Nets

[DWestphal]

just a quick question on nets....

I've been heading around Ely for the last couple years with a buddy to chase walleyes. I typically throw or troll Rapalas and do fairly well. My question then is when netting a fish. Seems as if I have a heckuva time landing a walleye where the treble hook(s) don't get all tangled up in the net. The nets one of those old school types. I end up literally having to cut the net up to get my Rapala back as I'm not big on taking a half hour to untangle it. Would going to one of those rubber nets really make that big of a difference? Thanks!

[Jim W]

I personally do not like the rubber nets. Try Frabil's at Gander or Fleet Farm. They are coated and you won't (shouldn't) have hook - in - net issues.

The old school nets are just that.

Jim W

[Tyler Holm]

Nets are a necessary evil (sometimes). Anytime your fishing with trebles your likely going to have a little untangling to do. The old poly/nylon nets are horrible in terms of wrapping around trebles and hook barbs.

I agree with Jim. Newer nets have a coating and they tend to have a little firmer fiber. You may still get tangles with these nets, but it‘s only a 30-60 second untangle opposed to 15 minutes with the old nets.

I grew up on Rubber nets and I think they are the clear ticket for nice eater sized walleyes. They are fast through the water and super easy to remove hooks out of. (10 seconds). These are not the best net for larger fish. The rubber nets are usually shallow and larger fish can flop out as your bringing them back into the boat (I’ve even had smaller fish do this). If you catch a smaller northern, a rubber net is NOT the answer. Those buggers will start rolling in the net and actually slip through the expanding rubber net holes. I’ve seen that dozens of times.

There are a few little tricks to minimize net tangles. If your fish is not a monster (maybe a nice eater size), simple slide the net underneath it and then lift the fish in the boat by the line. If the line snaps or the fish shakes loose, the net should be below them. It’s also best to get the fish out of the net ASAP. Don’t net the fish and let is shake and thrash for 30 seconds. Sometimes you can net/scoup a fish and then dump/slide it on the floor of the boat all in one motion.

Good Luck.

[crazyice]

I agree with Tyler on this, I recently switched to the rubber nets, maybe two years ago. I love them for the treble hook problem, but I too have seen fish flop out of them, I think that there are some larger deeper ones out there, but then weight becomes an issue, but really how much of an issue is when you are trying to boat that fish of a lifetime? I would reccomend making the switch, I sure don't regret it.

[mark p]

I love the rubber nets. You do occasionally have a fish flop out, but it's not a big deal since almost all are still hooked and I really don't care if I lose a fish. I would say we maybe lose 1 or 2 fish in a weeklong fishing trip because of it and that's more than worth it to save the aggravation of getting the treble hooks out of a regular net.

[wetaline]

You could always try pinching down the barbs on your treble hooks. Might make untangling from your net a bit easier if you don't mind losing a fish here and there.