A landing net is useful when it solves a real landing problem: a fish is too heavy to lift safely, the bank or dock keeps you above the water, loose hooks make hand-landing risky, or you need control for quick identification and unhooking. Choose a net for the fish and access point, then keep it ready before the first cast.
This question is easy to dismiss as a gear preference. It is not. In a recent discussion about beginner purchases anglers wished they had made sooner, landing nets came up repeatedly. Anglers described high docks, short handles that could not reach the water, hooks tangled in traditional mesh, and fish dragged or lifted because no net was ready. A recent UK beginner-equipment discussion also included a landing net among the basic fish-care tools.
Those threads identify the practical problem. Fisheries guidance and research help separate useful choices from blanket claims.
Do you always need a landing net?
No single landing method is best in every situation.
Small fish can sometimes be released at the waterline without netting or lifting. A recent study of recreationally caught coho salmon found that fish landed without a net had the least scale loss and fin damage, although those fish were also smaller, which limits a direct comparison. The researchers recommend reducing handling and netting where practical, but using a large, submerged, fine-mesh knotless net when a net is necessary. Their recommended mesh opening is less than 5 mm (less than 0.2 inches).
A net becomes the sensible option when it prevents a worse alternative, such as:
- swinging a substantial fish by the line, rod, hook, jaw, or tail;
- dragging a fish over rocks, sand, concrete, or a dry deck;
- leaning dangerously over a steep bank, dock, or boat side;
- grabbing near exposed treble hooks;
- extending the fight because there is no controlled way to land the fish;
- losing control while checking species, size, or harvest status.
Natural Resources Wales advises anglers not to drag salmon over stones or gravel and recommends a soft, knotless, small-mesh net with a shallow, wide bottom. Regulations can be stricter than general best practice, so check the rules for your water before assuming that any net is legal or sufficient.
Choose fish-friendly mesh first
For fish that may be released, start with soft knotless or rubber-coated mesh. Avoid metal mesh and coarse knotted material.
In a controlled bluegill experiment, every tested net type caused more fin abrasion and skin disturbance than the no-net control. However, knotted mesh was more injurious than rubber or knotless mesh. The fish were held in nets for 30 seconds at 26 °C (79 °F), so the result should not be treated as a universal mortality prediction for every species or condition. It does show that both material and time in the net matter.
A separate barramundi study found that a knotless, flat-bottomed net reduced fin damage and skin abrasion compared with a knotted-mesh net. Both designs still caused some injury. The right conclusion is not that a rubber net makes handling harmless; it is that a less abrasive net, used briefly and kept wet, can reduce avoidable damage when netting is necessary.
Fine mesh also gives small fins and hook points fewer large openings to enter. Treble hooks can still catch any mesh, so the lure must remain under control.
Match the hoop and bag to the fish
The hoop should comfortably admit the largest fish you realistically expect. The bag should support the body without forcing the fish to fold sharply or leaving it hanging vertically.
Look for:
- a wide opening that does not require a perfect last-second aim;
- enough bag depth to contain the fish without crushing it;
- a flat or broad bottom that lets a long fish lie supported;
- smooth joints and frame edges that will not scrape the catch;
- flotation or a secure tether if dropping the net is likely.
Do not buy purely for maximum size. An oversized hoop can be awkward among brush, difficult for a child to control, and cumbersome in a small boat. The best net is large enough for the likely catch and manageable in the place you actually fish.
Match the handle to the access point
Stand where you expect to land a fish and identify the water you can safely reach without kneeling on an unstable edge or leaning past your balance point.
- From a low bank or small boat, a short rigid handle can be accurate and easy to store.
- From a high bank or dock, a telescoping handle may be essential.
- Around brush, a very long fixed handle can snag branches and become difficult to position.
- In current, a large hoop and flexible extension create more drag and require more control.
Never use a long handle as an excuse to enter an unsafe position. Plan a lower landing point before casting when the bank is steep, slippery, undercut, or exposed to waves.
Inspect telescoping locks, frame joints, handle pins, tether points, and mesh before every trip. A mechanism that slips under load can drop the fish, trap the line, or put the angler off balance.
Set the net up before fishing
A folded net inside a zipped bag is not ready.
Before casting:
- Open and lock the handle and hoop.
- Put the net where you can reach it with one hand.
- Place pliers and cutters beside the landing area.
- Clear loose line, bags, rods, and clothing that could catch the frame.
- Wet the mesh before it contacts a fish.
- If fishing with someone else, agree who controls the rod and who controls the net.
If local rules require a particular net, unhooking mat, or release tool, having the item in the car may not count. Read the official rule for the named water.
How to net a fish
The rod angler leads the fish; the net does not chase it.
- Keep steady pressure and guide the fish toward reachable, obstruction-free water.
- Submerge the hoop and hold it still or move it slowly into position.
- Lead the fish headfirst over the rim. A fish can reverse away if approached tail-first.
- Once the whole fish is inside, lift only enough to secure the bag.
- Keep the net submerged when possible while you put down the rod and pick up the release tool.
- Support the frame and bag when moving the catch; do not carry a heavy fish suspended at the end of an extended handle.
Do not stab at the fish, scrape it along the rim, or scoop upward while part of its body remains outside. If the fish turns away, reset and guide it back instead of chasing it around the water.
Control hooks before handling
A net contains the fish, but it can also put your hand close to a loose hook. With multi-hook lures, identify every hook point before reaching in.
Keep the fish in the water and create controlled slack. Use long pliers to remove an accessible hook. If another hook is caught in the mesh, control that hook before freeing the fish. Cut the hook attachment or mesh when that is safer than a prolonged struggle.
Do not lift the fish in the net to take a photo while hooks remain uncontrolled. Do not hold the fish by the net bag alone; mesh can tighten around fins, gill covers, or the tail.
Keep net time short
A landing net is a transition tool, not a holding pen.
Prepare the camera, measuring device, and legal decision before lifting the fish. Skip optional measurements and photos when the catch is deeply hooked, bleeding, exhausted, difficult to identify, or hard to control. Keep the fish and wet net out of hot, dry, abrasive surfaces.
NOAA Fisheries catch-and-release guidance emphasizes minimizing handling, keeping fish in the water when possible, using wet hands, and supporting the body. Apply those principles even when the net has fish-friendly mesh.
After release, rinse away mud and plant fragments at the site only when local invasive-species guidance allows it, then clean, drain, and dry gear as required before visiting another water. Rules differ by jurisdiction and may require specific disinfection steps.
A simple buying checklist
Before choosing a net, answer these questions:
- What is the largest species I am genuinely likely to catch?
- Will I fish from a low bank, steep shore, dock, kayak, or boat?
- Can the handle reach the water while I remain balanced?
- Is the mesh soft, knotless, non-metallic, and suitable for release?
- Can the fish lie supported in the bag?
- Can I open, carry, and control the net with one hand?
- Do the water's rules specify a design or minimum size?
- Where will the wet net travel without spreading invasive species?
FishPal is most useful after the fish is safely controlled and the hook is addressed. A catch log can record species, approximate size, landing location, lure type, and whether the chosen handle or hoop worked. Review several trips before buying another net: repeated notes about reach, hook tangles, or an undersized hoop are more useful than a generic product ranking.
The practical rule is simple: avoid netting when a fish can be released safely at the waterline, but carry an appropriate net when the alternative is lifting, dragging, overplaying, or unsafe reaching. Mesh, fit, access, and preparation matter more than brand.