I was reading robs article on the handling of trophy fish and liked his take on using the Promar Grande Halibut Catch and release net. I've been using your standard tear drop 20x23 nylon with rubber coating net. I fish by myself out of a 12ft aluminum and have limited space. I take great care not to handle the fish and release them quickly. The only problem I have is it takes a bit of time to get the livewell going so I often leave the fish over the side in the net while the well is getting going. So I went out and picked up one the Promar Grande nets and cut the handle down to fit better in my boat. The first day out with it and I got a 6.7 and landed it with the only problem being the hooks all tangled in the fine mesh. A couple hours later I have a solid 10 pound fish eat me right at the boat and I hooked it. Well the fish it super hot and as I reach for the fish it gets it head under the net and the other trap hook gets snagged outside the net and I am sure you all know the rest of this story. Most of this is my fault as I should've let the fish pull some drag out and try to get it in a more doscile state. I know this is part of fishing and I've been very lucky that this is the first fish over 10 that I've lost at the net. Just wondering if you guys have had this problem and any solutions you might know of. Thanks.

I've been using the same promar halibut net for many years now. There are probably countless fish that would have been lost with any smaller of a net, both because of the size of the hoop but also because of the long handle. I typically net the fish when they're still 5+ feet from the side of the boat, which may prevent the problem you're describing.

The situation your describing where a fish got a hook snagged in the outside of the net happened to me once when I was netting a 7lber Rob caught. He hooked the fish really close to the boat and it wasn't ready to go in. I think we still landed the fish, if I recall correctly. No other issues in hundreds of other net jobs. I do get hooks snagged in the netting occasionally, but it's a small price to pay.

Thanks Nico, I know you guys have a lot of experience with these nets thats why I asked. This was definately my fault and the net is a beautiful piece of work. I should've ran the fish around the boat a couple times but it was going berserk and I made a rookie mistake. It just made me a little gun shy because on both fish the bait was tangled pretty good in it. I researched a little last night and found another that is a little smaller with 3/8 fine mesh and it says its hook proof. I don't know how valid that is. I'll post the site later so you guys can check it out. I'll keep using it and sharpen my skills with it. Looking back on it makes me laugh and its been a good lesson learned. Thanks so much.

This is a good discussion... There was that one time Nico is referring to where the net almost cost us a fish. We were close to a dock, the fish hit close to the boat, everything was pretty messy. The hook got caught in the net and in the glove I was wearing (it was first thing on a cold morning). How we landed it, I don't know. Nico is really good with the net, and I'd like to think that I am too :)

Using the huge net takes some getting used to, but you'll find over time that it pays off so nicely. The first time a 10 pounder jumps two feet out of the water 6 feet from the side of the boat and lands in the net, you'll have a big smile on your face. Landing big ones like that is actually a good strategy, no joke.

The trick is to grind them in really hard and don't let up, and right when they get close and jump, your partner just drops the big huge net underneath them and they go right in. It doesn't matter if the fish is backwards or sideways or whatever. It also doesn't matter how big the fish is, because that big net will make a 15 pounder look quite reasonable :) And really, that's the one fish you care about more than all the rest!

Thanks rob, Any advice for a dude like me who fishes solo? This was the first time I got eaten at the boat and the first day out with the new net. All the other fish this year were beat and easy to net this one I just had it all go wrong. I usually keep the net on the right side with the hoop furthest away. That way I can use my dominant hand with net and leverage the rod with my left. When I hook a fish my 12ft boat usually turns so that I fight the fish from my natural right side. I was fishing out the left side and the water is pretty stained. As the bait came up I saw the fish under it and just dropped the bait and it ate it! It shot around the front of the boat and came up on the right. I shoved the rod tip down in the water and reached for the net. It went back around the front and to the left. I switched hands and tried to lift the fishes head over the hoop when it was able to get its head down enough to catch the underside and it went berserk straightend out a 1/0 owner and went on its merry way and left me with a big tangled mess. Luckily it wasnt a 15 and just a good learning experience. I had been telling my buddy earlier that I was at some point going to lose one at the net cause its pretty hairy doin the solo net on the big fish, so when it happened I just laughed and called him and said it just happened! I love the way the net is built and will work to sharpen my skills with it so I dont lose a 15! Thanks :7

