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| I fish alone quite often, and so far, the largest fish I've had to handle was a 43". I had no trouble. My biggest fear though, is hooking into one around 50+ and losing it trying to get it in the net. I bought a "Chemical Glove", which is pretty much a canvas type glove with a heavy rubber coating. I usually use it while handling the fish, but was thinking about using it to hand-land the fish instead of netting them. What are the odds of landing a fish that way, compared to netting them? For example, if I'm using a spinnerbait, instead of a jerkbait, and have less hooks to deal with, would I have a better chance of landing a large fish by using the glove, or the net? Thanks. |
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Posts: 208
Location: North East PA , 20 mins from Chautauqua | I have tried both and have found that using the net when your by yourself is much better . I have found out the hard way that it's not always the big fish that you have to worry about so much . Those little muskies with the smaller heads that put you closer to the hooks are the ones that will flip around on you and stick you ! Use your rod holder as a net holder after you land your fish it will give you time to get the tools ready and calm down . Good luck
THE FERD |
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| USE THE NET. The less time that 50" is flopping around and rolling next to the boat while you try and grab it the better. If you get a big fish next to the boat the adrenaline rush is going to make netting it with one arm much easier than you think. |
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Posts: 720
| Hi Brad.
I grew up hand landing fish about 6 years ago I was in Canada fishing alone caught a small fish on a spinnerbait and got stuck pretty good. So I decided to bite the bullet and buy a net. The very next season same lake by myself again I hooked a dandy. We fought tooth and nail. It was over she laid next to the boat and I grabbed the net. Long story short I dipped she made one small run and fouled the hook on the boat. I think NO I know I cried harder when she swam away then when I got hooked  . I still use the net today I just don't think its worth the risk of getting stuck. I also think a net buys a person time. Time to settle down and get your crap together. In the long run its better for the fish and more importantly yourself.
Dave
Edited by Hunter4 4/10/2006 8:46 AM
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Posts: 3926
| Others know better than me, but I think you are much more likely to lose a big fish trying to hand-land it as opposed to using a big net. But consider the getting-myself-hooked issue, too. I've been badly hooked, and what an ordeal that was!
I agree with everything posted above, especially the part about the smaller fish being the bigger risk of getting yourself hooked. With a BIG and DEEP net you can keep the fish in the water at boatside while you prepare the gloves, release tools and camera. In the old days (hand landing and/or small net), my fish would be flopping around on the bottom of the boat as I tried to get her unhooked. Now, with my big net, I lean over the side of the boat and unhook the fish while she is still in the net/water. For the most part, the fish is out of the water only while I take the pic. (Jason Smith, you were right!)
Risks associated with getting hooked.....
* permanant damage to your hand/wrist (tendons, nerves, etc)
* passing out from shock while trying to deal with it (it happened to me while alone on a remote UP lake, the boat was underway as I was trying to get to the landing, I ran into a tree and was almost pitched out of the boat)
* totally screwing up your fishing trip - think of the downtime if you get badly hooked! I was out of commission for 2-3 days, my hand all swollen and throbbing.
* the cost of going to the ER to get the hook out.
Check out my photo album for "hooked hand pics".
ps - another very good way to avoid getting hooked is to not leave lures laying around the boat, especially at night. I had an excited guest accidently sit on one of his crankbaits one time.
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | Fish using the net alone but increase your odds of succes by having the net laid out and ready next to you every time you fish so all you have to do is barely reach down to grab it and finish the job. |
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Posts: 381
| I would use the net! You have the fish in the pen to get the hooks out cut out or what ever you need to do. |
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| OK, I think I got enough replies to make up my mind. The Frabill stays in the boat.
Now to come up with a game plan to get a 50+ IN the Frabill.................
Maybe my new TNT Marabou bucktail?.............
Thanks guys. |
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Hand-landing or Netting?