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Around June 5 or 6, there was a spot on one of the local TV channels about hand grabbing.
The reporter was on the Big Black (west of Jackson) with four or five men. Were any of you in that story? I have been on vacation for three weeks and I have been wanting to find out. I hope that all of you are having a good summer. Jack

Shoot them sprigs on their first pass!

PS. It sure was nice to have some cool nights in the NC mountains.

Wasn't me. It was probably the guys from www.mississippihandgrabbing.com

Look at their site. Got some good pics.

moms recorded a spot on cnn headline news with these guys a few weeks ago. they said they go down with a stringer, put it through the lips and then pull em on out. i was appauled. i always thought you was supposed to man handle em outta there and then slap em in the boat without the aid of a stringer. am i missing something?

[ June 25, 2002: Message edited by: gps4 ]

gps4, people do it different ways. But for the most part you are right, men manhandle their fish. I actually dont know anyone who uses a stringer, and I am seeing more and more sissys wearing gloves. [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

I have never tried with gloves, it would seem that you couln't get as good as grip as with your hand though.

I would like to see that tape the MSHandgrabbers sell I am reluctant to buy b/c I rented a handgrabbing tape several years ago and the guys were doing the stringer thing. I wasn't real impressed with that.

gps4
It's been done, but no one can CONSISTANTLY hold on to a forty pound plus catfish. Like i said, everyone seems to know someone that's caught a huge catfish with just their hands, and it can be done, you just can't consistantly do it. I caught a 75 pound yellow cat on June 15 of this year by stringing it up. I'd like to see anyone "manhandle" that fish. He did all the manhandling, trust me.

Oh yeah Vicksburg, did yall keep the big fish yall caught or did you let them go. I noticed when you emailed me those pictures they were taken in the boat. I wondered if you let him go. We didn't catch any big fish this year but if I was to grab him I would let him go. I got more than enough meat off of small one to do me and the little lady.

We took three rolls of film up to make sure some pictures came out and then let her go.

Bob Henderson from Greenwood was on ESPN Outdoors last year and grabbed several in the 40+ range and one over 75 lbs without the aid of a stringer. He is a big enough fellow to manhandle any fish though.

Question, Is it illegal to raise a box above water level to get a fish out? I had a discussion with a fellow hand grabber the other day and he said it was legal. For some reason I am thinking it is illegal to do so.

It is illegal to raise a box above the water. It is unlawful to alter any natural areas by placing boards, wire or other permanently attached obstruction to logs, holes, etc., or to take fish from such altered devices. It is also unlawful to raise any part of a natural or artificial device out of the water thereby aiding in the capture of enclosed fish. If it is done like that then the box is considered a trap

I am right there with Pintail on this one...since we are usually in the boat together. Go down and grab a 32lbs blue cat with your hand and manhandle him in the boat and see what you get. And another thing, I don't believe in 70 plus pound fish from anyone unitl I see her on the scales. A good blue cat puts most none believers back in the boat pretty quick.

you will find me at www.foodtv.com. i only know how to cook em.....haha.......

judge jb

guess that makes me a FAT star.......

Thanks for clarifying that, Vicksburg. [img]images/smiles/icon_cool.gif[/img]

Just a little note....till you have grabbed a 40+ fish don't make any assumptions. There is no way to describe the power of those fish in your hand or when they are the ones ahold of you!!! [img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]