landing fish by the gill

[texascatman]

i have only tride to land a few fish by the gill carp by the way and i tor part of the gill right under the lower jaw is ther a proper way to do this and are their some fish that just should not be landed in this way

[dahlberg]

Hi T
Depending on the dentures of the creature you're grabbing, you've gotta be careful. Also careful not to hurt the fish.
The best way is to slide your right hand, forfinger first and fingers held tight to one another, and your thumb against your first knuckle so you don't get it caught in the teeth, into the slot on the underside of the jawbone, without getting any gills tangled up in the process.
You grip the fish by the jaw and support its mid section or tail with the other hand. Careful not to put too much pressure on the area where the gill attaches to the jaw. Also, if a fish is not big enough to comfortablly "jawbone", then don't try. It works better on some species than on others.
best,
L