Netting tecnique when solo

[Kristo]

Any good hints or tips regarding netting and landing springs particularly when alone?
None of my buds were available at last minute and it was too nice not to go out on the water.Had two good fish on....lost one at the net and almost lost the other.
Trying to walk the fish into the net whilst holding the net is .......challenging

 

[the fog ducker]

the double header solol is always interesting ,,,

try shorter rods when alone if your in a smaller rig
, or , i bought a longer net recently , ALOT easier i find...
really helps landings for the not so seasoned fisherman takin da scoops ,
when holding the the Net , grab the bottom of the bag with your trigger finger , of the the same hand holding the pole..
keeping it out of the water before ya go in for the kill ,

lmao , to much talk bout rods poles n bags man...later...

my gaff skills are not quite up ta kelly's level yet lol..

cheers

fd

 

[juandesooka]

yeah, it can be really tough, and learning by your mistakes in losing fish sucks! Been there, done that.

shorter rods are easier, difficult too when using extra long leaders -- have to hold your rod over your head pretty much.

personally, I think gaffing solo is easier -- if you are positive it's a keeper and you intend to keep it.

 

[tincan]

I had my net safely stowed in the bow this past weekend while fishing solo and ended up tiring my fish out and then tailing it at the boat. Nice little 12 lber. Tailing is a high risk maneuver however so if you're really not interested in losing the fish make sure your net is fully set up and within reach.

 

[JuandeOne]

I have netted many big springs solo. Few tips:

Have net extended, ready and easily accessible.
Tire fish out.
Use gunnel as a fulcrum for net handle.
Lead fish over net bag head first (of course) and drop rod and raise net at same time.

Good luck!

 

[Sharphooks]

Hey Kristo

I fish solo 99.9 % of the time and lose very few fish. Here's my recipe in order of importance:

1)) SHARP HOOKS
2)) DON'T GIVE A HOOT ABOUT THE FISH ---( If you're completely neutral about whether you get the fish in the net or not , you'll get the fish)
3)) 6 ft Rod

Last summer I purchased a 10 1/2 ft Rod (Shimano Convergence) just to see how much fun a longer rod could be. They are fun, no doubt! Maiden voyage with the new rod was on Big Bank last August off Uke (lights-out fishing for 5 straight days).

Not to pound my chest or anything, but fishing alone in a fleet of boats and having more double-headers then I can remember, I never lost a fish. Not one. For starters, I didn't give a crap whether I got the fish or not. When I had a double, I'd play the fish on the 6 foot rod first 'cause that was the easy one. Once I stuck it in the boat or shook it off with a gaff, I'd pick up the 10 1/2 footer.

If it was a fish I wanted to keep, once I got it in close I'd lay the rod down on the deck and hold the tip gently in my right hand. If the fish was still green and peeled line I'd pick the rod back up and let it run. If it flopped around at the boat and showed signs that it was ready to give it up, I'd scoop it in close, again, just holding the tip with a loose drag on the reel.

A net with a long handle doesn't solve the problem. You're not going to be able to maneuver a big-enough net 6 or 7 feet out from your boat for more then a brief minute (unless you're Superman)

It's better to have a big net in close and the rod on the deck so you won't run the risk of breaking it while high-sticking the tip. Also, high-sticking is a great way to wrap the leader around the rod tip---if a green fish takes off against a tip-wrapped leader, you know what the end result will be

 

[Hit em Hard]

When fishing alone I generally gaff any fish I want to keep however I like sharphooks method of holding the rod tip. I think I will give that a try next trip out by myself.

H.E.H.

 

[the fog ducker]

Quote
A net with a long handle doesn't solve the problem. You're not going to be able to maneuver a big-enough net 6 or 7 feet out from your boat for more then a brief minute (unless you're Superman)

wow ,
i dont fish ALONE 99.9% of the time
friends and I have no problem holding these Big Heavy Nets , my wife does here and there though...
we dont get alot of double headers on the wcvi ,
so i will retract my opinion,

off ta wcvi to sharpen my skills lol

no edit needed

fd

 

[trophywife]

Long spiking gaff

 

[Time]

Purchase a Scotty No. 210 Net Minder
http://www.scotty.com/fishing-gear-equipment/fishing-supplies/landing-nets.htm
Only costs a couple of bucks.
Essentially a small release clip that mounts on the handle of the net and you secure the tail end of the net bag with the release clip.
Prevents the net bag from billowing out in the air or the water and tangling in the hooks or scaring the fish, but releases easily once the weight of the fish hits the net bag.
Then you can hold the rod in one hand and the net handle in the other.

