How to Net a Hooked Fish

[Tomcat]

Through trial and error, I'm convinced that the best and easiest way to net fish on a river is as follows:

* Position the net just downstream of the angler and fish;

* Dip the net roughly halfway into the water;

* The angler guides the fish directly above the net, then lowers the rod to create slack in the line;

* In turn, with the help of the current, the fish swims right into the basket.

In slack water, avoid trying to net a fish tail first. Most fish will simply swim out of the net. Go for a head shot instead.

[Catch It]

Sounds good except for the putting slack in the line part....I can't even count how many times I was making the scoop and the angler dropped his rod and the fish then had room to escape....definitely keep tension on the fish until the lip of the net breaks the water...

Definitely, guide the fish to the net...stabbing at it is futile.

[AK_Chappy]

I like to do exactly as described. I would add that once the fish is in the net, raise the handle vertical. Grasp the metal by the top of the hoop to pull the fish in. This works very effectively in a boat as well as on the shore for locking the opening of the net.

AK Chappy

[FishnPhil]

I agree with Catch It, no slack when I'm netting fish. I like to get them splashing on the surface and just scoop them in, basically using the same method Tomcat describes.

Now my question is...how do you land a 20"+ fish, fishing alone, with a 9ft rod and a 12+ft leader?!?!? Don't tell me grow longer arms either!

[skydiver]

Now my question is...how do you land a 20"+ fish, fishing alone, with a 9ft rod and a 12+ft leader?!?!? Don't tell me grow longer arms either!

You must catch a longer fish

[coho slayer]

Pretty much agree with Tomcat other then the slack line bit, too. Never try to scoop suddenly...always have at least part of the net already in the water. Work the fish so it naturally either swims into the net or drifts into it, depending on current. A fish can swim a hell of a lot faster then you can scoop a big salmon net through the water, so the sudden pounce technique just doesn't work all that well. I've lost a lot of fish to strangers trying to be nice and net my fish, but who really had no idea how to do it.

[fishNphysician]

Here's an excerpt from an article I had published in Salmon Trout Steelheader, Aug 2007

"Fighting BIG Fish"

The net shot

Perhaps nothing can cause more trepidation than the intense “must succeed” pressure of netting a huge trophy fish. It really takes two people to make it come together smoothly. Until you’ve done it a few times, it’s hard not to be anxious, but rest assured that it becomes pretty easy if you heed these four simple principles. 1) Wait for the fish to swim on its side. 2) Aim for the head first. 3) Drop the rod tip. 4) Close the bag.

Don’t rush the net shot. Have confidence that everything you’ve done so far has helped to insure the hook will hold fast and your trophy is only moments from capture. Chances for success are greatest once the fish is tired enough that it starts to swim on its side. You should then slowly and deliberately lead the fish toward the netter with side pressure. Add just enough lift to keep the fish in the surface film, but not so much that its head is lifted out of the water which only encourages violent headshakes. Avoid lifting the fish to the surface right against the boat. If the fish surfaces right next to the hull, lead it away with outstretched arms and encourage it to surface a rod length or two AWAY from the boat.

The netter should keep the bag out of the water. Your trophy wants nothing to do with a big bad net sitting in the water in plain view. The fish will do everything in its power to dodge that waiting net. Use the element of surprise to your advantage!

Hold the net high out of the angler’s way and secure the mesh with one fingertip to keep it from hanging in the breeze to tangle rod tips, sinkers, boat cleats or rod holders. As the fish is being led toward the netter, the hoop should come swooping down in a swift deliberate motion aiming for the head first! Aiming for mid body, or worse yet, the tail, is simply planning for disaster. As I said earlier, wherever the head goes, the rest of the body follows. If the head doesn’t enter the bag first, neither will the rest of the fish. At the moment the hoop touches the water, the netter releases the bag by simply pointing his fingertip. If timed correctly, the bag opens up in the water like a parachute.

As the fish’s head and pectoral fins clear the edge of the hoop, the angler should immediately drop his rod tip, taking all tension off the line. A terse reminder from the netter to “drop him” never hurts at that moment. The fish will instinctively swim to the bottom of the open bag.

The netter should then immediately close the bag by drawing straight back along the axis of the net handle, retracting the hoop back to the gunnel. DO NOT SCOOP AND LIFT as if you were trying to shovel a load of dirt. Doing so will only give the fish an opportunity to jump out of the open bag. And even if it doesn’t jump out, its sheer weight will almost certainly bend the hoop at the yoke, possibly even cracking it.

