Rubber Nets?

[paceman]

The last few trips I have been pulling plugs and almost everytime I catch a fish the silly things roll around in the net and the trebles are really a pain to get out of the nylon/rope nets. Reaching into the water to lift a thrashing northern is not a good idea with trebles either. Is a rubber net the cats meow or do they get tangled as well? All opinions welcomed.

[Raider4ever]

I love mine. Don't remember what brand it is though, sorry (it has a bronzy-gold metal handle if that's any help). Have had it for 5-6 years. No problems what-so-ever. The only concern is that it is kind of shallow. Some people in past threads complained about fish bouncing out of theirs. Never had that happen with mine. It has handled bigger bass, walleye and northerns.

[CaptainMusky]

Get a coated net before a rubber net. I had several pike over the years make a power run right at the net and go straight through it. One was the biggest pike I ever had on and it ended up breaking my line.

The coated bags work much better. I dont get tangles with them and a rubber net dry rots as well.

[EBass]

I have a rubber net and the hooks get tangled in them to, but not bad.

[OnAFly]

We've had a rubber net for 5 years and never had a problem with breakage/rotting. I've also spent a whole lot less time cutting/replacing hooks out of nylon knots too.

In my opinion, it's a great investment.

[Down Deep]

Frabill has a complete line of coated nets. A rubber net is nice for scooping and popping a fish into the boat, but a bigger potential of losing a few fish. My coated net keeps the trebles from locking on.

[thatoneguy]

I've had pike up to 44" in my rubber net, and never had a bit of trouble. 100% recommend one.

[eagle_3464]

The only complaint I have is that my first rubber net was a bit shallow. I have since replaced the netting with a deeper basket. I have yet to have a fish twist a crank up in the net. You may hang a hook or two in the net but not a twisted mess. I would recommend the rubber net but make sure you get the deeper model.

[CAMAN]

I've had a Frabil rubber net for over 10 years and never had a problem. Still looks as good as the day I bought it, not dry rotted or broken. Doesn't hold huge northern, but oh well, I just tire them out a little more and they come right up to the boat so you can easily easily grab them. I prefer the solid rubber over coated rubber because they are a lot easier on the fish and don't rub slime off or damage the fins. And although hooks may get tangled in them if a fish thrashes, they only take seconds to get out.

One tip for the rubber nets is to stand inside of it and pull the hoop up like you're pulling pants on, it will stretch it out a bit, making it deeper, and not act like a trampoline when you get a fish in it.

[Northlander]

Get a good coated deep net. I dont like the rubber nets because fish tend to "trampoline" out of them.

[Nick Kuhn]

Never tried rubber but I don't see any reason to change away from my coated net. Plenty of depth and never a problem with hooks in the nets (although I have had a muskie wedge the netting into the back of a treble once, but that would happen with any net material).

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Been using a rubber net in my Dad's boat for well over 10 years, no problems with the net at all, works great, landed many big bass and 28+ 'eyes, very fish friendly. I got a frabill conservation series net for my boat that is more of a stiff, coated, mesh material, it has a deeper net and flat bottom which keeps fish from getting too tangled up.

If you dont want to deal with any tangled fish or cranks in a net get a rubber one, if not rubber at the very least a coated net.

[Larson15]

I have had both and much prefer the coated nets. They are lighter, deeper and seem to be just as tangle free.

[teamfish]

I have had both nets also and really prefer the rubber coated net.

[harvey lee]

I like my rubber net,

I did the same thing Caman did and the net is close to perfect now.

[Valv]

I had both rubber and coated. I was just commenting in my 6yo rubber net that we love and landed the fish 28lbs on my avatar and a whole lot more.

Rubber seems not too deep, but it stretches when you need it with no problem. Never had a treble hook tangling, and never had a fish go through, northern or especially salmon/

[kg2]

My complaint with rubber was the extra water drag when trying to quickly scoop fish. Usually this isn't a problem, but sometimes fish take that last run or two and you really gotta be quick. Not a huge problem, but enough for me to go back to coated nets 15 years back. I haven't tried rubber since then.