Netting fish by yourself can be tough. Especially for swimbait fish, the best way to get the fish in the net is to reel it straight to the boat and get it in the net before it has a chance to start fighting. Most of the fish I've lost while fishing by myself were when I stopped reeling to pick up the net. It gives the fish a chance to make a move, which can be bad. I've lost fish due to reaching for the net too soon (fish get the chance to wrap you up or jump) and reaching for it too late (fish can straighten or pull out hooks on a short leash).

Best advice I can give is:

* Keep the net within easy reach (obviously). On the deck behind me is often a good place.
* Grab the net about half-way through the fight, when you think the fish is clear of obstacles
* At this time put the net in front of you hanging over the water, ready to use at a moments notice
* When the fish nears the boat don't reel it too close to the rod tip. Leave 10-15 feet of line out and pull the fish towards the net by raising the rod over your head and slightly behind you. Net the fish as far away from the boat as possible.

Those Butch Brown videos show how to net a fish in a tiny boat fairly well, although I usually don't wait that long to get the net in position. The key part for me is being in perfect netting position long before the fish has neared the boat.

Nico and Robs advice are spot on with this net. I bought one a few years back and it made all the difference in the world. It takes up a lot of space but it makes landing better fish A LOT easier, even by yourself. It took me a couple of times losing fish boat side to finally buy a big net. I have not lost one since.

Rob... correct me if I am wrong but I recall when you got version 1 of the promar net when we laid into them up north. I think I said that the net was going to be a hook grabber and sure enough, the scissors came out that day on a couple of the big ones. I'm not sure if they make both versions of the net we use still but maybe you can remember the mesh to stray people away from. I have the same net that Rob / Nico and a bunch of others use. If you don't want to use it for netting fish, you could always use it to catch full sized mountain lions as they run at you.

When fishing alone, the Promar is the way to go. I never fish alone without the Promar in the boat. For such a large net it is amazingly easy to handle. The only down-side would be that, yes, the hooks tangle easily in the mesh of the net. A small price to pay for such an awesome net. I have never had a real problem getting the hooks out, usually only takes a minute.

I have only used the Promar for bass. It has played a major role in helping me land some BIG fish. I could see that if you used the net for say stripers, hooks becoming tangled in the mesh could become a real problem. Stripers go nuts in a net, could be a bad thing if you are using baits with multiple treble hooks.

All in all the Promar is by far my favorite net to use for trophy bass when fishing alone. The price of the net is more then reasonable, most tournament nets will cost you about the same, if not a lot more.

I have had some funny looks at the launch ramp when people spot the net. Most common response is "what the hell are you expecting to catch?"

-Greg

Guys, Thanks so much. Mark, its funny you should mention the mountain lions, we've been having a real problem with them where I live and have had alot really close to the house. It's going to take someone getting killed before they reinstate the harvesting of these predators! Man I had no idea how gnarly they are till I saw one first hand! But enough bout that. I will go out this weekend and try to drum up a few more bites and really work at honing my skills with this net. I always grind the fish in the best I can and wait til I get color before gettin the net. I then give em a big leash and just lead them in the net. This one just caught me off guard and I didn't stick to my game plan of netting them on the right side, I made a reach and paid the price. I think getting the net is my favorite part of catching them! I just started fishing by myself in december and have been very fortunate to have a great group of people to coach me as I go. Its funny I caught my first big fish on a swimbait and have been hooked ever since. Maybe you guys can elaborate, but catching big fish on big swimbaits is so bad ass! Greg, nice job on the 15 this year! way to go! Thanks again for the input and good luck to all.

I was just checking out the photos you posted. No wonder you bought the big net :o Thanks for adding those pics!