landing nets??

[jeguy6]

Just wondering if anyone has any recommendations on landing nets for bass fishing. I'm looking for something thats stowable. The stowmaster net looks pretty impressive. Any one using these? Open for any suggestions.

[justfishin]

I never use them unless I am fishing a tournament and then very rarely. I thought about getting one though. I like those clear rubber ones.

                                      www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=74345&hvarDept=100&hvarEvent=&hvarClassCode...

[roadwarrior]

I highly recommend rubber nets.

[Bud]

The  stowmaster make good nets.   Easy to use and easy to stow.   Just be sure it is the rubber one.

[Al Wolbach]

Although I have never tried them personally I have heard that the rubber nets require a stabbing motion to capture fish. They have so much water resistance that you can't use a sweeping motion on your fish. If this is true I would be afraid of them. I try to land my fish while they are still fresh, espesially in tournaments, and I feel I need a net you can move around in the water as fish don't always go where planned to net. Any comments?

[roadwarrior]

Not true. A rubber net performs flawlessly. However, I think nets should be used to "contain" the fish at the boat, not to "capture" a fish with a sweeping motion. Both a stabbing motion and a sweeping motion are recipes for disaster. Fish should be guided into the net to avoid getting knocked off.

[Al Wolbach]

I agree RW, in most cases. When fishing night tournaments leading a fish to the net doesn't always go as planned due to limited sight and especially if pulling almost straight up from deep water. When pitching/flipping you sometimes just don't have room to guide a fish and larger fish don't guide well anyway unless they are exhausted or at least pretty tired. All I'm trying to say is you sometimes need the flexiability to change courses and if the rubber nets are harder to move while in the water some flexiability is lost. Several tournament anglers have told me to avoid the rubber nets for this reason. However I have never tried them so I can't offer a good opinion, I was just repeating what I have been told............................Al

[roadwarrior]

I don't want to argue with your friends, what they are saying appeals to my sense of logic, but I haven't found this to be an issue with the rubber net. An important point and my strongest reason for suggesting rubber nets is, in fact, fishing at night! Hooks don't tangle in a rubber net which is a HUGE issue for me when fishing treble hook lures, especially in the dark.

[Al Wolbach]

Good point,RW. That alone would be reason enough for serious consideration..........Al

[squid]

Also, when you use the rubber net, the fish will most of the time lay flat in the net and not flap around so much.  This help them from gettin cut in the net.  I love rubber nets.  Have used one for 4 seasons now and just bought a new colapsible one....yeah for me....lol

Squid

[squid]

Oh, forgot to add.  YOU SHOULD NEVER MOVE YOUR NET TOWARDS THE FISH.  Be patient and guide the fish to the net.  Pull it out of the water until the fish is ready to come in.  You will never lose a fish this way.

[jeguy6]

Thanks for all responses and such great advice.  Hopefully I'll get plenty of practice soon, although bass fishing has been pretty slow down here, for just about everyone I've talked to..