[magnum mike]

I got a coated Beckman this spring. Absolutely teh best net I have owned. I have slingshot several walleyes out of the rubber net and they do have quite a bit of drag in the water.

[Borch]

I generally keep two nets in my boat with one being a big rubber net and the other a big coated net. The rubber net gets used 99.9% of the time. Only time I drag out the coated net is for slamon and flathead catfish. My Cabelas rubber net is big, deep and the only draw back is water resistance and weight. But the time to get the fish and hooks out of the net and the bait back in the water more than make up for that especially when trolling cranks.

[IlliniWalli]

another thumbs up for a rubber net. i've never had a fish go through and it stretches down nicely on bigger fish.

mines a cabelas too. actually, i saved a few bucks by buying a cheaper extendable handle net, then tossed the nylon netting for a replacement rubber net.

[#fishhunt#]

I have a green handled Cabelas rubber net. Had it for 10 years and it is still like new. No issues with the fish springing out of it. Never had issues with tangles. I have never tried a coated net. I would probably by the same net again as I usually fish with another person. If I did more fishing by myself I would think about a coated net. The rubber ones are a little heavier and I think a coated one would be easier to handle when fishing alone or maybe I need to start working out more.

[BobT]

I don't know what you're technique is but maybe this will be helpful.

I use a deep coated net. One of the "mistakes" as I call them that I see many fishermen and women make when landing a fish with a net is to lift the fish with the net without maintaining some tension on the line. This allows and encourages the fish to roll and thrash around a lot more. When you land a fish using a net try to think of the net more like the safety net for a trapeze artist. Use it to add support of the fish's weight but do most of the lifting with the line. Keeping the line tight this way helps prevent the fish from being able to roll and therefore wrapping the hook into the net.

It's a little difficult to explain so I hope I'm doing okay.

[PerchJerker]

I don't know what you're technique is but maybe this will be helpful.

I use a deep coated net. One of the "mistakes" as I call them that I see many fishermen and women make when landing a fish with a net is to lift the fish with the net without maintaining some tension on the line. This allows and encourages the fish to roll and thrash around a lot more. When you land a fish using a net try to think of the net more like the safety net for a trapeze artist. Use it to add support of the fish's weight but do most of the lifting with the line. Keeping the line tight this way helps prevent the fish from being able to roll and therefore wrapping the hook into the net.

It's a little difficult to explain so I hope I'm doing okay.

The only problem with this is it's a recipe to have a crankbait full of hooks come sling-shotting out of the net and flying at someones face, if the hooks pull out of the fish while you're trying to keep tension on the line. I want slack line as soon as the net is being lifted out of the water.

I get the fish out of the net as quickly as possible. I use a deep coated net and have minimal problems with hooks or fish sticking in the net.

[Northlander]

X2

[BobT]

You guys didn't pay attention. You don't lift the entire weight of the fish with the line. It's a combination where you maintain some tension on the line so the fish can't spin and roll and to date the situation you describe has never happened to me.

This method is also less traumatic for the fish if you intend to release it. Allowing them to drop loose into a net, getting tangled up so it takes longer to release, rubbing off their protective slime coating, etc. is not good for a fish you intend to release.

[Nick Kuhn]

Or get a big enough net and never lift the fish of the water in the first place.

[BobT]

Or get a big enough net and never lift the fish of the water in the first place.

Harder to get decent photos that way.

[thatoneguy]

What are people doing that they have fish "trampoline" out of a rubber net...how hard are you sweeping that thing?!

[Nick Kuhn]

"Or get a big enough net and never lift the fish of the water in the first place."

Harder to get decent photos that way.

You lift it out of the net by hand after you unhook it. It's not difficult at all for those of us fishing from your typical inland fishing boats.

[Getanet]

What are people doing that they have fish "trampoline" out of a rubber net...how hard are you sweeping that thing?!

My dad had a rubber net and I cursed the thing all the time. The problem was it was too shallow, so as you were lifting the net out of the water walleyes could literally flip themselves out of it. It obviously didn't happen even time, but enough for it to be a problem.

We never tried the "pull your pants up" technique on it though - maybe that would have solved the problem. Either way we got a coated net and I prefer it a lot better.