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Posts: 332
Location: Michigan | Looking for feedback on this net and haven't been able to find much.
I've been using the Stowmaster TS116 for the last ten years but it is getting too cumbersome/heavy especially for my dad who's in his late 70's now.
Much appreciate any feedback. Thanks. |
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Posts: 265
Location: Manitowish Waters WI | Just got one a month ago and have put a few mid forties in it. The basket is wide and I love the net coating and light weight. I can easily handle it by myself. Prepare to get wet. The only complaint I have is the bag is shallow so fish can really thrash in it and spray. The other thing I don't like is the handle does not have a click channel for the lock like the frabils. In a rush it can be hard to line up the hole and lock. Very nice net though. Have yet to have a hook penetrate the coating or feel like a fish has got beat up in the bag. |
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Posts: 332
Location: Michigan | Thanks esox1980. I may go with the Frabill Power catch 8425.
It has a deeper bag and the straight pull locking handle , plus I found a price cheaper than the Drifter. |
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Posts: 1405
Location: Detroit River | Slimeball - 8/6/2015 10:02 PM Looking for feedback on this net and haven't been able to find much. I've been using the Stowmaster TS116 for the last ten years but it is getting too cumbersome/heavy especially for my dad who's in his late 70's now. Much appreciate any feedback. Thanks. You have the one with the older net bag. My friend has the same one & I like that netting much better than the netting that comes with the new one that I have but the old net bag was heavy & didn't go through the water as easily as the new one. The new netting makes it a lot lighter & goes through the water very easy but the downside to it is that hooks get tangled in it too much. You could always try replacing the net bag with one from Frabil or if you don't mind the hooks tangling every so often then get the replacement bag that now comes with the new ones. |
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Posts: 548
Location: MN | Frabill Power catch 8425 is what I have.
Can handle it by myself.
Good net. |
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Posts: 337
Location: Watersmeet, Michigan | "...The new netting makes it a lot lighter & goes through the water very easy but the downside to it is that hooks get tangled in it too much."
Jon is 100% right. And there's nothing quite like trying to unhook a thrashing musky that's pinned to and tangled in the netting, especially in low light! Get the Frabill bag.
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Posts: 265
Location: Manitowish Waters WI | Well I talked this net up pretty good a few days ago but had a 38 blow right through my bag tonight. It got stuck half way out and beat her up pretty bad. Had to cut an even bigger hole to get her out. Went through right on the seam where the small webbing meets the larger web. May have been a fluke but my bag is pretty much shot. Zip ties will have to do for the rest of the season. |
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Posts: 981
| ^have you tried contacting drifter about this? |
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Posts: 265
Location: Manitowish Waters WI | No but I will attempt and send them some pictures. I'm sure it was a fluke. |
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Posts: 1000
| just got an xxl the other week. it swallows 41 inchers. Love it |
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Posts: 49
| Sorry to jump in but any of you tried out the light series. For the guys fishing solo is the weight reduction noticable? |
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Posts: 60
| Just ordered a light series last week for fishing solo....have a bum elbow and the big kahuna was getting tough. |
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Posts: 265
Location: Manitowish Waters WI | Yes, that's what I have as well. It's the large lightweight. I have sent drifter messages twice in the last two weeks and have not gotten a response about a replacement bag. Hopefully you have better luck with your net than mine. Still love the net and haven't had any fish break through the zip ties yet but it would be nice to at least get a courtesy message back from drifter. I guess I'll have to try giving them a call and getting through to them that way. |
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Posts: 489
| Facebook pm Zach stechschulte about this. |
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Posts: 981
| esox1980 - 8/25/2015 7:33 PM
Yes, that's what I have as well. It's the large lightweight. I have sent drifter messages twice in the last two weeks and have not gotten a response about a replacement bag. Hopefully you have better luck with your net than mine. Still love the net and haven't had any fish break through the zip ties yet but it would be nice to at least get a courtesy message back from drifter. I guess I'll have to try giving them a call and getting through to them that way.
this is what worries me about this net...I've personally experienced horrendous communication with drifter on previous matters and if something goes wrong with the net I'd like to know that I can at least speak to someone at the company without taking weeks on weeks to hear back from them. |
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Posts: 2097
| I ordered a lure from drifter and recieved an email from them stating my order was ready to ship w/ a tracking # 3 days after i already recieved my package. |
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Posts: 60
| Got my predator lightweight in the mail yesterday, threw her in the truck for the weekend. Looks like a decent net but I can see how a fish can bite through the bag. |
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Posts: 1000
| Get it at thorne?
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Posts: 265
Location: Manitowish Waters WI | It didn't bit through it just bulled right through the bag. I got it at Rollie and Helens. I hate to bring it back to them though. It's not their fault and shouldn't be their responsibility. It should be fairly simple and quick for Drifter to respond to my email and send me a new bag. Unfortunately it has not been simple. Customer service goes miles. The last two client I have had out asked about the zip ties on the bag and I'm not afraid to tell them. I do really like the net and will keep it but if I have to get a replacement bag for it on my own I'll be putting a Frabil on it. |
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Posts: 60
| Got my lightweight from Drifter. Put 2 fish in it Friday including a 45. The net works great, the only problem I see with it is hooks get tangled in the mesh. |
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| does anyone could give an update about it? ive seen one in the shop and i was kind of skeptical about bag toughness. i feel like it would not need lot of power from me to tear it up. but i could be wrong , i was that unsure about quality that i didn't want to do the test in front of the seller lol |
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Posts: 69
Location: Royalton, MN | I haven't had any issues with mine. I really like it, and I've been able to net fish solo. Curious about updates. |
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Posts: 944
| I'm on my second season with my Predator XL Had hundreds of musky in it not one problem. Bag still in great condition. Very easy to remove any lures from net, Never had a hook go threw the mesh.
I've owned Frabill's and Beckman's and this is the best net I have ever used.
Very wide across the front makes it super easy to scoop big fish.
Jeff Hanson
madisonmuskyguide.com |
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Drifter Predator XL Net