Nets?

Slowmo here
I had a giant net with a 4 foot handle. In ever used it and when I did I found the handle to be to long. Recently I cut it down to be about 18 in long, still have not used it but it seems to me that it would be easier use in general. When I caught the 30* yellowtail I gaffed it and had no trouble with it. Although that was after tiring it out for 30 min.

I'm a "net" guy myself.....especially if I ever come across a fish of a life time at the end of my line "Netting" also allows you the option of releasing fish I've been using the foldable promar net and have been very happy with it (big,wide and deep enough for a halibut)

I only use my gaff when I'm keeping a few RF for cunsumption.

just my 2 cents...

I use those orange fish lip grippers 60% of the time, leader land 39.9% of the time, a gaff 0.09% of the time and a fancy folding promar net 0.01% of the time.

maybe that will change if we got to go for salmon again in the years to come.

a net is great when you need it but it's a royal pain until you do need it.

in freshwater I have a small net for trout and that thing is very useful.

J

 As most have suggested I will use a net when I finally get a yak , questions for those in the know ;
If I have a net , would I benefit from having a gaff also ? Would a short handle of a foot or so be better than a 2-3' long model ?

Also these orange lippers , are they tough enough to handle a decent ling or halibut ? Or would one of those real ( fairly ) expensive metal ones be an advantage or do I not really need either one ? See a lot of the orange ones in different pictures here , believe Cabelas carries them , do any of the tackle shops in Sacramento carry them ?

Thanks for your replies , Dan

If I have a net , would I benefit from having a gaff also ? Would a short handle of a foot or so be better than a 2-3' long model?

Can't really speak here because I don't have either yet.  From reading on this board though, I think it is the law that all fishing vessels must have a net with an opening of at least 18".  If I'm wrong, somebody will speak up.

Also these orange lippers , are they tough enough to handle a decent ling or halibut ? Or would one of those real ( fairly ) expensive metal ones be an advantage or do I not really need either one ? See a lot of the orange ones in different pictures here , believe Cabelas carries them , do any of the tackle shops in Sacramento carry them ?

I believe that I've seen lots of pictures of The Fish Grip holding up "big toothy critters" and thus I think they're more than sufficient.  Again I can't speak to them as I've yet to catch anything that would warrant their use.  Also, they FLOAT, where the more expensive metal models won't.

I believe Cabela's does carry them but I'm not sure about stores in Sac.  I got mine from Hook 1 and would recommend supporting them as they support us!

Michael

I use a massive net when salmon fishing w/ about a 3' handle. From the tip of the net to the base of the handle it's about 6.5' tall. Works well to bag salmon since the easiest place to lose a one is right at the yak. Trout fishing I'll use a much smaller one just so I can C&R w/o damaging the fish. Other fish get the lip unless they're a big rockie in which case they get the gaff.

Z

Ive been leadering everything to be released, and sticking everything with a 5ft gaff. didnt want to use a net on release fish because i didnt want to split their tails, until i saw Abkings technique on his videos. now i keep a real net (as opposed to a barley legal net stashed). Conventional big net makes you more visible to both eye, and i suspect radar . They also speed up the winddrift 

I carry my net flat with the opening to the rear, with the mesh bunched up so that it doesn't hang in the water, the handle is held down just behind the seat by laying on the hull and being weaved under a seat strap.  It stays put (most of the time), and it's very easy to grab.

works for me,

and stretch that 17" opening to 18" before you get a ticket.


dale