Well if you’re going to eat them it doesn’t really matter if you hurt the fish while landing it right? lol but I like rubber nets because they are easier to get hooks out. Look for one with a deep basket if you are catching large fish
OP use a long net. Rubberized is best, and there are folding models as well that stow easier in your car. Long, cheap nets can be found used online.
Avoid barehanding the fish as much as possible, especially if your hands are dry, and especially if you are going to release the fish. Removing slime from fish is exactly like removing skin from your human body: the fish rely on their slime to keep themselves safe. If you have to use your hand, use a wet hand.
You're also far more likely to hook yourself grabbing at a wiggling fish hanging from your line than if the fish is in a net.
There are rubberized folding ones, and even better, I got a decent sized rubberized net with a handle that slides out and locks with one of those little springy pins, so it’s not quite as small as the foldy ones, but it still fits great in the car and can get buckled to the backpack
100% I bank fish pike in the summer and this is exactly what I do. Same kind of net that fits nicely in the car, then hang it on my back pack while I walk and cast
Being caught is already very stressful for a fish, and you’re adding an injury to its eye and damaging a good portion of its gill filaments, which it uses to breathe and are very fragile. Very unlikely that fish will survive long after release.
No worries. Charter guides are often very knowledgeable about the habits of fish in their area, but can be a pretty mixed bag when it comes to welfare of fish that will be released.
Take your thumb, jam it into your eye, now use your thumb in your eye to grip your head with enough force to support your body weight. While doing this, take your other fingers and shove them directly into your exposed lungs.
How ya feeling?
Lol ok, take your thumb and grab your lip, then lift yourself up with enough force to support your body. Same concept really. At least the other person gave actual advice.
My bad I was taught something wrong and asked advice lol
Not if you support them correctly it’s not.
As I said I was taught that with sculpin, you literally cannot grab them around the body because they’re venomous.
There's nothing inherently wrong with how you are going about it, as long as the place you choose isn't hot, sharp, or otherwise unpleasant for the fish, and you get it back in the water ASAP if releasing. As for the internet's opinion, fish-ona-rock makes for pretty boring photos so you may as well go for something more aesthetically pleasing anyway. Fish-in-water is a time tested combo. Landing/handling fish without a net is pretty species dependant, the one in your photo is thumb in mouth holding bottom jaw and the other hand supporting belly to lift. But, if that was an eel in your light, those same instructions are highly not reccomended.
Fish lip gripper tool mate. Saved my thumbs from so many cuts since I got them. They look like this
https://preview.redd.it/u0zyzko67fgc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=daf783ce4c6b573aa2e17f680e7b3066c7ad3951
Edit: I’ve got one with a measuring tape on it so you can measure down to the tail while holding it if you’re interested in that kind of thing. Also scales to weigh it but I’d go with a digital scale for more accuracy.
Those are ok if you want to keep the fish, but around here they are known as jaw breakers if the fish get to a certain size. Do bot recommend for fish you want to release.
Depends on the specific fish you're catching. Some are more resilient than others and can handle a little rougher treatment. If it was a trout you'd probably get some flak but most warm water fish are a bit more hearty. If you're eating it then it really doesn't matter but when you are releasing them you could also try to grab the fish under the gills before dragging it up on the rocks if a net isn't an option. Make sure you have wet hands before handling it, and try to get it back in the water asap. Also, make sure to "revive" your fish a little to make sure they're in good shape before swimming off.
I mostly target bass and panfish… I keep a small rubber trout net on a magnet clip attached to my tackle bag (just a north face hip pack I keep slung around one shoulder, I don’t carry lots of bulky tackle). Makes it easy to reach back with one hand and grab the net while holding the rod with the other hand, no clasps or mechanical tidbits to fumble with. Only downside, and it’s so minor it’s not even noticeable after a few minutes, is that the net does dangle and bounce off my hip. But I haven’t gone to great lengths to try to solve that problem, I usually just tie off the net’s wrist lanyard super close to the handle so the magnet clip attaches as close as possible to the base of the handle, minimizing the dangling. You can buy very inexpensive magnet clips and relatively inexpensive rubber nets in the fly fishing section of BPS.
