I mostly lip the fish very carefully unless the hooks are deep in it's mouth. On the other hand, I've had a number of fish shaking to get free from one hook while I was hooked with the other, so don't take my advice. I'm a s l o w  learner.

After my trip to the ER, I bought a rubber net and always have it in the boat now.  I also bought a Fish Grip, but being a Tool Time kinda guy, I got the large one.  Anyone want it in trade for a small one?

 

As to the anchor ban; I imagine that Lester Holt would be pretty upset....I mean he just got in the chair

If I feel the fish is hooked well, I will play it alittle longer to tire the fish out some. Then use judgement on the location(risk) of the lure...then decide if it's safe to lip, if not I use my boga.

catfish are the worst... I hate dealing with them

I hold mine by the belly and put the tail between my arm and torso. This keeps the fish from suddenly kicking out and hooking me. The belly hold seems to make LMB extremely still allowing me to remove the hooks with very little movement from them.

RF813. since I had a treble hook thrust into my finger, had to cut the hook off at its shank, and then go to a physician to have the barb surgically removed I am paranoid about treble hooks and treat them with the greatest of respect.

 

Granted, this happened many, many years ago but I still remember where I was fishing; the crankbait I used; and the two pounder that thought he could swim away while I was holding his lower lip.

 

So now I am extra careful when fishing treble hook baits and use a needle nose pliers to remove treble hooks.

I also will not put my fingers in a bass' mouth if he has a treble hook bait in his mouth.

 

This experience is why I preach to everyone to bring their needle nose pliers with them to remove all hooks.

 

And I also watch my treble hook baits while in the boat. No telling how many "holes" I have in my boat seats from hooking them while fishing. Plus the places in the boat's and my man cave's carpet where I had to either rip out the treble hook or cut it out with a scissors.

 

Be very careful when you are fishing with treble hook baits.  I don't want you or any others having to go to a doctor to have the hook removed via surgery.

I see lots of people in videos that try to lightly lip a bass and yank their hand back every time the fish thrashes (almost like it's a snake trying to bite them)---this seems like it would be a contributor to getting a treble in the hand...If you are gonna lip the bass, just hold on to him for crying out loud, then he will have a very hard time hooking you. If the hooks are in a position preventing you from lipping him safely, grab him behind the head.

Trust me, doing what you can to avoid dropping an anchor on your foot is VERY useful information...[/quote

Ya dont have to lip a fish to get hooked...trust me lol

i had a 28-30inch northern that i picked up bt the gell go nuts and bury and husky jerk 14 into my thumb. Then she promptly ripped it out lol. Looked like a murder scene in the boat]

me too brother no fun at all!

do-not-hesitate.

I wouldn't try lipping a treble bass until you can decisively lip a single hook bass. things aren't going to end well if ur one of those guys that tippi toes around a bass face, waving ur hand in front of him, hesitating while he spins in circles.  learn how to master a single hooked bass first

I grab them by the back of the head for the most part. Bigger fish I'll lip but like others have said, do it quickly and decisively. The guys I see get hooked are the ones that are tentative about it. 

I'ved had Owner brand treble hooked my finger. It hurts I learned my lesson.

 

Sometimes, I'll boat flip the fish and grab the crank and quickly lip the fish. Get pliers, unhook the trebles and throw the lure in water.

 

or 

 

Sometimes, I'll belly lift or grab the head.

Every fish is different.  My advice is to try to pay attention and not hurt yourself.  I carry a hibernet, a long shaft fish gripper and a shorter fish gripper in the boat and use which ever is appropriate.  I bring all 3 every time because I know if I forget one, that will be the one I need.  Any fish that I think I can swing into the boat, I swing into the boat.  Once, when I was fishing a BFL I had a boater try to swing a 3 lb or so fish into the boat -  rod  broke – broke rod cut the line - fish lost.   I felt bad but also I felt that he could have called net, and maybe I would have netted the fish and maybe I wouldn't have, but in either case, his $300 more or less Loomis rod wouldn't have busted.

 

So the point of this post is to use your best judgement, try to have the correct tools for the job on hand, and try not to do something dumb.