Landing net for ocean shore fishing?

Question

Hello. I am a fisherman who goes ocean shore fishing here in CA and I'm looking for a good telescopic landing net (the ones where you can extend the handle) to scoop up my catch. The other week I had a huge fish on my line, but didn't have a net in hand, and my line broke. I fish from the shore and the water is about 6-10 feet below me. I'm looking for something that folds to a decent compact size that I could bring with me in case I land the big one. Oh and I only intend to use it once in awhile...only for those 4-plus pounder fish. Any advice on which ones are good, reliable, not too heavy, and relatively compact?

I had the idea of using heavier line or a bigger pole, but I really love fishing fish on smaller poles...thanks in advance:)

Answer 1

You could find some nice Asian telescopic nets on eBay. The handles could retract to around 4 feet and the net could be folded down to fit in most backpacks. Those nets usually come with a fine mesh which will retain a film of water in the net. Fish in general, won't flop around much in those nets because of that film of water; this will make landing fish much easier. I've used those landing nets ever since I found them. Those nets are a lot stronger than they looked; they were actually designed to land carp and they could handle fish around 20 pounds. You could search places that sells Kois because those nets were also used as a pond net.

http://cgi.ebay.com/HEX-TELESCOPIC-FISH-...

The link I posted showed a shorter handle. I'd prefer 8' telescopic handle or longer so I could use the net on breakwaters also.

Addition:

I was given a 4 or 5 year old net by a Chinese friend around 20 years ago. I use the net when I fish on breakwaters. I also use the net when I'm fishing for carp. The net still got a lot of life in it and I think it will last another 10-20 years. The net I was given was made in Taiwan. I think newer made in China nets probably won't last this long.

The net is easy to use. I use the net unexpended when I'm carp fishing. When I fish on the breakwaters, I'll extend the handle and rest the net on the rocks or in the water directly in front of me. I also use the handle as a walking stick sometimes.

I've purchased 4 other nets before I was given the net. Those nets are either too short for breakwater or too small for anything over 5lbs. Out of the 4 nets I purchased, 2 of them have telescopic handles. Handles on those 2 nets uses a push button that clicks and lock the handle in position. Button locks are okay during the day but they are not that easy to use at night. It is difficult to match the little button to the hole when you could hardly see. The net I was given uses twist lock. There's no button to match the holes. You could extend a desired portion of the handle and lock it in place wherever you wish with a twist lock.

The only thing I don't like about the net is that those fine mesh nets will smell worse than nylon nets after you land your fish. The net was made out of something similar to braid lines and it traps odors very well. The net will smell even if you didn't catch anything. It will pick up odor from the lake or ocean if it got in contact with water. Luckily, no special care was needed to clean the net. Just hose it down after use and you'll be fine.

There're people selling 4-8ft net handles on eBay. I'm pretty sure those people also sells nets for the handles. You can match a removable net of desired size to the handle.

Answer 2

For the telescopic nets that fold up, the telescopic part of the net can be extended by yourself  once you're ready to land the fish (with a little bit of technique), but the folded net part should probably be unfolded and ready before you start fishing.

The only problem is that it's pretty difficult to land a fish, and hold on to the pole at the same time, though I've seen it done many times here in Japan.

Answer 3

your answer is / http:www.bassproshop.com/saltwater for some of the best telescopic landing nets on the planet. check out the gaffs also these would make a good wading stick. Your fishing pal