Even from the bank, netting a C&R fish in knee deep water, unhooking and sending it on it's way is way easier on the fish than taking more time to drag it onto the bank, letting it flop around and tailing it. Granted, when done well beaching them can go very smoothly and quickly, but how often do things go perfectly in that process?

In addition to being better for the fish, it is quicker and easier for the fisherman as well, which leads to more time fishing and less time chasing flopping fish around the bank.

And then there is the boat factor...

ever fish off of a high-bank or riprap?

I'll take a good landing net in competent hands over landing a fish on the bank any day, if you intend to release it...no beat up from the ground, and most importantly a much shorter fighting/landing time...green fish in the net = green fish splashing you on its way back to the depths.

I'd never actually carry one on the bank, but there's always one in the boat.

I had a Ranger that satisfied every factor that Doc listed...but after it got up and walked away from us on a river bar one day, I was never able to find one with the exact same bag...but I bought another Ranger, and I prefer to any other net that I routinely use for steelhead fishing.

I do not like the drag in the water of a rubber net, and I do not like the rough coating on the Frabill Conservation Series nets, but I'd still take both of them over most others...just not a big, soft, flat bottomed net with small mesh and straight sidewalls.

Fish on...

Todd

Pic of a big coho in a Promar knotless small mesh C&R bag. This is CanyonMan's net and is the perfect size for steelhead and salmon ranging from dinker to the mid-20's.

Love this bag!

Hey Doc,

What are the dimensions of that Promar net? I am looking into getting a net for my drift boat and need something all around for coho/steelhead/wa kings. And what is the handle system like?

I currently use a standard Beckman net for salmon/steelhead fishing (I beleive they call it the magnum coho/walleye BT2632). I like the bigger holes (2") and weighted bag to keep it down and not floating like some of the bags and less drag, especially the rubber ones or fine mesh. It does not have the biggest opening for the big fall kings but seemed to work ok as long as you know what your doing.

What size hoops and how deep of bags do most people run with for normal steelhead/coho/average king fishing?

I see some with huge openings, like Andrews net over his dog. (Btw, i used Ray's net like that this fall and it is a hook grabber! No likey, too much drag and a pain).

This thread has been very helpful as I am looking to buy a net currently for my boat, thanks all!

The depth of the bag should be tailored to the height of the sides of the boat as it floats on the water. The bag that keeps a salmon/steelhead suspended flat in the top 4-6 inches of water while hanging straight down from a horizontal hoop is the perfect depth.

If a thrashing fish can wrap itself in your net much like how you would twist-wrap veggies in a bag in the fresh produce section, then the bag is TOO DEEP to be a truly effective C&R net. You will be struggling to remove every fish that hits that net at the time of release. The handling time will be unnecessarily prolonged due to having to struggle with untwisting the bag and/or elevating a deeply sunken fish from the bottom of the bag to the water's surface for the de-hooking and release.

Just curious, GLU.... what brand of C&R bag unraveled on you?

dragging them through the sand and rocks is far far worse than using a net... keep your pliers on you, and you will never have to remove the fish from the water... even if you arent wearing waders... you may have to drag em to a low spot, but they will never leave the water... look at my avatar, thats as far as that fish went, hook removed and off it went....

It was actually not a C&R bag, it was a cheap Frabill I won in a derby. When it was time to purchase I had to go C&R for steelhead, and I ended up picking up a Gibbs after a LONG search and handling many nets at the store.

Sor far, very happy with my purchase. Only downside to having a net w/ such a small mesh size is dealing with a ton of drag when you put the net in the water in heavy current.

The fish lays naturally in the bag, and can't roll up.

Netting a fish that is going to be released helps prevent scales from being rubbed off and helps keep from bruising and injuring the fish by dragging it across the rocks. Released many Chinook and Coho the last 2 years in 2 feet of water, netted and released without them ever scraping the bottom.

That said, unless I am using spinners I normally cut the line as close to the hook/jig as possible instead of playing them out so I can get the hook or jig back.

With the possibility of selective Chinook fisheries on the Hump coming soon I hope to find a net that will work well. If I don't make one I have been trying to get hashed out. Gonna have to make a prototype and see what needs to be changed and if the concept even has any merit.

Did some "field" testing in the pool this weekend.

Magnum Promar C&R bag on my Frabill Powercatch frame easily swallowed either LMWS or L'il MIss Canyon.... both over 5 ft tall.

The comments about excessive drag with small mesh nets are a bit perplexing. A good net shot is strictly a push/pull maneuver. Anticipate the trajectory of the fish as it is being guided in by the rod man. Thrust the hoop in front of the direct path of the fish (push). Once the head enters the bag and the pec fin clears the hoop, direct the rod man to immediately drop the rod tip, thereby releasing all tension on the fish. It will immediately bolt for the bottom of the open bag.... at which point the net man draws back on the handle to seal the deal (pull). There is no "scooping" or chasing the fish with a submerged net.

Push.... DROP.... pull.

Just received a couple of 6 ft handles for the magnum hoops from Promar.

So now I've got one of their primo C&R bags mounted entirely on Promar hardware, and another mounted on Frabill hardware. The enthusiasm for these bags is very high... enough so that my office has become Promar Central, buying locally and mailing bags to interested parties. Compared to other name-brand nets out there, you won't believe the ridiculously low prices these bags are going for.

Here's one from a very satisfied customer mounted on Beckman hardware...



He even got to give it a test drive days later...

Mind you, these bags aren't for everyone. If you like barbs and/or trebles, stick with a rubber-treated hook-proof bag.

But if you prefer singles and barbless, you will LOVE these Promar bags. You won't find a more fin- or scale-friendly bag on the market.

Guess I'll have to retract this post from last year...



Peanut butter...

Chocolate....

Hey.... why not both?

PROMAR's C&R nets give you the ideal "laundry basket" configuration of Beckman's FinSaver Pen married to the durable soft fish-friendly small-mesh fabric of the Loki.

Just a heads up.

I see an ad in today's Daily World that Dennis Company in Aberdeen has this net on sale for a whopping $34.88... screamin' deal



Promar LN501B. This is the C&R net for steelhead and smaller salmon.... not the magnum bag. It easily accommodates fish into the 20-25# class.

I have a Loki that I really like -- ordered it direct (in a group) a while back. It is a bit snaggy on plugs w/ trebles though. Good for the fish it seems.

I wish I knew where to buy them (or Promars) in the Seattle area!

I didn’t see it mentioned in this thread, but Frabils locking mechanisms are destroyed in the salt. I bought two from teds. Mike at Teds Sporting goods advised me on which one would work well (new knotless soft bags work well btw) and it did but after a few trips on the sound the entire locking mechanism was completely wasted with corrosion. Yes I rinse everything every time but you can’t spray down the inside of the locking mechanism. I took it apart and doped it with silicone grease but the damage is done. Cheap aluminum crap made for lakes I guess. I went in and got a second net with a longer handle before I realized how bad the corrosion was on the first one. Mike wasn’t there and the helper helped me pick one that I gave away after two trips. longer handle was good for scooping in small coho behind the motor but the bag was stiff and almost useless in the water. like a piece of plywood. That guy who advised me had never landed a fish with this net. stay away from Frabil unless your freshwater only and stiff bags are a lost cause. The net will last up till the day you chuck it overboard. 2 cents.

Not in a moving river it's not. Ever seen a guy use a rubber net for the first time off the side of a boat while on anchor? It'll nearly take 'em right out of the boat if they're not holding on.

Fish on...

Todd