After a 1.5 years of use , from ice fishing which was the intention, to striper , the rapala grip scale gets a thumbs down from me.
I'm looking at more lip grip scissor type strictly for ice.
Sticking your thumb in a Lakers mouth sucks, it's gill plate is sketchy. I'd prefer to lip them outta the hole

The best is the Boga grips, but the Berkley lip grip isn't bad. I've had one for 20 years  and it's done well on pike, blues, and to weigh the very occasional striper. I wade through a whole university of babies in striped pajamas before I get anything decent on the whippy stick. Not so much, you on the Hudson.   New ones look close to the same as my old one. The digital model I'd kinda stay away from. I don't think it would last on the ice. 

I guess I just like to guesstimate (on the high side ) so I don't have a scale. I have looked but never had the urge to but. Thanks for the review. p.s. the Auger fell through so back to drilling by hand

Drats, that sounded like a sweeeet set up, Clint.  I forgot to add, Bogas start at a buck twenty five, the Berkleys less than a third of that! Now you see why I got the Berkley. However, if I fished from a boat with big fish alot, the Boga would work. I've used them plenty on friends boats in the salt and they are slick and durable (and get attached to a lanyard with a  float, due to their golden nature).  Good idea with the Berkley, too, though I doubt you'd kick it down a hole. On second thought - glove operation......   I'd stick it on a forget- me -not- string.

Rich, If you are looking for an inexpensive solution take a gander at these www.thefishgrip.net.  I picked one up on Ebay a few years ago and they work fine.  If you are looking to weigh your catch Boga grips are the best but pricey.

Thanks for the feed back.  Gerry that's what I'm thinking for ice. Fish usa has them as well . I had the Rapala digital lip gripper. Probably much like Charlie is talking.. Your quite right, the digital display gets wet and foggy, the wires and circuits were rusted and corroded. The digital worked for 1/2 ice season and about 20 open water fish then it never worked all last year. The product itself became problem some as the tiny self tapping screws into plastic for the frame kept coming loose and internal parts are not very well built. There is a big pan head screw going into a plastic cube that fits in a slot which keeps the entire gripping mechanism together.. pretty cheesy..  At $40.00 it was worth a shot. Not a product I'd recommend to others.
Weighing is not really necessary really, I'm just looking to get that PHAT Laker or 40" pike outta the 6" hole without it sawing my line or biting my fingers , lol
 
Now with that said,
my gripper (which I did put a float onto lanyard ) , great advice C, was slim enough to stick into the 6" hole , open and grip. . Remember , ice gets thick up there . Gerry , do you think the plastic gripper would do that or does its head have to be above the ice ?
     

HT, the overall length of the gripper is 8-10 inches.  Considering the cost it's worth a shot for ice fishing as well as on the boat.

I've pulled quite a few pike through the ice with a homemade gaff. I used a 8/0 hook debarbed on a 3/4" hardwood dowel .  You could get a fish 24" down in the hole and pull them out without risking your rod.  

Yea I had a gaff and used it once. Not a fan and they are illegal to have on lake George.
Thanks for the info all the way around. I'm gonna try the scissor type and if it don't work for me then I'll get the Berkley one

I stopped using gaffe too. Unless you are keeping the fish there is too much of a chance with wounding them.  I have had a few bad experiences with them.