Keepnets

[Bluenose]

Terry, I wasn't eloquent, deliberately so, because that's what we do!

I agree, we need hooks, but once we start pointing the finger at each other about using keepnets I believe it makes our position on the use of hooks much weaker!

 

[soffit]

Terry, I wasn't eloquent, deliberately so, because that's what we do!

I agree, we need hooks, but once we start pointing the finger at each other about using keepnets I believe it makes our position on the use of hooks much weaker!

Thats Ok then because some do, some don't. I didn't notice any finger pointing; just opinions.

I don't get this spooking thing though. You hook a fish; it dives all over the place in the shoal scattering its buddies in all directions. If that doesn't spook them they must be half asleep! Can't see after all that returning them is going to make any further disturbance.

 

[terry m]

​

'Tis all about opinions, it will be a sad day when we all agree on these things.

The spooking point is a good debating point Soffit.

 

[theoriginalpikeflyco]

I don't get this spooking thing though. You hook a fish; it dives all over the place in the shoal scattering its buddies in all directions. If that doesn't spook them they must be half asleep! Can't see after all that returning them is going to make any further disturbance.[/QUOTE]

An old chap who was also a keen coarse angler once told me that as soon as I hooked a fish from a shoal I should immediately steer it clear of the shoal so as to minimise spooking the rest. Now...I dont know if it makes any difference but it is advise I followed & found it quite easy so thought 'why not' since it seemed to make sense.

I do definitely find it makes a difference when I am flyfishing some of my local 'hot spots' for Pike. I've been float tubing for Pike a few times a week for years & if I am fishing a spot I know to hold multiple Pike I use both my rods & fin power to steer a hooked Pike out of the area...

I find that in doing so my next casts will result in more immediate takes whereas if I fail to do so the next casts result in no takes...so I would move away from the spot for about half an hour which normally sees action returning to the spot.

Although I havent a clue if it makes any difference in general.

 

[dangermouse]

I don't get this spooking thing though. You hook a fish; it dives all over the place in the shoal scattering its buddies in all directions. If that doesn't spook them they must be half asleep! Can't see after all that returning them is going to make any further disturbance.

If you`ve seen any underwater footage of shoals of fish they tend to spook and scatter quite a lot, usually because a predator/s are in the area. However after a short while the shoal often returns to the area they were feeding in.

Maybe, and it`s just a theory, a returned fish communicates its distress and drives off the shoal for a longer period of time?

 

[terry m]

I don't get this spooking thing though. You hook a fish; it dives all over the place in the shoal scattering its buddies in all directions. If that doesn't spook them they must be half asleep! Can't see after all that returning them is going to make any further disturbance.

An old chap who was also a keen coarse angler once told me that as soon as I hooked a fish from a shoal I should immediately steer it clear of the shoal so as to minimise spooking the rest. Now...I dont know if it makes any difference but it is advise I followed & found it quite easy so thought 'why not' since it seemed to make sense.

I do definitely find it makes a difference when I am flyfishing some of my local 'hot spots' for Pike. I've been float tubing for Pike a few times a week for years & if I am fishing a spot I know to hold multiple Pike I use both my rods & fin power to steer a hooked Pike out of the area...

I find that in doing so my next casts will result in more immediate takes whereas if I fail to do so the next casts result in no takes...so I would move away from the spot for about half an hour which normally sees action returning to the spot.

Although I havent a clue if it makes any difference in general.[/QUOTE]

I get your point, and I understand that pike gather in numbers at certain times of the year, especially when readying for spawning, but they are not naturally shoal fish so I am not convinced by your theory.

 

[Bluenose]

IMHO the televised keepnet antics of some match anglers give the 'fishing antis' much of the ammunition that they need.

Not wanting to go on and on Soffit, and Terry may well have a point in this instance by the way, but it was that comment above which I perceived as finger pointing.

Anyway, as stated previously lads I was deliberately abrupt a few posts back regarding hooking fish and using hooks as when/if we anglers do get challenged, the language used will i suspect be far more graphic and negatively descriptive.

I should have made that a bit more clear at the time lads, wasn't trying to be deliberately provocative.

 

[waggy]

If you`ve seen any underwater footage of shoals of fish they tend to spook and scatter quite a lot, usually because a predator/s are in the area. However after a short while the shoal often returns to the area they were feeding in.

Maybe, and it`s just a theory, a returned fish communicates its distress and drives off the shoal for a longer period of time?

Fish, like many other animals exude fear hormones which obviously affect their buddies. The spooking effect is real and you can satisfy yourself on that point by releasing a just-caught fish into a hot clear water swim and see what happens.

 

[dangermouse]

Fish, like many other animals exude fear hormones which obviously affect their buddies. The spooking effect is real and you can satisfy yourself on that point by releasing a just-caught fish into a hot clear water swim and see what happens.

Not too many swims like that around here I`m afraid.

I wasn`t disagreeing that the spooking effect was real, I was saying that the spooking effect that occurs when a fish is initially hooked and reeled in might last for a much shorter time than the spooking effect caused by a released fish returning to the shoal.

It`s an interesting subject though. Why do some shoaling fish seem to be more effected by it than others? Maybe some types of fish communicate better than others?

