I prefer to not use bogas or nets. They are just something to get in the way. Wet your hand(conservation purposes if you plan on releasing said fish), get the fish coming toward you, and pluck him from the water. Use your middle finger and thumb to pinch them directly behind the head. A little bit of pressure in the soft spot there, and they will just hang from your hand. It seems to stun them. It may be a little hard to snag a monster red, but not too big of a challenge. Regardless if it is a 15" trout, a 30" inch trout, fishing with friends, or a in a tournament... this is what I have always done. I have never lost a fish that a net or boga would have saved. Plus, if you get into a few schools of nice reds you will develope a nice "catfish belly" forearm that the ladies will surely love. haha

 

get the fish coming toward you, and pluck him from the water. Use your middle finger and thumb to pinch them directly behind the head.

This is how I grab them also. It gets a little more tricky when they have a stick bait suck in their head with two or three #4 treble hooks on it.

 

Thanks Won Mo, i'll try that next time.

Right now I am carrying too much stuff and everything is getting tangled. Just need to figure out what works best for me.

 

Nets

I have not used a net in years because of the stated reason above, those things drag grass, shell, etc. and end up getting in the way. A floating net the same thing - fish will run into a net and tangle with it as long as it helps them get loose, Stupid net, fish also will run your line into a stringer and really tick you off as once you get a hand on them they refuse to go on the stringer.

Tourney partners will freak out and lecture me about using a net but I am stubborn.

As for hooks on stick baits, it is the same for topwaters, and especially a certain broken back with little green dots, or the unaltered version. Be careful.

Less is better when wading especially in the surf. You want nothing that may impede an emergency swim as stringers nets, buckets, baskets and all the other **** people drag with them into the water could become a major hassle if you need to get it off of you quickly.

Example: Last year I waded through the first cut to fish the off the bar. Current was moving fairly well and the gut was about belly button deep.
Wade outr and a couple cast into it I was hooked up with the Eddie Douglas SP. Well the chop was giving me heck and a wave caught that fish as the fish wanted to run toward me. Not good- hook in leg near ankle-not too big of a deal I thought. Went to get it free - well now I have a hook in my leg ( the real one) a fish on it and a hook in my hand.

About that time the waves had pushed me back into the gut with the current rolling through-and I thought well now isn't this nice. So here I am with left armed pinned and my head basically under water. Made the decision to pull and see what gave first, and hope I did not dig the hooks deeper. Luckily the hook in the leg came loose and I was able to stand up and get out of that current before I was shark bait.

Lot of trouble for a 17 inch trout.

Oh yea- do not worry about a net.

 

Well

on another note maybe if I had a net that hook would not of gotten lodged in my leg in the first place.

But like I said I am stubborn and a little dumb and still carry no net.

 

play them out and then while holding your rod out in one hand grab them on the top right behind the gills and lift but make sure you get a good grip. i have never used a net and plled out some 26 to 27 inch red fish no problem. after i have them in hand i put my fishing rod in my mouth to use both hands to un hook and put in the dounet.

 

play them out and then while holding your rod out in one hand grab them on the top right behind the gills and lift but make sure you get a good grip. i have never used a net and plled out some 26 to 27 inch red fish no problem. after i have them in hand i put my fishing rod in my mouth to use both hands to un hook and put in the dounet.

X2 on playing them out. Don't rush it, wait 'til the fish lays on it's side before grabbing it.

 

learn to keep your net out of your way, its not gungho to land fish by hand just faster(net tangled hooks) sometimes, untill you have to cut a hook out of yourself excpecially with hardbaits and vmcs.a wadebelt a net and stringer just bare neccesitys in my book.

 

If it is a fish of a life time, you can always walk it back to the beach and shallow water. It is much easier for me to handle a fish in ankle deep water than chest deep.

Saludos

 

buy (or make) a fishing buddy out of 3/4" pvc and noodle floats...use T's for a rod holder and net holder. i outfitted mine with a lure box and tie my bait bucket and stringer to the buddy. nice to be able to put your rod in the holder in case you have to drop a deuce. have a lead rope long enough to get the buddy well out of your way when casting.

 

Play them down, until they don't have as much fight in them, and then the trick is to have just enough line from your rod tip to the fish to keep a slight bend in your rod, and he can end up right beside you. Kind of gently lead him by you and make a quick grab as stated above. Sometimes if he has a mirrorlure on top his head, pinning him against your jeans til you can get a better grip is a better move,

On an ole redfish, play him all the way down, he usually won't come unhooked, and he will usually just lie there on his side.

