Is it worth the price? Are there any reliable substitutes?

i've heard they are very nice and worth the price. i haven't used one.

i know from experience the berkley digital lip grip is a good substitute.

1: yes

2: no

Just my opinion. Mine stays submerged in the ocean for hours at a time. The Boga is bullet proof.

I've used the Boga Grips for several years.  They are excellent. 

I use to have two, now only one. Put a float on it if you buy one. They are the most accurate of the spring scales & are readily certified by IGFA for record purposes.

I was using digitals until one day mine showed me 3 different readings on the same fish.  They were over a # and 1/2 apart.  So I started buying digitals.  I found every one of them to be erratic.  (Thank you Bass Pro for your generous return policy.)

I did some research and found Boga to be highly recommended.  I bought one and decided I wanted to keep it so I have it tied to the boat with an 8' nylon cord.  It is way too expensive to drop overboard.  Mine did not have a warranty card in the box so I called Boga and asked about it.   The guy on the phone said, "If you have any problem, give us a call.  We have only had 30 out of the 1000s that have been sent back and most of them just needed to be cleaned."

It is also very good for landing toothy fish and bass with a couple of trebles in their mouths.

I'd buy another one in a heart beat.