Time for a new net – need suggestions

After a couple of nice trips this year my father came up with the best complaint I’ve heard in my life, “We need a bigger net, with these big fish and this little net… it’s too much pressure on a guy”.

So for Christmas I’d like to give him the gift that keeps on giving. Need some suggestions though on what to get.

We fish mostly for walleyes and saugers (it was 25″ to 26″ walleyes plus a couple of pike that were giving him so much trouble). As in almost any boat space is a consideration.

So what do you recommend, please be specific with make and model.

Thanks

I’d look at Beckman nets. I have one that has worked great for several years now. I mainly fish walleye and I went with a 26″ hoop 32″ deep. It also has an extendable handle. It has netted plenty of 28″ and bigger eyes as well as several big flatheads over 50#s and several large pike and musky as well.

If you are limited on space in your boat, you might think about mounting a piece of pvc pipe wher you can stand the net up in it to keep it off the floor.

be careful of the fold away nets bought two and the only lasted for one year each. Although the had a lot of use they just didn’t last the plastic attachment would always break, great for room wise but I went to a new net this year a Beckman with the rubber net and very happy. The only thing that I don’t like is that its not that deep. Also depends on how nice you want to keep your boat the plastic handle ones are nice because they don’t scratch the inside as easy as the metal handle ones. Fleet farm has a good selection..

I know a lot of guys love their Beckmans but I have had a Stowmaster net for 5 years now and absolutely I love it, it collapses and folds up small enough to stow in a front compartment of my 620.

The rubber slip on grip cover on the end of the handle came off the first year, I could have glued it back on but instead I replaced that with a hockey tape grip like I use on my sticks because I knew that would NEVER come off.

The netting looks the same as it did the day I bought it after several years of tournament and pleasure use and it still folds up and unfolds like it did the first time I used it.

I have the walleye tournament edition, not sure on the exact model # of mine but looking at their web site it looks like the TS84S is a match to what I have.

I know for a fact that it fits 29″ walleyes with ease!! Don’t think I have dipped a 30″+ with it YET….maybe this year.
John

No matter which brand you choose, get one that has the rubber coating on the net. It sure saves a lot of time getting hooks out and getting fish back in the water and getting lines back down. I have a Frabill with the rubber coating and it has served me well.

Whats the saying ?? GET THE FRABILL GET THE FRABILL!!!Ok John

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Whats the saying ?? GET THE FRABILL GET THE FRABILL!!!Ok John

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Its my favorite thing to hear around 9 am on Saturday

Did somebody say SLOBO or Johnsonville?

We also have that same net and love it.

If you are still looking Beckman makes a great net, my personal experience this year was with the Frabill Conservation series. It has a collapsable handle, larger hood, non snagging net, for lures and or fish,

frabile conservation series has treated me very well.

I have the same extendable Beckman as Ben…he brings up a good point about room in the boat…but after losing a 30″+ Walleye some years ago because of a short, smaller net, I wouldn’t be w/o one…
I have them both…the 22″ Frabil is nice the 26″ Beckman is heavier built with a stronger yoke. The Beckman goes with to Pool-4 and out on Lake Michigan…The Frabil goes to inland lakes where big fish are rare.

I have a frabil composite net that is great when fishing by myself, because it weighs nothing. but for flathead fishing, or if using long snells, or anything where i might need a longer reach, i have this beckman, its been great!

Pen Net PT262443
http://beckmannet.com/acatalog/Pen_Nets.html

btw – picked it up at Evert’s, and he gave me a great price!

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frabile conservation series has treated me very well.

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At first I did not like this net. But after a season of use, I’ll give it a up. They are a little harder to pull through the water (current), but really are easy on the fish. No split tail fins, no gill snags and relatively resistent to hook snags.

The handle extends out on the one I have. (Tru-Track I believe its called)

-J.

Not sure if you ever get up to Everts…but I have a Stowmaster at Dean’s. It’s great to stow when not fishing.

Since it’s the walleye size net I use a Beckman for my normal fish netting duties.

What I don’t like about the Beckman is the lack of snap lock guides. When a customer hands me the net, they like to help out by extending it. More often than not I end up getting handed two pieces because the snap buttons weren’t lined up. Beckman is a strong net for sure!

I love the Frabill power yokes. I could be fighting a flathead or sturgeon and extend the net with one hand…and they have a channel to keep the handles straight. Unless they’ve changed something over the last couple years, they just aren’t as strong as the Beckmans.

There was a thread a few years ago talking about nets. Once of the things that came up about Frabill’s was the two screws that held the hoop to the yoke. The complaints were that they fell out.

While this thread was going on, I witnessed a hoop fall into the water while a friend was landing a fish. True story. While a was laughing at his misfortune I thought I better check my screws….and sure nuff, mine were being held into place by some black tape that i was using to hold a light on to the yoke. When I took off the tape to check them, they both stuck to the tape.

If you own a Frabill, check and locktite the screws.

If a company could come up with a cross between a Frabill (with a power yoke and handle guides) and an Beckman (for it’s strength), I would be all over that net.

In the mean time, I’m sticking with my Beckman and it’s coated bag, long if needed handle and warranty.

-From the What It’s Worth Dept of big fish fishing.

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What I don’t like about the Beckman is the lack of snap lock guides. When a customer hands me the net, they like to help out by extending it. More often than not I end up getting handed two pieces because the snap buttons weren’t lined up. Beckman is a strong net for sure!

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I also hear you about the snap locks. what i did to help out, was extended the handle all of the way, and then took a bright blue permanent marker, and marked a line all the way around the handle.

that way, if someone is pulling the handle out to extend it, and they see the line, they know just to twist the handle until it locks in.

even at night using a headlamp, it makes things much faster when extending the handle out. and prevents from pulling it out too far.

Good suggesting P…That’s the first thing Dean did for me when I got mine.

Unfortunately in the excitement of the moment either they forget what was said or they don’t see the line. Two pieces.

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Unfortunately in the excitement of the moment either they forget what was said or they don’t see the line. Two pieces.

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Typical amateur mistake…

since you’re the guide, i take it you are running the net most of the time…

You’ll start to get the hang of it eventually.

That is my point Aaron…no one should have to “get the hang” of using a net.

Especially with the price of them.

I’ve had this net for 4 years and have no complaints. I tournament bass fish and it gets banged around quite a bit. I love that in a few seconds I can store it in my rod box out of my way. Its called ZipNet, here is some pictures and a video of it. http://secure.smilebox.com/ecom/openTheBox?sendevent=4d5441334f5449314d773d3d0a&campaign=blog_playback_link