Frabill Net And Treble Hooks Argh!!

[tnriverluver]

I have a new Frabill net with the collapsing handle and the net is a black nylon? mesh type material. First time I used it and had a problem was when bass fishing and a large catfish hit my crankbait. Needless to say the catfish doing their normal spinning managed to get nearly every hook stuck into the net. I ended up having to cut the barb off every hook and destroyed that bait trying to save the new net. This past weekend I had a crankbait on a rod in the boats rod storage and when reaching for the net to get it ready just in case, a hook on that crankbait managed to bury itself into the net. I was fishing the tailwaters of Pickwick dam and with the current and dangerous conditions I just pulled out my knife and cut the hooks out without doing too much damage. No amount of pulling, poking, prying, maneuvering, etc will get these hooks out of these nets. Going to look for an old style green monofilament net. Has anyone else experienced this with the Frabill nets??? They are nice and strong, but I can't take the agrivation. Net is similar to the picture except teardrop shaped.

[slonezp]

I will say this. Frabill has excellent customer service. I had issues with net handles breaking twice on some muskies. They replaced the damaged handles free of charge both times. I no longer use their products because of the breakage issues. The only net material that is tangle free is the rubber ones.

[00 mod]

Boga grip for the junk fish! I ONLY net big bass now!

Jeff

[Crappiebasser]

Replace the nylon with a rubber or dipped net. You can get them from BPS a lot cheaper than you can replace treble hooks on every fish.

[tnriverluver]

Just looking at Walmart's site and they have the simple green mono nets with the telescoping handles just like the Frabill. Ed Cummings I think was the brand. Going back that route as that type net is what I have always used in the past with no problems. Bought the Frabill because of the extending handle for easier storage. Glad they now have the others with the same type handle for considerably less than the Frabill. Gonna buy 3 so I have one in each boat.

[BradH]

I only get the coated or rubber nets now. After digging a F18 Rapala out of the regular nylon nets 50 times in a day you'll toss them overboard. I still cut hooks sometimes, just not as much. A pair of split ring pliers and some hooks & rings come in handy. I fish out of a deep V so I have to net more fish than I'd like. If I can land them by hand I do.

[Dwight Hottle]

I use a beckman treated bag net & it works rather well for treble baits. I'm sure you could buy just the treated bag & secure on your hoop & net handle.

[SirSnookalot]

I've used handled nets and they were real aggravation, both in collapsing and getting the hooks hung up. I do use a pier drop net for jettie fishing for some of the larger fish, they work reasonable well, for some reason the hooks don't cause much of a problem. Offshore we gaff them except if they are not legal or we have limited out, if we can we just lift them up with the leader, much of the time it's easier to unhook them along side the boat than to net them. I don't catch anything big enough in Florida freshwater to need a net or worry about being bitten.

[cadman]

Definitely a rubber coated net will end your frustration.

[tnriverluver]

51 years old and fished since around 5 y/o. Can't say I have ever knowingly seen one of the rubber coated nets. Next time I am in a decent sporting goods store I am going to make it a must look for item just to check them out. The simple monofillament type nets are all I have ever had up until this disaster of a purchase.

[tnriverluver]

Ordered my new nets from Wallyworld late Weds evening and arrived at my home today Sat !!! Not real sturdy feeling but I am sure I won't have to battle getting the hooks out of these.

[tnriverluver]

Just found the picture of the mess from the catfish the first time I had to use the Frabill. Two sets of small trebles buried.