Carrying landing net and staying mobile when landbased

[EnOz43]

Recently I got a telescopic net (PRO TRUST Telescopic Landing Net Set Real MAX Versal Arm 300) from eBay. It's made of glass fibre. Extended length: 3m. Collapsed length: 44cm. It's perfect if you want mobility and you don't want to carry an ISO telescopic net. These are not cheap though (about $150 with shipping).

Cheers

[Little_Flatty]

11 hours ago, EnOz43 said:

Recently I got a telescopic net (PRO TRUST Telescopic Landing Net Set Real MAX Versal Arm 300) from eBay. It's made of glass fibre. Extended length: 3m. Collapsed length: 44cm. It's perfect if you want mobility and you don't want to carry an ISO telescopic net. These are not cheap though (about $150 with shipping).

Cheers

@EnOz43 that’s brilliant! I’ll wait till my current net is trashed and then I’ll look for one of these! Thanks for the heads up!

[Little_Flatty]

On 12/3/2021 at 5:52 PM, Little_Flatty said:

So, my Raider friends, eureka! I think I have the beginnings of a half-decent solution!

I don't know exactly how I came to discover this, but a lot of anglers, particularly fly fishermen, use magnets to carry their equipment, including their little landing nets. All of my nets are much bigger than this. So I ended up purchasing three magnet sets on ebay, and zip-tied them to my backpack, and my net handle. This is just enough to hold the net:

This detaches quite easily (sometimes a little too easily) for use when I have a fish on:

I have put it on my left because I fish with a left-hand wind (even though I am right handed) and will generally have the rod in my right hand.

Now, the big advantage of this solution is that I can feasibly carry a net with me everywhere, and be 100% ready to use it when I hook up. The disadvantage is that any vigorous activity (e.g. running to chase a bust-up on the water - which I have been known to do), will cause me to drop the net. I'm also not bushwalking with this setup, nor will I be riding a bike without the security of additional velcro straps.

The other issue is that this is my el-cheapo net bought from a certain large French sports store chain. It looks to be fine on anything up to a 50cm flatty, but beyond that I think it will suffer. For now, I'll just rack this up as a nice problem to have. I always philosophise to myself that I enjoy losing fish almost as much as I enjoy catching them; I'm grateful just to interact with a good specimen, and landing one is an even bigger privilege. I might look into attaching my ISO net in due course, but I have found this way to long for my liking (it extends to 5m). It unfortunately won't work with my 'snapper' net, if I want the folding mechanism to work.

I'll report back after a few sessions and let you all know how I go with it. If anything, I might need another magnet. That will take the total project cost to over $50. Unfortunately of late, I've only been able to get fish that are not worthy of a netting, even with my cheapo net and 6lb leader. Like this model from this morning...maybe my screen name is a curse!

Ok, so time to update this thread a little. So with my solution, I had a couple of problems:

-  First, attaching the bag to the net was rather insecure, if I bumped something or walked too vigorously, it would fall off

- At low tide I found myself lacking sufficient net handle length in a few of my spots.

So I tried my 5m telescopic ISO net instead, which solved the length problem. But it was HEAVY so the magnets wouldn't hold, and my back would get sore after a couple of hours of fishing.

I had a think about the tenuous link between the magnets on my bag and on my net, and realised that the lateral play on the magnets was a problem. I needed a more rigid link for the magnets so they could achieve and retain better contact. Enter a spare piece of conduit I had in the garage, with a few holes drilled in it:

Note also how I have put a piece of bicycle tube over the net handle. This helps the magnets on the net side to stay in place.

Here is a picture of the net attached to the bag:

Initial at-home tests seem to indicate the attachment is much more solid. Field test tomorrow.

But...it doesn't solve my length problem. So I ordered @EnOz43's net. I'll have another update when it arrives!

[Little_Flatty]

Hi Raiders,

So a further update is long overdue. Truth be told, I've been happily working with my current setup for a couple of months now, and it's been working so well that I've forgotten how much thinking it has taken me to get to this point.

After buying @EnOz43's net (PRO-TRUST carbon landing net), I did the relevant mods required to make it fit for my purposes. Firstly, I needed a MUCH deeper net so I borrowed the net off my **large French sports chain** net. I also ordered a rubber replacement net from China, but it is still a while away.

Not wanting my magnets to butt against the carbon handle, I made another PVC magnet holder for the other side of the magnets. A bit of silicone tubing (my home brewing hobby comes to the rescue), a few reusable zip ties and the project is complete:

How does it work? Like a dream! If you trawl through my reports from the past few months, every decent fish reported was landed with the help of this net. This includes a 70cm flatty and a barra. It really didn't take very long to learn how to land fish solo, even extending the net and swimming the fish into the net and then bringing the fish up, all without any assistance from anyone else.

