Net Management on the Beaches?

[Merle]

I've got a question for the beach fishing gurus. I see a lot of you are using landing nets and am wondering how you guys typically rig them to carry with you when beach fishing. I'm guessing a magnetic release clipped to the back of the wading jacket, but with the bigger nets needed for salmon, are you hanging them "hoop up" or "handle up"? Tether or no tether?

I have a fishpond Nomad mid-length net with the ghost rubber basket that I'd like to start bringing out with me now that the pinks are waning and I'll be targeting cohos. I don't feel to bad beaching and releasing a pink, but if releasing a wild coho I'd feel better using a rubber net.

I got a Fishpond confluence magnetic release yesterday and think I have it rigged right. But I had to fab an extender for the "coily" tether to reach the end of the handle. I'm hoping it won't end up being a clusterf*k trying to wear it and cast.

Any tips on what works, I'd appreciate. thanks, andy

 

[Stonedfish]

No real right or wrong way.
I just stuff the net handle under my wading and stripping basket belt, so it is behind me and out of the way.
Simply reach around and pull it out when getting ready to net a fish.
I don't like a net above my head or swinging around on a magnetic lanyard while fishing. Just a personal preference.
SF

 

[cchinook45]

I've got a question for the beach fishing gurus. I see a lot of you are using landing nets and am wondering how you guys typically rig them to carry with you when beach fishing. I'm guessing a magnetic release clipped to the back of the wading jacket, but with the bigger nets needed for salmon, are you hanging them "hoop up" or "handle up"? Tether or no tether?

I have a fishpond Nomad mid-length net with the ghost rubber basket that I'd like to start bringing out with me now that the pinks are waning and I'll be targeting cohos. I don't feel to bad beaching and releasing a pink, but if releasing a wild coho I'd feel better using a rubber net.

I got a Fishpond confluence magnetic release yesterday and think I have it rigged right. But I had to fab an extender for the "coily" tether to reach the end of the handle. I'm hoping it won't end up being a clusterf*k trying to wear it and cast.

Any tips on what works, I'd appreciate. thanks, andy

I have never used a net on the Columbia while pluncking , seen plenty of fish lost because of nets.

 

[Stonedfish]

I have never used a net on the Columbia while pluncking , seen plenty of fish lost because of nets.

The OP is asking about Puget Sound beach fishing specifically. There is some pretty atrocious fish handling that goes on with unclipped beach coho that need to be released in certain marine areas.
Dragging them 20' up the beach to apply a good sanding or barnacle scrub followed by the foot kick back down the beach into the water is a patented Puget Sound summer move. Darn coho shouldn't have those pesky scales on them anyway.......
SF

 

[_WW_]

I have never used a net on the Columbia while pluncking , seen plenty of fish lost because of nets.

Ha! And I have seen plenty of lost nets. In fact half of what I own were "gifts"

 

[NRC]

The OP is asking about Puget Sound beach fishing specifically. There is some pretty atrocious fish handling that goes on with unclipped beach coho that need to be released in certain marine areas.
Dragging them 20' up the beach to apply a good sanding or barnacle scrub followed by the foot kick back down the beach into the water is a patented Puget Sound summer move. Darn coho shouldn't have those pesky scales on them anyway.......
SF

I will never understand this behavior. It seems truly psycho/sociopathic to me.

The guys dragging shakers 20 ft up the beach are especially mindblowing. I’m actually less offended when they end up keeping those tiny fish than when they boot them back. Although they seem reluctant to count that 10 incher toward their limit if they catch a decent fish after. Ugh!

 

[SKYKO]

I've been using a nomad every session as I only keep the occasional fish and dont mind if one pops off after ive got the best of them. The model I'm using is approx 34" overall with maybe a 20" hoop on the long axis, at first I was using a magnetic release on lanyard attached to top of hoop with handle stuffed thru belt at small of back. I quickly stopped doing that, bailed on the lanyard and now just roll like SF describes with net handle thru wading belt, hoop up flat against my back.

Works great.

 

[Merle]

Thanks for the input. After trying both methods and walking around the house, netting imaginary fish, I’m going to try just stowing it through the stripping basket belt. Simpler seems better in this case.

The Take basket I got has a nice stretchy belt that holds the net better than I thought it might.

Thanks again, Andy

 

[Stonedfish]

Andy,
Several companies make accessories like this for carrying nets as well.
This is Fishpond‘s offerings. Just another option to consider.
SF

Net Holster - Fly Fishing

Built to keep your net secure and out of the way The last thing you want to worry about when playing a fish is whether your landing gear is within reach. Built to keep your net secure and out of the way, our Net Holster locks your net in place on your hip, backpack or boat frame until you’re...

fishpondusa.com

South Fork Wading Belt

The most important piece you gear you carry The truth is that your wading belt may just be the most important piece of gear you carry. If you’ve ever gone for an unexpected swim, you know that it can be the difference between a mild inconvenience and a legitimate emergency. While the...

fishpondusa.com

 

[Divad]

I really like these, I slip one with a ring through the loop on my waders and carabiner the other to the top of my net hoop. Very strong magnets, makes it easy to pull off and reattach the net, plus the net doesn’t move around like all the other leashes.

