Lifting a fish by its lower jaw can cause severe and potentially life-threatening injuries according to a report by Dr. Justin Grubich, marine biologist. In a February '04 report* he stressed that the popular lip gripping fish landing devices can cause physiological and anatomical stress, in particular, to a fish’s lower jaw which can lead to increased mortality. A fish’s jaws and supporting muscles comprise a very complex structure. Fish use their jaws to capture and in some cases to even locate prey. In particular the lower jaw plays a critical role in feeding mechanics and forms what engineers call a third class lever system. It is analogous to your upper arm, biceps, elbow joint, and forearm. This type of joint is good at transforming muscle force into movement but it is not necessarily strong.

Too Much Weight - When you use a lip grabber, you are placing all of the fish’s weight on its lower jaw. Remember that a fish’s jaws and muscles are developed for use in relatively weight-free underwater system. Further, as fish grow in weight, their jaws and supporting muscles so not grow proportionally. So lifting a fish by its lower jaw can result in hyper extension, dislocation or tearing of the fish’s jaw muscles and joints which can result in its inability to feed.

Internal Damage – Lifting a fish vertically out of the water may cause damage to its internal organs. Once again remember that fish are built to function in water which has far less gravitational effect than air. When you hold a large fish vertically, the weight of its internal organs may stretch or tear the membranes holding them in place. This type of damage may rupture internal organs or harm a fish’s ability to digest food.

Proper Handling – Whenever possible, leave them in the water and if you cant easily remove the hook, cut your leader to release the fish even if it has your favorite $5 lure attached. If you do take a fish out of the water, keep it horizontal and support its belly section with your hand. Take care not to harm the protective slime on the fish’s scales, and never put your hands in its gill area. Remove your hook quickly, take a picture, and get it back into the water as soon as possible. If necessary revive the fish by facing it into the current so that water/oxygen can flow over its gills. Each fish is too valuable to be wasted by improper handling.

* Published in the Saltwater Sportsman, Mar, 2004