It’s happened to many of us while trolling. Your buddy has a nice fish that he’s battling to the boat, and as you reach out with the net, hoping not to miss, the net washes below the hoop as you get ready to scoop and tangles with the fish’s mouth and hook. Frantically you attempt to bring the fish in, only to watch it twist and turn and the hook pull free. Bad enough for any fish, but especially bad when it’s a twenty-pound king!
If you say this has never happened to you, then you must not be one of the guys who hold the net with one hand while scooping with the other. Admit it, many of us have found this to be an imperfect compromise. If you watch guides net fish, you see them doing this all the time. The problem with this technique is that it shortens your reach to the fish which negates the benefits of a long net handle. It also forces the netter to lean out over the gunnel that much more, increasing the risk of losing both the fish and the netter (not funny, I’ve seen it almost happen in my boat).
You would think that most every innovation under the sun has been built into nets, and then along comes something so simple, but so effective that you have to wonder why no one had thought of it earlier.
Recently NWFishing was contacted by a company based out of Texas, Netrigger (https://netrigger.com/). They have developed an awesome net accessory called (ready for it?) The Netrigger. Using a simple but incredibly effective magnetic system, the Netrigger does what you’re your hand does – it holds the end of the net hoop in place against the net handle, allowing you to scoop further and deeper with the confidence of knowing that your net won’t slip back and tangle with the fish. When the fish is in the net hoop and you lift up, the fish’s weight releases the net end, and your fish is safely in the net. Simple, effective, and innovative!
If you’re concerned about the net not deploying, no worries. The Netrigger comes in 10-pound, 15-pound, 20-pound, and 30-pound magnetic weights, and can be purchased in a variety of combinations. The magnets are interchangeable which is a nice feature. Depending on the size of fish you are targeting and the speed of your boat, or current, will dictate which weight to use. My personal experience is the heavier weights work better in trolling conditions. For salt and river salmon/steelhead I would go with the 20-30-pound weights. For kokanee, trout and most 1–2-pound fish the 10-15-pound weights are a good choice.
The one quibble I had with my unit was when I installed the clamp, I over tightened it and caused it to crack. Not enough to make it unusable, but it always bugs me to get something brand-new and damage it. Chalk it up to user error and don’t over tighten that clamp!
Prices range from $20 for a single weight to $45 for the combo packs. The combo packs are nice in that they come with three different weights. The clamp also comes with inserts making it easy to switch from different diameter rod handles.
As to how they work? As advertised! On a recent trip to Fort Peck, Rob went to net my fish, but the magnet was not deployed, and the nightmare scenario almost happened. I watched in horror as the net end tangled into the fish’s mouth. Fortunately, Rob was able to bring the fish in. Our second Chinook, the magnet easily stayed in place and released as a beautiful 17-pound chinook entered the net. No worries about the net snagging and it was an easy net job.
