Holding bass for pics

[Bill Babler]

Fly, both you and Ab's made me giggle on that one.  If you think that netting fish is easy you need to come down to taney with me when I have 4 clients on my trout boat.  At times when I'm just covered up, a person will ask if he or she can net fish.  I always tell them if you think you can do it.  The amount of stabbing, swinging, dropping and missing is just hilarious to watch.  The folks that are netting are pushing one way the guy with the fish on is pulling the other way and the fish is thinking not today.

Kind of reminds me of the fencing match in the Princess Bride.  Lots of steel clanging and no one gets either caught or hurt, including the fish.

Had to stop and laugh just then at some of the Hi Jinx I've seen just trying to net fish.

[m&m]

It is amazing though that every time I lose a fish at the net it is the net man's fault. 

Mike

[mjk86]

I dont think i could ever let a person net a fish for me, its def not something that comes natural.  IMO by the time the fish is aware of the net, it needs to be far too late.  I was taught to get the fish on its side, on the surface, with 3 or 4 feet of line from the rod tip to the fish.  The fish should be on laying on its side, with the line tie/hook facing the angler.  Place the net slowly and gently in the water well in front of the fish, then while bringing the net up underneath the fish, guide the fish head first into the part of the net where the handle meets the net.  The fish is rarely startled and almost always swims perfectly into the net.  Also in the event of the hook coming loose, the fish will turn its head and swim right into the net.

[Flysmallie]

Before my dad passed away I would say he was probably at the top of the list for netting fish. That guy had been fishing hardcore for a long time. Luckily I got drug along most of the time. We laughed about it over dinner that night.

It was just a freak thing that happened. But it was on a fish that I should have never hooked in the first place. We had been fishing all day. The wind was blowing. The trolling motor was dead. It could not push us down the bank. It couldn't even hold us in place. My dad got the idea that he would fire up the outboard and just push me up the bank. He kept me far off the bank so I wouldn't get hung up as easily. I threw that rattletrap out there as far as I could and the wind gave me a big boost. About 3 turns into it that fish exploded. The wind is howling. No trolling motor. It was pretty chaotic. That fish won. I don't see why you can't also see the glory in your opponent winning from time to time. It wasn't the first time that one of us had lost a good fish in the other's presence and it wouldn't be the last. So we did what we always did. Got a steak and a beer and laughed our asses off.

[abkeenan]

1 hour ago, m&m said:

It is amazing though that every time I lose a fish at the net it is the net man's fault. 

Mike

That's what God invented brothers for. Netting fish and then blaming him for unnetted fish.

[Bill Babler]

Fly's I might have your sainted Papa beat with the Net.  You tournament fish with Bill Beck and Buster Loving for 15 years, you will be an expert at netting fish.  I did not say Catching, I said Netting!

[176champion]