Sure it cost $160 (more when the rubber mesh arrives), but I can't believe that something like this is not an every-day-carry for every Sydney lure fisho. This net alone is worth more than my outfit (admittedly I got my outfit for an absolute steal), but it's been worth every cent of money and every ounce of mental energy I've spent on it.

If anyone else wants to build a similar setup, I'd be happy to help them with suppliers and tips. Just PM me.

As an aside, my Rapala backpack zipper died, so it's presently out of action while I work out what to do with it. In the meantime I'm working with a tackle belt from the previously mentioned large French sports chain. I'm actually quite happy with it.

Thanks to everyone who helped me think this through, particularly @EnOz43 who delivered the trump card recommendation of the PRO-TRUST net.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 27, 2022 by Little_Flatty

[4mjonesjr]

@Little_Flatty I know this is a pretty old thread but found your topic very interesting. I do a lot of plugging in the US for Striped Bass in a marsh area. It's muddy and requires boot foot waders just to access. The tidal water can make landing fish very difficult to nearly impossible without a net, especially when the water level is low on an outgoing tide. 

I too struggled with carrying a long net around, having to lay it down at each spot I stopped at. The having to work my way to the net and reach for it once I had the fish under control to retrieve it from below the bank I was standing on. Sometimes that can be a couple feet and sometimes that could be 4-5 feet. 

I came upon a neighborhood app that people buy and sell as well as give things away. A fellow was giving away a Lacrosse back pack. It had a pre-rigged diagonal location that a   lacrosse stick would slide into for carrying. This got me thinking and so I picked it up. The only problem I found was that the net would slide all the way in down to the hoop. The handle of the net is normally 4 feet long. I added a 18" screw in section to lengthen it. In order to keep it sticking up I added a sections of plastic sink drain pipe together and at its end put a large washer in the end of it's threaded screw which acts as a stopper. At the other top end I added fittings together to create a large opening. This aided in putting it back in easily with just my my left hand over my left shoulder. 

I can hook a fish, tire it out and when ready slide the net out with my left hand while holding my rod with my right and net it. This worked so well for me that I made a second back pack that was smaller that the one I started with. Since I have a net that I can screw in a extension handle to the existing handle I sometime add a telescoping handle when fishing locations that the water surface is even lower from the bank that a near 6 foot handle will not reach.

I originally tried finding another Lacrosse back pack that was smaller but none of them had a diagonal stick path through it. They were all vertical models, even from the same manufacture. I guess the one I got was fairly old and they'd moved on from the design.

Since I'm right handed and cast over my right shoulder I've never had this interfere with my casting or hook sets either. I find myself often having to fabricate things I want that do not seem to exist for my preferences when it come to fishing accessories. I'm glad you were able to find and make something that worked for you eventually. 

Here's a picture of the first one I made and a couple of pictures of the second. The second was a black laptop backpack that had a large cavity that I ran the tube through and use for storing gloves and other stuff I don't use a lot but want to have if necessary. 

Cheers

 

[Little_Flatty]

12 minutes ago, 4mjonesjr said:

@Little_Flatty I know this is a pretty old thread but found your topic very interesting. I do a lot of plugging in the US for Striped Bass in a marsh area. It's muddy and requires boot foot waders just to access. The tidal water can make landing fish very difficult to nearly impossible without a net, especially when the water level is low on an outgoing tide. 

I too struggled with carrying a long net around, having to lay it down at each spot I stopped at. The having to work my way to the net and reach for it once I had the fish under control to retrieve it from below the bank I was standing on. Sometimes that can be a couple feet and sometimes that could be 4-5 feet. 

I came upon a neighborhood app that people buy and sell as well as give things away. A fellow was giving away a Lacrosse back pack. It had a pre-rigged diagonal location that a   lacrosse stick would slide into for carrying. This got me thinking and so I picked it up. The only problem I found was that the net would slide all the way in down to the hoop. The handle of the net is normally 4 feet long. I added a 18" screw in section to lengthen it. In order to keep it sticking up I added a sections of plastic sink drain pipe together and at its end put a large washer in the end of it's threaded screw which acts as a stopper. At the other top end I added fittings together to create a large opening. This aided in putting it back in easily with just my my left hand over my left shoulder. 

I can hook a fish, tire it out and when ready slide the net out with my left hand while holding my rod with my right and net it. This worked so well for me that I made a second back pack that was smaller that the one I started with. Since I have a net that I can screw in a extension handle to the existing handle I sometime add a telescoping handle when fishing locations that the water surface is even lower from the bank that a near 6 foot handle will not reach.

I originally tried finding another Lacrosse back pack that was smaller but none of them had a diagonal stick path through it. They were all vertical models, even from the same manufacture. I guess the one I got was fairly old and they'd moved on from the design.

Since I'm right handed and cast over my right shoulder I've never had this interfere with my casting or hook sets either. I find myself often having to fabricate things I want that do not seem to exist for my preferences when it come to fishing accessories. I'm glad you were able to find and make something that worked for you eventually. 

