A Really Stupid Question (please don't beat me)

[Lord Castlereagh]

I THINK I know the answer to this question. Even my VERY limited experience has taught me, but I am not 100% sure, so I will ask...

 

What is the purpose of the scoop or dip net?

 

Why net 'em at the very end as opposed to just reeling them in all the way?

 

Thanks, and excuse a new fisherman's ignorance, please.

[Sam]

Because they may not be hooked well enough to lift them into the boat.

 

Some tournaments, like the Bassmaster series, do not allow nets to be used to land the bass.

 

Club, region and federation tournaments usually allow the use of nets.

 

You can use any type of net you wish.

 

Not a stupid question. No such thing as a stupid question. But there are some stupid answers out there.  

[Scott F]

If you catch a bass on a crankbait with 2 or 3 treble hooks, reaching in to lip them could result in one of those hooks sticking in your hand. Nets help get them in the boat without hooking yourself. If you ever catch a pike, pickeral, or a walleye, lipping them isn't a good idea. A net will help. If you use light lines and expensive baits, a net will get bigger fish in the boat without risking breaking a line or losing the bait and the fish. Hoisting big bass with your rod can damage your rods. Nets are often a good idea.

[MassYak85]

With larger fish especially, lifting them with the rod is playing with fire (that's how you snap your rod if you aren't careful). Plus you risk ripping the hooks out and losing the fish. 

[Lord Castlereagh]

Thanks to all. It is as I thought. From the day I began fishing, I noticed that I lose just an amazing number of fish AT THE VERY LAST SECOND, just as I am lifting them from the water. It happens maybe 20 percent or more of the time. Today, I had my best day fishing EVER!!!! My previous best was four trout in about 2 hours.

 

Today, I brought in 13 fish!! Bass and crappie. But I lost NINE fish. EIGHT of them, AT THE VERY LAST SECOND!!!! I don't fully understand the science of it, but clearly a fish "weighs more" as it is leaving the water, causing problems.

 

I have ordered a dip net. I will NEVER lose another fish who is 3 inches from the bank again.

 

Thanks, guys.

[Armtx77]

1 hour ago, Scott F said:

If you catch a bass on a crankbait with 2 or 3 treble hooks, reaching in to lip them could result in one of those hooks sticking in your hand. Nets help get them in the boat without hooking yourself. If you ever catch a pike, pickeral, or a walleye, lipping them isn't a good idea. A net will help. If you use light lines and expensive baits, a net will get bigger fish in the boat without risking breaking a line a losing the bait and the fish. Hoisting big bass with your rod can damage your rods. Nets are often a good idea.

YEAH, this right here.

 

I fish slow/medium rivers and carry a net on the back of my vest. River fish are typically more engaged in a good fight, than their lake cousins care for.

 

I carry a net to end the fight earlier. I dont keep many fish, so I want to end the fight as soon as possible and get that fish back into the water ASAP. A net lets me get them BEFORE they get to "the boat and make another run".

A net in a bass boat, can get a guy, to catch some ribbing from his buddies IME. I feel the run when the at the boat, is what what makes a fish vunerable when released.

[WRB]

First time you hook a good size bass using a treble hook lure you will know!

Dip net is used to net live baitfish out of a tank, a Scoop net net is used to scoop a quantity of live baitfish from 1 tank to another, a landing net is used to land a single live sport caught fish.

Tom

[RPreeb]

Here's what you need to lip those toothy fish:

 

 

Stainless steel chain mail.  However, at $80 for one glove, a net is much better deal.  

[Glaucus]

44 minutes ago, RPreeb said:

Here's what you need to lip those toothy fish:

 

 

Stainless steel chain mail.  However, at $80 for one glove, a net is much better deal.  

Kinda want the glove for battle effects now

[Scott F]

The gloves are not good. The problem is if you aren't wearing it when you need it, it's not easy to put it on while you are holding a rod, and fighting a fish. 

[Bankbeater]

I fish from the bank a lot.  If you aren't in a position to reach down and pick the fish up then you have to get into position while reeling in the fish.  This is no problem if you are fishing from a sloped surface that gradually goes out into the lake.  If you are fishing off of rip rap then you could have some problems.

[TnRiver46]

14 hours ago, Lord Castlereagh said:

Thanks to all. It is as I thought. From the day I began fishing, I noticed that I lose just an amazing number of fish AT THE VERY LAST SECOND, just as I am lifting them from the water. It happens maybe 20 percent or more of the time. Today, I had my best day fishing EVER!!!! My previous best was four trout in about 2 hours.

 

Today, I brought in 13 fish!! Bass and crappie. But I lost NINE fish. EIGHT of them, AT THE VERY LAST SECOND!!!! I don't fully understand the science of it, but clearly a fish "weighs more" as it is leaving the water, causing problems.

 

I have ordered a dip net. I will NEVER lose another fish who is 3 inches from the bank again.

 

Thanks, guys.

Actually, I hate to break it to you. As long as you keep fishing, you will lose a fish 3 inches from the bank again, net or no net. But you'll have better odds with the net! And if a fish comes off close to the bank, at least you got the fun part out of it! 

[RHuff]

No silly questions man. Trust me I have asked my share as we all have. These are REALLY good people on this board always willing to help out a fellow fisherman. 

[sully420]

14 hours ago, RPreeb said:

Here's what you need to lip those toothy fish:

 

 

Stainless steel chain mail.  However, at $80 for one glove, a net is much better deal.  

