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SammyN
distinguished member (276)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
01/09/2021 03:16PM  
Anyone have any good vids on landing walleye/lakers/northerns without a net?

I'm horrible at it, and need to get better.

thanks!
 
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Savage Voyageur
distinguished member(14414)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished membermaster membermaster member
  
01/09/2021 06:07PM  
You can just use a fish grip to land them, a metal or plastic one will work. You just get then close to the canoe or boat and lift them about 1/4 of the way out of the water. They usually then open their mouth and you be ready to just put the fish grip on their lower lip and lift out of the water. You can also grip both lips at the same time if needed. I just hate to see the fish get all tore up in the mouth with these grips, so be careful when using these.

I like to use nets on fish because it’s better for the fish, and you. Leave the fish in the net and in the water. It can still breath and can calm down after the fight. Then reach for you hook removal tools and give high fives for the huge fish you just caught. This is no problem for the fish to be in the water and in the net. Then you lift the fish out of the water a bit with a glove on you one hand. With the other hand you remove the multiple treble hooks out of the way of you, the net, and the fish. Then you can lift out for a quick picture and back into the water or on a stringer. If you plan on releasing it just hold the tail and move back and forth until the fish swims away. This is the way I handle big fish.
 
schweady
distinguished member(8070)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
01/09/2021 07:12PM  
It's fairly simple to grab a fish safely. A canoe's just not always the best place for initial practice. Bass are easy: Stick your thumb in their mouth and grasp the lower jaw. Walleye and northern have an area directly under the center of their mouth that is soft and easy enough to slip in your 4 fingers, clamping your thumb down around the side of the jaw. The side gill plate is razor sharp, however; it can inflict a worse cut than any teeth would. Many times, if fishing with a Rapala or similar lure, even a decent size fish can be hoisted in simply by grasping the nose and lip of the bait.
 
01/10/2021 11:29AM  
Landing lakers can be hazardous-at least twice I ended up playing a 5 pound laker with hooks in my hand and fish in the water. One VERY painful ordeal
 
thegildedgopher
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01/10/2021 12:34PM  
I urge a net.

Second best, Boga grips are not perfect but they're pretty good and a lot safer than hand-landing.

If you're going to hand-land, I highly recommend pinching the barbs on the hooks you're using, or just swapping the hooks for barbless for your trip. You can always switch back. That way, if you do end up with a treble in your hand it's a lot easier to deal with. Pull it out, disinfect, bandage, done. This summer on the Mississippi river I embedded one of the large trebles from a Rapala J13 in my finger on my left hand The hook went from just above my smallest knuckle almost all the way up to the base of the fingernail. Stopped on an island and enlisted the help of a couple that was beached there. After nearly passing out during the attempted extraction I decided a trip to urgent care was in line. I was several miles from the boat ramp, had to operate a tiller with hook in hand the whole way. Loading the boat back onto my trailer was not fun. It took the urgent care team over an hour to get that treble out. They numbed me up great but I could still experience the the sensation of things moving around inside my finger, it was disgusting.

Now ask yourself if you want to deal with a similar situation 5 portages into the BWCA. Personally I think the USFS should enact a barbless regulation in the wilderness. It's better for fish and can avert a medical emergency. Seems to work well in Quetico.
 
01/10/2021 01:02PM  
Barbless in Quetico has really helped those situations. Person doesn't realize how thick and tough your skin is to remove a hook.
 
01/10/2021 02:50PM  
Pinetree: "Landing lakers can be hazardous-at least twice I ended up playing a 5 pound laker with hooks in my hand and fish in the water. One VERY painful ordeal"

+1 on that comment , had a laker put a treble through my thumb out the top and ripped through the whole tip of my thumb. Ouch !
 
01/10/2021 04:05PM  
shock: "
Pinetree: "Landing lakers can be hazardous-at least twice I ended up playing a 5 pound laker with hooks in my hand and fish in the water. One VERY painful ordeal"

+1 on that comment , had a laker put a treble through my thumb out the top and ripped through the whole tip of my thumb , Ouch !"

It is really bad when the fish is still thrashing in the water and you're trying to land him with the hooks in you. It's not worth it unless you like extreme pain. Yes, barbless is a blessing. This was twice just before barbless went into effect in Quetico.
 
LoopyLoons
member (44)member
  
01/10/2021 09:02PM  
It is not difficult it just takes confidence. Calm and smooth actions work the best. Handle the fish with care. The number one thing to remember is never lift a large fish vertically(anything around 3 lbs and over has risk). This will prevent you from breaking the vertebrae of the fish. Goodluck happy paddling.
 
01/11/2021 07:11AM  
SammyN: "I'm horrible at it, and need to get better.”