[snowcrab24]

Well said fishen, couldnt have said it better....... HEAD FIRST, NEVER TAIL

[aksportfisher]

snowcrab is right. always head first. fish will swim into net!!!! you have to tirer the fish out to net it. ( first)

[willphish4food]

I agree with Catch It, no slack when I'm netting fish. I like to get them splashing on the surface and just scoop them in, basically using the same method Tomcat describes.

Now my question is...how do you land a 20"+ fish, fishing alone, with a 9ft rod and a 12+ft leader?!?!? Don't tell me grow longer arms either!

That's always a good one Phil. If you have a beach with shallow water flowing next to it, its easy- get the fish to the shallow water, it'll lay on its side, tail it and remove hook. If you're netting the fish in midriver, with fast current, thats the challenge! I try to get the fish downstream of me, then swing my rod upstream so the leader gets close to my body. The fish will be facing upstream, so I just bring the net downstream with the current into the fish.

[iceblue]

That was a good article Doc. Always head first without a doubt. The only thing that I would add is someting that would seem to go without saying expect for I see this mistake made quite often.
Be aware of and avoid the lure - fishing line when netting a fish. Always net head first but dip net below the head of the fish and come upwards with it but once the head is in the net then level the net back out. You want to Come upwards with the net in the beginning just enough to avoid line - lure and once the fish has begun to enter the net either let the fish swim into it or take the net down the side of the fish. The trick is to come upwards just enough to avoid the lure - line in the beginning but not to come upwards with the net during the whole netting process. Make sense? If not then just read what the Doc posted and follow his instructions and you will be ahead of the game more times than not.

[sheep man]

Good stuff doc....i agree....100%

[LuJon]

Good article there Doc! My stance is simple I would rather beach my fish alone than have a tail netter go after it!

[fishNphysician]

I will have to say that the only plus of having to fish a single point hook for Kenai kings is that NO kings are lost on the net shot due to a hook hanging the mesh as the fish is abruptly stopped from reaching the bottom of the bag.

Nowadays it's not even a consideration because the only hook point you need to worry about is already buried in the fish! In the days of multiple hooks, an exposed hook point(s) would sometimes snag the mesh during the net shot, preventing the fish from completely entering the bag.

:eek: because you can't believe what just happened....

:confused: because no matter what you do, you are totally helpless...

:mad: when the fish gets enough leverage against the snagged mesh to pull the hook out.... FISH OFF!


I've personally done it twice with KwikFish before the single hook rule went into place... once for each of my brothers. One was just a ho hum 30-35 pound hen for my oldest brother Alex at Honeymoon, but the other was a HUGE 65-70 caliber buck for my brother Noel at Chicago/Upper Beav. Would've liked to have gotten a pic of that beast (his second biggest ever) but it was not meant to be. Good thing for me that was a C&R year (1998) otherwise I might still be hearing about it more than 20 years later!

[DRIFTER_016]

I will have to say that the only plus of having to fish a single point hook for Kenai kings is that NO kings are lost on the net shot due to a hook hanging the mesh as the fish is abruptly stopped from reaching the bottom of the bag.

Nowadays it's not even a consideration because the only hook point you need to worry about is already buried in the fish! In the days of multiple hooks, an exposed hook point(s) would sometimes snag the mesh during the net shot, preventing the fish from completely entering the bag.

:eek: because you can't believe what just happened....

:confused: because no matter what you do, you are totally helpless...

:mad: when the fish gets enough leverage against the snagged mesh to pull the hook out.... FISH OFF!


I've personally done it twice with KwikFish before the single hook rule went into place... once for each of my brothers. One was just a ho hum 30-35 pound hen for my oldest brother Alex at Honeymoon, but the other was a HUGE 65-70 caliber buck for my brother Noel at Chicago/Upper Beav. Would've liked to have gotten a pic of that beast (his second biggest ever) but it was not meant to be. Good thing for me that was a C&R year (1998) otherwise I might still be hearing about it more than 20 years later!

Been there done that.
Not on a king but on a 55# plus lake trout on a T60 flatfish.
Wasn't all my fault though as the client dropped his rod tip before the fish was completely in the bag. The 4' chop probably had a hand in it too. LOL