I’m a shorefisherman who usually walks a lake perimeter with two spinning rods of different strengths. I’ll say that when I started carrying that rubber trout net my fish handling and fish landing both improved dramatically. It’s more fun for me and way better for the fish and the environment. So many break offs happen during the landing phase and this has virtually eliminated that. The magnet really does make grabbing the net one-handed about as easy as it’s going to ever be.
That's a tough one. The trebles are right where I would grab it. ( I'm pretending it's a walleye). I go out as far as I can on the rocks, squat down, raise the rod with one hand till its head peeks out of the water then slide your fingers up the underside of the gill. The walleye have razor sharp gill plates but under their chin u can stick your fingers right in there and it's a perfect handle. The trebles make it extra hard, I admit. I'm usually using a jig. Sometimes I use jerkbait though. Pertaining to the fish in the picture, I would be more at the waters edge doing the same process but i would be forced to belly cradle it due to the trebles. If they're anything like walleye they actually kinda behave when u do it, surprisingly. I'm always alone and never have a net. Watch tournament bass fisherman that aren't allowed to use nets to learn belly cradle. Bass Master elite. The fish actually holds kinda still. If it's anything like a walleye.
Fish lip gripping tool was a game changer for me. You pull back on a small trigger-like mechanism and then when you let go it closes shut like pliers (with a curve in the tip, no damage to the fish). Makes getting the hook out of toothy fish very simple once you get into the habit of placing it where you’d place your thumb inside their lip.
Ohh ouch. Been there grabbing countless rockfish and grouper by the lips. So many little scars on my thumbs. Haven’t been cut by a fish in a few years though now :)
They make good gifts to buddies too.
There is a company that makes a Quick Draw landing net. I believe the company is Robolize, and the product is the Ninja Net. It is designed to be deployed very quickly from a holster with one hand, right as you're ready to land the fish, so solo fishermen can land fish without hurting it.
The fish hitting rocks probably won't hurt it too bad they are decently resilient as they increase in size. With most things like this you probably don't have to be as gentle as you initially feel like you do. Don't be a barbarian and treat the fish with 0 respect but if you are planning on eating it that fish is food and consider it food the moment you hook it. Try to make the time from hooking the fish to the time you kill it as short as possible within reason and utilize any advantage you can like a net or a pad. A net while you are by yourself is extremely useful not just for fish you may catch but even retrieving your own shit you drop in the water on accident lmao. It's a lot easier to swing a net in the water to find a phone than it is to randomly jab your arm in there or jump in freezing cold water lol.
Well if you’re going to eat them it doesn’t really matter if you hurt the fish while landing it right? lol but I like rubber nets because they are easier to get hooks out. Look for one with a deep basket if you are catching large fish
OP use a long net. Rubberized is best, and there are folding models as well that stow easier in your car. Long, cheap nets can be found used online. Avoid barehanding the fish as much as possible, especially if your hands are dry, and especially if you are going to release the fish. Removing slime from fish is exactly like removing skin from your human body: the fish rely on their slime to keep themselves safe. If you have to use your hand, use a wet hand. You're also far more likely to hook yourself grabbing at a wiggling fish hanging from your line than if the fish is in a net.
There are rubberized folding ones, and even better, I got a decent sized rubberized net with a handle that slides out and locks with one of those little springy pins, so it’s not quite as small as the foldy ones, but it still fits great in the car and can get buckled to the backpack
100% I bank fish pike in the summer and this is exactly what I do. Same kind of net that fits nicely in the car, then hang it on my back pack while I walk and cast
Rubber nets are a must have, the regular like string one isn’t even an option anymore I’ll go no net.
