Landing Net Sticker Shock

[dudemanspecial]

My wife has been enjoying fishing with me, and it is time to get her a net. I have not bought one in years, in fact I couldn't even tell you how much it was or where mine came from. It is a nice smaller sized wooden net.

I was shocked when I saw the price of these things. I was thinking sub 50$ for a decent net. All I see is 100$ gets you the cheap ones. I am all for spending money on a decent product, however this seems like way too much for a net for this guy, even for my lovely wife.

Does anyone have a recommendation of a net that is affordable? This is for small / medium size fish (spring creek/ Little J ) I am not worried about netting musky or steelhead with it.

Or do I just need to get over it and blow the cob webs out of my wallet.......

 

[KGStine]

Big Y and Flyshack both have wooden handle rubber nets for under $50.

 

[drakeking412]

the amazon one thats around $30 isnt a bad option. it comes with a magnet release and a retention cord and the mesh is the new rubber style. the only downside is it is a tad heavy but thats the issue with all wooden nets imo.

you can also get the rubber coated frabill that all my comp buddies seem to love so much, again only about $30 and has a hoop bigger than a basketball net. weight is similar to the wooden one.

or finally blow those cobwebs out and get the lady a Fishpond hand net which is lighter, stronger, and floats too. so long as she isnt prone to losing things.

 

[nomad_archer]

Frabill at about $20. It's served me well for several years now.

https://www.amazon.com/Frabill-3672-Trout-13-18/dp/B001FTSADY/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=frabill%2Btrout%2Bnet&qid=1620739272&sr=8-2-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzNjU4VDU5UExMRVc3JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNTE0MjQ4MUpPUlhCQTRJWk9KRyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMzM3MzYyMjg2WklVM1E2RDlXTCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU&th=1

 

[dudemanspecial]

Thanks I guess i was looking in the wrong spots. Much appreciated.

 

[ryc72]

i would also consider a carbon fiber net. wood nets are beautiful but they are also heavy. carbon fiber nets weigh about half of what a wooden net does.

 

[moon1284]

I only use a net from a boat...

 

[timmyt2]

Can anyone link a recommended carbon fiber net? I wouldnt mind lightening up what i am carrying

 

[wgmiller]

dudemanspecial wrote:
Does anyone have a recommendation of a net that is affordable?

You can always pop into any Wallyworld and pick one of these up for $20!

 

[larkmark]

I bought a net at Bass pro a few yrs back for ten dollars. Not a thing wrong with it. Have caught 100s of fish and netted them with it. These guys walking around with these giant nets and the heavy rubber bags make me laugh.

 

[afishinado]

larkmark wrote:
I bought a net at Bass pro a few yrs back for ten dollars. Not a thing wrong with it. Have caught 100s of fish and netted them with it. These guys walking around with these giant nets and the heavy rubber bags make me laugh.

No laughing matter....

https://www.chinookobserver.com/life/outdoors/study-takes-a-look-at-best-landing-nets-to-reduce-harm-in-catch-release-fisheries/article_03e07393-b324-5f0a-9190-b4d28252ebce.html

 

[ryc72]

reasonably priced carbon fiber net. costs about half of what the name brand carbon fiber nets are listed for. and its a good quality net with a good quality rubber basket. its also a pretty big net....can handle a fish over 24 inches pretty comfortably while not being heavy. i have this net and have been using it for the past 3 months.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/164161802134?hash=item2638ce4f96:g:ficAAOSwNIhelru4

 

[larkmark]

ryc- Thats a nice net and very reasonable with the net keeper attached too. The article is interesting afishinado. The net I have has a soft bag similar to the old Orvis nets which I think are still available. It may not be as good as these rubber nets though according to the article.

 

[tracker12]

The Fraybill net is a great option. I just bought one and works great. The =flat bottom protects the fish and makes it easy to remove the hook a release safely.

 

[troutpoop]

Measure Net. Cheap and useful. Super light weight.

 

[Fly-Swatter]

It seems like there are a lot of nets that show up in the Lost and Found forum. Maybe investing in an expensive net is not the best move.

 

[Sylvaneous]

larkmark wrote:
I bought a net at Bass pro a few yrs back for ten dollars. Not a thing wrong with it. Have caught 100s of fish and netted them with it. These guys walking around with these giant nets and the heavy rubber bags make me laugh.

I was noticing this very thing in the last 2 years. THey always have sling packs, too. Usually lots of attachments, straps and dangly things.
It's the latest fashion in a centuries old sport.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed.

 

[larkmark]

Sylvaneous- Ha ha! Yep!

What's with the giant long handled nets? I see guys going up a tiny brook trout stream with a net that could hold a watermelon!

By the way my $10.00 net is perfectly fine. Very soft cloth. It doesn't hurt fish. Go ahead and buy a big heavy rubber net if you want. Be a slave to fashion and the fishing industry!

 

[dryflyguy]

Fly-Swatter wrote:
It seems like there are a lot of nets that show up in the Lost and Found forum. Maybe investing in an expensive net is not the best move.

Good point!
I have at least 3-4 nets that I've found along streams.

One of them is a Brodin, which I don't even like.
It has a shallow bag and it's heavy.

I carry another net I found. It's light and has a long deep bag.
Plenty of room to land a large fish, which is the only reason I need to carry a net for anyway

 

[timmyt2]

My only desire to upgrade my net is to make my wading setup lighter. I have a 30 dollar amazon job thats wood with a rubber mesh bag but its fairly heavy for what it is. I think a carbon fiber would be much lighter so its on my list to pick up one of those. PM me if anyone has an extra they want to unload