[BillyBoy]

Well, this was one of the worst days I've ever had fishing.

Went with 2 friends for some flounder. Bait was small spot and menhaden. We decided to try to find some new places to fish, so we randomly fished pilings beween the 2nd and 3rd Islands.

I couldn't catch anything larger than 16" while 8 keepers were put into the boat. Even the inexperienced guy did better than me. In fact, he did the best! I finally put some 1.5 - 2 lb croakers in the cooler at the Baltimore Channel.

What made the trip so bad was this: We were fishing one set of pilings with nothing to show for it but shorties. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my buddy's pole bend double. I got the net and as it got close to the surface, I see that it is a definite citation. As I got the net in the water, I thought, "This is NOT going to fit in the net!" And this was a bona fide large landing net, not a Wal-Mart special! Well, it did barely fit in the net and as I began to lift the net I thought that this might run close to ten lbs based on my experience.

Just as that thought flitted through my head, the fish hit the bottom of the net and immediately bounced up and over the net. I desperately tried to catch him in the air, but he had the jump on me and hit the water. I stabbed at him, but he was GONE.

I was so upset and sick over losing that fish that I wanted to shrivel up and go away. I have netted dozens of big doormats and NEVER had that happen to me, even when using much smaller nets.

After I got home, I thought long and hard about it and replayed the incident over and over in my mind. These are what I believed to have gone wrong:

1. I netted the fish from the side. I usually come behind the fish. Coming in from the side has the potential to knock the hook out before the fish is netted. And yes, the hook was knocked out, but not from the netting.
2. I was holding the slack mesh in my hands right before the net went in the water. I thought I had let it go when I made my attempt, but I can't remember. If I did not let the slack go, BIG mistake!
3. The line was being kept tight by the fisherman. I believe this exacerbated the situation because if the guy is keeping the line tight as the fish jumps, he can literally help lift the fish out.
4. I tried to go up with the fish as it jumped. I shoulds went sideways.

Still, in the end it was all MY fault. AAARRGGGHH!!!!

[lcypher]

Man, sounds like you had one of my days fish! Sorry that the big one got away from you. But the good thing is (if you can think of it like that) you had a day fishing with your friends, you got some pullage and you hopefully have a new location to track'em down. And most important, you know that big bad boy is out there, you have a chance to settle the score.

I'm here in Pascagoula and I'm about to go find some where to get my lines wet. I wish I was back there to fish the bay but I'll take whatever water hole I can find. You guys save a fish or two for me!

R/Ed

[latenites]

"Better to have caught it and lost it, than never have caught it at all."

You'll get it next time.

[gus]

it always sucks to lose a good one at the boat. sounds like u have done the only thing possible - improve your technique by learning from any mistakes. the next good one u net will feel nice.

[tommkkowalske]

Like my granddad likes to say, “you have to net them head first, or you are just pissin in the wind.”

[Mega Bite]

It least you helped to get the fish.I lost a huge flounder last year because my buddie just sat there at the front of the boat with the net by his feet.

[71Whaler]

That is a bummer, and I know this won't help but at least you were on the water. I'm stuck at home with engine problems and I am living through other's stories for at least a few more days. When something like that happens I do the same thing and replay it over and over again trying to figure out what I did wrong.

[andy]

Sorry about losing the fish but take comfort in knowing that there will be future days to hook that one or larger. That's what keeps us going back everytime right? It's not always the catching but the fishing.

I fished yesterday (06-25) as well around the 2nd & 3rd islands of the CBBT. No citation flounder for me but managed one keeper (17") out of the 15 or so fish we caught. Many just missed the 16.5" limit. We also caught quite a few 2# or so horse croakers on cut bait and gudgeons.

[gordy]

Been there, done that BillyBoy. It will haunt you until you net one of equal size....but your buddy will never forget the fish you lost. LOL

[peejcj8]

Could have been worst, my inlaws were in town. When I asked if they wanted to go fishing, they said no.

We went antique shopping instead

[peejcj8]

I'm here in Pascagoula and I'm about to go find some where to get my lines wet. I wish I was back there to fish the bay but I'll take whatever water hole I can find. You guys save a fish or two for me!

R/Ed

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[/quote]

I grew up down there you should not have any trouble getting your lines wet. If you can check out the red fish.

