Ride > Fish - what's your setup?

[froze]

I don't bother taking a net when I go bike camping, I'm not fishing off a boat so I don't need to lean over and net the fish out, plus it's just more weight for me to carry which I really don't want to do. So since most of my fishing when bike camping is off the shore I just bring the fish close to me and grab it by its gills and sling it onto shore; doing it that way I save money and I save weight. Maybe if you're doing ultralight bike camping adding a net to your overall weight won't affect you, I'm just always trying to find ways to cut weight without going ultralight, ultralight for me is just too expensive.

But the only net that I've heard that folds and is worthwhile is the Frabill, but I'm not a pro fishing person so don't take my word on that. Tell you how unpro I am...I don't have any fishing rods that cost $700 like someone else here has, it's sort like buying a $15,000 bicycle when I don't race and can't ride all that fast anyways, so since I'm not that great of fisherman my most expensive rod cost me $90 and could never justify spending more than $120 for a rod, heck my most expensive reel was only $65! Of course I get all my stuff on sale but that's the price I paid.

[C40_guy]

Originally Posted by Lewis Moon

As my wife says, I fish for a living. I run the State Fish Consumption Advisory Program

I must be a member of your board. I'm on a see-food diet, and I consume fish regularly. Most of it is not State Fish though, which in my case would be cod.

I prefer wild salmon and red snapper.

Copper River salmon season is coming up soon...hope to be able to pick some up through WF curbside delivery...keep missing out on red snapper, which they only have intermittently...

[froze]

Originally Posted by C40_guy

I must be a member of your board. I'm on a see-food diet, and I consume fish regularly. Most of it is not State Fish though, which in my case would be cod.

I prefer wild salmon and red snapper.

Copper River salmon season is coming up soon...hope to be able to pick some up through WF curbside delivery...keep missing out on red snapper, which they only have intermittently...

I love salmon, trout, bass including sea bass, halibut, bluegill, crappy, swordfish and shark, but I can't get swordfish and shark where I live now, when I use to live in California man I could get any fish I wanted, not here in Indiana. I'm talking about buying them in a market and not catching them but I did catch sea bass, shark and halibut when I was on the ocean, I caught other fish on the ocean too but didn't much care for red snapper and mackerel, but my fishing abilities was not that great so most of the fish I ate I bought.

[zlin]

Originally Posted by adampaiva

Also a question. Anyone have experience good or bad with a folding / collapsible net? I want something that I'll be able to take on my bike so a typical net just won't work. I'm looking at the Handy-Pak Net right now.



https://www.handypaknetco.com/

The lower end are a good price point to test and if it doesn’t work out for some reason you can keep as a backup with your gear storage. I have never tried one so no feedback on that end.

Those photos are great, btw. Looks like a wonderful location and time well spent. Beautiful fish!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[froze]

Interesting net the handy pak net company has, watch this video if you haven't already done so.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...tail&FORM=VIRE

My only worry about that net is that it is made entirely of plastic (if you go for the lightest weight option), and plastic and long term exposure to the sun and time doesn't mix well, but it is cheap, and it's extremely portable, plus it's lightweight if you get the all plastic one. That plastic their using looks like recycled plastic bottle material which definitely won't last more than a 3 or 5 years. Again not sure why person just doesn't use their hands and grapple the fish out of the water especially considering that the handle is so short on that net, you're already within 4 inches of grappling the fish anyways. Even if I wanted a net I wouldn't want that one because I don't see a need for a short handled net, if I were to want one a longer handle would be more appealing because sometimes I may have to fish off of docks, and short handle net won't be long enough, but that of course is just an opinion.

I guess if you were only going to catch and release than maybe a net is worth while to use, might be a wee bit less strenuous on the fish than to grapple it, but if I'm fishing while bike camping I'm fishing to eat...assuming I catch one! Besides I've grappled many fish and released them (due to being an illegal size) and the fish where fine, just depends on how rough you are with the fish. If you're rough taking the hook out of the fish mouth that fish is going to die anyways. So I don't fish in places where it's only catch and release.

[adampaiva]

I ordered the cheaper Handy Pak so will see how it works out.

I guess the need for net is heavily situational. I've gotten by without one for many fishing excursions, even though I had one available (not a small packable one mind you) just because I did't feel like carrying it. The river I love to fish at the most is a decent size, and there is almost always a strong current. I'm usually wading in waist high water and with the current pushing, I find the landing the fish part can be pretty tricky. Not to mention trying to take a quick photo! I've lost a few fish this season in that final couple of feet when I was trying maneuver the fish to my hands and really wished I had a net in those instances. This place is also C&R only and wild trout only so I'm setting every single fish back into the wild. Less stress on the fish is a plus but the main benefit is selfish reasoning.

PS - we are on a high end bike forum. No shame in spending money on custom and high end fishing gear! My stuff is 105/Ultegra level but I'm getting addicted and can definitely see the appeal in some of the nice stuff - just like my road bike trajectory where I went from my cheap Fuji to a Ritchey to customs.

[adampaiva]

and here's a trout and a salmon from monday

Untitled by Adam Paiva, on Flickr

Untitled by Adam Paiva, on Flickr

[zlin]

Cabin booked for the fall trip in upper MI - Huron Manistee Forest.

Gear question for the group as I'm now looking to buy a new goodie for really no reason

I'm looking into a hip pack / something to wear on bike and then on water, medium/small sized with a beverage holder. Out and back from the cabin so doesn't need to hold a whole trip's worth, just a day.

What are you using and liking?