TDIL: Nets are important. 2024
DrMarlboro92 reply :
I jad a very crazy trip to Lake Anna today. It was pattern fishing at its finest; the fish were stacked on the seawalls and every cast with a live action blue/silver rattle trap produced a fish. While this was pretty fun, it ended in disappointment when I lost the fish that would have been my new PB right at the boat.
I hooked into him on a seawall behind some docks (it was set up like a small private marina) and fought him for a good 10 minutes. After finally dragging him to the boat I saw his head come above the water and I swear I could have put both fists in this things mouth and still had room for more; this was a massive fish. I reached down to grab him because I don't have a net, and I guess I let slack in the line and I got a splash in the face and watched him flip me the bird as he dove. I was so disappointed I almost called it a day right there. It took 30 minutes of sulking and cursing in the boat before I was ready to fish again.
Lesson learned. Buy a net.
Darren. reply :
Yes. Yes they are. Nets are important.
I know all too well. Even so, sometimes a
net can't reach far enough to secure the bass.
Alas! 
OCdockskipper reply :
I will most likely be in the minority on this, but for bass fishing, I prefer to not use a net (especially if I am by myself). I am not saying that lipping is better than a net, just that I prefer it.
I find that large fish are easier to grab at the boat compared to smaller fish. The huge mouth of a hawg is such a large target and typically a large fish is never green by the time she is by the boat. With a smaller fish, you often have to avoid the hook(s), but once they get over 5 lbs, the extra room in that gaping mouth makes it a non issue. I have landed numerous fish over 7 lbs, all by hand on the first pass and have never lost a large one at the boat in over 40 years of fishing. I've lost them away from the boat, but never when they are close enough to grab (or net).
I fish from a smaller boat, sitting low to the water, so it is very comfortable & easy to just reach over & lip fish. If I am standing to fish a particular bait, I often sit down after I hook up, so I am in good position to land the fish. It isn't as awkward to grab the fish in this setup compared to what you sometimes see from people standing on the deck of a larger boat, trying to kneel or lie down to get at the fish. In a smaller boat, a net just takes up valuable room & since I don't fish tournaments and release everything I catch, it isn't a big deal if a fish becomes unbuttoned at the boat. Of course, that is easy for me to say since I have never lost one that way...
soflabasser reply :
On 10/7/2016 at 9:49 AM, DrMarlboro92 said:I jad a very crazy trip to Lake Anna today. It was pattern fishing at its finest; the fish were stacked on the seawalls and every cast with a live action blue/silver rattle trap produced a fish. While this was pretty fun, it ended in disappointment when I lost the fish that would have been my new PB right at the boat.
I hooked into him on a seawall behind some docks (it was set up like a small private marina) and fought him for a good 10 minutes. After finally dragging him to the boat I saw his head come above the water and I swear I could have put both fists in this things mouth and still had room for more; this was a massive fish. I reached down to grab him because I don't have a net, and I guess I let slack in the line and I got a splash in the face and watched him flip me the bird as he dove. I was so disappointed I almost called it a day right there. It took 30 minutes of sulking and cursing in the boat before I was ready to fish again.
Lesson learned. Buy a net.
You know where she lives so you can always go back to the general area and try to catch her at a later time.She sounds to be at least 26-28" long if you can stick 2 fist in its mouth with extra space.
DrMarlboro92 reply :
On 10/7/2016 at 10:34 AM, soflabasser said:You know where she lives so you can always go back to the general area and try to catch her at a later time.She sounds to be at least 26-28" long if you can stick 2 fist in its mouth with extra space.
I'm not going to make a judgement on length or weight, but this pig made the 7lb bass I caught last year look like a snack. Unfortunately given the nature of this lake and how much the fish move around, I may never get another chance at this girl. I'm going to try and go back tomorrow and see if they are still on the seawalls and try for another.
TnRiver46 reply :
I have lost them more times than I can count at the net and at hand. I, like dock skipper, don't keep a net on board but if someone brings one or if I'm in someone's boat that has one, I definitely reach for it or call for it when a big fish hooks up. I hate that you lost the big one but a net doesn't always guarantee it won't happen again. But they are quite affordable and they do help........
DrMarlboro92 reply :
On 10/7/2016 at 10:25 AM, OCdockskipper said:It isn't as awkward to grab the fish in this setup compared to what you sometimes see from people standing on the deck of a larger boat, trying to kneel or lie down to get at the fish.
I'm in a 77 ranger, and it definitely has a nose up attitude, which means kneeling and leaning over the gunnel is required to lip a fish. I didn't keep my line tight during all that motion to get down to the water, and lost him. 
I'm not saying a net is going to make me land every fish, but this one would have been in the boat if I had one. Oh well, you live, you learn.
MassYak85 reply :
If anyone ever needed convincing of this....
