WHAT'S BETTER?
Habits and trends go back and forth, like waves rolling over a lake. You always try to improve; it is in our human nature to seek progress. This applies just as much to fishing as it does to all other things in life.
By doing so, you experiment, explore, and evaluate. And I’ve come to a quite shocking discovery... in more than 99% of the fish I’ve caught, I didn’t use a landing net. Here’s why!
For the record, I still always have a landing net on standby. And yes, when I fish a tournament, I do use a landing net. With high stakes on the line, you don’t want to risk losing a fish that could turn the odds in your favor during a big international tournament and a net is the most secure way to avoid this tragedy.
There really is no right or wrong answer in this article but rather some insights into what I’ve learned and why I tend to go back to the old school hand landing method for securing pike instead of netting. I still think a landing net is a good, viable way to land a fish and highly recommend doing so, especially if that means people will stop using those medieval torturing devices like a lip gripper!
So why do I choose to land a fish by hand almost all the time? A few reasons. Let’s dive in:
- You will need to grab them by the jaw to unhook them anyway
- The infamous deathroll aka the crocodile roll
- No risk of loose trebles hooking the net with the fish still outside the net
- Most important: Less damage to the fish!
Obviously, 3 can be avoided with some experience but I’ve seen pros make the mistake when they net enough fish over time. Sometimes it is just bad luck and is just what you get when you hold a big net close to a thrashing fish with a loose treble on a stinger that flies around.
The deathroll is just a pain in the *ss for unhooking and takes up so much time. It wrecks your landing net, but it can also damage the fish. I believe hand landing a pike damages them much less than with a net. Plus, you will need to open their jaw (the gillplate, NOT the gills as some call it which is a false statement) to unhook them anyway.
A net is a good way to let them rest, especially when dealing with a triple strike!
The deathroll is just a pain in the *ss for unhooking and takes up so much time. It wrecks your landing net, but it can also damage the fish. I believe hand landing a pike damages them much less than with a net. Plus, you will need to open their jaw (the gillplate, NOT the gills as some call it which is a false statement) to unhook them anyway.
A net is a good way to let them rest, especially when dealing with a triple strike!
Is a landing net obsolete? Definitely not! I often use it to let a fish rest after I unhook them. The procedure goes as follows: I land the fish by hand, unhook it, let it rest in the water by putting it in the landing net. I then sort my gear if needed, get the camera ready, take a few snaps and pull a few statistics to finally release it.
In some cases, landing with a net is more secure. For instance, very windy conditions or when you are trolling and you need to save time are perfect use cases for the reliability of the net. In all cases, let the fish rest in the net in the water. Don’t lift it out of the water with the net, that puts unnecessary pressure on the fins and tears them which is not a pretty sight and harmful to the fish.
Pro Tip: Use Savage Gear Aqua Guard gloves to keep your hands in tip-top shape!
To keep my hands safe, to some degree, I’ve had my share of hooks in my hands over the years even with the fish in a landing net, I always use the Savage Aqua Guard gloves. These gloves protect me from spikes and sharp teeth. It also gives me a first layer of protection while still having the full feeling and control of your fingers. It doesn’t make me bullet proof but it saves my hands a ton of trouble!