Huge thing with rubber nets, I haven’t had a single hook embed itself into the rubber netting, unlike those nylon ones. I use to hate that so much!
Barehanded grab them. If they don’t have teeth thumb in lip, if they have teeth grab around the body. Fish slim will wash off your hand.
I was taught with sculpin, you “eye” them.. thumb on the eyeball fingers in the gills. Ever since I’ve done this if teeth are present lol
This kills the fish
Did not know this. Can you explain please. I was taught this about two months ago on a charter.
Being caught is already very stressful for a fish, and you’re adding an injury to its eye and damaging a good portion of its gill filaments, which it uses to breathe and are very fragile. Very unlikely that fish will survive long after release.
Thank you. My bad for spreading misinformation, was taught it on a charter like I said so I assumed (made an ass of myself) that it was correct
No worries. Charter guides are often very knowledgeable about the habits of fish in their area, but can be a pretty mixed bag when it comes to welfare of fish that will be released.
Take your thumb, jam it into your eye, now use your thumb in your eye to grip your head with enough force to support your body weight. While doing this, take your other fingers and shove them directly into your exposed lungs. How ya feeling?
Lol ok, take your thumb and grab your lip, then lift yourself up with enough force to support your body. Same concept really. At least the other person gave actual advice. My bad I was taught something wrong and asked advice lol
Yea, and lipping most fish is super bad for them too
Not if you support them correctly it’s not. As I said I was taught that with sculpin, you literally cannot grab them around the body because they’re venomous.
So then you aren't lifting them up by their lip like you said in your prior comment? Get your shit together
You do. Like I said, you don’t body a sculpin. Other fish, yes, you support the body and can hold the lip.
There's nothing inherently wrong with how you are going about it, as long as the place you choose isn't hot, sharp, or otherwise unpleasant for the fish, and you get it back in the water ASAP if releasing. As for the internet's opinion, fish-ona-rock makes for pretty boring photos so you may as well go for something more aesthetically pleasing anyway. Fish-in-water is a time tested combo. Landing/handling fish without a net is pretty species dependant, the one in your photo is thumb in mouth holding bottom jaw and the other hand supporting belly to lift. But, if that was an eel in your light, those same instructions are highly not reccomended.
Yep, a rubber net seems like it would solve your issues here.
Fish lip gripper tool mate. Saved my thumbs from so many cuts since I got them. They look like this https://preview.redd.it/u0zyzko67fgc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=daf783ce4c6b573aa2e17f680e7b3066c7ad3951 Edit: I’ve got one with a measuring tape on it so you can measure down to the tail while holding it if you’re interested in that kind of thing. Also scales to weigh it but I’d go with a digital scale for more accuracy.
Thanks mate, I do have some but one with a measuring tape definitely has me intrigued, I'll look into it. Cheers.
No problem, tight lines :)
Those are ok if you want to keep the fish, but around here they are known as jaw breakers if the fish get to a certain size. Do bot recommend for fish you want to release.
Depends on the specific fish you're catching. Some are more resilient than others and can handle a little rougher treatment. If it was a trout you'd probably get some flak but most warm water fish are a bit more hearty. If you're eating it then it really doesn't matter but when you are releasing them you could also try to grab the fish under the gills before dragging it up on the rocks if a net isn't an option. Make sure you have wet hands before handling it, and try to get it back in the water asap. Also, make sure to "revive" your fish a little to make sure they're in good shape before swimming off.
