What nets are you using?

[pinelakeperch]

I forgot my old, hole-ridden net at home last May while casting from shore at Newell and missed landing a PB pike. I promised myself that I would buy a new net, which brings me here. Any recommendations for a net with rubber netting that's big enough to land pike and walleye, but also not so gargantuan that it can still be comfortably used for trout? Looking to spend $100, but will spend more if necessary.

Thanks

[Poppa]

Frabill Conservation Series! If it's good enough for Gussy and Wiebe, it's good enough for me...

[pinelakeperch]

Originally Posted by Poppa

Frabill Conservation Series! If it's good enough for Gussy and Wiebe, it's good enough for me...

What size? 23x26? How's the mesh, any hook tangling issues?

[cube]

I use a Lucky Strike basket net.
It has a fine knotless mesh so you don't split the fins and a rubber coating to lessen slime removal and hooks getting caught up.
With the basket design the fish thrash less and makes a nice virtual live well if you leave it in the water which is easier on the fish during hook removal etc.
I also find that if I catch a fish close to my PB and I want to weight it I just weigh it in the net then subtract the weight of the net after. This lessens the time and damage done during the weighing process.

An example of the net I have is below.

https://www.luckystrikebaitworks.com...ss-handle.html

[RavYak]

You are better off with 2 nets then trying to get one that will work for everything. Any net for big pike is going to be ridiculously oversized and awkward for trout(although bigger nets are easier to handle out of a boat compared to my kayak).

I prefer pvc or rubber coated nets instead of pure rubber nets and you couldn't pay me to use an uncoated net. The coated nets are much lighter and easier to push through the water then the solid rubber and I think they hold up better over time too..

My go to net is a lucky strike coated basket net like this one. They work great for anything from small stocked trout up to fish around 30 inches in length. I have caught fish up to 37 inches but I have also lost a number of 30+ inchers as well trying to get them to squeeze into the net.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/lu...-0784070p.html

For big pike and other large fish you want a big hoop size and a deep net. I tried out the larger lucky strike basket net thinking it would work but it is too shallow. This year I will be using a new Gibbs net that has a a similar hoop size but is much deeper and I know it will work great. I can't find a link, WSS was the only place I know of that sold them.

Almost every manufacturer makes nets that will work just avoid the small hoop sizes and shallow nets if you want a big fish net.

[Pikebreath]

Originally Posted by pinelakeperch

I forgot my old, hole-ridden net at home last May while casting from shore at Newell and missed landing a PB pike. I promised myself that I would buy a new net, which brings me here. Any recommendations for a net with rubber netting that's big enough to land pike and walleye, but also not so gargantuan that it can still be comfortably used for trout? Looking to spend $100, but will spend more if necessary.

Thanks

Cradles are the way to go for large pike

[Mackinaw]

Originally Posted by cube

I use a Lucky Strike basket net.
It has a fine knotless mesh so you don't split the fins and a rubber coating to lessen slime removal and hooks getting caught up.
With the basket design the fish thrash less and makes a nice virtual live well if you leave it in the water which is easier on the fish during hook removal etc.
I also find that if I catch a fish close to my PB and I want to weight it I just weigh it in the net then subtract the weight of the net after. This lessens the time and damage done during the weighing process.

An example of the net I have is below.

https://www.luckystrikebaitworks.com...ss-handle.html

i use the same net for lakers. love it

mack

[YeahDude]

Ive been using this net for 2 seasons and it has worked great for pike and walleye. What I really like about it is that it folds and has a telescopic handle. Price is great for what you get. https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/bass...ng-landing-net

[millsboy79]

Originally Posted by Pikebreath

Cradles are the way to go for large pike

X2 for the cradle.

Also agree with rav that you are better off with 2 nets.

[Penner]

No net for me. Being primarily a C&R guy feel the net causes too much damage to the fish and tackle. Bare hand or I will break out a cotton glove if a biggen makes a appearance. Will use a cotton net on trout on occasion when on the Bow as they are pretty squirrelly.

