I've been watching a lot of BASS action lately, you never see any of the pro's use a net.  But looking through the FLW magazine, just about every photo of a pro landing a fish shows them using a net.

Does BASS prohibit the use of nets for landing fish?  It only makes sense to use a net when you're landing a fish that might mean $10000 or more to you.  Heck, look at Swindle during the American.  Had he been using a net, that one big fish might not have gotten away.

BASS rules does not allow netting the fish , in the FLW you can. Makes the

BASS tour more interesting I think.

That rule just doesn't make any sense to me.  

But what do I know, I'm just a poor dink fisherman.  

This was told to my by a old time bass fisherman who fished early on in the BASS tounaments cause i wondered the same thing. He told me that the rule change came when some of the fishermen decided to add broomhandles and such to there existing nets allowing them to net the fish 15 ft away from the boat so BASS said that took the fighting and landing part of tournament fishing out of the sport so they banned nets.

I usually do not use a net when fun fishing or tournament fishing.

However, the major exception ot this rule is if the bass is a big one then we always use the net just as a safety precaution.

So even if the pros do not use a net I suggest you use a net just to make sure the fish does not escape or if your line breaks.

I purchased one of those rubber nets so the hooks will not tangled in the netting and it works as advertised.

I wish I would give it a greater workout when I go out fishing!

IMO IT'S AN ODD RULE. I USE A NET 99% OF THE TIME. THE 1% HAPPENED MONDAY MORNING, I HAD A 3.5-4# SMALLIE ON MY NEW SHAD RAP WHEN I GOT IT NEXT TO THE BOAT I WENT TO LIP IT FOR SOME UNEXPLAINED REASON. WELL IT WAS STILL VERY FIESTY SO I DID THE UNTHINKABLE AND GRABBED THE LINE.......GUESS WHAT HAPPENED. I CUSSED MYSELF THE REST OF THE DAY FOR NOT USING THE NET THAT WAS 18" AWAY.

THEN I HAD TO GO TO GANDER MOUNTAIN TO REPLACE THE LURE.

I'LL BE USING THE NET 100% FROM NOW ON.

I can't recall ever catching a smallmouth that did not surge at the boat. Nets come in handy.

I have heard this debated, maybe on this forum, that the net can injure the fish.  But IMO there is no more harm from being in the net as opposed to flopping around on the carpet of the boat or banging off the console.  When I go tournament fishing the rule is "net 'em all and sort 'em out later".

This was told to my by a old time bass fisherman who fished early on in the BASS tounaments cause i wondered the same thing. He told me that the rule change came when some of the fishermen decided to add broomhandles and such to there existing nets allowing them to net the fish 15 ft away from the boat so BASS said that took the fighting and landing part of tournament fishing out of the sport so they banned nets.

That 's the most absurd thing I 've heard in a long time, completely moronic and ridiculous, I mean the concept behind the rule ( not your post ), man you don 't need to be no friggin rocket or nuclear scientist, if the competitors are adding lenght to the handle to catch the fish 15 ft away instead of ruling out the use of the net why didn 't rugulated the length of the handle.   :

What 's going to harm more the fish, netting them or throwing them inside the boat ?

netting big fish, that you might otherwise lose.... and snagging everything that gets with 40 ft of them ! I hate nets.... But I use them on every bass that I think might possibly go 10 plus lbs, as well as trophy size fish of other species.

I have to say, I have had a good handful of bass come unbuttoned at the last second, which then fell square into a waiting net..... and if this happens even once, then IMPO, it makes all the hassling with a net, well worth it.

Peace,

Fish

PS, "Little nets" crack me up..... I mean, who cares if you lose a little fish anyway. Better to have a net which is bigger than you might ever need, than to have a little net, when you finally needed a big one !

I had a huge smallie in our tournament on saturday that I got to the boat 4 times(easily could've been netted) before she spit the crankbait out of her mouth. My boater had no net. If I had landed that fish, I would have won 4th place and angler of the year in our club. As it stand now, I am in a Major fight for AOY when I could've had it won.........I will always have a net in my boat. Even if I dont use it, at least I have the option. Wish I had that same option on Saturday!!!  >

Difficult to imagine any downsides to using a net, tournament pro's aside.  I can usually lip a bass out of the net pretty quickly, often unhooking it at the same time.  Then it's picture time and back in the lake.  

I don't need no stinking net.  I usually lose my fish way before I get them to the boat. ;D

The reason I dont use a net is I grew up watching the B.A.S.S. pros. They use artificials I use artificials.  They don't use a net I don't use a net.  It may be silly but it's one of the few sports where I can emulate what the pros do.

