I am in the market for a new fish net. The net will be used for all types of fish Bass,cats,carp and other monsters. I practice catch and release and dont want to harm fish more than I have to. So is a net okay to use? and Which net is good and sturdy to use?

Nets do not harm the fish at all. I don't really think there is a "good" net. Just get one in the size you want.

Thanks, I had some people say it damaged the fishes coat and they couldnt fight off infection.

Look into fraybil's rubber nets. Ornery fish fall into a slumber once scooped into this net. I have also heard the nylon nets are hard on their protection coating/slime, the rubber seems it would be alot easier on their protective covering. Also much simpler to untangle treble hooks or whatnot from the net. If you have the space to store it I would recommend it!

nets are no worse then flipping them in the boat and letting them flop on the carpet. unless you really feel like you need to net a better fish, the best way to handle fish, is to reach down and grab them up by the jaw with your hands wet...Rubber nets are really nice, they keeps trebles from getting to caught up, and i guess it makes sense that rubber would be easier on a fish's slime.

Basically, if you dont plan on keeping your fish, take care of them as best you can, return them as quickly as possible!

I dont let them flop on the floor or ground. I always lip them. My friend and I lost a couple big fish before we could reach them and thats why I may need a net.

Lip 'em,leave 'em in the water,and unhook 'em. That's what FZ1 trys to do,it must be right. Nets can damage the fish. Step up and get one of those rubber nets,if you must net the fish.

All nets are harm full rubber nets are better and easier to get your bait out of the net. The cheaper nylon nets are bad and the hooks get hung because the point goes through the nylon and gets hung on the barb.

The net is probably less harmful that piercing its lip/mouth/body with a sharp hook and barb. I'm all for promoting the life of fish, but we need to keep some common sense here.

rubber is better than nylon for cpr.

I think my 7 o hook does a lot more damage then a net.

Don't imagine its any worse than grabbing them across the body with dry hands, making em do flips when throwing back in the water, boat flipping onto carpet or any of the other things we emulate the pro's doing.............

anything that damages a fish's slime coat can cause injury to the fish and a net would be no different. But, letting them flop around on the carpet is MUCH worse than a net when it comes to slime coat damage. The slime coat is their protective barrier from parasites, fungus, bacteria, etc. Any breaks in that coat have the potential to hurt the fish long term. if you know a fish flopped around on your carpet a lot...it's always helpful to put him in the livewell with some form of live well additive for a few minutes then release it. The additives have salt in them which helps stimulate slime coats.

The slime coat is far more important than most of you guys realize. That's essentially their only defense to bacterial, viral, and fungal infections. (Fish reactive immune systems suck). Rubbing off that slime is almost as bad as rubbing off your own skin, exposing bare dermis/muscle, then swimming around the lake with it exposed. I know you have caught fish with the nasty infected lesion on their bottom lip that is right where your finger would go to lip them...

Use rubber nets. And, if you're just going to swing them in, have the net on the front deck so you can swing them onto the rubber, then wet your hands before working on them.

So netting the fish is not as harmful as people say it is. The material of the net is what causes the harm to the fishes body. So in the long run using a rubber net may actually be better than some of our current fish handling techniques?