I would rather not destroy all the teeth in a pikes mouth lipping them with a butchers glove.

[RPreeb]

Come on guys, it was a joke.  Cut me some slack.

[All about da bass]

18 hours ago, Scott F said:

If you catch a bass on a crankbait with 2 or 3 treble hooks, reaching in to lip them could result in one of those hooks sticking in your hand. Nets help get them in the boat without hooking yourself. If you ever catch a pike, pickeral, or a walleye, lipping them isn't a good idea. A net will help. If you use light lines and expensive baits, a net will get bigger fish in the boat without risking breaking a line or losing the bait and the fish. Hoisting big bass with your rod can damage your rods. Nets are often a good idea.

Exxxxxcaclty..

[Deleted account]

16 hours ago, RPreeb said:

Come on guys, it was a joke.  Cut me some slack.

Humor is not as easy as it looks, you have to be incisive (see what I did there) while walking a fine line. Watch this....

On April 16, 2018 at 7:57 PM, Sam said:

Not a stupid question. No such thing as a stupid question. 

Does anybody know where Scott Martin was on the day Stormy was threatened?

[Bassun]

On 4/16/2018 at 9:09 PM, Lord Castlereagh said:

I have ordered a dip net. I will NEVER lose another fish who is 3 inches from the bank again.

 

lol, unfortunately you will.  Netting fish is as much an art as it is science.  Just like all things fishing, it takes practice and a feel for when to make that jab for the fish...and doing it solo is sometimes harder than landing a fish without a net.

What's more, is when you have someone else landing for you, who has little experience netting fish.  I've seen some crazy attempts, and some crazy saves.  I've had fish knocked off by the netter, had fish spooked and broke off because of the net, and had fish come off and snagged mid air by the net.  So there is good and bad --- but, inevitably, if you have a partner netting there will be the opportunity to rib each other over netting failures which is always fun.  (Unless money is on the line... then it's a little more angst vs fun.)

On to a netting story:  I was bank catfishing one year with a couple buddies.  I brought my landing net to make things a little easier.  Didn't catch squat all night, but the next morning I got onto a nice carp.  He put up a fantastic fight and when it was time to land him, my buddy grabbed the net... and then proceeded to the bank.  All was fine and dandy... fish came in, then things went a little .... lets say wild.

He puts the net in the water, apparently for me to guide the fish into---which, only sparked another run.  Another run by both the fish and my buddy.  Fish turns an swims down the bank...he...well, he chases him.  So I have a 20ish pound carp running on relatively light line, buddy chasing him down the bank.  Other buddy squalling to get him, and I'm trying to fight the fish and am dying laughing.  I turn the fish, and he runs back up stream ---- buddy misses again, and continues chasing the fish.  He's literally running up and down the bank, at this point making feeble swipes at the fish... I am laughing my arse off and not fighting the fish, just trying to keep the line away from a flailing net and netter, and other buddy is now between me and the netter still squalling directions on netting the fish.  Finally after a few minutes of chase the carp finally gives in, and somehow ends up in the net.  Buddy comes out, soaked, complaining that it was harder to net than to just drag up on the bank.  And to beat it all... there was NO beer involved, lol.  That was some of the hardest laughing I've ever done fishing, and a site I will never forget.

But the story comes as a notice --- advise people how to net fish, don't just hand em a net and say go get em...
 

[sully420]

21 hours ago, RPreeb said:

Come on guys, it was a joke.  Cut me some slack.

Sorry i didn't mean to get on your case. My grandfather used to do that, he was a butcher, it drove me nuts.

[thinkingredneck]

Anyone who teaches knows that there ARE stupid questions.  This was not one.

[Choporoz]

@Lord Castlereagh, I know you already ordered a net, but consider also ordering a pair of Fish Grips.  As @Bassunsaid, netting can be harder than it looks.  I don't think I've netted any fish other than pike and walleye since I first got a pair.  Especially, if you fish alone - I find it much easier to apply the grips while the fish is at the surface than to net by myself.  I use the 'jr' size, but I had a gigantic snakehead shake free from the grip this weekend.  I may need to get a bigger Fish Grip.

[Further North]

On 4/16/2018 at 6:57 PM, Sam said:

Some tournaments, like the Bassmaster series, do not allow nets to be used to land the bass.

That's absurd, and irresponsible.

 

It is far easier on the fish than lipping it, or flopping it over the side of the boat with the rod and line...

 

 

[Further North]

On 4/23/2018 at 12:04 PM, thinkingredneck said:

Anyone who teaches knows that there ARE stupid questions.  This was not one.

I'd challenge that.

 

I teach a lot. 

 

I look at questions on things I've discussed as places where I've not done a great job of conveying information, or capturing my audience's attention...

 

...and no. I'm not "a teacher" in the conventional sense...

[Further North]

On 4/16/2018 at 11:15 PM, Scott F said:

The gloves are not good. The problem is if you aren't wearing it when you need it, it's not easy to put it on while you are holding a rod, and fighting a fish. 

...and they strip away the fish's slime layer...which can lead to all kinds of problems.

[thinkingredneck]

14 hours ago, Further North said:

I'd challenge that.

 

I teach a lot. 

 

I look at questions on things I've discussed as paces where I've not done a great job of conveying information, or capturing my audience's attention...

 

...and no. I'm not "a teacher" in the conventional sense...

I have been teaching kids who are a product of the MS public school system.