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Posts: 32935
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | The Frabill doesn't split fins any worse than any other net and is better than many, and the large mesh makes for easier lure extraction. The large, coated mesh is very fish friendly. |
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Location: The Yahara Chain | esoxfly - 10/7/2009 9:37 AM
Is the Frabill Big Game manageable by someone fishing alone?
Yes it is. I've netted piles of fish in mine while fishing solo. |
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Posts: 1663
Location: Kodiak, AK | Sweet. Thanks Troy. |
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Posts: 1663
Location: Kodiak, AK | I about threw my Beckman in the lake tonight. Heavy seas, and a deep hooked 44...one hook deep in the mouth, and one tangled to no end in the friggin net!!! I had to cut the hook out of the net before I could mess with the fish. Even with barbless hooks, it was so tangled in the net it wasn't coming out. All went well, but had it been 75* water, and I not had cutter, the fish could've died. It was rididculous because of that bag. I'm done with it. |
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Posts: 774
Location: South East Wisconsin | Do you have an old Beckman or a new one? Im just wondering cause im not experiencing the problems some are talking about.
S.Killips |
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| I use a frabill big game, but I have friends that use a beckman. I actually really like the beckman and have never had any issues in the times I've used it. Fish get tangled in the frabills as well. The key is to act fast. Cut hooks just to untangle the net if you have to. |
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Posts: 774
Location: South East Wisconsin | "I actually really like the beckman and have never had any issues in the times I've used it."
I hear ya me to! I know mine is pretty old so maybe the netting is not the same as the ones guys are having trouble with.
S.Killips |
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| I've used both the old style and the new style beckman while in friends boats. Maybe I am missing something here too, but I have not noticed any problems. My brother had an old style frabill that gave me a headache, but he got rid of that one at least.
Edited by Baby Mallard 10/8/2009 11:08 PM
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Posts: 1663
Location: Kodiak, AK | I bought my Beckman about a year ago. Last night the waves were up pretty badly and I was drifting about 1 mph, so as I got the fish in the net and had her over the side of the boat, she went to the bottom of the bag and actually go pulled underneath the boat. So as I pulled the bag out from underneath the boat, she kicked and it was done. The free hook was so badly tangled in the net I couldn't get it untangled because the tiny holes in the net it was just impossible. I did cut the hook right away, but it still frustrated me that the net was was so tightly tangled. You couldn't even see the hook because it had so much net bag wrapped around it. I'm sure all bags tangle, but I can't help but think that larger mesh would be easier to work with and not tangle with one roll. |
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Posts: 774
Location: South East Wisconsin | Okay I gotcha now. My Beckman is pretty old and my bag has big open mesh with some little mesh squares.
S.Killips |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Esox Hunter, the older Beckman(pre Lindy) bags had a much larger weave to the threads. I was really happy with all of my Beckmans(Beckmen..?..) through the 90's, until a couple years ago when I got a new bag for a 10 year old Fin Saver. The first fish we netted with that bag nearly swam through the net, breaking several threads on its way out. My old bags' coating had worn away over the years, and had maybe 3 or 4 broken 'squares' through cutting and hooking damage over a decade. Lindy(Ted Takasaki) was very good about replacing my bag and listening to my issue. However, my new bag also has the same thin strands compared to the old ones, though has remained stout. I will forward this thread to Ted, as I am sure they'd like to hear about any complaints. Luckily these complaints have been about Beckman and not Frabill, or they would have been deleted before I had a chance to copy them. That said, it was never the fin saver bag style causing the issue for me, as I never had the tangly mess and broken strands with the old bag with thick threads. That also said, I still prefer the ease of use of the Beckman over the larger overly cumbersome Frabil nets, which also means something.
Edited by Reef Hawg 10/10/2009 11:49 PM
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Posts: 285
Location: NE Wisconsin | I own and have used both the Frabil and the Beckman nets. I fish alone, 80+ % of the time. I have a large Beckman in my boat. Enough said. As far as broken "squares", I carry plastic wire ties in my boat, for a quick fix. I cut a lot of hooks, so occasionally the broken "squares" are my fault. As stated earlier, if the bait gets hooked "high" in the net, I find more of a tendency to have rolling problems. When this happens, immediately get the Knipex cutter. First cut the hook from the bait, to separate the bait from the fish, then cut the hook from the fish. Separating the the hook from the lure first, usually solves the tangle problems, then you can go about separating the hook from the fish. |
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Posts: 512
| esoxfly - 10/7/2009 9:37 AM
Is the Frabill Big Game manageable by someone fishing alone?
i had this net, and my nephew got a 51 this summer, and it barely fit. also made a hole in the net bag. I had been looking into getting a kahuna for a few years, was worried it was too big and pricey, but i had no choice since we were on a trip up north. Also didnt want to experience almost losing a giant again!!
turns out it isnt that much of a problem as far as size, just lay it on the deck for the most part.. Have yet to net a fish by myself, dont think it will be a problem..
Dave |
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| Let us know how it goes when you net one by yourself with that beast. My buddy who guides tells me he hates his big kahuna when fishing alone. He said he lost a 53+ because of it this year. BTW, I have netted numerous fish over 50 with a big game frabill without any problems. Net is not too small, I could get a 60 incher in there.  If you had one of those older style ones I could see how you could call it small or have problems.
Edited by Baby Mallard 10/10/2009 5:34 PM
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Posts: 1663
Location: Kodiak, AK | Yeah, I know guys that have had 50's in a Big Game. I'm not going to gamble with the Kahuna, coolness points or not. It's just too big for me to want to mess with by myself. I figure too big a net can cause just as many problems as too small a net when fishing alone. Fishing with someone, then go as big as possible, but alone, too much net can get cumbersome and border on clumsy. |
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Posts: 512
| Baby Mallard - 10/10/2009 5:30 PM
Let us know how it goes when you net one by yourself with that beast. My buddy who guides tells me he hates his big kahuna when fishing alone. He said he lost a 53+ because of it this year. BTW, I have netted numerous fish over 50 with a big game frabill without any problems. Net is not too small, I could get a 60 incher in there. If you had one of those older style ones I could see how you could call it small or have problems.
Ya it could be a handful, we will see. but the net i had did have a big net bag, but the hoop wasnt that big.. think it was a big game, (8420 i think?)
and how did he know it was 53 if it got away?? |
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| He has caught enough fish around 53" to be able to guesstimate at the fish he lost. He had the fish up to the boat three times and got a good look at it.
Edited by Baby Mallard 10/12/2009 6:06 PM
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