I also wonder if the spooking effect is more prevalent on heavily fished waters than on somewhere that rarely sees an angler.

 

[chav professor]

Not too many swims like that around here I`m afraid.

I wasn`t disagreeing that the spooking effect was real, I was saying that the spooking effect that occurs when a fish is initially hooked and reeled in might last for a much shorter time than the spooking effect caused by a released fish returning to the shoal.

It`s an interesting subject though. Why do some shoaling fish seem to be more effected by it than others? Maybe some types of fish communicate better than others?

I also wonder if the spooking effect is more prevalent on heavily fished waters than on somewhere that rarely sees an angler.

I can't remember who wrote it, but they described a shoal of fish like a football crowd - an analogy used to show how emotion can sweep through a collective group of individuals.......

probably something in that.....

 

[dangermouse]

I can't remember who wrote it, but they described a shoal of fish like a football crowd - an analogy used to show how emotion can sweep through a collective group of individuals.......

probably something in that.....

Yep that would make sense.

 

[Paul C]

'Sticking a hook in a fish' as you so eloquently put it is something of a pre-requisite to fishing, unless I am missing something!

My point - pardon the pun - was that as anglers we are going to use hooks, that is what we do, but because we use hooks to catch fish, we should not then use that act to justify further actions that are not pre-requisites to fishing.

In simple terms, we gotta use hooks, we don't have to use keepnets, or come to think of it gaffs, or pike gags etc. That fact is supported by dozens if not hundreds of enlightened clubs and fishery owners that prohibit the use of keepnets outside of matches.

The quality of the manufacture or materials in a keepnet amount to nothing if the user is not careful or dilligent.

I take it you don't use a weigh sling then?

Surely you're not going to be two faced and say that's necessary too?? Biggin up ones ego and removing it's whole protective slime in the process?

 

[Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC)]

TOP TIP

Don't waste money on expensive weigh slings. Simple use a large hessian potato sack to weigh your latest catch.

 

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

TOP TIP

Don't waste money on expensive weigh slings. Simple use a large hessian potato sack to weigh your latest catch.

or a fat lass's bra - plenty about in Rotherham

 

[little oik]

Just to throw a curve ball into this thread.One of the reasons I dont use a keepnet is because of the transference of pests and diseases .We have the joys of having Zebra mussels and Asian Clams in a few of our waters,and as the weather over here is inclement at the best of times it can be rather tedious trying to dry the net out in the sunshine .(UFO anybody )..
The one thing that does really wind me up is the use of keepnets in a match and not allowed during a normal session on a lot of commies.What,s good for the goose etc .Either its the money talking or are they are basically saying that all Anglers that do not fish matches are irresponsible!!!!

 

[nicky]

I don't always use a keep net and definitely not for carp or large bream for instance but when fishing close in on the float for roach and small silvers i want to remove the fish from the shoal and try and keep the remaining shoal feeding for as long as possible picking them off one at a time and try to use my skill to put a nice bag together, if you keep letting them go straight back into your swim for all i know i could be catching the same fish again.
Maybe i'm wrong but thats what i like to do.

 

[sam vimes]

The one thing that does really wind me up is the use of keepnets in a match and not allowed during a normal session on a lot of commies.What,s good for the goose etc .Either its the money talking or are they are basically saying that all Anglers that do not fish matches are irresponsible!!!!

I can understand the point but a) I don't think they are saying that at all. Rather that they don't want their fish in keepnets unless absolutely necessary. b) It's nigh on impossible to run a match without the use of keepnets unless you have enough folks to sit behind every peg with calibrated scales and a sling. That's not particularly practical for the vast majority of matches.

 

[terry m]

TOP TIP

Don't waste money on expensive weigh slings. Simple use a large hessian potato sack to weigh your latest catch.

Remember to empty your sack first matron!

 

[little oik]

I can understand the point but a) I don't think they are saying that at all. Rather that they don't want their fish in keepnets unless absolutely necessary. b) It's nigh on impossible to run a match without the use of keepnets unless you have enough folks to sit behind every peg with calibrated scales and a sling. That's not particularly practical for the vast majority of matches.

I totally agree with that and always have but its just sometimes that it sounds that that it was they are implying. The match guys seem to justify the use of nets because "we only have the fish in a net for a maximum of 5 hrs not like you pleasure anglers who can keep them in all day .And we do it day in day out so we should know what we are talking about" ,and that type of attitude that sucks IMHO.
Ps My keepnet had a severe attack of the rodent look about it about 4 yrs ago and I haven't bothered replacing it as the amount of time it would be used doesn't justify the cost

 

[waggy]

I can understand the point but a) I don't think they are saying that at all. Rather that they don't want their fish in keepnets unless absolutely necessary. b) It's nigh on impossible to run a match without the use of keepnets unless you have enough folks to sit behind every peg with calibrated scales and a sling. That's not particularly practical for the vast majority of matches.

Should be possible to have a measuring board/camera rig nowadays, down in front of your feet, and use length as the qualifying criterion. Memory cards store time and date, don't they?
And before anyone starts - trophy shots, not.