Hey Philmyboat, I'm gonna try hitting neutral before netting - that makes sense. Do you try to get either of your balls up? Thanks
Solo netting tips
- Thread starter ryanb
- Start date
Hey Philmyboat, I'm gonna try hitting neutral before netting - that makes sense. Do you try to get either of your balls up? Thanks
Tugcapitan
Well-Known Member
X2 on gaffing.
I play the fish until it's ready (or until it's close if there's a seal chasing!), get my rod tip behind me so I can grab the line, put the rod in the rod holder on that side of the boat, and hand line the fish in until it's in gaffing range. If the fish decides to spaz I just drop the line and pick up the rod and repeat.
Can't remember losing one this way...
If someone else is watching and I feel like showing off I'll tail it. I do remember losing one this way
I play the fish until it's ready (or until it's close if there's a seal chasing!), get my rod tip behind me so I can grab the line, put the rod in the rod holder on that side of the boat, and hand line the fish in until it's in gaffing range. If the fish decides to spaz I just drop the line and pick up the rod and repeat.
Can't remember losing one this way...
If someone else is watching and I feel like showing off I'll tail it. I do remember losing one this way
Tugcapitan
Well-Known Member
Forgot to add, also x2 for leaving the boat in gear and turning slightly towards the side the fish is on. Especially helpful when gaffing as you get the fish swimming in step with the boat which provides a somewhat steady fish to aim at. If the fish is still a bit hot, it can sometimes be helpful to go a little bit faster.
Tailwalker
Active Member
some of my best memories were from fishing solo and bringing in a tyee. Be patient, play them till they're almost dead, you'll see their white bellies, that means they are very tired out and you can lead them into the net. Don't tighten the drag if they are still swimming because they will run again when they see the net. Gaff would work too if they are coming in on their sides, you're going to fillet them anyway....
Gear'n'beer!
Well-Known Member
Picked up this Dandy April couple years ago in Saanich inlet solo. 39" red. played him til he was dead tired then gaff time.......Nothing beats some cold steel behind the headx 2 on "sometimes helpful to go a little bit faster". Didn't say it myself cuz I thought maybe I was crazy to do it but I figure it makes the fish work harder and tires him out quicker. I was losing the odd Coho last year that would swim towards the boat and get slack- I found speeding up a bit prevented that
Fisherman Rob
Well-Known Member
Aye? How do you do that without another set of hands?? I've often pondered this...
Slack-tider
Active Member
Great thread and info. I fish often alone and have developed a few techniques that work for me. I lost a few in the beginning. I'm in a 16.5 double eagle normally running an 8hp kicker. I slow the engine speed slightly and turn into the side that the fish is on. Wind and shoreline may change things but typically that is my first response. I seldom bring up the gear from the other side, only the downrigger ball on the fish side.
-play the fish and enjoy thrill
-I'm running shorter 10' rods
-long handle net with a net clip to hold the net out of the water (spooks less fish)
-pull the fish along the surface and into the net. Do not try to scoop the fish with the net.
-once the fish is in the net drop the rod and concentrate on the fish.
Stand up and bring the heart rate back to normal and say how luck we are to live in such a great area!!
Enjoy
-play the fish and enjoy thrill
-I'm running shorter 10' rods
-long handle net with a net clip to hold the net out of the water (spooks less fish)
-pull the fish along the surface and into the net. Do not try to scoop the fish with the net.
-once the fish is in the net drop the rod and concentrate on the fish.
Stand up and bring the heart rate back to normal and say how luck we are to live in such a great area!!
Enjoy
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Pineapple Express
Well-Known Member
This is more or less what I do too. When I'm solo I don't like to leave the helm for too long while the boat is in gear incase I were to fall out. I play the fish until it's tired and bring the fish to the net rather than the other way around. I use the biggest net that I could find for this reason
Da Bay Bye
Active Member
4Bouys
I never bring the ball up until the fish is landed. I just do my best to keep the fish away from the downrigger cable. If I am fishing with a partner, the other guy brings up the ball and uses the net.
SpringVelocity
Crew Member
Aye? How do you do that without another set of hands?? I've often pondered this...
I mostly only do it if I am coho fishing. Rarely when a target springs...I have several mishaps with fish wrapping cable I dont care how good you are with motor.. That's just how I do it... I have lost enough fish not to do it anymore.
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scott craven
Well-Known Member
I've landed a double header by myself although it was a gong show...jumping from one rod to the other trying to judge which fish was biggest...
finally leaving one rod in the holder until I got the first one in .
then to my surprise finding the second one still hooked.
Now I usually run one rod by myself.
finally leaving one rod in the holder until I got the first one in .
then to my surprise finding the second one still hooked.
Now I usually run one rod by myself.
Time
Well-Known Member
All very good tips.
Scotty net minder is your friend.
Indispensible in my opinion for netting a fish, even if a second set of hands is available.
Also helps to have the net pre-wetted, helps to control net billowing and floating upward, although not possible with the synthetic netting used now.