I don't need no stinking net. I usually lose my fish way before I get them to the boat.

Now that 's what I call an intelligent solution to the net dilemma.  ;D

No net.    I think one on one is giving the fish its fair chance.  Taking the net out of the game means your gonna pay the price for horsing one in sometime or another.    So using heavier line and flipping them in is a staple amoung BASS pros, and you've seen plenty come in the boat on oneside and out the other.  Not too mention grabbing the lite lines by the line and breaking,    And the guy that forgot he was finessing instead of the heavy line that goes to flip one and breaks it before the fish even gets out of the water.

I also see the over weight guys, or out of shape guys as having trouble getting on their knees to lip fish.  

Makes for interesting tourneys, provides footage for years to come when looking back at what could have, should have, but wasn't.

No nets makes for a better tour.

Well Matt, I don 't agree with the no net-better tournament mentality; I really dislike when a competitor has a fish hooked and 20 ft from the boat he makes the fish fly into the boat, the fish lands ( hopefully inside ) in the boat and gets beat up by all the crap that 's inside the boat.

Raul, so do I.    I lip all my bass.  

My self, don't think nets are healthy, healthier than the past, but the slime coats still comes off.

What is healthier than lipping and releasing?   Nothing!

Matt.

Well Matt, I don 't agree with the no net-better tournament mentality; I really dislike when a competitor has a fish hooked and 20 ft from the boat he makes the fish fly into the boat, the fish lands ( hopefully inside ) in the boat and gets beat up by all the crap that 's inside the boat.

I can disagree and agree with you. When I was watching the Feburary clasics they showed Mike Ike pull the rod as hard as he could when it was 20 feet away but the fish was about as high as his height and the bass fell from that height into the boat head first spit the hook then went off the other side of the boat (Then he had a tamper )

Using nets wont stop Pro anglers doing that because flying fish is faster then netting and they want to be fishing for as long as possible.  

So tell me how will allowing nets stop that? Also nets flick off fishes scales and dry up the **** on the fishes body that they need for survival. By the time it looses some scales. All of its **** is gone gets handled by a fisherman with dry hands that fish is going to need alot of energy to recover and not to mention being in a small livewell does not help either. Also there were times when I were fishing and if you miss with the net that gives them more time to spit the hook. Lipping is safer and have a better chance of landed them i think (put better chance you get a hook in your hand)

I also agree with you that when you are fishing with a partner in a tourny your partner can scoop em up faster then you can lip them because you dont have to worry about getting the net. Just sometimes Its better to lip them and sometimes its better to net them.

my 2 pennys

(reads mat flys post right after i post this and notices that its called slime coat and not ****. my mistake  :-[)

People should also learn how to hold a lipped bass.

The great advantage of a big rubber net is for your fish: The fish never needs to leave the water. Neither fish nor lure get tangled in a rubber net. If you have a partner, he can either release it quickly or tend it while you get the camera and scale. The only time the fish leaves the water is for a quick weigh and photo opportunity. Rubber nets are fish friendly.

I think you answered the question when you observed that the flw guys all use nets.  Just think about how many fish you have lost at the boat.  A true bass sportsman will land the fish w/o use of a net.

Sam, I have one of those rubber nets and hooks still get tangled. I always have a net on board for those really big fish otherwise I just lift them on board. 8-)

I usually don't use a net, but if it looks like my new PB on the line, then I ain't takin' any chances of things coming unbuttoned at the boat, if and when I am in a boat. Most of my fishing is done by the bank, so the majority of the time I just lip them.

i never used to use a net and i also used to loose alot of fish. the i started useing a net and my numbers in the boat went way up. plus my little boat is so tiny and unstable leaning over to lip em u might tip over lol. the other day i decided to try and lip a 3# bass instead of grabbing the net 12" away and i lost it ill be useing my net from now on

I think you answered the question when you observed that the flw guys all use nets. Just think about how many fish you have lost at the boat. A true bass sportsman will land the fish w/o use of a net.

Oh come on Avid! I highly disagree with that statement about a true bass sportsman. Gimme a break dude. That's IMO totally ridiculous. I consider myself to be a true bass sportsman and I always use a net unless, on very rare occasions, I forget to bring it. I've lipped many many big bass through the years, but the net just saves some wear and tear on my hands which are really important in my line of work. I'm not fishing for money, glory, or fame, but for the sheer joy of boating good bass.