I’m horrible at it to. Just don’t seem to have the knack. I gave up trying and got a smaller net with a rubber basket which has worked great. Far less strain on the fish and fewer flailing hooks. I also sat down one day this summer with a dreamer tool and ground off most of the barbs on most of my hooks. I have no interest in trying to take a barbed hook out of my skin in the field.
 
01/11/2021 08:08AM  
Jaywalker: "
SammyN: "I'm horrible at it, and need to get better.”

I’m horrible at it to. Just don’t seem to have the knack. I gave up trying and got a smaller net with a rubber basket which has worked great. Far less strain on the fish and fewer flailing hooks. I also sat down one day this summer with a dreamer tool and ground off most of the barbs on most of my hooks. I have no interest in trying to take a barbed hook out of my skin in the field. "


Very true if your going to land by hand a big fish your going to have to play much longer, thus more stress.
 
SammyN
distinguished member (276)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
01/11/2021 10:34AM  
Yeah, I just lack the confidence. I also don't like a net, because of thrashing so much, and it seems like you do a lot of damage to the fish.

For smallies, I'm not worried, grab them by the lip.

What about the other three? Northerns? Lakers? Walleyes? Do you just try to grab all of them under the belly? Over the top of the head?

I personally don't like grabbing them under the chin, as I'm concerned about either slicing my fingers open, or hurting their gills (maybe this shouldn't be a concern).

I'm also thinking about throwing my Berkley kevlar fillet glove on when landing them.

 
thegildedgopher
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01/11/2021 10:59AM  
I don't think nets damage fish nearly as much as handling them by hand does, provided you use a rubber net and not an old nylon style net. The nylon scrapes their slime off, rubber much less so. Hooks don't get all tangled in the rubber either, making for a faster process. You can keep them in the water longer with a net, get the hooks out while water is still coming across their gills, etc.

In my opinion the ONLY reason not to use a net in canoe country is size and weight.
 
Jackfish
Moderator
  
01/11/2021 11:07AM  
Landing walleyes without a net is easy. Unless the walleye is in the upper 20s for length (say 28"+), you should be able to land it simply by grabbing behind the head. Use your palm to lay the dorsal fin flat and put a firm grip on the fish to bring it into the boat.

IMO, a net for walleyes is a solution looking for a problem. You're already sitting near the water. It's an easy reach for the walleye. Just grab it and lift it into the boat. Additionally, the vast majority of walleyes caught are probably 15-22". Simple.

I'm sure, for some, there is a learning curve and a confidence level that would need to be attained to do this comfortably, but it's really quite simple. In over 30 years, our group has never brought a net. Doesn't mean we've never lost a fish at the boat, but it's extremely rare.
 
01/11/2021 11:26AM  
Lake Trout and northern pike is a different situation often.
 
Jackfish
Moderator
  
01/11/2021 11:36AM  
Pinetree: "Lake Trout and northern pike is a different situation often"

We've never fished for lakers, but we've caught hundreds of northerns over the years. I'm not saying it wouldn't be easier to land Mr. Fang with a net, but we make due without one.

Again, the majority of northerns caught are 24-30", certainly easy enough to handle. If you have a net, it will most likely be a net meant for fish in that size range (or smaller). If you catch a northern that is 35"+, your net will be too small anyway so why bring it, carry it and deal with it? We opt to leave it at home.

Plenty of folks bring a net and feel more comfortable using it vs. hand-landing. I say do it the way that works best for you. We all make decisions on gear to bring on a canoe trip. To bring, or not to bring (a net). That is the question. :)
 
01/11/2021 07:49PM  
Well the biggest way to safely hand land a fish is play it out, till it is relaxed/slower on the surface. Don’t be in a hurry. Bass lip them. Every other fish get on their underside opening. Problem with that it is now stressed extra with more lactic acid build up probably higher delayed hooking mortality—-especially in summer weather.

If you can’t get the hand landing down then I’d use the boga type grip. Be VERY careful you don’t twist it or force the fishes head to twist or will do body or jaw damage.

I still prefer a net. Bigger the better, rubberized. If you have problems with fish getting caught or twisted or lures getting snagged then you have the wrong net. A rubberized net this won’t happen. The fish slime loss is low as well. You can land them without as much lactic acid build up or better yet corral them in the net, grab the hook with your pliers, twist, keep them in the water and release. Fish never leaves the water.


This is an example of a rubberized net. This baby got retired after the trip due to all the lakers we caught eventually bent/broke the metal. It lasted the trip but now I have an expensive stowmaster. Can’t put a price on a lunker.

 
GBTG
senior member (75)senior membersenior member
  
01/12/2021 10:39AM  
Caught some big fish over the years including 42.5 NP and 31.5 walleye. All safely ( for me and the fish) released. I put a standard landing net on a cheap aluminum frame trout stream type landing net.
 
