Trolling on Lake Superior for salmon and lake trout requires attention to lots of detail. Downriggers. Boards. Dipsey Divers. Rods & reels. Lures, lines, and terminal tackle. Boat and Motors. Electronics of several sorts. And usually last – but it should not be least – a net.
Why shouldn’t a net be your least considered option for tweaking your fish-catching operation? More fish are lost after hook-up because of netting than any thing else. If you’re ever out on a fishing charter, just watch who handles the netting. It isn’t the inexperienced guests who get that job. No - the newbies are assigned the rods & reels. The first-mate or captain will be on the net making sure every fish gets in the boat.
For the actual hardware, find a net that has an adequate basket size for the usual size fish you are catching. Too small – and well, you know why not. Way too big, and it gets unwieldy and hard to maneuver. The handle should be of adequate length to give you needed reach for comfortably working from your size boat. For handles that extend, be sure to mark the handles with a black Sharpie so you can quickly find the lock-in locations when extending.
Have a game plan ahead of time with your fishing partners on who and how to net. It eliminates wasted motion in the hubbub that happens when you get fish on. Your boat layout determines your best locations for where to be positioned during the scoop. Getting the gig down right between reeler and netter can be good sport. But avoiding missed fish is the important prize.
Watching a rube unsuccessfully chase a fish from behind with a net can be entertaining, but I prefer admiring a net basket smartly put in front of a fish snout. Besides, that way you can witness more welcome aboard ceremonies.
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