ESOX HUNTER
Nothing But Net
By Gordy Johnson    July 7, 2007

Success, In the Bag!

Nothing But Net - By Gordy Johnson

It is fact that more big fish are lost at boat side than at any other time during the encounter.   It is also a fair statement that many fish are lost at boat side because the angler and the net person are not working as a team and don't fully understand their respective responsibilities.   Another statement that I would make is that most people assume the person with the landing net is supposed to be an expert in using a landing net without previous instruction on the process of landing a big fish or how to use a landing net.   If you have a big fish on, you fully expect that the equipment and the person with net are perfect for the job.   Should things go wrong at the critical time, people get angry and start saying, "Why didn't you do ....!".

The purpose of this article is to discuss the net, the role of the net person and the proper use of it.    We will go into detail on all three of these key elements in this article.

The net - all nets are not created equal.   There are several things that are very important to consider with regards to a net.   First, is the size of the net.   Nets come in a variety of sizes and it is important to have a size to do the job that is required.   Unlike other things, a bigger one cannot do everything a smaller one can do, and visa versa.   If you attempt to use a large net on a small fish, there is a good chance that either the fish will go through the loops in the net or worse get part way through and get stuck.   Many times a fish can't physically get completely through the net, so it will have to be pushed back through the net.   This can seriously damage a fish's gills or gill plates if care is not taken.   Obviously if the net is to small, the fish may not fit into it, or it may be in the net because it's body is bent.   This not only causes abrasions, but can remove the protective slime on the fish as well.

There are two other physical elements of the net that are important in addition to the size of the net, those being the type and mesh of bag as well as the length of the handle.   The length of the handle is pretty straight forward, so I won't go into it here.   The type of the bag is important as today

Beckman Penn saver Net, treated, small mesh

net bags can be treated to not allow hooks to penetrate the netting easily, which also reduces abrasions and slime removal from the fish.   Hook penetration protection is a prime ingredient in a net today.   Historically a fish that was netted in an old conventional bag would have extra hooks imbedded in the fabric of the net.    This created problems in trying to free the fish from the bait and net as they were all literally hooked together.   Fish were often kept out of the water for extended periods as the angler attempted to get the hooks out of the net/fish, which caused mortality problems.   The only other option was to cut the hooks, which is a practice many anglers don't like to do.   The other variable to the bag is the weave of the net.   More and more net manufactures are using finer mesh nets in all or portions of the bag.   A small mesh helps eliminate a pike or musky from powering into mesh and getting hung up by the gills or jaw in the mesh of the net.

Currently I carry a large net for larger fish, as well as a smaller net where a bigger net is not practical.   I would suggest that having two nets, that are coated for hook penetration protection and have a smaller mesh, would be the ideal situation.

The net person's responsibilities are important things to understand for all parties concerned.   First of all the net person is not the one that is catching the fish, the person with the pole is the angler.   While this sounds silly on the surface, I have seen to many times where the person with the pole expects miracle catches/landings from the net person as they are afraid they will loose the fish if they have to play it for a minute.   They expect the net person to net the fish no matter how far away from the boat it might be or how green the fish might be.    This puts undo pressure on the net person which usually results in a fish being lost and friends at odds with one another.   The net person should never stab with the net in hopes of netting a green fish.   The net person should not reach to an excess to net the fish. The net person should not attempt to net the fish unless he/she is virtually positive that the netting will be successful.   Success is generally assured when the angler has the fish close to the boat, with the head of the fish pointed up and is in control of the fish rather than the other way around.

Using the net is the last thing that needs to be discussed.   I have watched even pro's on television doing what I consider to be wrong method when it comes to netting a fish.   The practice of putting the net into the water and waiting for the angler to bring the fish to the net is in my mind totally the wrong thing to do.   I believe everyone has seen large fish make power dives when they get close to the boat.   Typically this fish has a large bait in its mouth with potentially one or more hooks outside the fish's mouth.   When a fish makes a power dive and you have a net in the water, what happens if one of those loose hooks happens to snag the net?   The answer is obvious, the fish will rip loose as the lure is now stuck in the bag of the net.   My point is don't take a chance of loosing the fish when you are this close! The second reason it is wrong to put the net in the water is you can't make adjustments with the net in a hurry.   If you ever ran in the water or tried to quickly move a cupped hand in the water, you know that water creates a lot of resistance.   Large nets create a tremendous amount of resistance in the water, consequently moving the net quickly is impossible!

I have seen many net people handle a landing net like they are going to catch butterflies.   You don't swing down with a landing net, nor do you do a side to side swing with a net.   Netting is always done in an up motion, but not picking the net out of the water.   The first step for the net person is to find a good stationary place to stand holding to the back on the handle with one hand, while the other is holding the bag tight to the handle with the hand in front (see photo).    This position provides quicker movements both in the water and out.   It eliminates the drag of the bag in the water as well as reduces the possibility that the bag will become snagged on something in the boat.   When the fish

Proper netting technique

is close enough and is heading toward you, it is a simple matter to push the net down into the water ahead of the fish releasing the hold on the bag simultaneously.   This method is about as fool proof as it gets.

The next step in the netting process is determined by what is to be done with the fish.   If it is to be released the net will continue to stay in the water with the actual hoop of the net above the water line.   The net is then slid closer to the boat where it will act as an over-board live well.   The fish, lure, and net will be separated with the fish in the water over the side of the boat.   Again, this is where having a hook protection coating on the net really pays off.   Once the fish is unhooked and the lure is out of the way, the fish can be lifted for a quick picture and then freed.   If the fish is tired, it is often the best idea to work the fish while it is still in the landing net.   Trying to hold on to tail section of a large

Handle the fish over the side

fish over the side of a boat can be difficult, especially in rough water.   Keeping the fish in the landing net during recovery will allow you to quickly recapture the fish should it slip out of your hands prior to it recovering.

If a fish is to be kept, the net is not lifted out of the water directly.   I have seen some very expensive nets ruined as the person tried to lift the net straight up out of the water.    This action puts tremendous pressure on the hoop, which can easily bend if the fish has any weight.   Once the fish is in the net, the net should be literally pulled to the netter, not lifted.   This action will push the fish further into the bag, and will actually close off the hoop has the net is actually flattened against the hoop.   Pulling the net puts only limited pressure on the hoop, until the actual hoop can be grabbed by the netter.   When netter grabs the hoop, he should grasp opposite sides of the hoop holding the net virtually perpendicular to the water and then lift the catch into the boat.   Here again, we don't want to put excessive strain on the hoop or handle of the net.

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