Fly Fishing Insider Podcast
Losing a big fish at the net is a familiar moment, and Christian Bacasa offers a few concrete ways to improve landing skills for trout, bass, musky and other big fish. Better netting technique means more fish in the net and, as Christian Bacasa puts it, a few more celebratory high fives this season.
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Why do anglers lose big fish at the net?
"Net the fish, net it! No! We almost had it." Christian Bacasa opens with that line because most anglers have said it or heard it. Netting is a skill separate from hooking and fighting a fish, and it is the point where big trout, bass and musky are most often lost.
How can you improve your netting skills?
Christian Bacasa walks through a few ways to improve landing skills rather than one fix. The goal of better netting is simple: put more fish in the net over the course of a season instead of watching them come off at the last second.
Do netting tips work for bass and musky as well as trout?
Christian Bacasa frames the netting tips around big trout, bass and musky, so the advice is not trout-only. The landing moment is the common failure point across those species, which is why the same habits apply to all of them.
Key takeaways
- The net is where big fish are most often lost.
- Netting is a skill worth practicing on its own.
- The tips apply to big trout, bass and musky alike.
- Better landing habits mean more fish in the net each season.
