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If you have ever wondered about the merits of using, or even owning a glove, then the picture below should answer that! A lively pike spun as it was being unhooked and what could have resulted in a serious injury just made a great photo to show you how good these gloves are! One size fits all, will fit left or right hand. These gloves are reccomended and prefered to other types of gloves used by many anglers, these types of garden and work mans gloves are a bit too bulky and thick and as a result may damage a small pike's mouth / gills. These gloves dont offer as much grip and control. In most situations, a true pike angler will / should use his bare hand / fingers to unhook most pike caught deadbaiting or by bait fishing. However there are certain instances where you may have to hand land a fish with flying trebles on the outside of its mouth or when lure fishing.
Anglers World would advise and stress to pike anglers to learn to unhook pike the right way and with confidence. The dangers of unhooking fish are sometimes ignored and in most cases its the pike that suffers. There really should be no need for fish grips and the product "pike gag" should be banned! The pike's teeth will cut / prick your skin the odd time but will not cause any serious damamge unless you put your whole hand in there! Your fingers should be nowhere near a pikes teeth if handled correctly, often its the gill rakers that will give you a slight nick or graze that you will notice after the fish goes back. If you have a secure grip using the chin method then you should be fine. Be confident and keep a small bit of pressure between thumb and fingers. Small to mid-sized pike are often the ones full of life and flip about, standing up and holding a pike off the ground with one hand and away from any leverage will ensure a safe unhooking procedure for both angler and fish. If the fish tries to flip its tail then tighten your grip and keep the fish away from anything it may get leverage from, your legs, the ground etc... For bigger pike (Ex) 15lb + , then unhooking on a weigh mat with the pike on its back is the best method. These gloves would really be needed for lure fishing to aviod what would have happened in the photo had the angler not been wearing a glove.
One last thing - If your not confident handling pike - THEN DONT. Its best to go fishing with an experienced pike angler untill you have unhooked a few fish in his/her company to gain confidence to enable you to do it alone. If you are afriad of the pike's mouth and getting cut or using the chin method, then you really shouldnt be fishing for them. Blunt that may seem but there simply are too many anglers on the bank abusing and mis-handling pike which stems from a fear of the fish and its teeth.
