2017 Report Share Posted May 5, 2017 After buying many lower cost scales (all trashed) I broke down and bought a Boca. Never fails. I do keep a plastic Grip on boat too, but different purpose. Hey, Fathers Day is coming..hint to the bride you want a Boca. Should have bought first, I wasted a bunch of $ on other "almost Boca grips". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bamaskeet Posted May 5, 2017 Report Share Posted May 5, 2017 I agree with most of the posts. Real Boga's are much better than the knock offs. If your short on funds, I have two suggestions. Buy a fish gripper, they work good and cost less than $15. If you want a Boga, look on eBay, you can sometimes find a deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polliwog Posted May 6, 2017 Report Share Posted May 6, 2017 One of the few fishing products that stands up to it's reputation, buy once and never need to again. They must use very high grade stainless. Built in the USA ,all our products should be this good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triplec Posted May 7, 2017 Report Share Posted May 7, 2017 Bout 10 years on my Boga...thats cheap really. Got three four times that in one rod & reel combo...and you bought a Maverick instead of a Carolina Skiff...surely had to be a reason Aks Justfish how those knock off gaffs work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASB Posted May 7, 2017 Report Share Posted May 7, 2017 I bought the $12.99 Suaoki stainless steel lip gripper from Amazon. Although it's not as well made as the original Boga it works great and hast rusted at all. I'm not sure how accurate the scale is but I do not weigh fish anyway. I would buy another one in a heartbeat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Jazzy Posted May 7, 2017 Report Share Posted May 7, 2017 I too have a boga and it has held up great like everyone else has stated. Question about the scale. You say you can get it IGFA certified? How? I recently was fishing in a bass tourney and was weighing fish to cull and my scale was way off compared to the digital scale at weigh in. Had a bass weigh 10 lbs. on the boga and 8.6 on digital. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craSSh Posted May 7, 2017 Report Share Posted May 7, 2017 1 hour ago, Miss Jazzy said: I too have a boga and it has held up great like everyone else has stated. Question about the scale. You say you can get it IGFA certified? How? I recently was fishing in a bass tourney and was weighing fish to cull and my scale was way off compared to the digital scale at weigh in. Had a bass weigh 10 lbs. on the boga and 8.6 on digital. https://www.bogagrip.com/certification Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt. Troy Posted May 7, 2017 Report Share Posted May 7, 2017 Send the scale To IGFA. The do charge for it but not sure how much. I have tested mine with known weights and it is still right on. I seldom ever weigh fish as it is not good to hang them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Jazzy Posted May 7, 2017 Report Share Posted May 7, 2017 $40 no thanks.... just weighed a gallon of water and it weighed just over 8 lbs. so those digital scales had to be off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishmanjj Posted May 7, 2017 Report Share Posted May 7, 2017 My Boga Grip is over 15 years old...used almost every weekend, cleaned and kept dry when not used. I have caught several trout, tripletail and snook and weighed at boat...later weighed in IGFA scales during a tournament. The BogaGrip is dead on !! Just be sure to attach a decent sized float on it in case someone drops it overboard. Don't say it....because they will ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurricane Posted May 7, 2017 Report Share Posted May 7, 2017 Guess I'm the odd ball, I don't care for any of these lipper tools. I find it to hard to get the tool on the fish, sometimes they don't open their mouth or they twitch just as I try to get it on. I've had the knock off and the plastic vice grip type, didn't like either one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drummer Posted May 8, 2017 Report Share Posted May 8, 2017 Bo-Ga. Just like Toga, except with a G. Great fishing tool. Wouldn't leave the ramp without it! Get the real deal, you'll be glad you did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lap it Up Posted May 8, 2017 Report Share Posted May 8, 2017 I can attest to Boga grips quality. When fishing is slow a buddy and I run shore lines looking for "nautical treasures". I have found all kinds of things. Last year I found a neat little float and attached to it was a 30lb Boga Grip! I don't know how long it was submerged for but it had barnacles on the grip and float. Not a spec of rust on the tool!! It works as if it were new! I will say I prefer a landing net over a lip tool, but I think it's because I'm more of a meat eater than a trophy "how much does it weigh" guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nauti Posted May 8, 2017 Report Share Posted May 8, 2017 I'm with Lap it Up, I'd rather use a good net than a lip grabber on inshore fish. I do have an old Rapala grabber that I used on offshore species that were either going on ice or too toothy to mess with, and it held up well and hasn't rusted in 15 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishmanjj Posted May 8, 2017 Report Share Posted May 8, 2017 On 5/5/2017 at 11:18 AM, whichwaysup said: I've never used a boca grip before, but have been thinking about getting one for the boat. I pulled up "Boca grip" on amazon and fell out of my chair when I saw the price tag at $125 . . . then right below it were about 10,000 knock offs that looked identical, had high reviews . . . and were less than $20. Anyone have any experience with the knock offs? Is there a (good) reason that the name brand is 10x more expensive??? I think you are getting two trains of thoughts from the readers....none of which are incorrect. First, some of the readers are thinking you are only using the boga grip to lip the fish at the boat and lift it. You can buy a $ 10 plastic grip tool for that. Others say : they use a net for landing the fish and wouldn't use a grip tool. I am only speaking for myself : I fish a lot of tournaments, therefore I depend on the boga grip for "weighing" the fish at boat. Simply to determine if the fish is worth keeping for a weigh in....most redfish tournaments are ONE fish only, and the fish must be kept alive. Therefore, we may catch , weigh and release 6 or 8 fish before keeping one. Trout , flounder, tripletail, etc...can easily be weighed and a quick decision made to release or keep. Our inshore tournaments are now 5 fish total, 3 trout, one red, one flounder, so the true weights are important. We do use a net to land most fish, especially when fishing tournaments. The boga grip will be as close to any IGFA scale around everytime if properly maintained. It's a well made tool....just like a good rod / reel or gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whichwaysup Posted May 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2017 Thanks all - Great thread and one that answered questions I didn't even realize I had. I've seen people use Boga Grips forever, but never jumped on board because it always seemed like more trouble than a net. When I recently lost my net, I thought, "dang, If only I had a pair of Boga Grips!". The piece about weighing fish is particularly interesting - I don't weigh, or care what a fish weighs. Length determines legality, and if I'm going to keep, a good measuring stick is my primary tool. Based on what I've read, I decided to 'tip toe' into this by ordering an inexpensive but highly rated knock off and see how I like it. I ordered the Suaoki off amazon if anyone is interested. If I find it useful, I'll probably go ahead and get the real deal based on the glowing reviews of it. Good to know something is actually worth the money. Also, very good to know that the boga grips are accurate for weight - it is not something I'd associated the tool with. Thanks all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polliwog Posted May 9, 2017 Report Share Posted May 9, 2017 I use my Boga to control the fish in the water while I unhook it. I have had an few treble issues with large fish that are hard to control while unhooking. I'm talking about 40-50LB stripers. Pliers and a boga keep my hands treble free. It's also may be deadly for the fish to lift a fish that size by the jaw. I do c/r almost all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whichwaysup Posted May 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2017 Polliwog - where are you catching stripers?? What state are you in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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