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Carrying landing net and staying mobile when landbased


Little_Flatty

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Hi all,

Just wondering how you carry a reasonably sized landing net (1-1.5m handle) when landbased. When I am landbased luring, I often skip bringing a net half the time because it affects my mobility; the less stuff I carry, the more I can move around and the more fish I find. However, I do occasionally get punished with lost fish and I do get slightly annoyed by the fact that most of the time, this is avoidable.

When I am on the flats in summer, I normally drag a trout fly fishing net behind me in the water which helps me get a handle on bigger flatties/bream without trudging back to shore. But for the longer/larger nets required for harbour use, I'm not so sure what to do, other than leaving it on the ground next to me (and then picking it up every time I move).

Total first world problem, I know, but fishing time is really precious to me these days and anything I can do to avoid wasting time on the water is good!

I noted that @Niall had a net attached to his backpack in his last report, would be interested in other similar ideas.

Any thoughts and ideas would be much appreciated.

Mike

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You can probably look into telescopic type landing nets. You wouldn't use it in the traditional way of metal handle nets, you need to lift the fish vertically (or there is a chance you will snap the handle). With telescopic nets, you can have a longer handle, and is typically light compared to fixed length nets.

There are ISO fishing type nets, but can be pricey and most of them are really long, but I have seen a few shorter ones around I was considering for the same reason. Also, those type of nets, a lot of them fold in (like example image), so during travel or non-use, it is more mobile.

image.png.94551316ba89cd200a530df864454a90.png

Again, these can be pricey and its not for everyone.

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7 minutes ago, Rob81 said:

You can probably look into telescopic type landing nets. You wouldn't use it in the traditional way of metal handle nets, you need to lift the fish vertically (or there is a chance you will snap the handle). With telescopic nets, you can have a longer handle, and is typically light compared to fixed length nets.

There are ISO fishing type nets, but can be pricey and most of them are really long, but I have seen a few shorter ones around I was considering for the same reason. Also, those type of nets, a lot of them fold in (like example image), so during travel or non-use, it is more mobile.

image.png.94551316ba89cd200a530df864454a90.png

Again, these can be pricey and its not for everyone.

Thanks Rob,

I actually possess the net in the picture. Great product, especially when up north on those big wharves high over the water. Well worth the money.

I just find it rather unwieldy to carry when assembled (no time to assemble it when you have a fish on, especially when alone). As you said, it is rather light for what it is. Just need to work out a better way of carrying it (like a sling, straps etc).

Hmm...come to think of it maybe I could fashion a 'bag' out of the handle case or something similar, that I could sling over my shoulder.

Mike

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Here are a couple of unusual ideas I have seen people use. 

If walking the dry bank or very shalow water, attach a spike to end of handle to push into the ground leaving net upright and easy to grab. 

If wading flats you you can tow an old baby bath tied with a light rope to your belt.  This acts as a mini canoe to carry gear and fish in.  These are fairly common on nth coast arround North Haven.  Easy to find during council clean ups.  Ron 

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6 hours ago, nutsaboutfishing said:

This what i use, $17 on ebay. I have a carabiner attached to my fishing bag and the net handle goes through that. You can either have the net folded or openImage 1 - Telescopic Folding Fish Landing Fishing Net Extending Carp Coarse Sea Pole Trout

Actually i have the same net also bought from ebay. The good point is that its light and compact but not the best quality but guess its why its cheap. In my case, the clip that flips the net is half stuck (even though i wash my net after every use) and one of the length of the pole has pulled completely out but otherwise its ok.

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12 hours ago, Gengar said:

Actually i have the same net also bought from ebay. The good point is that its light and compact but not the best quality but guess its why its cheap. In my case, the clip that flips the net is half stuck (even though i wash my net after every use) and one of the length of the pole has pulled completely out but otherwise its ok.

You certainly do get what you pay for

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Maybe you need one of these, although bulky and only useful on flat ground, you can carry a heap of stuff with you and have everything you would need close at hand. Battery operated forward/reverse and variable speed, will keep up with you at slow walking pace of brisk walk. Easy to make and can be remote controlled for even more convenience.

112460613_tacklebuggie.thumb.jpg.6d2eac7445d93131bab0f6820a1ed2ec.jpg

20181016_092116fs.thumb.jpg.4d2a1ceb9a6d67600c67015a8f87509d.jpg

This is one I made for a member that lives in Britain and comes for holidays to Australia.

You can load it up with esky's tackle boxes buckets, anything you want for a fishing session.

Frank

 

Edited by frankS
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I guess for holding the net, you could buy straps, such as these:

image.png.cb7256a350ed4381e9e76ae1db491941.png

The other option, would be a rod holder, that go onto a belt (ideally for short length handle nets):

image.png.98dec0595831c487557861ce4fdd2c95.png

Rod holder would only be, if the diameter of the handle would fit in those.

