Patent ID: 7661222

Claim:
A fish holding apparatus comprising: a first plate having a bottom edge, a top edge, and an inner face; a second plate coupled to the first plate, the second plate having a bottom edge, a top edge, and an inner face opposite the inner face of the first plate, the second plate rotatable relative to the first plate about a horizontal rotation axis proximate and substantially parallel to the bottom edge of the first plate; a biasing member configured to bias the fish holding apparatus toward a closed position; and a holding mechanism configured to maintain the fish holding apparatus in an open position, a distance between the top edge of the second plate and the top edge of the first plate in the open position being greater than a distance between the top edge of the second plate and the top edge of the first plate in the closed position, wherein: the first plate comprises at least one slot near the bottom edge of the first plate; the second plate comprises at least one tab near the bottom edge of the second plate, the at least one tab configured to be inserted in the at least one slot of the first plate; and the second plate is coupled at the at least one tab to the first plate at the at least one slot.