FLW + Coangler netting = LAME

[arul]

So I was watching the broadcast of the Forrest Wood Cup on FSN this weekend, (my first time to see a FLW event on TV), and I was shocked and apalled to see NETTING being done by the Coangler for the pro...  What the...!!???

Come on, that takes half the sport out of it, and I think it is total BS.  If you can't land a fish by yourself, it aint your fish to land!  Catching a fish is only 1/3 of the challenge.  You also have to have the skill to find the fish, and land a fish, and by allowing netting by coanglers you are taking the skill out of landing a fish away.

This is not fishing, in my opinion.  One of the first clips it showed was this guy hooking up, and the fish gets wrapped around a submerged bush about 4 ft deep.  The pro gets the net, and tries to scoop it from the deep, but then tells his Coangler, "Here, you get the net it is too heavy for me..."  So the Coangler grabs the net and gets down on his belly to bring the fish up from 4 ft deep.  Then catch after catch, I see the same shenanigans.  Call me old school, but this looked like complete "Little League" kind of stuff.

It was darn near unwatchable watching these guys fish for the largest tourney payout, where they aren't landing their OWN fish, without a net.  I'm sorry, I just can't respect a catch made where you have someone else land it.  

You can be darn sure that when I hook into a trophy bass, I am the ONLY one landing it.  If it comes off, then you know what? The fish won that time.  I am not going to cheat myself on a trophy catch by having my partner net it.

And these guys are professional fisherman...come on, grow a pair and LAND YOUR OWN FISH!  Why don't you just have the camera man help you out as well.

Professional tournaments should be "No nets, no assisted landing".

What gives???  Am I off base here?

[Daniel My Brother]

You make a very entertaining point, but for me the most exciting 3 words in the English language are "Get the net!"

[senko_77]

Your dead on man.  I'm not completely against it, but I think it would be a good idea if they started doing it like the Elite series with no nets.  

Your spot on about it taking some of the skill from it.  Alot of fish are lost right at the boat.  Nets aren't all that good.  Tin has a good story about "Net jobs gone horribly wrong"   ;D

[arul]

You make a very entertaining point, but for me the most exciting 3 words in the English language are "Get the net!"

But equally exciting, in a different way is, "F'er came off!"  ;D

[Tin]

Your dead on man. I'm not completely against it, but I think it would be a good idea if they started doing it like the Elite series with no nets.

Your spot on about it taking some of the skill from it. Alot of fish are lost right at the boat. Nets aren't all that good. Tin has a good story about "Net jobs gone horribly wrong" ;D

Shallow rubber nets and big smallies are a bad combo.....facepalm

[roadwarrior]

You also have to have the skill to find the fish, and land a fish, and by allowing netting by coanglers you are taking the skill out of landing a fish away...Am I off base here?

So, how much "skill" is involved flipping a fish onto the floor of your boat?

:

[jrhennecke]

You also have to have the skill to find the fish, and land a fish, and by allowing netting by coanglers you are taking the skill out of landing a fish away...Am I off base here?

So, how much "skill" is involved flipping a fish onto the floor of your boat?

:

Exactly.  I think most of the skill is finding the fish and hooking him.  Besides at least the FLW still allows Coanglers on the boat.

[arul]

You also have to have the skill to find the fish, and land a fish, and by allowing netting by coanglers you are taking the skill out of landing a fish away...Am I off base here?

So, how much "skill" is involved flipping a fish onto the floor of your boat?

:

Yeah, but at least you're flipping it in yourself, and are risking popping it off.  I just tried watching more of the Cup coverage at lunch, and every catch, the coangler was doing the landing.  It just doesn't seem right.... :'(  I want to see my Pros land the fish themselves  :'(

[Pigsticker]

Hmmmmmmmm I am do not use nets I mainly throw plastics on EWG hooks with braid and I rarely lose fish after I get hook in them But I am starting to realize they are a good tool to have

Butch Brown, an insane trophy hunter landed a 19.3 pound bass on video and the BIGGEST reason he got that fish was because of his SKILL with a net

IMO there is more skill in netting a bass than fliping them up, next time try to net your own bass :

[Matt Fly]

I am for an angler landing his own fish. Whether he uses a net or his hands, or flips it, I'd rather see each individual angler handle his own fish.

If I'm in a tournament with a partner who wants the net used. I'll use it. Other than that, I lip all my bass, cranks and all.

Never known any other way.       Me against the fish, one on one.

[sambrochill]

You make a very entertaining point, but for me the most exciting 3 words in the English language are "Get the net!"

i agree with ya man, i dont know how many time I've said that to my friend and everyone scrambles and looks for the net and such and its just a gold ole time

but arul you do bring up some good points

[Olebiker]

I'm with you, Arul.  If God didn't want us to lip bass He would have given them big ol' teeth like muskies.  ;D

I fished a club tournament a couple of weeks ago with a guy who wanted to use a net.  That thing was a pain in the butt and constantly getting in the way.