That being said....every once in a while the trout can be pretty wild and full of fight in the surf...makes it a little more challenging!! LOL

I don't think I have carried a net since late 50's. Hat a few lures, rod reel, stringer, cigs and lighter stuck under hat when fishing the surf. Oh yeah, a sharp knife.

Later
R3F

 

Thanks all for the advice.
Too funny oneleggedwader! Not so at the time, but a good word of caution. Definitely don't want to get in that situation for a fish.

 

Here is a story I wrote a while back......

Once again, Pop, cousin Bob, and I were strung out on the 2ond bar, somewhere between Pass Cavallo, and the the big jetties. We were all about 50 yds apart, and catching keeper trout on just about every cast. The water was very clear, but the wind had come up, and big ole swells were rolling in and breaking on the 2ond bar. You really had to watch them and turn sideways to keep them from knocking you down.

I was playing a trout, and looked down the bar and saw pop landing one. But just as he grabbed it, a wave broke in front of him, driving the trout, lure and hand right into his crotch. I noticed it was taking him a long time to string it.

Then I heard pop, could barely hear him over the surf breaking, "Help me, hep me!" Pop didn't fish with his teeth in, and his "Help, came out more like Hep!" LOL

So I started wading toward him, while still casting. Kind of hard wading with the crashing waves, and along the way, I hooked and landed two more trout...took a little more time on my wade towards him to land and string them, than he thought it should.

When I got there, Pop was saying some pretty bad words, and even HE was questioning if I had a known daddy, while the shoulder high waves knocked him around, while he was clutching his crotch. He evidently didn't particularly like the time I took to get to him.

He even said more bad words, when I laughed at his situation! He had grabbed the trout, just as the wave broke, driving the trout, mirrorlure, and hand into his crotch, and there he stood, with one set of trebles in the trout, one set in his thumb, and one set firmly attached to his jeans, with waves knocking him around. I told him "You don't have to yell anymore", I was right there next to him!

Again he questioned my ancestory, even tho he knew better. I told him "This is a mighty sorry time to be badmouthing your only rescuer in sight!" LOL He didn't like that either.

So, I managed to get his trout off the hook, and strung it...and then whipped out my knife and cut his jeans a little to free the barb, and pop gave out a big sigh of relief.

We waded back up on the beach, where I showed him my Boy Scout First Aid Merit Badge card, and cut his thumb a little to free his hand. He immediately dropped his drawers, right there on the beach, and started a pretty through inspection, of the "rest of his body".

The bad news was that the hook had "scratched" his important parts pretty good, the good news was that it never went past the barb.

From then on, whenever pop would ask for help, hefting a loaded igloo, or to carry something...Cousin Bob and I would both yell out "HEP me, hep me!" Pop would scrowl, and mutter to himself, or completely ignore us!! LOL

PS...every story I have told is true. If you fish saltwater long enough...just some strange and interesting things are seen and happen!

Later
R3F

 

Admittedly I would rather not use a net but I'm not talented enough to land those slick torpedo's (specs) without one. I've lost too many trying to wear them out or going in circles until a can get a good grip. I admit, there is nothing worse than always getting tangled up in a net but I use pipe insulation to keep mine on top of the water. It doesn't collect very much grass, never drags on shell anymore and I have never had a fish get tangled up in it. All I carry on my belt is a stringer (with my bait bucket attached if I'm using live bait) and a net anyway so it isn't too cumbersome for me.

 

I've recently learned the trick is to tire them out just enough where they are complacent in getting them on the stringer. About a month ago I lost a hell of trout because I didn't let her tire out and every time I got her close to me just kept going nuts and eventually threw hook.

If I had had a net I would have landed her easy. Since then I let them tire themselves out and I'm not in a great rush to get them to me, if they want to run I'll let them run and loosen the drag a bit.

For Redfish, I've found that I have more control of them if I scoop them up underneath their belly and for some reason it seems they know what the drill is when you get them out of the water where trout just don't want to go on a stringer no ifs ands or butts.

 

A 30" fish is 8" across the back. Your can't simply grab it with one hand. Have to learn to cradle a fish too.

 

If my trout is 30" and 8" across the back, I am lipping that bad boy... no cradling necessary.

They are just teeth.

 

fishwick,

I am fairly new and I have caught on very quickly. Less is better. I have talked about using a net but the fact of the matter is that it is too much gear. ****REMEMBER**** it is called fishing and not catching and enjoy the fight, the win, and the losses as I have. What has worked for me is playing with them until the give up and just swim to you.

hope this helps!

