I know you all will tear me up but in a tournament, and your partner hooks a fish. Do you jump for the net or do you wait to see if its a keeper, I have been watching past tournaments and it just seems that there is a lot of down time that the partner could be using fishing, holding the net waiting on you pulling a dink in the boat. What is your thoughts?

Until we get 5 in the well, the net gets used on all potential keepers. Once the limit is in the well, only potential cull up fish get the net. Have lost tournaments because of not using the net. it hurts when you go to swing in a 4-5 pounder and it pulls off midair.

There is an ancient proverb that answers this question. A fish in the net is worth two in the lake.

Sunday at squaw there was a red legend fishing near us. I watched them net some 2 lb fish. It was shameful behavior and we laughed

I like deploying a cast net

I�d lose the fish before I could dig out the net. I either flip �em or reach down and grab them. Nets are for FLW co anglers. I have lost a few trying to flip. Had a 3 pounder get wedged between the console and HDS. I didn�t know what to do, so I tried to pull it through. Lol. Fail. Poor fish. It cost me a few bucks. But, it ain�t like I�m making a living fishing. It�s all for fun.

I let my partner call it.

I flipped a 7#'r in a tournament last week which I normally wouldn't do. I was fishing solo, the net was close by but I made a judgment call to follow through with the fight instead of grabbing the net. Luckily, the fish spit the DD22 as soon as it came over the gunwale of the boat. Unfortunately I was out of the $ and my big fish was taken by someone's 8#'r.

No doubt had I lost the fish, it would have won big fish and made a difference in the overall weight.

I have my net ready at all times

Those guys must be a bunch of goobers.

I follow the same method.

Im not as "graceful" as I used to be, so even though I have a net in the boat, I only use it for crank baits and A-rigs. Too many hooks have taken their toll on my hands. I hand land fish caught on worms, and jigs ( single hooks)

Depends on the technique, line size, and hook... fairy wand and 8 lb line means any keeper gets netted, not so much on with the flipping stick and 65 lb braid.

As soon as my partner yells "get the net". I love netting 10" fish

My partner insists on always using the net. I wasn't always a believer, but situational it makes sense. We were fishing a district championship recently on Caddo (slot limit lake) after day one we were right behind the cut line to make the national championship. On my last cast I hooked a 12" dink, he raced and got the net, fish came off in the net. We made a check and the cut to fish the national championship by 3oz. I am glad he used the net.