[b_doornenbal]

Check out RS nets, reel doctor sells them. Best I’ve seen

[trouter]

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/bass...ch-landing-net

This is what I use in my boats. Love the long handle for reaching out over the sides in the big boat and in the small boat your not all tipping the boat over. Has a big wide coated net that i leave in water to remove hook and release without taking them in the boat. My one lasted 8 years before using it as a push pole in the wind and breaking the hoop, replaced it with the same.

[Joe Quiroga]

40 dollar rubber net w/ telescoping handle from Canadian Tire. No damage to the fish, rugged and cheap to replace if I forget it somewhere (cough) again.

[rmatei]

Try the Lucky Strike B2, 20 bucks at Cabelas

http://www.cabelas.ca/product/76112/...kayaktrout-net

[FlyTheory]

I think I’m going to buy a Frabil Hybernet

[PlayDoh]

Originally Posted by Joe Quiroga

40 dollar rubber net w/ telescoping handle from Canadian Tire. No damage to the fish, rugged and cheap to replace if I forget it somewhere (cough) again.

I’ve had mine for a half dozen years at least. I love the rubber. A quick dunk after a pike cleans all the slime and it never tangles. You couldn’t pay me to use a net that wasn’t rubber now.
I disagree a net is harmful to a fish vs your hands. You don’t even need to lift it out with a good net, and there’s zero chance it’s going to squirm it’s way out of your hands and bounce off your dash. Do’h

[SamSteele]

Originally Posted by FlyTheory

I think I’m going to buy a Frabil Hybernet

I have had a HiberNet for the past 3 years. It is great in the fact that it is easy to put away and not trip over, and it has been pretty durable for me.

The downsides are that it is a hook magnet. I use barbless and it can still be a pain. You also need to ensure that it is dry when you stow it, and that you stow it with the net hanging down (ie handle pointing up) so that it doesn't ball up when you are retracting it.

I'm considering getting a Frabil Conservation series just to reduce hooks getting snagged in the net, but I would definitely miss the ease of storage if I went that way.

SS

[Bushleague]

I've just been using a regular Lucky Strike net from Crappy tire the last few years. The rubberized nylon is pretty gentle on fish. Anything too big or too small to fit in the net is getting released anyways, and I prefer to land fish that are going to be released by hand.

This net will work on trout too, but since most of my trout fishing is done out of a canoe I have a smaller net I use for trout. If portability is not a huge issue the Lucky Strike would work fine.

I disagree with Rav on the use of deep nets, especially for pike. Often you catch them on big multi hooked lures, and when a pike with a couple big trebles hanging out of his mouth starts rolling around in a deep net bad things can happen. With my last net a big pike twisted the whole thing in a huge knot and pinned it shut with a big Rapala, had to mutilate the net with a fillet knife to get the poor bugger free in a timely manner. Plus Lucky strikes are made in Canada, while Gibbs recently moved production to China... I know where my hard earned money will go, gonna miss the Crock spoons though.

[FlyTheory]

Originally Posted by SamSteele

I have had a HiberNet for the past 3 years. It is great in the fact that it is easy to put away and not trip over, and it has been pretty durable for me.

The downsides are that it is a hook magnet. I use barbless and it can still be a pain. You also need to ensure that it is dry when you stow it, and that you stow it with the net hanging down (ie handle pointing up) so that it doesn't ball up when you are retracting it.

I'm considering getting a Frabil Conservation series just to reduce hooks getting snagged in the net, but I would definitely miss the ease of storage if I went that way.

SS

Thank you for this information!!

[RavYak]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

I disagree with Rav on the use of deep nets, especially for pike. Often you catch them on big multi hooked lures, and when a pike with a couple big trebles hanging out of his mouth starts rolling around in a deep net bad things can happen. With my last net a big pike twisted the whole thing in a huge knot and pinned it shut with a big Rapala, had to mutilate the net with a fillet knife to get the poor bugger free in a timely manner. Plus Lucky strikes are made in Canada, while Gibbs recently moved production to China... I know where my hard earned money will go, gonna miss the Crock spoons though.

