NETS

been thinkin about buying a big net for cats, any recommendations? are the premium muskie nets worth it?

Frabill Big Kahuna Power Catch. I don’t think they are as expensive as the price they have listed, pretty sure they are closer to $100, at least that is what i paid.

FRABILL BIG KAHUNA POWER CATCH

I’ve got a big Beckmann musky net. Can’t remember which model, but it sure gets the from me!

I have the Frabill mentioned above. To be honest, I’m not real happy with it.

Last summer there was a thread going about the screws in the yoke falling out. Just a few days later, I watched a friends Frabill fall into the river (well half of it) because his screws came out. As I was laughing at him…I thought HEY! I better check mine. Sure enough, if it wasn’t for the black tape that hold my flashlight on…they would have been gone too.

The other piece is I lifted a 58+ lb flat out of the river…the way a person should lift a fish, by lifting straight up holding on to the yoke (not the handle). The net has never been the same. It still works, but it’s just not right.

If I’m a good boy for just two more weeks…maybe Santa will bring me a Beckman.

Btw Beckman’s pictures of their nets suck on their website.

i saw some frabil ski nets at fleet farm for 50 bucks and ive been wondering if theyd hold up to hoisting flatties into the boat, and it doesnt sound like they would. oh well

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i saw some frabil ski nets at fleet farm for 50 bucks and ive been wondering if theyd hold up to hoisting flatties into the boat, and it doesnt sound like they would. oh well

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If I can grab the Flat by the mouth I will do that everytime to avoid using a net. Grab that lower jaw like a suitcase handle and lift them up and into the boat. Unfortunately I normally fish off a pontoon and I am pretty high in the air so I am forced to use a net. Most nets cannot handle a big flat if you try hoisting them into the boat using the net handle. There is a lot of weight and torque against that light net handle or net frame and the pipe frame will buckle. I always scoop the fish and then lift the net handle butt end straight up so the fish is drapped into the net. Then I grab the net itself and lift the fish into the boat using the net. You won’t have any problems with your net breaking if you use this approach. The last couple of years I’ve been using a cheap net I bought at Sportsman’s Warehouse for about $30. I bought it because it had a big opening and the handle extends. I think it is a Ranger “something or other” net. I’m careful not to lift with the handle and it is still in good shape after handling some big fish.
Another thing that helps control a fish especially a big ornery flat is to drap a wet towel or wet rag over their head covering their eyes. This seems to calm them down sometimes unless they really have a case of the a$$. You don’t want to have anything fragile laying on the deck near one you just brought into the boat. When that tail gets whipping it can be hard on cameras or lights.

yeah i dont mind lipping fish but i dont like leaning out over the water. and getting the bigger sturgeon in the boat was a 2 man operation. i definitely missed having a net. plus itd be easier on the fish and easier to weigh. i didnt feel right hanging anything over ten pounds on the scale.

I always get soaked without a net for sturgeon…large sturgeon that is.

I stopped lipping flats after a near miss with a rusted hook. I always look in the mouth to see where my hook is and I just didn’t see the rusted walleye size hook.

Personally I think it’s better for a large fish to be netted and weighed in the net than to be held by it’s lip with all it’s weight on it’s jaw hinge and/or spine.

But that’s just me. Other persons experiences and opinions may vary.

The Frabil net works good with a couple of disclaimers

Always check the yoke screws and never lever in a fish bigger than 30lbs.

I know what happens in both cases

oopppssyy!

After reading this thread I have the Frabrill Power Catch, which has landed up to 50# flat. It has been a great net for me. Just checked my srews and they were still tight after 5 years. But I did pull them and put some locktight on them to prevent future problems. Thanks for the heads up guys.