[arul]

Thanks for the additional thoughts.  I guess after thinking about it some, it is not the "net" that I have problems with, so much as the Co-Angler doing the netting/landing of the pros fish.

FLW should change the rule to simply be:  "Each contestant must land their own fish with no assistance from the fishing partner.  All netting and "fish-on rold holding" activity must be done by the person who caught the fish."

If they make this change, THEN I will give watching the FLW Coverage a chance.   ;)  

[Sam]

Yes...."get the net."

Beautiful words.

In fact, I have been known to shout those exact words out in tournaments just for the fun of it when no one around me are catching fish.

It relieves the pressure and makes us all smile and laugh and also some off-color and inapproatie comments which are funny.

[5bass]

Once a huge bass throws your crankbait right at the boat with 15 minutes left to fish you'll change your mind about nets.

[bassman1975]

YEP HAVING SOMEONE ELSE LAND YOUR FISH IS DUMB.  YOU DON'T SEE A MLB PLAYER HIT A BALL AND HAVE SOMEONE ELSE RUN TO FIRST.  FLW NEEDS TO CHANGE THAT RULE.

[Catt]

Once a huge bass throws your crankbait right at the boat with 15 minutes left to fish you'll change your mind about nets.

Exactly  

I've seen lost bass caught because of the skills of the netter but to have your bass ricocheting off the console is so macho. To me it depends on how the bass is hooked, solid hookup no problem, barely hooked net.

[Jim Grouch]

Im all about not using a net when fishing for fun...but if I were fishing in the Forrest Wood Cup for $500,000 and lost a fish because my partner had too much "pride"...I would probably probably throw him overboard.

[JF1]

I'm all for using the net as long as the angler is the one using it.  

And the comment "how much skill is needed to swing a fish into the boat." obviously has never tried to swing a big fish.

[roadwarrior]

And the comment "how much skill is needed to swing a fish into the boat." obviously has never tried to swing a big fish.

The point is that banging a fish on the floor of the boat is despicable!

Flipping a fish into the boat is quite common on a number of fishing

shows as well as tournament clips. Buy a rubber net and use it...

p.s. If you use a rubber net, nearly every fish you catch and do not

intend to keep can be unhooked and released without leaving the water.

8-)

[Catt]

Y'all trying to swing a big bass in the boat y'all crazy anyway; why y'all think God created thumbs?  Go look in the general fishing section under Record Breakers and tell me how many Paul Elias flipped in the boat on the way to catching 132 pounds, 8 ounces.

[arul]

And the comment "how much skill is needed to swing a fish into the boat." obviously has never tried to swing a big fish.

The point is that banging a fish on the floor of the boat is despicable!

Flipping a fish into the boat is quite common on a number of fishing

shows as well as tournament clips. Buy a rubber net and use it...

p.s. If you use a rubber net, nearly every fish you catch and do not

intend to keep can be unhooked and released without leaving the water.

8-)

I agree that nets are fine.  However, in a tournament situation, you should have to land or net the fish yourself.  That is my main beef when watching the FLW.

[platinumjason]

I wouldn't dare go out for a tournament like that without a net. I would agree with the angler having to land his own fish but as for no net, not a smart idea.

[Pitchinkid]

If i was fishing for a living, and my family counted on me to do well and provide for them, i would use anything that the rules aloud. Maybe it does take a little fun out of it, but 100,000 dollars says screw fun.

[Grey Wolf]

So I was watching the broadcast of the Forrest Wood Cup on FSN this weekend, (my first time to see a FLW event on TV), and I was shocked and apalled to see NETTING being done by the Coangler for the pro... What the...!!???

Come on, that takes half the sport out of it, and I think it is total BS. If you can't land a fish by yourself, it aint your fish to land! Catching a fish is only 1/3 of the challenge. You also have to have the skill to find the fish, and land a fish, and by allowing netting by coanglers you are taking the skill out of landing a fish away.

This is not fishing, in my opinion. One of the first clips it showed was this guy hooking up, and the fish gets wrapped around a submerged bush about 4 ft deep. The pro gets the net, and tries to scoop it from the deep, but then tells his Coangler, "Here, you get the net it is too heavy for me..." So the Coangler grabs the net and gets down on his belly to bring the fish up from 4 ft deep. Then catch after catch, I see the same shenanigans. Call me old school, but this looked like complete "Little League" kind of stuff.

It was darn near unwatchable watching these guys fish for the largest tourney payout, where they aren't landing their OWN fish, without a net. I'm sorry, I just can't respect a catch made where you have someone else land it.

You can be darn sure that when I hook into a trophy bass, I am the ONLY one landing it. If it comes off, then you know what? The fish won that time. I am not going to cheat myself on a trophy catch by having my partner net it.

And these guys are professional fisherman...come on, grow a pair and LAND YOUR OWN FISH! Why don't you just have the camera man help you out as well.

Professional tournaments should be "No nets, no assisted landing".

What gives??? Am I off base here?

I'm not a tournament fisherman and I don't watch them anymore so that being said . If it upset you that much then I  have a simple solution. DON'T WATCH THEM ANY MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!