 

[Ernie]

The OP is asking about Puget Sound beach fishing specifically. There is some pretty atrocious fish handling that goes on with unclipped beach coho that need to be released in certain marine areas.
Dragging them 20' up the beach to apply a good sanding or barnacle scrub followed by the foot kick back down the beach into the water is a patented Puget Sound summer move. Darn coho shouldn't have those pesky scales on them anyway.......
SF

I hate seeing this type of fish handling, the foot kick is just being lazy and disrespectful.

 

[speedbird]

I will never understand this behavior. It seems truly psycho/sociopathic to me.

The guys dragging shakers 20 ft up the beach are especially mindblowing. I’m actually less offended when they end up keeping those tiny fish than when they boot them back. Although they seem reluctant to count that 10 incher toward their limit if they catch a decent fish after. Ugh!

Some asshole who makes Youtube videos beach fishing has multiple shots dragging gorgeous wild coho up the beach and then literally kicking them like a football back into the water. That actually bothered me more than the one short I saw from the Green where an inbred grabs a chum right by the gills, kisses it on the mouth, then literally flings the obviously dead fish as hard as he can back into the river where it floats away, because while beach abuse of fish happens all the time, that latter scenario probably only ever happened once

 

[IHFISH]

Several companies make accessories like this for carrying nets as well.
This is Fishpond‘s offerings. Just another option to consider.

Andy/Merle, I think you're on the right track. I use the same net as you for beach fishing and carry it in the same type of "holster" that SF posted, though it is built into the back of a small fishpond chest pack as opposed to an attachment. It works pretty well for coho, but occasionally the longer net handle makes it bit unwieldy to get the net out while dealing with a hotter fish. I think the ideal setup would be a small chest pack and a shorter handled but wide hoop next tucked into a wading belt and/or stripping basket belt.

 

[Ernie]

Andy/Merle, I think you're on the right track. I use the same net as you for beach fishing and carry it in the same type of "holster" that SF posted, though it is built into the back of a small fishpond chest pack as opposed to an attachment. It works pretty well for coho, but occasionally the longer net handle makes it bit unwieldy to get the net out while dealing with a hotter fish. I think the ideal setup would be a small chest pack and a shorter handled but wide hoop next tucked into a wading belt and/or stripping basket belt.

I am looking for s beach net, so what kind and brand fo you use?

 

[Vandelay Industries]

I use a Fishpond El Hefe net for the Sound. I like the long handle for scooping up fish easily and the big bag is nice if I encounter some larger fish.

 

[jasmillo]

When I use them, I stuff it in my wading belt like @Stonedfish or between my back backpack (preferred method). I’m not always using my back though and have lost a net (recovered and returned by a manner here) stuffing it in my belt. I don’t always use one when salmon fishing but should. I do try to give slack and have the fish self release in shallow water if there are no plans to keep it. At most partially beach as gently as possible for a quick release.

I saw a guy nearly fling a sculpin 130 feet up on the beach he was so annoyed it ate his herring the other day. I got his name and address @Irafly if you want to have a “talk” with him…

 

[IHFISH]

what kind and brand fo you use

Fishpond nomad mid-length. The emerger length is tempting from easy to deploy standpoint, but the long handle does come in handy from time to time.

 

[Stonedfish]

When I use them, I stuff it in my wading belt like @Stonedfish or between my back backpack (preferred method). I’m not always using my back though and have lost a net (recovered and returned by a manner here) stuffing it in my belt. I don’t always use one when salmon fishing but should. I do try to give slack and have the fish self release in shallow water if there are no plans to keep it. At most partially beach as gently as possible for a quick release.

I saw a guy nearly fling a sculpin 130 feet up on the beach he was so annoyed it ate his herring the other day. I got his name and address @Irafly if you want to have a “talk” with him…

I lost one of my cutthroat nets on Hood Canal quite a few years ago while using a magnetic lanyard. Amazingly, my buddy found it floating in the canal not far from where I lost it several weeks earlier. Must have just moved back and forth with the tides for several weeks.
I lost it again after taking on some heavy freighter waves and it is now in either MA 9, 10 or 7…..
That was the end of using the magnetic lanyards in the salt! No three lives for that net.
SF

 

[Irafly]

When I use them, I stuff it in my wading belt like @Stonedfish or between my back backpack (preferred method). I’m not always using my back though and have lost a net (recovered and returned by a manner here) stuffing it in my belt. I don’t always use one when salmon fishing but should. I do try to give slack and have the fish self release in shallow water if there are no plans to keep it. At most partially beach as gently as possible for a quick release.

I saw a guy nearly fling a sculpin 130 feet up on the beach he was so annoyed it ate his herring the other day. I got his name and address @Irafly if you want to have a “talk” with him…

Effing send that shit over, the freaking nerve!