Handling fish in anyway can be harmful if done wrong. When dealing with Pike, Walleye, and Lakers myself and everyone I fish with hold them by the lower jaw right where it meets the gill plate not touching the gills ever. If you stick your fingers actually into the gills then you can hurt the fish and will most likely hurt yourself. Netts can be harmfull to a fish too depending on the material and how they are used. This goes for lip grips also. All you can do is try your best to get the fish back in the water as healthy as possible to enjoy seeing them swim away to fight another day.
Lets not feed the Antis with negatives about fishing
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