And then there's this item, its more for the autoking squid gaff but looks like you can repurpose it for similar use:

image.png.436dbc4c4d7279ffcdd1fe53c74ce9c4.png

 

 

 

Edited by Rob81
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@frankS - Thanks. I actually have a golf cart that I bought second hand for $5 with such a project in mind I’ve saved it from several rounds of Marie Kondo-ing. Maybe it’s time for it to have it’s day (maybe sans motor). The appeal of this solution is that I can also carry multiple rigged outfits as well as my net and do away with the shoulder bag. Also would be good for the beach.

On your cart, imagine if you could convert it to a SELF-DRIVING cart that follows you when you fish! :D 

@Rob81 - Like that idea too. Just need to find a way to wear the holster a little higher than the belt owing to the long handle on my net.

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On 6/2/2021 at 9:45 AM, Little_Flatty said:

Hi all,

Just wondering how you carry a reasonably sized landing net (1-1.5m handle) when landbased. When I am landbased luring, I often skip bringing a net half the time because it affects my mobility; the less stuff I carry, the more I can move around and the more fish I find. However, I do occasionally get punished with lost fish and I do get slightly annoyed by the fact that most of the time, this is avoidable.

When I am on the flats in summer, I normally drag a trout fly fishing net behind me in the water which helps me get a handle on bigger flatties/bream without trudging back to shore. But for the longer/larger nets required for harbour use, I'm not so sure what to do, other than leaving it on the ground next to me (and then picking it up every time I move).

Total first world problem, I know, but fishing time is really precious to me these days and anything I can do to avoid wasting time on the water is good!

I noted that @Niall had a net attached to his backpack in his last report, would be interested in other similar ideas.

Any thoughts and ideas would be much appreciated.

Mike

That net that I carry around sees very little use to be honest.  Usually I'm fishing from way too high up to use it effectively.  It's the Berkeley rubber net one with the short handle - made for kayakers.  Fits nicely in the backpack and it has landed me a couple fish that wouldn't have otherwise so I still carry it.

I'm trying to figure a solution myself.  Not really up for forking out for an ISO net and even though they're telescopic it's still gonna be a pain to carry around and will stop you being as mobile - less mobile = less fish.

I've been looking at maybe a drop net on a long rope.  Would love one that folds up to quite a compact size.  

I find with surface fishing it's less of an issue because you can fish a way heavier leader and just pull the fish up with your rod - I have a Daiwa TD Hyper 1-2kg rod that does this amazingly.  The thing just bends and bends and bends.  Def should've snapped it last week with a couple of the bigger salmon I flipped over the fence and onto the bank.

When I'm fishing light leaders ie 6lb and under I think the drop net might be the move going forward.  Just need to find one that's decent quality.  I really like the rubber netting on the Berkley stuff.  Less lures tangled in the rubber.

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1 hour ago, Niall said:

mobile - less mobile = less fish

Thanks Niall, that comes down to the crux of why I think (perhaps overthink) what I carry.

Agreed the ISO net is a bit cumbersome, but seeing as I have it already, I guess I could get used to it.

I do like the drop net idea, adds more food for thought 🤔.

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Just an update on this one. I have ordered myself an new fishing backpack that has webbing loops on the back of it. To this I'm going to zip tie a length of PVC and then my ISO net will just slide in. The handle is quite long but thankfully I think I'll be tall enough to carry it. I'll probably need to rig something up to avoid the net handle extending inadvertently.

Some initial tests with another bag has shown I'd probably struggle to walk through thick scrub without taking the net out - that's the disadvantage of being tall - but the majority of my fishing is urban so it should be ok.

Thanks to everyone for the ideas!

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  • 3 months later...
On 6/9/2021 at 8:15 AM, Little_Flatty said:

Just an update on this one. I have ordered myself an new fishing backpack that has webbing loops on the back of it. To this I'm going to zip tie a length of PVC and then my ISO net will just slide in.

Hey @Little_Flatty how did the new pack work out? My current backpack is busting at the seams and I’m thinking of investing a bit more money in a dedicated fishing backpack.

I was looking at some of the Daiwa and Berkeley ones. Tray storage is great and all but for mobile land-based I’m usually only taking one tray and the lighter the better really. Some of these pricey ones have space for 4 trays which is overkill I think for land based fishing.

What did you go for and how you feeling about the investment a few months later?

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9 hours ago, Mike Sydney said:

Hey @Little_Flatty how did the new pack work out? My current backpack is busting at the seams and I’m thinking of investing a bit more money in a dedicated fishing backpack.

