How Good Are You With a Rod in One Hand and a Net in the Other?

Some of you probably are pretty good, but I'd venture to say that most anglers would prefer to have a net person in the boat to help him/her land a fish...especially if it happens to be a big 'un.

Elite Series pro Jeff Gustafson, the person in the photo at left, is one of those people.

"To be honest," he says, "I've probably lost more fish over the years...trying to muscle them that extra little bit towards a net."

I think it's safe to say there's no better way to ruin a day on the water than having the fish of a lifetime come unbuttoned and swim back to the depths just because someone tried to do two things at the same time. Even when you have a net person, there are no guarantees you're going to get a fish in the boat.

Let's say the net gets caught in a cluster of fishing line, rod tips, treble hooks, and/or a host of other things as you reach for it. What do you reckon the odds are for landing a fish of any size then? The whole idea of this fishing thing is that you're going to use a net off and on throughout the fishing day, so make sure the net is ready before you ever leave the dock. Most of the time, this means keeping it laying on or near the seats, so it's off the floor and ready to use.

Here are some more everyday tips to help ensure a safe netting job:

Stay out of the way. If you're fishing with a partner, make sure to give them 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 to see the fish, only to get in the angler's way and cause them to lose the fish. Wait until your partner tells you to get ready with the net.

Don't rush the net. One of the worst things a net man can do is try to hurriedly land a fish. Don't chase the fish around with the net. Instead, let the angler work the fish until it's ready to be landed. Rushing the process often can cause the fish to run toward deep water, which ends up lengthening the landing time. It also gives the fish more opportunity to spit the hook.

Don't stab at the fish. Instead of lunging at the fish with the net, use a scooping motion that goes down and below the fish, then bring the net upward toward the surface. If the fish runs for deep water, it will swim directly into the net, or if it decides to jump, your net already is beneath the body, giving you a better chance of catching it in mid-air.

Be a sporting angler. Once the fish is in the net, get it out as soon as possible, snap a photo if you want, then get it back in the water. Too much time in the net can stress a fish and reduce its chances of a healthy existence after the fight.

The accompanying photo and some of the text comes from an article in the latest issue of Jay Kumar's BassBlaster.