My co angler told me yesterday that his friend who was a boater had TWO six pounders knocked off by netter issues. That ever happen to anyone else? I'd probably just hand land fish after that. I had the net inside out one time and pancake flipped a bass into the boat for a co once which could have been bad but he got the fish.

Unless I know the person, I can land any fish solo. If I lost any, then it would be my fault and on me 100%.

Also it doesn't open up the chance to turn the experience of a tourney day into a bitter or angry experience.


tite lines

If I have my net man screw up he better know to walk on water

Co probably tripped over the 45 rods and 4 tackle bags he brought in boat

Twice?

Dang, it isn’t hard to be a net operator, if I don’t feel like someone is fully quality I operate net on my own.

Apparently lol

Just hold the net still and let me lead the fish into it...then lift.

I don’t doubt it,had a few co net boys make me nervous.

If you are depending on a co to net your fish, you suck

Was he dressed like this

Well i guess I suck, we net all fish in my boat. Learned this lesson a few times in my time on the water. Have to give props to my CO this week, because my largest fish wrapped around 2 stumps. The first stump I put the tm on high and went that direction... fish swam off the tree. As I'm brining him in , boat is moving, the fish finds another stump, boat moving away from this stump, he was able to net that fish and save my day.

But I have had a few that try to swipe at the fish. Just takes some verbal coaching to help with that.

Net in the water and I bring it in usually works on my boat if we use the net

Maybe the boater asked for gas money too early in the day.

I have a boat and 99% of the time I'm alone so I will boat flip a 5lb and not even think about it.

Now I've fished some tournaments as a CO angler and one of the first questions I'll ask is how they want me to net for them. Each boater has their own way and it makes things go smoothly when landing a fish.

A few years ago, I was fishing as a co at the BASS Open at Toledo Bend. Drew a great dude from up north who was on big fish out deep while everyone was throwing chatterbaits in the shallow grass. Not many bites but the ones out there were huge. His first fish of the day was on a 6xd. They don't have a lot of 10 pounders up north and he was understandably high strung and horsed it in and asked me to land it. I got it in on the first pass. Over 10 pounds. Biggest fish of the event. His next bite was on a football jig and this one was even bigger. Probably pushing 12. He asked me to land it. As soon as I touched it, no nets allowed, it jumped and spit the jig. Horsed in and still had a lot of fight left in it. I don't know if I have ever felt worse in my life. I didn't have a realistic shot to land it but I touched the fish and felt fully responsible. I will never land another persons fish unless it is a team event and we both have equal skin in the game if it gets away, nor will I ask anyone to land my fish.

So if you fish an event like BFL that allow nets you make the other guy net his own fish? I had many a boater ask me if I can net fish otherwise they are happy to do it themselves, always told them yes but do whatever your comfortable with, only think I've drawn one guy that netted his own fish and one that didn't even carry a net and hand landed his own fish.

I had a cousin that knew a guy that fished with a co angler that calls two six pounders bs.

After that day, unless I am fishing with Clay Dyer, they can land their own fish. I will never be part of another situation like that where someone can blame me for their lost fish. Just a personal decision.

Hopefully you throw in extra gas money on top of normal since you are gonna be of no use the the boater at all.

They can share drinks and snacks.

It doesn’t matter. If I’m netting fish, it’s very easy to do alone, I wouldn’t need or want an undependable or not sure if they are dependable stranger doing it for me. Besides, just boat flip them. Anything under 10.

Kidding the biggest I’ve flipped was 6.5, and it felt like my rod was just about to snap.

When I fish as a co, I always ask the boater if he wants me to net his fish. In the state championship 15 years ago, my boater told me no, he would take care of it. He hooked an 8 pounder that was giving him hell and I asked him again, do you want me to net it, he said yes and I did, he won the event. Three years later in an open, same scenario (not an 8lbr but a solid 4) but this time the fish came off when I tried to net it (no I was not swinging at it like tether ball) and I felt like a huge piece of .... The boater was really gracious about it when I know that it bothered him a lot. As luck would have it, he did well enough that he did not need that fish anyway, but that did not relieve me of how bad I felt.

My point is to have the conversation with the boater, ask him how he wants you to use the net, and then if you did it the way he wanted and the best you can, then it doesn't matter whether the fish gets off or not cause guys, cr**p happens and any experienced boater and co anger both know that truth and have experienced it in one fashion or another.

Having said that, if you don't know how to handle a net or have never done it in a tournament setting, just say so...there is no shame in that and the boater is fully informed and can make the call accordingly.

What a weird flex, but I have a minute to address it for you.

1. I promise when I fish out of the back of the boat I give more than the average co angler for fuel and expenses.
2. I have only co-angled in Opens. I have my own boat and land my own fish like a man should. No nets allowed and I just am not grabbing someone elses fish again.
3. Point out anywhere that says the co anglers obligation is to land the pros fish?
4. It sounds like maybe you can't land your own fish. I know some excellent guides I can point you to if you want some practice....

It’s ok to use a net, if it’s allowed…it can be better for the fish it won’t take anyone’s man card away. Promise.

Lunker I consider that more of a troll than a flex

Wasn't good enough either way to really tell

Mistakes were made that’s fishing

+1 Simple as that.

Literally had my coangler stab the net at my first DD. I lifted the net out of the water with the 6xd tangled in the net and a 10 lber hanging from the outside of the net. Thankfully the crankbait came out of the net and she remained hooked. I explained to him to just submerge the net and lift when I pulled her over the next.

In his case, he just got excited when he saw the size of the fish.


His biggest fish was probably about 3 lbs. Later that year he hung a 7+ and when he got it to the boat, I did the exact same thing he did, but luckily got his fish in the net. I then told him I just did what I always tell you not to do. In my defense, I don't get much practice with a net.


The biggest fish I ever lost was an easy 8+ that I put my hands on 3 times trying to lip. When I decided to use the net is when I drifted into a dock, she wrapped me up and broke me off. Now I rarely reach for the net when fishing solo.

The first tournament I fished with my son he knocked the first fish off and tried to knock the next one off. I boat flipped the rest of day. He is much better now