Plenty of croaker and flounder down there too, just smaller.

My dad retired from Ingalls shipbuilding in Pascagoula.

[BillyBoy]

Thanks for the kind words, but as Gordy said, it will haunt me until he gets that one or larger.

Mega Bite, I assume that is a FORMER buddy??

Yeah, it is ALWAYS a good day when you are out on the water with no mechanical difficulties.

I netted a buddy's 14.5 lber a couple of years ago, so I don't think I'll be topping that, but I will definitely be the netman for the rest of Dave's fish in my quest for redemption, IF he'll let me...

Well, back to the grind and I'll have to weather the storm when I get back to work tomorrow (we work together). I'll NEVER hear the end of it!

[cuhollow]

In my experience coming from behind to net a fish is tough because they swim away from the net. I get the angler to pull the fish up and then bring the net right up in front and below the fishes head. The angler slacks the line and the fish swims right into the net as you bring it up.

[71Whaler]

In my experience coming from behind to net a fish is tough because they swim away from the net.  I get the angler to pull the fish up and then bring the net right up in front and below the fishes head.  The angler slacks the line and the fish swims right into the net as you bring it up.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Interesting. I have always come from behind/below the fish as I believe they are less likely to see the net and make a break for it. this method has always worked for me and I can't remember losing any due to netting technique but I'm sure I have. Now people trying to lift the fish out by the line is another story. I always tell newbies to wait but as soon as they see that fish they try to lift it in the boat and it goes bye bye.

[greatescape]

Have always netted flounder from head...they just do not like having their tail touched...proved this one day at an aquarium...small flounder in very shallow water...I could rub him any where on this body EXCEPT at his tail. You touch the tail and he lunges forward. Guides have always told me to net from the head. Hope this helps

[cuhollow]

1. they can't swim backwards 2. they slide in the net forwards (that is the way they go through the water so the fins and everything just lay down - tail first every fin and part of the body hangs up and shoots them out of the net You can even net a fish longer than the depth of the net - the head hits the bottom and the weight of the body just pushes it until the head starts coming back up - I have never had one dodge the net because it saw it.

[nothingtolose]

I bought a HUGE net that I call "the optimist." It makes a huge target to hit. I almost always put pretty much the whole net underwater except right infront of him, then come up from below. I was out a few weeks ago and we lost a HUGE black drum cause my buddy cranked down the drag at the last second. When the line snapped that monster broke the surface and I almost broke my friend's neck. Ah...the one that got away.
I also think its very important that the net man stand in between the angler and the fish - every time! Also, make sure the angler backs up into the boat, everybody wants to look at the fish, but you'll get a much better look once its in the boat.

[71Whaler]

1. they can't swim backwards 2. they slide in the net forwards (that is the way they go through the water so the fins and everything just lay down - tail first every fin and part of the body hangs up and shoots them out of the net You can even net a fish  longer than the depth of the net - the head hits the bottom and the weight of the body just pushes it until the head starts coming back up - I have never had one dodge the net because it saw it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, that makes sense. Don't know why I never thought of it that way. I'll have to try it out.

[BillyBoy]

The reason I usually come from behind is that we are usually anchored in pretty strong current. If you come from the front, the netting can invert itself (that's why I usually hold the slack in one hand). When we net, we crank the fish forward and then the net goes in the water and the guy with the fish on lets the current take the fish into the net. The ripping current fills out the net and the fish is none the wiser. It is a true statement that if the tail is hit, they lurch forward.

Of course, drifting is another story - we net from the front then. I also net from the front when I am solo. Perhaps I should be consistent and net from the front always.

[filthyhabit]

Netted a 5' cobia in a 4' net last Saturday. I don't think I would be eating cobia for dinner tonight if I had netted him from the tail. We always keep the net out of the water until we get the fish swimming on the surface towards the front of the boat. When he gets in the right position, we scoop the net in the water and net the fish from the head all in one motion. Too many people try to net a fish right away or they will put the net in the water and try to make the fish swim into the net. A fish won't usually swim into a net just like he won't usally swim into the side of your boat. He can see the net and will usually try and avoid it. Let him swim beside the boat until you get him in position then dip net the fish. It took 15 minutes of swimming beside the boat to get that cobia in the right position on Saturday, but we netted him on the first try and didn't knock the hook out.