OK guys, I never thought I'd be asking this question, but the arthritis is getting annoying sometimes now. I've always been a proponent of NOT using a net. I much prefer hand landing (by jaw only) and touching the fish as little as possible. But this fall got me to thinking; not so easy for me to kneel or bend way over the side anymore. Maybe it's time for me to look into a net?

I've seen some flat bottom models that have a "knotless" mesh. Suppose to be very fish-friendly, if there is such a thing. Does anyone use one of these? And if so, which brand. Do you feel comfortable using it, in light of wanting to do as little harm as possible?

Thanks for your input folks.

As another older guy yes I use a net especially with mutiple treble lures. I have a beckman with the knotless bag very fish friendly. Lifetime warranties on the yoke.

Sometimes a net is better - less fatigue on you, and less fatigue to the fish, since you can usually net them long before you can lip them.  Rubber landing nets work great.  My friend Noel showed me a trick where he leaves the wet rubber net on the deck.  Gives him a slick working surface for removing the hooks on fish he didn't need to net.

Here ya go:

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1128002349

 

8-)

$25 at Walmart.

Landed everything from this

to this

to this

I'm short and fat with short arms.  I don't lean out over the boat to lip fish.. For me it is just a bad idea.  I carry two tools to help me deal with fish that are too big to swing into the boat.

  Tool #1 is a hibernet.  Several years ago, I was driving to a BFL wild card regional at Kentucky Lake, saw one at a fishing tackle store and bought it.  It works great, stores the net out of the way and deploys in a few moments.

Sometimes, fishing by yourself, you don't have a few moments to deploy the hibernet.  Then you go to tool #2 - A Berkley lip grip.  I just looked in Bass Pro catalog and I couldn't find the one I've got, maybe it is discontinued.  Anyway, mind is 2' long, without a digital scale.  Play out the fish,get it close to the boat and once that lip grip is locked on that fish isn't going anywhere.

So that's how I avoid leaning out over the boat to lip a fish.

I am also being challenged by the age bug. I use a rubber net which is easy on the fish and doesn't tangle the hooks. I have had small northerns and pickerel get their nose in a net mesh and go through so I don't use it on the toothly guys. Mine probably came from BPS but I'm sure the replacement rubber bag did. Mine has a round handle going throuh a round hole at the net end and after stepping on the handle and having it roll and near pitch me over board I keep the handle extended and the locking pin in place so the handle can't roll.