Fishing Nets

Scooping Up Fish With Fishing Nets

When you're trying to haul in a nice catch, you have to be equipped with the right fishing gear. A fishing net could be a key tool to help with your success. You can find a fishing net that works for different situations, whether you're fishing off-shore or on-shore, in fresh or salt water.

A fishing net will consist of a grid of thin, strong material that can catch fish while letting water pass through. There are a number of materials that can be used, including:

• Rubber: These types of fishing nets remove less of the protective slime coat that covers fish. This makes them good for catch-and-release fisherman. Also, fishing hooks are less likely to get tangled in this type of mesh netting.
• Non-coated nylon: The mesh on this type of fishing net is a bit rough in texture and could harm a fish. This is fine if you plan on eating the fish you catch.
• Coated nylon: Like rubber, this material is gentler on fish. This type of mesh is lightweight has a low likelihood of getting tangled with fishing hooks.
• Knotted: Knots can add strength to a fishing net.
• Knotless: Knotless nets are less abrasive, making them more fish-friendly.

The large variety of fishing nets is indicative of how many species are out there as well as the number of fishing methods used. Here are some types of fishing nets:

• Landing/Hand/Scoop/Dip net - If a net has a long handle, it could be referred to as a dip net. The handle on the net could be made out of aluminum or fiberglass, which are both light and strong. A landing net could also be made out of wood. Some landing nets have collapsible or folding handles.
• Gill net - A gill net drifts at the surface of the water, hanging from floats in a vertical position. A fisherman will set the net and then return to collect anything that has been tangled up or gilled in the netting.
• Fyke net - This is a type of cylindrical or cone-shaped trap. It's usually grounded with anchors or stakes. The fish are guided in through a wide opening and into a progressively smaller area until they're stuck in the trap.
• Cast net - A cast net is circular and has small weights around its edge. A retrieval clamp is used to close the fishing net around the fish so that they can be hauled in.

• Salmon: Most of these fishing nets have long, heavy-duty handles for the large fish.
• Trout: A fishing net with a short handle make it easier to take trout with you.