Give Up the Gaff? A Sturdy Fishing Net Could Make More Sense

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It took exactly one netted cobia to teach me I would never again gaff a 36-incher. Not only was the cobia immensely better behaved than it would have been on a gaff, it later yielded two perfect fillets instead of having one of them torn up by thrashing on a gaff.

Cobia, dolphin and so many other fish are much easier to control and measure in a fishing net than thrashing around on your deck. On my boat we net all dolphin under 12 pounds just to give us a cleaner boat and better fillets, but you’d better know what you’re doing with the net.

Unlike with a freshwater bass, you cannot lead a heavy dolphin into the fishing net, because the tight line leading the fish toward the net will often block it from going in. We’ve found it better to slow the fish down a few more moments and bring the net up from behind.

You can sure get better fillets off a snapper or grouper if it’s been netted. If you’ve stopped by a fish house lately, you may have noticed gaff or spear marks on snapper and grouper are almost always in the head. Don’t ever gaff a big snapper in the shoulder in front of a commercial fisherman. Don’t ask me how I know that.

Landing nets for offshore use should have a couple features.

• First, you’ll need to move the net through the water quickly, so a big mesh is necessary.
• Second, for most of us we’re going to need a pretty long and stout handle.

StowMaster makes nets that you can fold up and put inside the smallest console. With a 32" x 36" opening you can net a very nice cobia, but let me warn you, unfolding it takes a minute, so have it ready in advance. The biggest fishing net we could find was a collapsible Beckman with 34" x 39" opening but the net doesn’t fold, so you’ll need a big area to stow it. Beckman also makes a net that’s more affordable with a 19" x 23" opening, but a fixed handle means it takes up some room. AFTCO and Bubba recently released saltwater-grade landing nets, as well.

If you’re like me, and you learned to use a fishing net on bass or inshore fish, don’t think you know how to use one on a bigger offshore fish. When netting a heavy fish, never lift it with the handle pointed out. Once you get your fish in the net, point the handle to the sky, and lift with the other end of the handle, near the start of the mesh.

Your next step is to measure the fish as soon as possible. A 34-inch cobia stands a much better chance of survival if it hasn’t been banging on the deck for 60 seconds, while you attempt to get a measurement. The fish is a whole lot easier to measure if when it’s cradled securely in a net. A legal fish needs to go straight to the ice. Bouncing on the deck bruises fish flesh, and makes your fish taste stronger.

Obviously, nets are not a good idea for kingfish. I tried it once only to watch a fish chew its way right through the bottom!

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