 

You may be crowding your fish. You have to play the fish till they are tired before you try to net or hand grab them. It takes a minute or two on better fish.

16 inch trout are like perch and 1 lb bass as you can just jerk them to you for the most part- Just reel and go.

Big fish take time and some effort before they are worn out enough to grab or net.

I carry a boga but do not use it all that much- easier to hand grab. Like most women trout never open up when you want them to with a boga in hand.

 

Just reach in the mouth and grab em like a Bass... It only hurts till it stops!

 

That's Marine Corps style! Ooh-Rah....that's what we do! Pain is only a sign you still have your fingers.

 

Thats whats wrong

Too much gear - use a floating pith helmet stick five jig heads, three mirror lures , a couple of bone skitterwalks, a diamong jig or two and you are set, some blue or strawberry queen cocahoes

Grab that trout firmly behind the gills AFTER you have played it down and be wary of trout bleedin from gill or you may grab BOTH trout and greyfin express at same time

You are NOT at the top of the food chain in the surf.

K.I.S.S.

 

If the fish is being shy I turn around in place counterclockwise(the right handed way) keeping the rod up and held back a little until the fish follows the rod and grab it.
If your a lefty then a clockwise spin.
Works for me.

 

Learned from a buddy down South to play fish out, clip boga around line and slide down to fish, lift fish with rod slightly which usually causes fish to open mouth, boga in the mouth, fish landed...

Takes a bit of practice but will work with just about any fish including flounder which are notoriously difficult to land while wading without a net.

 

I use THE FISH GRIP plastic fish grip that acts like a vice grip and it works great

 

Learned from a buddy down South to play fish out, clip boga around line and slide down to fish, lift fish with rod slightly which usually causes fish to open mouth, boga in the mouth, fish landed...

Takes a bit of practice but will work with just about any fish including flounder which are notoriously difficult to land while wading without a net.


Hey Bird- I will have to try that.

I chased my best trout around for another minute or so trying to get her with the boga and too wide across the back to chance the grab. Seems like over 5-6 pounds and they will not open when you are trying to grab them with a boga. Hand is definitely easier. Interesting was single hook and paddle tail. When I finally got my big one and let the line slack the hook just fell out holding on the top of the mouth but not stuck in at all.

 

i dont use a net, but i am going to get one soon. its just something ive put off for awhile. most my friends use nets though, and i would recommend them. i have multiple friends who have had the hook to the hand experience when grabbing trout, not fun as certain parts of your hands can be extremely sensitive especially finger tips. ive had a few encounters where i almost hooked my flesh, just be patient. what i mean by that is, sometimes its best not to horse them in a play them out a bit. whenever that drag is too tight and your trout is circling you, thats the moment you have to watch out as i have lost many fish that way. always keep tension though, but not enough to rip the hook out. whenever you feel that hook may come out because there is too much tension CAREFULLY and very slightly turn your drag down just a bit. although that can be risky business also, landing fish barehanded is an art in itself just as much as finding and hooking the fish.

but there are those times when you have been wading awhile and finally find the fish, these are the times when your heart gets going and when you may not always think clearly. these are the times that can make or break a trip, landing or losing, netting or grabbing and going to shore with a hook in your hand.

be careful!

 

dont 4get

loosen ur drag and enjoy the fight , play em out long as possible!!1st answer was exactly right might take a few passes at you but with your drag loose drag em toward u and go for it

 

Great tips everyone, in hindsight I didn't play them out enough. I had landed 15 or 20 dinks and had 1 on the stringer and just got used to pulling them right in.

Leads me to a follow up though....what about flounder? Never even thought about landing one without a net.

 

Great tips everyone, in hindsight I didn't play them out enough. I had landed 15 or 20 dinks and had 1 on the stringer and just got used to pulling them right in.

Leads me to a follow up though....what about flounder? Never even thought about landing one without a net.

Grab a flounder the same way, just grip him sideways.

As far as getting hooks in the hand... Just be careful, and take your time. Use a measure twice, and cut once mentality. Make sure your first grab is the last grab. When you start fumbling and rushing the fish is when your chances of landing the fish go waaaay down. Also the chances of taking a Top Dog to the knuckle go waaaay up! Haha. either the fish hooked good enough to land, or it's not. No amount of rushing with or without a net/boga will help you in those situations. Best of luck.