Play the fish until its tired, as already said (presuming you are keeping it), lead the fish over the net, held flat, then lift and twist net so net approaches fish from below and in front - if that makes sense, hard to verbalize - if anything scares fish it is going to propel itself forward, which is why I don't like to net from tail end.
Scotty net minder is your friend.
Indispensible in my opinion for netting a fish, even if a second set of hands is available.
Also helps to have the net pre-wetted, helps to control net billowing and floating upward, although not possible with the synthetic netting used now.
Play the fish until its tired, as already said (presuming you are keeping it), lead the fish over the net, held flat, then lift and twist net so net approaches fish from below and in front - if that makes sense, hard to verbalize - if anything scares fish it is going to propel itself forward, which is why I don't like to net from tail end.
Fished the last 6 years solo. Always fish 2 rods unless I cannot keep up. Have landed and netted a few tyee's and as well as many double hitters.
Rule number one I had to accept was that I would loose the odd fish and usually because I made a stupid move. This is the cost of fishing by yourself
That said many members have stated the same in previous posts. What I do is
1-Make sure net is ready to go at all times.
2-Keep the boat in gear. I may slow down but never out of gear. This insures me tension on the line
3-Bring the rigger up and remove the clip. Lift the rigger up and lock it. The ball does swing around but thankfully the Scotty brackets/mounts are solid. No time when playing the fish to remove ball or put on hook
4-Ignore second rod. Only time I may take second rod if rod 1 fish is small and second rod is bent over and line screaming out. I have learned to tell the size of the fish when reeling. Not hard to tell a difference between a 10lb fish and 20lb or more
5- keep the boat in a straight line and turn in to the fish sideways to the side of the boat where you are ready to land
6- play the fish till it's ready to be netted. I always expect it to make one more run when it sees the net. If the fish is on it's side it tells me it is ready to be netted
I learned when fishing alone is to fish away from the big packs of boats. If there are other boats around I will steer away from everyone when have a fish on. I have to say that many boaters/fishermen whom see you alone with a fish will get out the way. Some don't.
Stay calm!!!!!
I use a 9' and 10'6" rod and find the 9' the easiest. I never run really long leaders and the longest about 48". Just no way I can net a fish by myself with a 6' leader.
/fishon
Rule number one I had to accept was that I would loose the odd fish and usually because I made a stupid move. This is the cost of fishing by yourself
That said many members have stated the same in previous posts. What I do is
1-Make sure net is ready to go at all times.
2-Keep the boat in gear. I may slow down but never out of gear. This insures me tension on the line
3-Bring the rigger up and remove the clip. Lift the rigger up and lock it. The ball does swing around but thankfully the Scotty brackets/mounts are solid. No time when playing the fish to remove ball or put on hook
4-Ignore second rod. Only time I may take second rod if rod 1 fish is small and second rod is bent over and line screaming out. I have learned to tell the size of the fish when reeling. Not hard to tell a difference between a 10lb fish and 20lb or more
5- keep the boat in a straight line and turn in to the fish sideways to the side of the boat where you are ready to land
6- play the fish till it's ready to be netted. I always expect it to make one more run when it sees the net. If the fish is on it's side it tells me it is ready to be netted
I learned when fishing alone is to fish away from the big packs of boats. If there are other boats around I will steer away from everyone when have a fish on. I have to say that many boaters/fishermen whom see you alone with a fish will get out the way. Some don't.
Stay calm!!!!!
I use a 9' and 10'6" rod and find the 9' the easiest. I never run really long leaders and the longest about 48". Just no way I can net a fish by myself with a 6' leader.
/fishon
Canso
Well-Known Member
X3X2 on gaffing.
I play the fish until it's ready (or until it's close if there's a seal chasing!), get my rod tip behind me so I can grab the line, put the rod in the rod holder on that side of the boat, and hand line the fish in until it's in gaffing range. If the fish decides to spaz I just drop the line and pick up the rod and repeat.
Can't remember losing one this way...
If someone else is watching and I feel like showing off I'll tail it. I do remember losing one this way
50% of my fishing is solo! or with my kids which is the same as solo.
12lbs or less grab the line and lift it in, anything bigger gaff in the head or under the chin. I was loosing fish trying to net. Never with a gaff.
Bleed your fish at the side of your boat on some twine, and practice with the gaff. You will be surprised how hard you need to swing to go threw the gill plate.
Most times a little bonk on the head and gently gaff under the chin works for me.
scott craven
Well-Known Member
You gaffer's ever knock the fish off the hook when bonking it ?
