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Lip-Gripping
Scales
The expensive
Bogagrip 260 and the value-priced Cabela Grab & Weigh surpass the competition
with accurate scales and highly rated grippers.
What We Tested
We tested four hand scales equipped with lip-gripping jaws. Prices ranged from
$49.99 to $239.99. Cabela sent us an imported lip gripper it markets as the Grab
& Weigh. Eastaboga Tackle, located in Alabama, supplied us with its largest
gripping scale, the Model 260. The Rapala group supplied us with the large
version of its ProGuide Lock n Weigh. Our final lip gripper came from
Florida-based Lipper Tools the South American-made Lipper 60.
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From right to left: Cabela's Grip and Weigh, the
Lip 60, the Bogagrip 260, and the Rapala Lock n Weigh. |
How We Tested
All of our scale testing was done at the offices of the International Game Fish
Association in Dania Beach, Florida. Fishing and Science Director Jason
Schratweiser did all actual scale testing. The IGFA is the organization that
certifies and handles applications for all world record fish and many state
record fish. The association also certifies hand scales rated up to 100 lbs.
Once a scale passes IGFA testing and is certified, it can be used to measure the
weight of a potential world-record fish.
Cabela Grab &
Weigh Fish Scale
The Cabela lip gripper is made mainly of stainless
steel; it is also equipped with a firm foam handgrip, plastic finger grips on
the jaw levers, and a wrist lanyard. We found the lanyard on the short side.
This made it difficult to get a hand through the lanyard loop and use it as a
wrist strap. The Grab & Weigh is priced at $49.99 at Cabela's .
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The Cabela's in action |
The jaws on the
Cabela unit are spring-loaded closed and require two fingers to open. It uses a
lever action akin to a pair of pliers and requires considerable effort by two
fingers to open the jaws. Maximum jaw spread when open is about 7/8 of an inch.
Jaw depth is the same open or closed and measured a tad over 1 1/8 inches. On
our test fish, the Cabela earned a Good gripper rating.
The Grab & Weigh passed the IGFA scale certification testing, however, it
was off by one increment (on this scale that's 1-pound) at two tested weights.
The 0 to 50 range
of this scale spans about 2 inches and uses 1-lb. increments. The larger
increments make it a bit easier to read than the Boga but one must keep in mind
it only has half the resolution since it uses 1-lb increments to the Boga's
½-lb.
Bottom Line: An inexpensive certifiable scale with lip grippers that work; our
Best Buy.
Conclusions
We like two of the lip gripping scales tested: the Cabela
Grip & Weigh and the BogaGrip 260.
The Cabela, our Best Buy, garnered a Good rating on its lip grippers and was
certified.
The BogaGrip is
our top pick for anglers who only seek top of the line gear for their tackle
box. Its lip grippers work well and its scale is without equal, passing
certification with a perfect score. !
| Some Pics of the grip in action! (15 LB Grip
and Weigh) | | 
RejeX