There is a middle ground that would be the best solution. If for example the larger Lucky Strike basket nets were around 24 inches deep rather then the shallow 15 inches that they are.

I just cannot promote those nets for big fish because simply put they don't work for big fish... I refused to use my big Lucky Strike net on my 2 largest pike(44 and 46.25 inch) because I have lost too many high 30's and low 40's to risk netting a big fish(which you would have to get started into those nets and then grab the tail and bend them in the rest of the way). Both were netted using my buddies Ego S2 Slider with the XL net attachment because it works 10 times better on bigger fish(due to being a deeper net).

That is why I bought the Gibbs net. There is no point in owning a big fish net if it is useless for big fish... I first tried to order a deeper net for my Lucky Strike but Lucky Strike wouldn't respond to my inquiries. No customer service = lost business...

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by RavYak

There is a middle ground that would be the best solution. If for example the larger Lucky Strike basket nets were around 24 inches deep rather then the shallow 15 inches that they are.

I just cannot promote those nets for big fish because simply put they don't work for big fish... I refused to use my big Lucky Strike net on my 2 largest pike(44 and 46.25 inch) because I have lost too many high 30's and low 40's to risk netting a big fish(which you would have to get started into those nets and then grab the tail and bend them in the rest of the way). Both were netted using my buddies Ego S2 Slider with the XL net attachment because it works 10 times better on bigger fish(due to being a deeper net).

That is why I bought the Gibbs net. There is no point in owning a big fish net if it is useless for big fish... I first tried to order a deeper net for my Lucky Strike but Lucky Strike wouldn't respond to my inquiries. No customer service = lost business...

I guess I've just never felt it was vital enough that I get photographic evidence of myself asserting my complete and unquestionable domination upon a large fish that I would use a net that could complicate releasing it. I was almost certainly going to release it anyways, so if it shakes the hook while I try and grab it with my hand I don't feel its a big deal. The fish goes on its merry way in good shape and facebook will survive without a picture. But different strokes for different folks, if you like deep nets then go nuts, from some bad experiences I wont recommend them.

[Mr Flyguy]

A long handled Streamside for the canoe and a big Measure net (Guide model) for the big boat.

The Streamside is wooden so won't sink like the Measure net I had before. However, the mesh is troublesome if a hook has even the slightest bit of barb left after crushing, and can be disastrous with a two or three fly rig!

[RavYak]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

I guess I've just never felt it was vital enough that I get photographic evidence of myself asserting my complete and unquestionable domination upon a large fish that I would use a net that could complicate releasing it. I was almost certainly going to release it anyways, so if it shakes the hook while I try and grab it with my hand I don't feel its a big deal. The fish goes on its merry way in good shape and facebook will survive without a picture. But different strokes for different folks, if you like deep nets then go nuts, from some bad experiences I wont recommend them.

I think you are clearly missing the entire point of this thread... The OP wants net advice so he doesn't lose big pike... If you want to be ethically superior then don't fish for big pike, the C&R process even with perfect handling is tough on these old fish... Arguing that deep nets are worse then shallow nets(which isn't what you are doing but is how you were coming across) just confuses the subject and ends up with people buying inferior nets.

Simply put if you want a big pike net you need to buy a big net. It needs a large hoop and it needs to be deep enough to comfortably fit the fish(obviously the larger the hoop the shallower the net can be). If you catch a big pike get the fish up to your boat/shore and you can tell if it is easily going to fit in your net. If the answer is no you are often better off grabbing it by hand(although this takes lots of practice to get good at so practice with average size fish first).

[Freedom55]

Originally Posted by Poppa

Frabill Conservation Series! If it's good enough for Gussy and Wiebe, it's good enough for me...

Me too. My buddy has an RS but it is a heavy unit and I prefer mine. The claim is that water passes through the mesh easier so it (might be) is easier to handle. My theory is: at 100$ compared to 250$ I still spent too much. Plus there is zero chance that I am going to hoist a fish over the rail with a medium action fast tip rod- the only kind I use except for long-lining- when netting is so uncomplicated.

Free