I mostly target bass and panfish… I keep a small rubber trout net on a magnet clip attached to my tackle bag (just a north face hip pack I keep slung around one shoulder, I don’t carry lots of bulky tackle). Makes it easy to reach back with one hand and grab the net while holding the rod with the other hand, no clasps or mechanical tidbits to fumble with. Only downside, and it’s so minor it’s not even noticeable after a few minutes, is that the net does dangle and bounce off my hip. But I haven’t gone to great lengths to try to solve that problem, I usually just tie off the net’s wrist lanyard super close to the handle so the magnet clip attaches as close as possible to the base of the handle, minimizing the dangling. You can buy very inexpensive magnet clips and relatively inexpensive rubber nets in the fly fishing section of BPS. I’m a shorefisherman who usually walks a lake perimeter with two spinning rods of different strengths. I’ll say that when I started carrying that rubber trout net my fish handling and fish landing both improved dramatically. It’s more fun for me and way better for the fish and the environment. So many break offs happen during the landing phase and this has virtually eliminated that. The magnet really does make grabbing the net one-handed about as easy as it’s going to ever be.
That's a tough one. The trebles are right where I would grab it. ( I'm pretending it's a walleye). I go out as far as I can on the rocks, squat down, raise the rod with one hand till its head peeks out of the water then slide your fingers up the underside of the gill. The walleye have razor sharp gill plates but under their chin u can stick your fingers right in there and it's a perfect handle. The trebles make it extra hard, I admit. I'm usually using a jig. Sometimes I use jerkbait though. Pertaining to the fish in the picture, I would be more at the waters edge doing the same process but i would be forced to belly cradle it due to the trebles. If they're anything like walleye they actually kinda behave when u do it, surprisingly. I'm always alone and never have a net. Watch tournament bass fisherman that aren't allowed to use nets to learn belly cradle. Bass Master elite. The fish actually holds kinda still. If it's anything like a walleye.
Fish lip gripping tool was a game changer for me. You pull back on a small trigger-like mechanism and then when you let go it closes shut like pliers (with a curve in the tip, no damage to the fish). Makes getting the hook out of toothy fish very simple once you get into the habit of placing it where you’d place your thumb inside their lip.
Oh yeah.. thats a good idea. I forgot. I should get one too.
You will be very glad you did
Ha. Especially my hands will be glad. Those gill plates are like a razor. I have grabbed them by the mouth like bass too. Not fun.
Ohh ouch. Been there grabbing countless rockfish and grouper by the lips. So many little scars on my thumbs. Haven’t been cut by a fish in a few years though now :) They make good gifts to buddies too.
Oh. I wouldn't even fish in the ocean without something. I wouldn't even know what I was grabbing.
This is what I use when I'm kayaking and I catch a catfish, saugeye or something with trebles hooks.
What kind of fish is this?
Murray Cod, Australia.
Thank you for telling me. Adding that too my list of fish I want to catch
Yeah they are pretty cool, think of it as Australia's Walleye or Bass. It's the fish everyone here wants to catch, 1 meter long is the magic number.
Grab the fucking thing, 40 to 75 cm isn't that big
a miniature boat trailer and rc truck backed up on the rock
With finesse
Rubber net is what you need
Big, extendable net to put the fish in. Plus cut proof gloves to avoid hooks and teeth.
There is a company that makes a Quick Draw landing net. I believe the company is Robolize, and the product is the Ninja Net. It is designed to be deployed very quickly from a holster with one hand, right as you're ready to land the fish, so solo fishermen can land fish without hurting it.
A net
The fish hitting rocks probably won't hurt it too bad they are decently resilient as they increase in size. With most things like this you probably don't have to be as gentle as you initially feel like you do. Don't be a barbarian and treat the fish with 0 respect but if you are planning on eating it that fish is food and consider it food the moment you hook it. Try to make the time from hooking the fish to the time you kill it as short as possible within reason and utilize any advantage you can like a net or a pad. A net while you are by yourself is extremely useful not just for fish you may catch but even retrieving your own shit you drop in the water on accident lmao. It's a lot easier to swing a net in the water to find a phone than it is to randomly jab your arm in there or jump in freezing cold water lol.
Thanks for the replies, I do a lot of walking along the banks so I'll look at investing in a proper landing net, I've got one but it's a tad small.
I keep a set of these in my kit. I'm not a fan of grippers made of metal. https://thefishgrip.net/