GickFirk22
distinguished member (175)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
01/13/2021 11:04AM  
I bought a Stowmaster net (the Mr. Walleye version) and absolutely love it. Very well built, collapses down to a nice carry bag and has a deep flat bag for keeping fish in the water. Highly recommend.
 
WIMike
distinguished member (248)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
01/19/2021 09:29AM  
This doesn't address your question but I bought a folding net from Bass Pro Shops a couple years ago that works great in my kayaks. It folds up so it takes up little space, about the size of a loaf of French bread, but I can grab the handle and flick my wrist and the net snaps open and locks. After use I fold it again and place it where I can grab the handle again easily. It is big enough to land pike up to 36" or so and also works great on inshore fish down South. The bag is rubber coated nylon. Tried to find a link but I couldn't find the identical net on BPS website, although they do sell other folding nets.

Grippers work well too but be prepared for pike, especially the bigger ones, to roll. They can hurt your wrist if you're not careful. I personally wouldn't use a gripper on a pike bigger than 38 or 40" although I'm sure many people do with good results.

To your question, patience is the key. Don't try to rush the fish. Every fish is a little different scenario so I try to be flexible in my approach when I hand land fish but there are some basics. Bass-lip them. Walleye-squeeze behind the head after smoothing down the dorsal spines with your palm. Occasionally I've scooped up walleyes by cupping their belly in my palm, Small pike-squeeze behind the head (not on the gill covers). Big pike-four fingers up under the gill cover (being careful to avoid the gills) and thumb in the soft spot under the chin. Trout-I have no experience.
 
foxfireniner
distinguished member (204)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
01/26/2021 08:18AM  
The last thing I want in a canoe is a net! You are just begging to out a lot of off center weight over the side of the canoe. When I took my kids, the berkley fish grippers worked pretty good. Kept the fish in close and gave me enough control to let me get the hooks out safely.

Its like hooking a walleye in the gills...if you give the fish a fatal injury in the catching or releasing part...you really need to just keep the fish and release the next one.

Both northerns and walleyes will settle down if you grab them by the gill plates. walleyes have the razor gill plates you need to be careful of and they lock that dorsal fin to stick you also. Grabbing the gill plates is good for easy hook removals...i think it enters the damage-fish territory if its a hard hook removal.

But I prefer that to putting my fingers under the gill plates even though that gives you a great grip in northerns...away from the teeth on their gills,
 
01/26/2021 09:34AM  
The only time I bring a net is if I'm specifically targeting Lake Trout. They have a hard mouth (read weak hook set), are slippery as can be and are famous for throwing the hook once they break the surface near the boat.

Bass are just lip grabbed.

Northerns and walleyes depending on size or either just hoisted in or grabbed behind the shoulders.
 
WIMike
distinguished member (248)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
01/26/2021 09:41AM  
foxfireniner: "The last thing I want in a canoe is a net! You are just begging to out a lot of off center weight over the side of the canoe. When I took my kids, the berkley fish grippers worked pretty good. Kept the fish in close and gave me enough control to let me get the hooks out safely.


I do a lot of kayak fishing and sit much lower to the water in a yak than I do in a canoe. I use grippers for the most part (I usually lip bass by hand) but I use a net when fishing for pike or inshore saltwater fishing. I find that I lean MUCH less when using a net than I do when using the grippers because I have a longer handle to work with. The longer handle is even more convenient when fishing out of a canoe where my seat is higher. My yaks are so stable I can net a fish pretty much anywhere I can reach but not so in a canoe. The key is to bring the fish alongside the canoe before netting rather than trying to reach out to the side. That said, a net is prone to having the bag catch on just about everything pointy and it's heavier and bulkier to portage. I really like the folding net I mentioned in a previous post. Takes up little space when folded in the bottom of the canoe but locks open with a flick of the wrist when needed. One thing really nice about grippers is that you can tether them to the boat, lip grip a fish and leave it in the water until you're ready to take a photo. Haven't tried that with a big pike or musky yet but high 30" fish haven't been a problem.
 
taoeatoat
member (16)member
  
01/26/2021 10:00AM  
A picture is worth a thousand words.
 
foxfireniner
distinguished member (204)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
01/26/2021 10:38AM  
WIMike:.


...One thing really nice about grippers is that you can tether them to the boat, lip grip a fish and leave it in the water until you're ready to take a photo. Haven't tried that with a big pike or musky yet but high 30" fish haven't been a problem.
"


Yes, I have used the lip gripper as a temporary stringer while getting pliers, camera, etc.

or to have someone who is not as comfortable handling the fish hand it back to me.
 
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