Best boat net for saltwater?

[Bucksnbows]

I was up on Cape the weekend before last with two of my closest friends fishing in the one buddy's new boat.  He had a crummy landing net and I wanted to send him something he could be proud of to say thanks for the great weekend we had with the wives on Cape and on Martha's Vineyard.  Species would be striped bass, bluefish, Albies, fluke, sea bass, and Bonita for the most part.  Looking for a solid, top of the line net and not El-Cheapo Nets, if you know what I mean.    

Seems I know most everything there is to trout landing nets, but know squat about today's boat nets.  Storage shouldn't be a big issue as he plans to move up from his 24' to a 28' next year.  

[MGHunter66]

Bubba nets are solid, Frabil stowaways are good too. Think about handle length more than hoop size. Consider boats height above water . At the same time you mentioned bluefish, if you are going to net bluefish you will have holes instantly so don’t go expensive, not worth it.

[JHbowhunter]

do not net blues - I have seen 10lb choppers chew through nets in seconds...  use heavy enough leader where you can lift them...    In RI recently, i played a big blue to boatside and just grabbed tail with one hand and leader in other and gently lifted aboard for pic and release. I regret killing hundreds if not thousands of blues back in the day on party boats, when it was nothing to chum up 20-30  ten to eighteen pound fish and gaffing was the only option on high rails...    Every fish caught was a fish killed...

And now look at the state of that fishery off NJ....

[Hawkeye57]

47 minutes ago, MGHunter66 said:

Bubba nets are solid, Frabil stowaways are good too. Think about handle length more than hoop size. Consider boats height above water . At the same time you mentioned bluefish, if you are going to net bluefish you will have holes instantly so don’t go expensive, not worth it.

Second the Bubba nets. 

[splitrockoutdoors]

Held a bubba net.  Felt very solid and good fit and finish and feel.  Expensive though.  Like everything else you get what you pay for.  I thought to my self..when I get my 23 ft center console there will be a bubba net on board hahaha

[bucky]

Don't know much about nets but the pvc or rubber netting is the way to go, keeps the hooks from making a nightmare out of netting fish. That's the reason I don't use a net very often

Edited August 10, 2020 by bucky

[hammer4reel]

Frabill trutrax with coated net has held up better than anything else for me .

for big stripers look at the larger hoops 

Edited August 10, 2020 by hammer4reel

[Bucksnbows]

Thanks for the replies.  Yeah, we don't net blues, I just mentioned it as one of the species he chases up there.  Blues get hauled over the rail and if they flop off, they flop off.  The fun was in the fight and not the meal they may have provided if they come off the hook at the boat.  I'll check some of these nets out.  I know with trout release nets, rubber mesh is so much better than anything else for both hooks and protecting the fish.  I've seen cheap boat nets you couldn't lift a 20" fluke without bending, so I wanted to avoid the cheaper models.   

[hammer4reel]

1 minute ago, Bucksnbows said:

Thanks for the replies.  Yeah, we don't net blues, I just mentioned it as one of the species he chases up there.  Blues get hauled over the rail and if they flop off, they flop off.  The fun was in the fight and not the meal they may have provided if they come off the hook at the boat.  I'll check some of these nets out.  I know with trout release nets, rubber mesh is so much better than anything else for both hooks and protecting the fish.  I've seen cheap boat nets you couldn't lift a 20" fluke without bending, so I wanted to avoid the cheaper models.   

Most rubber nets are very shallow .

lots of salt water fish will blow backwards right out of them .

IMO you need extra bag depth to Keep the catch secure .

coated nets dont allow hooks to penetrate and are a better option .

[smittty]

2 hours ago, JHbowhunter said:

do not net blues - I have seen 10lb choppers chew through nets in seconds...  use heavy enough leader where you can lift them...    In RI recently, i played a big blue to boatside and just grabbed tail with one hand and leader in other and gently lifted aboard for pic and release. I regret killing hundreds if not thousands of blues back in the day on party boats, when it was nothing to chum up 20-30  ten to eighteen pound fish and gaffing was the only option on high rails...    Every fish caught was a fish killed...

And now look at the state of that fishery off NJ....

I agree I hate fish killed for nothing but gaffing fish is not the cause and if I told you I knew the cause I’d be Lying the just don’t get sucked up in the bright anymore they stay offshore and head up to East. Martha’s Vineyard Nantucket shoals are full of fish why I can’t say I have my ideas but my son was catching30,000 pounds a drag in block canyon in April and in March he had a 50.000 pound trip in one of the southern canyons I’ve been fishing for over 40 years and never seen blue fish that far offshore I mean once in  while you would see a fish here or there. Seem like many of Species are pushing east

[deerkiller18]

Check out clam nets 

[bucky]

A good alternative is a Boga Grip