I was looking at some of the Daiwa and Berkeley ones. Tray storage is great and all but for mobile land-based I’m usually only taking one tray and the lighter the better really. Some of these pricey ones have space for 4 trays which is overkill I think for land based fishing.

What did you go for and how you feeling about the investment a few months later?

Hey Mike,

I got myself a Rapala Countdown backpack in the end. It's a fair bit smaller than most but I'm really happy with it.

Like you, I only need one or two trays. What is more useful to me is I can tether my net and another outfit to my back, as well as having receptacles for braid scissors, FG knot tool, hook sharpening stone etc. Plenty of pockets for leader material and the like as well.

My only criticism is that if I catch something I want to keep, there's no space for that. But seeing as most of my fishing is done in the upper-mid parra river, that's a rarity anyway. It's not really a criticism, but if that is a requirement, I would go with a larger bag. I have an Alvey wading bag for my bait fishing sessions as well, which fits the bill for that purpose.

It's worth a look. Like you, it's the first time I've bought a dedicated fishing backpack. It cost a fair bit more than most of my prior el-cheapo options, but I'm still happy with it after a few months.

Mike

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On 6/3/2021 at 8:33 AM, frankS said:

Maybe you need one of these, although bulky and only useful on flat ground, you can carry a heap of stuff with you and have everything you would need close at hand. Battery operated forward/reverse and variable speed, will keep up with you at slow walking pace of brisk walk. Easy to make and can be remote controlled for even more convenience.

112460613_tacklebuggie.thumb.jpg.6d2eac7445d93131bab0f6820a1ed2ec.jpg

20181016_092116fs.thumb.jpg.4d2a1ceb9a6d67600c67015a8f87509d.jpg

This is one I made for a member that lives in Britain and comes for holidays to Australia.

You can load it up with esky's tackle boxes buckets, anything you want for a fishing session.

Frank

 

add a solar panel and small 12v fridge Hmmmm

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1 hour ago, jot said:

add a solar panel and small 12v fridge Hmmmm

I suspect that would be counterproductive to my goals. Firstly I’ll fill the fridge with beer so there will be no space for fish, bait and gear. Then secondly, I’ll only take the cart to the first scenic spot and kick back with beers all afternoon, forgetting about fishing altogether 🤣

Edited by Little_Flatty
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  • 1 month later...

So, my Raider friends, eureka! I think I have the beginnings of a half-decent solution!

I don't know exactly how I came to discover this, but a lot of anglers, particularly fly fishermen, use magnets to carry their equipment, including their little landing nets. All of my nets are much bigger than this. So I ended up purchasing three magnet sets on ebay, and zip-tied them to my backpack, and my net handle. This is just enough to hold the net:

image.png.09a4570fcfc003b08340e794b24b7c3c.png

This detaches quite easily (sometimes a little too easily) for use when I have a fish on:

image.png.4965cba0cf64d1dad40a1e7f8bfcd1b5.png

I have put it on my left because I fish with a left-hand wind (even though I am right handed) and will generally have the rod in my right hand.

Now, the big advantage of this solution is that I can feasibly carry a net with me everywhere, and be 100% ready to use it when I hook up. The disadvantage is that any vigorous activity (e.g. running to chase a bust-up on the water - which I have been known to do), will cause me to drop the net. I'm also not bushwalking with this setup, nor will I be riding a bike without the security of additional velcro straps.

The other issue is that this is my el-cheapo net bought from a certain large French sports store chain. It looks to be fine on anything up to a 50cm flatty, but beyond that I think it will suffer. For now, I'll just rack this up as a nice problem to have. I always philosophise to myself that I enjoy losing fish almost as much as I enjoy catching them; I'm grateful just to interact with a good specimen, and landing one is an even bigger privilege. I might look into attaching my ISO net in due course, but I have found this way to long for my liking (it extends to 5m). It unfortunately won't work with my 'snapper' net, if I want the folding mechanism to work.

I'll report back after a few sessions and let you all know how I go with it. If anything, I might need another magnet. That will take the total project cost to over $50. Unfortunately of late, I've only been able to get fish that are not worthy of a netting, even with my cheapo net and 6lb leader. Like this model from this morning...maybe my screen name is a curse!

image.png.c5571085aec7490d317ec72af509e98d.png

Edited by Little_Flatty
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2 hours ago, lastworm said:

I haven’t read the entire thread, but this might be what you’re after…

 

https://baitfinesseempire.com/product/handy-pak-ghost-series-insta-net/

 

Thanks @lastworm. That’s a lovely net but I need a longer handle. I’m getting closer to an ideal solution. My magnets idea has lasted a couple of sessions so far. Not perfect but plenty good enough!

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