Baseball's New York Yankee legendary catcher and slugger Yogi Berra coined that phrase in 1973, during the National League pennant race. His team was a long way behind when he said it, but they eventually rallied to win the division title.
That phrase could be applicable to several different sports situations, including bass fishing. For example, consider an angler who is fighting a big fish, slowly working it to the boat, where his partner stands ready with the landing net in his/her hands. Not until that fish is safely in the net can the angler breathe a sigh of relief and be proud of the fact he/she just has earned some bragging rights. Anyone who's ever found himself/herself in this kind of situation undoubtedly has suffered one or two of those "aw s**t" moments...as the result of some less-than-stellar net handling. It happens to the best of anglers.
In digging around the Internet, I found a short primer for everyone on the basics of how to use a fishing net the right way. It (and the photos) come from Karl's Bait & Tackle website. Here's how to bag your partner's fish of a lifetime...and ensure you have a ride home at the end of the day:
Make sure the net is ready. There is nothing worse than you or your buddy hooking into a nice one, only to realize that the net is caught in a cluster of fishing line, rod tips, treble hooks, or a host of other things NOT supposed to be in a fishing net. Make sure to have your net ready. For tournament fishermen, it is common practice to have the net laying on or near the seats, so it is up and off the floor and ready for use. The whole idea of this fishing thing is that you're going to use it, right? Be conscious of where the net is at all times...and I would add, let your partner know if you move it to a new location.
Stay out of the way. If you're fishing with a partner, make sure to give him/her enough room to fight the fish. All too often, people get excited and want to get up on the front deck or near the angler that is hooked up to see the fish, only to get in the angler's way in some fashion and cause him/her to lose the fish. Wait until your partner says they are ready for the net before getting too excited and entering his/her personal bubble.
Don't rush the net. Probably one of the worst things a net person can do is try and rush the landing. Don't chase the fish around with the net. Let the rod and reel do the work until the fish isn't quite as energized and is ready to be landed. Rushing this process can cause the fish to take unnecessary runs toward deep water, causing a more drawn-out landing process and putting additional stress on the fish. It also gives the fish more opportunity to spit the hook.
Don't stab the fish. Don't stab at the fish with the net either. When net people get antsy, they tend to lunge forward, directly at the fish, with the net, instead of using a scooping motion undernearth the fish. This is a terrible practice. Not only could you injure the fish by accidentally hitting it with the net frame, but you potentially could knock the hook out of its mouth or cause the fish to run for deeper water.
Scoop it up. Use a scooping motion that goes down and below the fish and then bring the net upward toward the surface. If the fish runs for deep water, it will swim directly into the net. If it decides to jump, your net already is directly below the body, so you have a better shot at catching it in mid-air.
Be a sporting angler. Once the fish is in the net, make sure it doesn't spend all day in there, especially if you don't intend to harvest it. Get the fish out, take your pictures, and either put it in the livewell or turn it loose.
Too much time in the net can cause the fish to become overstressed and thus reduce the chances of a healthy existence after the fight. Furthermore, some nets can cause damage to the fish's slime coating, so be conscious of this when landing fish, as well as when buying your next net.
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