Sharphooks
Well-Known Member
reading these responses it's pretty clear there are lots of different ways to skin the netting cat. You figure out the way that fits your boat and the way it's laid out, the size of the fish you're fighting, and your boat in relationship to the rest of the fleet
I always fish alone. When I get something on I know is big the FIRST thing I do is get the ball and dummy flasher up and into the boat. If I have two balls out, they BOTH come in. Then I get out of the fleet if I can do so without leaving the hooked fish in the fleet. If I can't get the fish out of the fleet, I'll use my boat as a barrier and physically place it in between an approaching boat and my fish, sometimes quite aggressively. I see poor behavior out on the water about 50% of the time: sometimes boats get pissed seeing someone else with a fish on and they just will not give way
I use the kicker motor aggressively to chase a big fish, and always try to keep him on the side of the boat he was hooked on
When it's time to bust a net move, that's when I pick up the net. I don't go near the net until I'm confident the fish is tired. I hold the bag in my fist and don't let it go until the fish's head is clearly in the hoop. I use 10 1/2 and 12 foot rods. I lay the butt of the rod down on the deck of my boat and hold just the tip of the rod in my left hand so I can control the net in my right. If the fish decides he still has juice, I lift the tip up so the rod handle and spool can spin on the deck without impediment. If the fish gets lots of line on me, the net gets laid down and the rod is back in my hands again until I get the fish back by the boat a second time. Then the rod butt goes back to the deck of the boat, the tip is in my left hand, and the net gets picked back up and held in my right hand
I NEVER use treble hooks (stingers you guys call them) -- I don't want a useless tool like that stuck in my net, much less a fish's mouth I might be releasing. A 4/0 is about as big as I'll go. If they're sharp, they'll hold a 50 as well as any larger hook if your leader is fresh and your knots are sound
smallish single hooks--- less iron sticking out of a fish's mouth to get hooked in the mesh of your net when push comes to shove is how I look at it, and I'm ALWAYS in neutral when it comes time to swim the fish into the net.
Like I said, everyone seems to do it differently. I lose pretty much zero fish if I can get them near the boat, so I stick with what works.
Some guys would look at me laying my rod down on the deck while fighting a fish and think I was a scissor bill. My response--- it's a better move then high-sticking a long rod and I'll keep doing it until I start losing fish
Getting the balls in: it's a safety issue: I am stone cold paranoid about getting braid caught in my propellers when I'm focused on fighting a fish. And equally paranoid about a fish swimming in to the braid while the balls are left hanging in the water and seeing the leader get sawed in half.
I always fish alone. When I get something on I know is big the FIRST thing I do is get the ball and dummy flasher up and into the boat. If I have two balls out, they BOTH come in. Then I get out of the fleet if I can do so without leaving the hooked fish in the fleet. If I can't get the fish out of the fleet, I'll use my boat as a barrier and physically place it in between an approaching boat and my fish, sometimes quite aggressively. I see poor behavior out on the water about 50% of the time: sometimes boats get pissed seeing someone else with a fish on and they just will not give way
I use the kicker motor aggressively to chase a big fish, and always try to keep him on the side of the boat he was hooked on
When it's time to bust a net move, that's when I pick up the net. I don't go near the net until I'm confident the fish is tired. I hold the bag in my fist and don't let it go until the fish's head is clearly in the hoop. I use 10 1/2 and 12 foot rods. I lay the butt of the rod down on the deck of my boat and hold just the tip of the rod in my left hand so I can control the net in my right. If the fish decides he still has juice, I lift the tip up so the rod handle and spool can spin on the deck without impediment. If the fish gets lots of line on me, the net gets laid down and the rod is back in my hands again until I get the fish back by the boat a second time. Then the rod butt goes back to the deck of the boat, the tip is in my left hand, and the net gets picked back up and held in my right hand
I NEVER use treble hooks (stingers you guys call them) -- I don't want a useless tool like that stuck in my net, much less a fish's mouth I might be releasing. A 4/0 is about as big as I'll go. If they're sharp, they'll hold a 50 as well as any larger hook if your leader is fresh and your knots are sound
smallish single hooks--- less iron sticking out of a fish's mouth to get hooked in the mesh of your net when push comes to shove is how I look at it, and I'm ALWAYS in neutral when it comes time to swim the fish into the net.
Like I said, everyone seems to do it differently. I lose pretty much zero fish if I can get them near the boat, so I stick with what works.
Some guys would look at me laying my rod down on the deck while fighting a fish and think I was a scissor bill. My response--- it's a better move then high-sticking a long rod and I'll keep doing it until I start losing fish
Getting the balls in: it's a safety issue: I am stone cold paranoid about getting braid caught in my propellers when I'm focused on fighting a fish. And equally paranoid about a fish swimming in to the braid while the balls are left hanging in the water and seeing the leader get sawed in half.
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Humpbubble
Active Member
Tip it,handline,gaff
went out once to find my net had been stolen(who does that?)
now i definitely prefer poking it over one had net jobs,tho the net minder is interesting.
Sockeye and coho fishing with friends,double bagging is common.
went out once to find my net had been stolen(who does that?)
now i definitely prefer poking it over one had net jobs,tho the net minder is interesting.
Sockeye and coho fishing with friends,double bagging is common.
Canso
Well-Known Member
Never lost a fish yet (knock on wood). I have upholstery in the back of my boat and hate scrubbing scales and blood.
With the gaff in the chin I hold it up while threading some twine (with a loop on both ends) threw the gill, out the mouth and threw the loop. Attach it to a cleat, hang it in the water and rip the gills to bleed out. Gaffing in the head in the head makes a bloody mess. I look forward to the day I get a real fishing deck.