TnRiver46 reply :
^ holy cow. That fish is huge. How can you think of what shirt you are wearing at a time like that???? Hahhaha
everythingthatswims reply :
Ooooooooooh......... I feel for you man, I've spent a good bit of time on onefishanna. Hope you find her again!
NYWayfarer reply :
Nets are important, unfortunately having one doesn't always mean you are going to land the fish though.
On my fishing trip on Wednesday I lost two big bass. One was because my drag wasn't properly set and while tightening it the bass exploded from the water and shook the hook. He was literally a foot out of the water when he spat it out.
The second lost bass was due to my net being just out of reach. I had to stop reeling to reach for the net and that slack line was enough to lose the fish.
I was fishing super clear water so I was able to see the size of these Smallmouths and I was heartbroken. Two bass lost to operator error. Tight drags and close nets are the lessons learned this week.
DrMarlboro92 reply :
On 10/7/2016 at 9:09 PM, everythingthatswims said:Ooooooooooh......... I feel for you man, I've spent a good bit of time on onefishanna. Hope you find her again!
That's about what this place feels like. I've never caught this many fish there. Many of them were small, but it felt good having that nuch luck on water that normally doesn't seem to have fish. I know a guy who calls lake Anna the desert haha.
everythingthatswims reply :
On 10/7/2016 at 10:55 PM, DrMarlboro92 said:That's about what this place feels like. I've never caught this many fish there. Many of them were small, but it felt good having that nuch luck on water that normally doesn't seem to have fish. I know a guy who calls lake Anna the desert haha.
There are a lot of bass there, but it is a herring lake and gets tons of pressure, so go figure. A lot of the bass in that lake think they are stripers. Fishing in the spring in the clear water will show you how many bass are there 
Steveo-1969 reply :
OK, I can't figure it out. What does TDIL stand for?
Choporoz reply :
On 10/8/2016 at 12:32 AM, Steveo-1969 said:OK, I can't figure it out. What does TDIL stand for?
wondered same.....'today i learned'? 'tough d**n ignorant luck'?
OCdockskipper reply :
TDIL: I believe it is either a marketing slogan - "Teeners Devour Ima Lures" or
an old bass fishing axion - "The Dinks Ignore Lizards"
gimruis reply :
I have a net that has a retracting handle so that helps clear up some space in the boat. I have also seen a folding net which would take up even less space. I generally don't have a problem with a standard size net getting in the way in my boat. Its the muskie net that takes up a TON of space and it rarely gets used. The hoop is big enough to net a dog
DrMarlboro92 reply :
On 10/8/2016 at 12:32 AM, Steveo-1969 said:OK, I can't figure it out. What does TDIL stand for?
On 10/8/2016 at 2:18 AM, OCdockskipper said:TDIL: I believe it is either a marketing slogan - "Teeners Devour Ima Lures" or
an old bass fishing axion - "The Dinks Ignore Lizards"
On 10/8/2016 at 12:45 AM, Choporoz said:wondered same.....'today i learned'? 'tough d**n ignorant luck'?
It's ToDay I Learned. I guess it's just another one of those things us youngsters use to be lazy.
It's often shortened further to TIL.
A-Jay reply :
On 10/8/2016 at 8:43 AM, DrMarlboro92 said:
TDILTHW
It's ToDay I Learned the Hard Way . I guess it's just another one of those things us youngsters use to be lazy.
Fixed that one for you
btw - I ALWAYS use a net.
A-Jay
Bluebasser86 reply :
I'm torn on the whole net issue. It's great when it works, but I've lost some really nice fish to poor net jobs when the hooks got stuck in the net.
A-Jay reply :
On 10/8/2016 at 2:14 PM, Bluebasser86 said:I'm torn on the whole net issue. It's great when it works, but I've lost some really nice fish to poor net jobs when the hooks got stuck in the net.
I hear ya BB ~ And that's a valid point. I have 2 thoughts . . . .
1) It's a tool and when used incorrectly it's hard to expect useful results.
2) Regardless of the results - hooks in the net are way better than hooks in the fingers / hand, especially with treble hooks.
Some consider getting hooked as a hazard of the job, I see it as almost completely preventable.
btw - not trying to Hijack the thread but it's a somewhat related to the OP's topic.
A-Jay
N Florida Mike reply :
I don't use nets because:
I fish in a small boat and can lean over and lip big fish
I don't use anything with trebles much.
I lost a tournament because of a net problem.
I don't remember ever losing one fish in 42 years because of trying to lip them.
They take up too much room
They attract hooks like a magnet.
Bankbeater reply :
I can't remember the last time I used a net to land a fish.
Jar11591 reply :
After getting a hook buried in my thumb, I NEVER lip a bass that is hooked with trebles while still in the water. I can't imagine not having a net on board.
