Missed With The Net

[GLF]

I took the picture so it was not me who was doing the net job.

[Adam Bomb]

Yeah, but the fish is still there. If that was my brother youd have a pic of the net with spoon snaffooed in it!!!

[Walleye Express]

A good net man is as valuable IMV as anything else connected with fishing. Knowing when to net and how to net is a learned skill very much under rated and appreciated by people who think it's the easiest part of fishing. I'm not saying I'm the best net man, but pictured below is a double on walleyes I just finished netting. And have on rare occassion netted 3 walleyes in the same net. I attribute most of my netting skills to the 1,000 or so butterflies and flying grasshoppers I chased and caught with my dads landing net when I was growing up.

[Adam Bomb]

I agree, a good net man is hard to beat!!!!

As far as the double net job, oh boy have i been there before too. I think allot of people think your nuts when you tell them your gonna net another fish in the same net. I think they believe the other one will get away. But, as your picture illustrates it can be done if you do it correctly. Just have to pick your shot take it and be sure to "drive the net" in an essance to keep the first one in the bottom while getting the second fish. Doubles on salmon are even more fun.....Better get that slider fish first though!

[Just Hook'n]

If I had to guess i would say that first pic is of a certain friend whose name I won't mention, but I think it starts with Glen. HA.

[Nailer]

Completely missing with the net is way better than the old Bonk in the chops shot.

[Treblemaker]

When netting gets tough sometimes an overhand shot can deliver the goods.

[GLF]

Completely missing with the net is way better than the old Bonk in the chops shot.

I boinked one in the chops last year. Fortunately....it did not knock the fish off.

[mattmishler]

i started out getting yelled at netting my first few years and anyone who has fished with us knows that my grandpa puts alot of pressure on me when we have people fishing with us he dosent realy sset any rods he says in front while i run the back of the boat and when a tangle comes up im the first to blam. He got really mad a day when i knocked off 3 fish in a row and i think that made me a a better net man when time to go and time to wait for another stab

[Adam Bomb]

I think the key to being a good net man is just having patients and not panicing at the moment of truth. I think more fish are lost at the net because guys attempt to get the fish to early, and if they miss start trying to scoop the fish with quick shallow jabs to recover from their failed attempt. Unfortunately most times the hook is in the net after the first couple tries and it usually rips it outta the fish. Just be patient and net the fish when the time is right. Having control of the net and not over reaching is a big key to this IMO.

[Just Hook'n]

I started using net minders this year and it really helped me calm down with rookies netting fish. Before that I would net nearly all the fish on my boat because I hate seeing peopel work to get them to the back only to have a rookie knock them off.

[SUPERTRAMP]

OK I guess my 2 cents are appropriate. I get very nervous when people handle the net on my boat, I have a partner that tried to scoop a 20# king head first this spring when we were on the 15' Supertramp, about had a heart attack, luckily we got the rod in his hands and I netted the fish. The most important thing I think we all need to remember is that green fish will get u everytime slow down play the fish and get a long enough handle net that you can come in from behind and under the fish, No lures caught in the net and no fish farmered by a bad net job. But remember there is always another fish not always another friend or fishing buddy. Screaming and getting upset when a fish is lost is just plain wrong. Enjoy your time on the water and don't measure your success by the number of fish you land but by the time spent with friends and co anglers.

[Adam Bomb]

OK I guess my 2 cents are appropriate. I get very nervous when people handle the net on my boat, I have a partner that tried to scoop a 20# king head first this spring when we were on the 15' Supertramp, about had a heart attack, luckily we got the rod in his hands and I netted the fish. The most important thing I think we all need to remember is that green fish will get u everytime slow down play the fish and get a long enough handle net that you can come in from behind and under the fish, No lures caught in the net and no fish farmered by a bad net job. But remember there is always another fish not always another friend or fishing buddy. Screaming and getting upset when a fish is lost is just plain wrong. Enjoy your time on the water and don't measure your success by the number of fish you land but by the time spent with friends and co anglers.

I net all my fish head first. Guess youd be nervous if i was on board. Works for me.

[Walleye Express]

He would not like me netting either Adam. Always head first for me as well. It's all about timing the forward momentum of the fish, and quick, deep sweeping thrusts IMV. Can't think of a single specie of Fish of any kind that swims backwards even a fraction as good as it does forward. Touch them anywhere from the dorsal fin back with any part of the net while netting from the back, and you'll never match the speed of the fish's thrust and speed out the front of the net, versus pushing the net ahead fast enough against the current in the river or against a moving boats drag pushing back against the bag of the net.

Edited October 7, 2009 by Walleye Express

[Rayman96]

I try to land the fish at the back of the boat. I can't afford to spook the fish and it take off into the other riggers or deployed divers with line and lures in tow.

If the fish is tired and close to the surface, it will slide into the net without much resistance. Once the head of the fish is in the net, there's only the bottom of the net to swim into.

One thing though. I have a good sized net on board. The handle isn't quite as long as I would like but the hoop is 30 by 30. I use a rubber band to keep the bag of the net out of the way.

Head first always for me and my crew. Nobody feels worse than the guy who knocks off a fish with the net. No scolding needed.

[Adam Bomb]

Velcro works real well for securing the net bag. Get some with adhesive and put a strip on the bottom of the net bag through the netting and stick it to itself. Then put another strip on the net handle in the appropriate location. I then wrap each end of the velcro on the net handle with a few wraps of black tape for added security. Works fantastic. Much quicker than a release.

[SUPERTRAMP]

OK so u got me I do net head first, wanted to see if anyone would see the comment about Bass net style that the bass pros use. It doesn't work on large salmonids. Be sure to get the net basket open and deep enough to get the head of the fish well in to it before u lift.

[Just Hook'n]

I like the velco idea. I've witnessed that on other boats and it seems to work very well.