Landing your fish 101

[larry]

Haven't seen much posted about this topic so I thought it might be a good one to pass along some info on. Okay Zorro put the net down the fish just hit, slow the boat down to reduce added pull or pressure on the line but keep it tight, no slack, and rod tip up. This may seem counter productive because you are obviously going the right speed and just triggered a strike but you already accomplished what you set out to do and that is to get a fish on your line so now you have to do everything you can to increase the odds of getting it in the boat. Also, the sudden speed change will get you more doubles and triples than continuing at the same pace, it will also keep you closer the new waypoint you now have (Note the speed, temperature, direction, depth, lure, color, lead length, rabbits foot and anything else repeatable that might have contributed to catching this fish that you can repeat so you can repeat it after you land this one). Obviously the fight of different species will determine how quickly you get it to the boat and how much fight it will have left in him while you're trying to net it. With that in mind, if the fish seems pretty spunky or if it's swimming at the boat so you know it will be a problem when you get it near all the gear you have still in the water then try to let him tire out some more before you bring him any closer to danger zone behind your boat. If it's a big fish clear at least one corner and manuever the boat to keep him on that side while fighting him. If he does make a dive and get wrapped around your cables or other fishing lines -- loosen the drag immediately!!! - do not pull-- freespool with thumb pressure only but under no circumstances should you try to put any tension on the line when this happens. By loosening the pressure the line will just slide along your cables or on the other fishing lines and not snap off. The barb on the hook or weight of the lure will keep it hooked up in the fish until you can basket-weave your line and pole in and around the obstructions in the same path the fish swam through them.

Once this is accomplished (many years of practice needed but it will get the fish in the boat) use very light drag tension since you don't know how badly your line may be nicked and abraided rubbing across the cables and such. Get the fish on top of water, net head first since they rarely swim backwards very quickly and will more likely swim headlong into the depths of the net. Hope this helps put a few more dinners on the table and maybe a few less stories about the one's that break off and swim away with your tackle.

Now. check your line for frays, especially where the net touches it, re-tie anything you might suspect could be damaged and repeat the process exactly matching everything that worked the first time.

[LongLine]

Larry - Good pointers for the newbie & old-pro alike. I don't know anybody that hasn't lost a "beast" within a nets reach at least once.

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[larry]

Thanks Tom, I think the only thing funnier than watching people launch their boats is watching them net fish. Hope this helps alleviate some of the basic mistakes and humorous stories I hear all the time, and was a party to, and that's where this advice comes from, trial and error over 35 years on the lake. I know the empty feeling you get when you lose a fish especially when you've seen it and only to see it swim away because it got tangled in something and your first instinct is to try and horse the fish away from the danger only to hear that deafening snap as your line goes limp or you buddy nets the lure out of the fish or hits it in the tail etc etc. Many things can go wrong when trying to get a these fish into a net and just maybe this advice will help. Maybe there are a few stories to be told about how they got away here that can be posted. Each fish is a new challenge and how well you do is a learning experience, if you land it what did you do right and if you don't what went wrong and what can you do different next time to improve. Good Luck to all.

[LongLine]

There’s absolutely nothing like having your fishing partner try to net your trophy by swinging it like a tennis racket. :roll:

Couple tips I’d add to your article: Put your net deeper in the water than the level you think the fish is at. Water hinders depth perception – He’s deeper than you think. Actually, you want the fish to enter in the top half of the hoop. If he enters in the bottom half, you have a real good chance of having a hook catching in the netting. If he suddenly dives, you still have him. (Kind of funny how hooks always catch in a knot in the netting)

Secondly, if you have one of those nets with a bent hoop, net the fish so he enters the concave side of the hoop.

If he dives and he’s entered the convex side, you’ll probably only have ½ of him in the net. (plus a hook “hang upâ€

[kremer01]

I love it when people want to "tail net" a salmon, like putting a tailer on a shark. It NEVER works and have seen too many people hit the line and break it or pull the hooks out by hitting the line as the salmon swims AWAY from the net! When a fish is hooked in the mouth have you ever seen it swim backward?? Net it head first and make sure the first pass with the net is a good deep one and you'll get it most of the time. Or just do what jason and I do and let the fish have a fighting chance and land them by hand