WALLEYE NETTING TECHNIQUES-LAKE ERIE

[ROOSTER RAY]

HAS THIS HAPPEN TO YOU????You are fishing with you buddy and having a great day * THEN IT HAPPENS* A HUGE WALLEYE--IS MISSED DUE TO A LANDING TECHNIQUE...and all of a sudden the one who missed it goes to THE NEW SCHOOL OF HOW IT SHOULD HAVE HAPPEN.!! QUESTION? What are some TIPS on netting WALLEYE? I have been on both sides of this issue..

[ozie]

#1. Net size minimum is approx. 3' in diameter and pole size of 8' to 10'.
#2. Get the net as far down in the water as possible. Have your buddy keep backing to the front of the boat, have his tip up, and reel it into the net. At that time, let the fish swim into the net and pull right up.

THIS PROCEEDURE WORKS FOR ME. HAVEN'T LOST ONE IN 3 YEARS!!!

GOOD LUCK,
OZIE

[RANGER]

OZIE HAS IT RIGHT!! BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD.....ALWAYS, ALWAYS,ALWAYS BRING THE FISH TO THE NET, DON'T TAKE THE NET TO THE FISH!! USE REGULAR NETTING MATERIALS, i.e. COTTON, POLYESTER etc. YEAH, THE 'EYE WILL GET TANGLED AT TIMES BUT THEY WON'T "BOUNCE" OUT LIKE THEY DO IN THE RUBBER ONES!! I HATE THOSE RUBBER JOBS AND I DON'T KNOW ANYONE THAT LIKES THEM.

[Gunga Din]

I lost my biggest walleye ever many years ago when a friend did a bad net job. To this day I'm still paranoid any time I get a big fish on and someone else has the net. So unless they're a known-competent netter, I'll net it myself.

[Fin Addict]

We have landing net drills before we go out every spring. I get just a little riled up when I lose a 30" fish at the boat due to a poor netting job. My wife and kids are now excellent w/ the landing net. Do this before you go out or there could be some long silent rides home. Actually I would much rather have my 13 year old net a fish for me than most adults I know. Preparation and attention to detail makes all the difference.

[Lund_Dude]

Could you explain your netting drill? Also, how do you convince your wife and 13 year old to go out into the yard to do netting practice? ;-)

[TerryMac]

Use large enough net, long enough handle....and DO NOT put net in water until you net the fish.
23 years of guiding charters and smaller boats taught me those 3 things.

[Fin Addict]

I do a fair amount of Salmonoid fishing on the Great Lakes as well as walleye fishing. When we go out we literally run the drill of what is going to happen when we get a fish. If a particularly large one, who will drive the boat, who gets the first fish, who mans the net, if downriggers need to be cleared we plan ahead who will do that, early in the season we literally take a dipsy rod and work it to the net. No screaming since we started doing this and we are a well oiled machine rather than our previous chaos. I also have my kids out in the front yard practicing their casting w/ fly rods. My 15 year old daughter is a very proficient flyfisher. Much more fun if they know enough to have success.

[nick m]

>Use large enough net, long enough
>handle....and DO NOT put net
>in water until you net
>the fish.
>23 years of guiding charters and
>smaller boats taught me those
>3 things.
NET THEM HEAD FIRST!!!!!!!!

[Eye Trap]

>Been fishing Lake Erie since 1968 and tried every landing/netting technique known to man. First of all, keep the net out of the water until you are ready to "hit" the fish. Tell angler to keep fish "in" the water. Secondly, if you are right handed, pull loose portion of net up handle with left hand and hold in palm with handle. Last but not least, let the angler tire fish and bring to netting position close to boat. "Spear" your trophy head first in water and "fold" netting so it can't swim out. Retrieve net and fish. Hope this helps all the trophy hunters out there. Fireline.HHAPPEN TO YOU????You are
>fishing with you buddy and
>having a great day *
>THEN IT HAPPENS* A HUGE
>WALLEYE--IS MISSED DUE TO A
>LANDING TECHNIQUE...and all of a
>sudden the one who missed
>it goes to THE NEW
>SCHOOL OF HOW IT SHOULD
>HAVE HAPPEN.!! QUESTION? What are
>some TIPS on netting
>WALLEYE? I have been on
>both sides of this issue..
>

[bob oh]

Hey, I thought most of you were C&R guys?? If you screw up netting just claim "quick C&R". Relax, nettem when they're whipped, and if you miss one, say "that's the biggest eye I've ever seen, to bad you lost it!!!!!!!!!!!!" ;-)
Bob

[EYE SLAYER]

HEAD FIRST NO MATTER WHAT!!FISH SWIM FOWARD FASTER THAN REVERSE.BUT DON'T TELL THAT TO MY BUDDIES WHO ALMOST AREN'T ANYMORE RE:ALMOST LOST TROPHIES.

[ROOSTER RAY]

HEY..THANKS FOR THE TIPS..I hope to use a few and as BOB OH put it, if I happen to miss one its QUICK CATCH AND RELEASE,and of course it will be the biggest WALLEYE I have ever seen. I appreciate your help..RAY

[TerryMac]

LOL Yah LOL.
forgot to tell ya that part.....heheheheheh.