 

[kthomas]

Purchase a Scotty No. 210 Net Minder
http://www.scotty.com/fishing-gear-equipment/fishing-supplies/landing-nets.htm
Only costs a couple of bucks.
Essentially a small release clip that mounts on the handle of the net and you secure the tail end of the net bag with the release clip.
Prevents the net bag from billowing out in the air or the water and tangling in the hooks or scaring the fish, but releases easily once the weight of the fish hits the net bag.
Then you can hold the rod in one hand and the net handle in the other.

That's pretty slick! I might have to pick one of these up...

 

[pescador]

I fish solo plenty and have landed lots of 20 lb plus fish. The first few each year the adrenline is really pumping. I have lost a couple, but, you learn from each of those events. I agree taking the view of not giving a sh*t helps because you stay focussed on the task at hand. All of the above comments are aligned with my process, but, I have a few other things I personally have found helpful;

1.0 I have installed a stainless hook on my bow railing and hang my net on it laying along the gunnel so its quickly accessible to me.
2.0 I always pull up my second downrigger and get the "other gear" out of the water so I don't get the fish crossing over lines.
3.0 I pivot my "other" downrigger ball against the boat and raise it just to the water line to reduce again the chance of lines getting tangled.

 

[Charter Tofino]

Here is my buddies technique to landing fish solo. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjfLSCyx4oU

Personally i would not try this approach if i really wanted to land the fish haha.Like others have said I would likely play the fish out well then get it at the surface beside the boat. I would reel up until there is maybe 10 feet of line between the fish and rod top then grab the net with my one hand. Put the net in the water pull back and guide the fishes head into the hoop. I can remember the first time i did this when i was young i dropped the net in the water and watched it sink. No gaff meant i had to grab the fish by its gills but somehow it worked.

 

[Dogbreath]

9' rod and one of these.

 

[Sharphooks]

hey FD,

Wasn't tryin' to diss your comment about the benefits of a net with a longer handle for solo fishing. If that works for you, great. If you can extend a long-handled net out over the gunnel when fishing solo and get a fish to swim into it, all the power to you

I carry two nets. One does have a longer handle (wooden broomstick, $ 5.00 at a garage sale) . I guess I can reach out with that one o.k., but it is reserved strictly for 10 - 20 pounders. The black net behind; that's the meat and potatoes net. It could hold a 60 - 70 pounder ( if I ever get to have the pleasure of pulling off a Serengeti Dave type move.)

So far, I haven't had that problem.

That net is on steroids--it has a triangular shaped aluminum handle that weighs a ton, has a huge bag with metal tags on it to keep it from getting tangled, and is built for stout. Maybe I'm a wimp but there is just no way I can extend that thing out on the water and keep it there long enough to swim a green fish into it, whether it's a 20 pounder or the mythical 50+ that I read about but never have had the pleasure of shaking hands with

So, I'm a two-net guy.

Here's a pic of one of many double-headers off Big Bank last August. The six footer I left in the rod holder. The drag is loose on the Hardy Eddystone and the fish was left to do whatever it wanted to do. I'm holding the 10 1/2 footer. Both downrigger balls are safely in the boat.

Case in point---I didn't give a crap if I netted either fish so I took a picture just to memorialize the ridiculous fishing. Both came into the net without a whimper because I didn't give a crap.

here's a pic of two of my three nets I own:

here's a pic of the third one I use when I get into the dogfish thick and heavy:

And the last one is a double-header where I got greedy and decided to keep both the fish and the dog:

 

[spring fever]

Man that dog does not look impressed-still looks a little green and full of fight!!

 

[Enniberg]

I'd think that the process is also a bit easier when you are standing at the water line, like in the Arima, vs. higher up, on a boat with self bailing deck?

My boat is also an Arima, but I have never gone out by myself yet. My 11 year old son nets everything, including a 65 lb halibut that he managed to net for me last week

Definitely want to get the Scotty netminder that Time is talking about - simple, but a great idea!

 

[pescador]

Holmes, I gaffed a 42 lber in my 12 foot tinny. The fish was as wide as the beam of the boat. Just got the gaff into him in time as the treble was about to be spit out. The power of the mind is amazing. That gaff became part of my anatomy. No way was I losing the biggest fish I'll probably ever catch. Haven't used a gaff since then (that was 81).

 

[the fog ducker]

quote by SuperHooks

A net with a long handle doesn't solve the problem.
end Quote

whatever ,

i only wish to be as crafty as you one day ,
no wonder you fish by urself ,

fd

 

[the fog ducker]

Ya

I see ur also the whiner that was callin out guys reports on the Bamfield thread ,
guess were wrong about that too..

sorry bout the jak , im done


fd