Netting Fish

[Priority1]

I was just curious about where most of you like to net your fish. I have netted off the stern when it's necessary, but prefer to take them off one of the sides near the stern. Depending on what side the fish came from, and what side has the least gear out, it just seems easier to me to shuffle a couple of rods and net the fish off one of the corners. Sometimes it's impossible to call the shots. A good helmsman and net man can make or break a fishing trip. An experienced person on the rod helps also, by putting the fish in the net. I'm just putting this out there to see how most of you do the netting.

[Satisfaxion_Gauranteed]

Most of my lead core and dipsey fish are netted off the stearn. The occaisonal screamer off core or dipseys get taken anywhere the fish will allow me, in which case the side nearest the fired rod and stearn are all fair game.

The riggers offer me more options, particularly with the electric riggers and swivel snap in place bases that allow me to move equipment in just a few seconds.

I hear you 100% on a good helmsman. We had a newbie last year that fit in great as a helmsman and rod handler. He learned very quickly what to do and how to do it and it was a blast having him on board. Now, if he can only improve his netting.....

[McFly]

Straight out the back unless the fish has other ideas then I take it where I can.

[Mark]

I fish by myself a lot in the mornings and have had some pretty comical attempts at netting a hot king off the stern to say the least

Later in the year while fishing out of Platte, I was running a 2 rigger set up in my 12 footer and had to land one off the side....it was surprisingly really easy. From that point on, I landed all my fish off the side. With only 2 rods, one side of the boat is wide open after the fish takes one of them. The key was not being tempted to put that 3rd rod out, which for me, resulted in a clusterfudge that shut me down for half hour of prime time.

[GLF]

My net man is a little on the young side. Even in his dreams, he is still hanging onto the net(or fishing pole).

I have too much hardware on the sides to bring a fish in on the sides. Everything is netted at the back of the boat.

Here is a first timers attempt at netting a fish. Only missed him by about 2'.

He got him on the second try.

A good wheel man is worth his weight in gold. I get tired of saying.....turn left, turn left, turn right.....

[Paulywood]

I try to do all of my netting right out the back. I have a doghouse and have the guy on the rod stand on 1 side and the netter on the other. I try to keep the back of my boat open as much as possible, don't run anything down the middle. I have had to net fish on the side before, but it scares me. It's real easy for a fish to take off sideways and get into the dipsey on the side. I fish with a lot of inexperienced people and always try to help them out when they are driving the boat. Try to keep the fish centered in the middle of the boat. When there are just 2 of us sometimes I will just net the fish myself. Depends on how big the fish is.

[caznik]

Caznik is to good to net fish, he lips them like bass on the side of the boat.....

just kinding, in the back or where ever that fish like to get netted.

Caznik

[Priority1]

Mike, That is the coolest pic of the two bros catching some ZZZzzzzzzs.

Cazz, LMAO if BS was $, you could quit your job. I know you're good Cazz.

Reasons I like netting off the corners. Swim platform and cooler takes up a lot of the stern, as well as riggers and rod holders. If I'm going to net a fish off a corner, that out and down is swung to the rear on a 45, unless the fish came on that rigger, then it gets swung straight back. I do have a lot of rod holders to move things around so even my low diver may get moved temporarily.

Don't you just hate it when a green King charges the boat. Reel like heck and hope it swims in the net.

Does anyone use a Gaff??

[GLF]

Caznik is to good to net fish, he lips them like bass on the side of the boat.....

just kinding, in the back or where ever that fish like to get netted.

Caznik

I have seen the cazzz in action doing a net job. Can you say.....bye bye fish! Yep....whacked him in the head with the net and knocked him off the hook. The only lip he was hanging onto was his own trying to figure out what happened!

[JWheeler]

I take a majority right straight off the back. Like mentioned above, it scares the b'jesus out of me to see a fish start swimming toward dipsy and leadcore lines off the side. However sometimes the fish will dictate where they will be netted. And also like mentioned above, it sure helps to have someone who is seasoned running the net. A few greenhorns cost us quite a few fish last year, that will be the last time they net for me... It sucks the worse, when you have a fish to the boat only to be fouled up by a messy netter. My belief is that you only get one opurtunity to net a fish, after that you are real lucky to get it in the net. Anyone who misses a fish with the net on my boat is highly likely to hear about it, some people don't understand:angry2:

[LongLine]

Off the side every time. I learned this the "hard way" by having one dig for the bottom with a slightly tight drag. He took my rod right into the lower unit.

Gaffs are illegal in NYS.

[2UNREEL]

I preferr to take the fish off the back. I try and keep a set of rod holders open for swapping poles around in a hairy situation. I also like to swing my riggers out of the way cause I've had some kings get wrapped up in the cable and snap off. I was wondering if any of you guys have tryed one of those magnet deals to put on the net that hold back the bottom netting untill the fish gets in there. If any of you have tried one of these I would like to know how good they work. I know that if the first attempt at putting a fish in fails, that excess netting flopping around can get hung up on everything.

[Priority1]

I was wondering if any of you guys have tryed one of those magnet deals to put on the net that hold back the bottom netting untill the fish gets in there. If any of you have tried one of these I would like to know how good they work.

I was going to do something like that with my nets this year. I have seen guys put releases on the net handle to hold the net bag. I was thinking along the lines of some sort of rubberband to hold the net bag until the fishes weight pulled it free.

[tltorrice]

I like to bring my fish in over the back of the boat. I swing the riggers out of the way, then the back of the boat is open. Sometimes a green fish will hit the prop wash and dart up the side of the boat and make a mess out of the diver rods. The key is to have a good wheel man and a tired fish.

Unreel, I use an old release attached to the net with duct tape to hold the net bag tight until the fish is netted. Once the fish is in the net, the release lets go. It works very well and didn't cost anything since I had the extra release. I learned this from a Charter Captian, Mike Boyd from St Joseph MI. I learned a lot from him.

[Billy V]

Straight off the back of the boat for us:

[medic]

Off one corner or the other for us. I have an excellent wheel man (my wife) and we kind of let the fish dictate which corner it's coming to. But it's normally the side it hit on. If it's a rigger bite, that rigger comes up immediately. If not, a little slack goes into the rigger rod and it gets moved to a different rod holder. I use an old release as a net clip too. Works great.

[McFly]

Priority1,

I use a wide heavy rubber band on my nets. The kind that they use to hold fresh broccoli together at the market. Just slide it onto the end of the handle and push the net bag into it. I like it better than a release, I can hold more of the bag in it.

[Priority1]

Priority1,

I use a wide heavy rubber band on my nets. The kind that they use to hold fresh broccoli together at the market. Just slide it onto the end of the handle and push the net bag into it. I like it better than a release, I can hold more of the bag in it.

TY McFly I was thinking along those lines.