Here's a picture of the first one I made and a couple of pictures of the second. The second was a black laptop backpack that had a large cavity that I ran the tube through and use for storing gloves and other stuff I don't use a lot but want to have if necessary. 

Cheers

 

 @4mjonesjr!

Thanks for your story. I see that my problem is an international one! Love your solution.

I’m still not 100% happy with my current solution; I’m now onto a belt mounted rod holder, but it’s clunky compared to the magnets (but a lot more secure). If I can’t work something else out, I might go on the search for a similar lacrosse pack (although I note your trouble finding one!). Might need to go custom…

[4mjonesjr]

22 hours ago, Little_Flatty said:

 @4mjonesjr!

Thanks for your story. I see that my problem is an international one! Love your solution.

I’m still not 100% happy with my current solution; I’m now onto a belt mounted rod holder, but it’s clunky compared to the magnets (but a lot more secure). If I can’t work something else out, I might go on the search for a similar lacrosse pack (although I note your trouble finding one!). Might need to go custom…

Thanks for the welcome. I’m curious as to your current solution, I’m envisioning a wading belt with a converted rod holder or something.

I searched high and low for a similar pack design that went form upper left down to lower right and couldn’t find anything with that design being made. Converting what I had on had on hand which was the old canvas pack accepted the design idea very well.

I had a similar issue trying to find a rod holder/caddy that was vertical as opposed to everything I found being made which was horizontal and would set on the ground. Which I’m sure is fine for most but the marsh area I fish it floods over the banks often at high tides and sometimes I’m standing in 4-6 inches of water.

Once again, I set out to build what I want but this time from scratch adding all the features I wanted in such a device. Took a while to get it done in my spare time while always trying to fish too. But from concept drawing to completion, I got it done and I really like the way it turned out.

Concept:

Easy to carry with one hand and hold 4 rods

Plunge into the earth, hold, and not tip over in the mud

Prevent rod tips from bouncing together or touching

Be able to hang my pack to access it

Break down to fit in my trunk

[Little_Flatty]

22 hours ago, 4mjonesjr said:

Thanks for the welcome. I’m curious as to your current solution, I’m envisioning a wading belt with a converted rod holder or something.

I searched high and low for a similar pack design that went form upper left down to lower right and couldn’t find anything with that design being made. Converting what I had on had on hand which was the old canvas pack accepted the design idea very well.

I had a similar issue trying to find a rod holder/caddy that was vertical as opposed to everything I found being made which was horizontal and would set on the ground. Which I’m sure is fine for most but the marsh area I fish it floods over the banks often at high tides and sometimes I’m standing in 4-6 inches of water.

Once again, I set out to build what I want but this time from scratch adding all the features I wanted in such a device. Took a while to get it done in my spare time while always trying to fish too. But from concept drawing to completion, I got it done and I really like the way it turned out.

Concept:

Easy to carry with one hand and hold 4 rods

Plunge into the earth, hold, and not tip over in the mud

Prevent rod tips from bouncing together or touching

Be able to hang my pack to access it

Break down to fit in my trunk

Loving it @4mjonesjr!

I’ve had similar thoughts, although being urban I need a trolley as soft ground is not always available. That way, like you I could keep multiple rods rigged and ready to go. I even purchased a $5 golf trolley 2nd hand to support such a project, but alas I was so slow to embark on it that it got Marie Kondo’ed out of existence!

Would love to see some of the fish that you catch and methods that you employ where you are. Feel free to post a fishing report any time!

[4mjonesjr]

On 1/18/2023 at 1:24 PM, Little_Flatty said:

Loving it @4mjonesjr!

I’ve had similar thoughts, although being urban I need a trolley as soft ground is not always available. That way, like you I could keep multiple rods rigged and ready to go. I even purchased a $5 golf trolley 2nd hand to support such a project, but alas I was so slow to embark on it that it got Marie Kondo’ed out of existence!

Would love to see some of the fish that you catch and methods that you employ where you are. Feel free to post a fishing report any time!

I use light inshore spinning gear, 7'-7'6" Med and Med Heavy rods with 2500-3000 spinners with the exception of sometimes throwing large wake baits and s-wavers which are to heavy for my light gear. I throw things like paddle tails, jerk baits, buck tails, top water baits and what has become one of my most productive baits which is the zMan Razor Shadz. That finesse baits just get hammered twitching it off the bottom. 

[Fried Rice]

I used to do a lot of wading in Narrabeen Lake targeting Flatties on plastic with a regular by-catch of Blue Swimmer crabs. I used to use a regular type landing net with the end of the aluminium handle cut at a fairly sharp angle. I could shove it through the back of my bait bucket belt on an angle to carry it if I wished and simply shove it in the sand if stopped. The real beauty was that if I landed something that I potentially wanted to keep the depth/angle of the handle could be adjusted so that I could use it as a keeper net as well.