| (http://www.greatlakesbass.com/images/flipclipsitebanner240.jpg) (http://www.flipclipfishing.com/) | Please give a big welcome our newest GreatLakesBass.com site sponsor - Flip Clip Fishing LLC (www.flipclipfishing.com)! |
Fitting very well our mission of learning more about our sport while taking better care of the resource we enjoy so much, Flip Clip Fishing has designed a product specifically created to help save deep caught bass simply and effectively! The Flip Clip is a great improvement over homemade options.
Owner Jimmy Kramer, a long time Lake Erie angler, like many of us wanted to take better care of tournament-caught bass and decided to do something personal about. The result of his research and development is the Flip Clip!
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Per Jimmy: "I've been fishing Erie tournaments for many years. Had lots of fish die because of the air bladder. You watch them struggle and focus all of their energy on trying to keep upright until they eventually die. Back in the years of our small club, 'The Outcasts,' we would wave our normal 8 oz loss for a dead fish for an Erie tournament. We just accepted it was going to happen. Spectators at weigh-ins react very negatively to fish floating and struggling all over the launch area. I've always been uncomfortable with using needles, and the more research I read justifies my concerns. This sport has been getting hammered lately for fish care and post tournament mortality."
Jimmy tried a large variety of clips, materials, weights and designs before coming up with the ideal way to help bass stay upright and down in the livewall water. The Flip Clip design does not damage the anal fin of the bass - the correct place to attach the clip to a bass. The anal fin is a better balancing location with the air bladder and acts as a keel rather than being attached to a muscle and used to swim like the pectoral fin. It takes less weight to balance the bass out. One weight often works, but multiple can be attached if you're fortunate enough to catch one of those giants!! Directions come with each Flip Clip set.
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The clip has the correct spring tension with perfectly aligned jaws so they almost never fall off when attached to the largest bone on the anal fin as directed. And they won't rust - a problem I've had with most of the options I've tried.
Jimmy is currently working with Lane and Tony Gergely of Sure Life Labs (makers of Catch and Release and Please Release Me) on validation studies for the Flip Clip. I really like this because it fits my belief of doing something right that really works verses doing something that only makes you feel you are doing something when you may actually be doing more harm than good.
Well known fish biologist Ralph Manns and noted big bass expert Doug Hannon have given positive reviews on the Flip Clip. Canadian fish biologist and In-Fisherman activist Gordon Pyzer is working with them now too including a trial on walleye also, which could broaden the Flip Clip's application and ability to help us do more to protect the resource we love so much.
I'm DEFINITELY trying the Flip Clip this year since I have not found anything that is truly designed as well as they are for my specific need. I have not gotten on the fizzing band wagon yet because there is much bad information out there and common existing practices may be doing more harm than good according to my research with fisheries experts. If you follow the directions for the Flip Clip, you will do no harm to your fish. Quick and simple for you to reduce the stress on your deep caught or struggling bass.
Please check out the Flip Clip at FishClipFishing.com (http://www.flipclipfishing.com/).
- Nickel plated clip attached to the
anal fin turns the fish over in your
well - Rubber coated-reduce the possibility
of lead contamination and will not
scratch your well - Different colors-can be used as a
culling tag at the same time - Large fish? Clip on two or more,
weight and clip are matched to stay
on all day - Helps any fish exhibiting signs of
shock, stress or having difficulty
maintaining equilibrium.
FLIP CLIP - Helping Tournament Anglers keep deep caught fish alive!