I also fish waters with a lot of big northern pike, and they are a magnet for all things trebles. Try grabbing a treble hooked snot rocket or gator that isn't completely tired out yet out of the water. No thanks!
They make thick rubber, hook-resistant nets that are 100x better for when fishing trebles. I never launch without my net. It makes it so much easier to land fish and I feel so much better while fighting big fish knowing that a net is waiting at the side of the boat.
But it can certainly be a detrimite if the netter doesn't know what they're doing. A proper net job should not be lunging for the fish. The net should simply be placed in the water, and the fish should be guided in to it with the rod.
Gundog reply :
On 10/10/2016 at 12:31 AM, Jar11591 said:
I also fish waters with a lot of big northern pike, and they are a magnet for all things trebles. Try grabbing a treble hooked snot rocket or gator that isn't completely tired out yet out of the water. No thanks!
I know what you're talking about when it comes to pickerel/pike/muskie. I have a big, long pair of pliers that allow me to unhook trebles a little safer than the normal smaller pliers. I don't have a net when I fish and although I've lost fish at the boat I figure its all part of the game of fishing. After 40 yrs of fishing I've got plenty of stories of fish I've caught and fish I've lost and that's why I do it. For the experience. The ups and downs. To me that is the fun.
d-camarena reply :
I dont even own a net. I boat flip everything. I usually using straight 65lb braid
N Florida Mike reply :
We do use nets for most of the saltwater fish we catch.However,I respectively disagree about how to net fish.The way we do it is to wait until the fish is near the boat and heading in .We then quickly dip the net in front of the fish and swoop it up.You NEVER try to net a fish from behind.If you stick the net in too soon the fish will change direction and you'll usually miss or you'll hook the net with the fish on the outside.
OCdockskipper reply :
On 10/10/2016 at 12:31 AM, Jar11591 said:After getting a hook buried in my thumb, I NEVER lip a bass that is hooked with trebles while still in the water...
I also fish waters with a lot of big northern pike, and they are a magnet for all things trebles...
I think if I fished your waters, I would have a different opinion about nets. No toothy critters here, only big catfish that hijack the offerings. Those I land with a pair of grippers. By the time they get to the boat, they are pretty spent - just grip & lift.
Largemouth over 4 lbs typically have a big enough mouth to accomidate a lure with treble hooks, your hand and a Big Mac all at the same time. Smallmouth & bass under 4 lbs caught with treble hooks can be landed 2 ways without lipping them or using a net. If your reach around their head and press on both sides (just above the gill plates), it will imobilize them. If the fish's head is too big or if you have Donald Trump hands, the belly lift is the other alternative. This is how you see may of the Elite anglers land big smallmouth. Just make sure to use a finger pressed into the belly to imobilize them.
All that said, I didn't take my advice and lipped a small bass with a Pop-R in its mouth earlier this year. Of course, it shook it's head & buried one of the hooks in my thumb between the nail & skin. Dumb move on my part.
WIGuide reply :
I keep a net in my boat at all times. Living in a land of toothy critters it's pretty much a must. Also a great addition for tournaments. I swear fishing for fun they can splash around boat side as long as you want to let them, but once money is on the line, the fish just somehow know haha.
Scott F reply :
I fish a lot of waters with pike and muskies in them but I usually use the net on smallmouth with a mouth full of trebles. I use light line for the most part and don't want to lose a Lucky Craft Pointer trying to hoist a bass over the side so the net gets used. I had an expensive Frabil conservation series net but the hooks were always getting caught. So now I use a rubber net. For pike, I seldom use the net. They go nuts in the net, and slime it up. Hand landing them is faster, safer and easier for me.
A-Jay reply :
On 10/11/2016 at 12:15 AM, Scott F said:I had an expensive Frabil conservation series net but the hooks were always getting caught. So now I use a rubber net.
Frabill offers Rubber replacement nets bags in three sizes ~ 17 x 19, 20 x 23 & 23 x 26
A-Jay
http://www.frabill.com/nets-accessories/replacement-landing-nets.html
Scott F reply :
On 10/11/2016 at 12:24 AM, A-Jay said:Frabill offers Rubber replacement nets bags in three sizes ~ 17 x 19, 20 x 23 & 23 x 26
A-Jay
http://www.frabill.com/nets-accessories/replacement-landing-nets.html
The bad news is that the bags on the conservation series nets are not replaceable. I did use the handle from the Frabill on the rubber net I bought.
A-Jay reply :
On 10/11/2016 at 12:29 AM, Scott F said:The bad news is that the bags on the conservation series nets are not replaceable. I did use the handle from the Frabill on the rubber net I bought.
Good you made it work -
A while back I had a non-replaceable net that needed a new bag. I cut the old one off & used a stout nylon twine to "weave' the new bag onto the frame. One long length went through the top net loops and around the net frame. Worked out OK.
A-Jay
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