For the last 6 years I have used a Beckman Landing net. I have not had an issue in the 6 years I have had my Beckman. The net is actually like new yet. This year the FLW introduced an incentive to use a Frabill net. Before my last tournament I thought about giving the Frabill nets a try. On day 4 of the last FLW tournament we were all given a Frabill landing net to use. We could still use our net of choice but I thought I would give the Frabill at try. The Frabill nets have very tight meshing and to my suprise have a lot of resistance or drag in the water. I found myself chasing around fish which is not the way to net a fish. After my first experience with the Frabill on day 4 of the Cass Lake FLW I happily went back to my Beckman.
As I said earlier, I have used the same net for the last 6 years and just kind of took it for granted. However, with $100,000 on the line I can say I am glad I had my Beckman net in the boat as a backup. On Tuesday of this week I just picked up another Beckman net as a backup. Something I took for granted all these years just paid divedends
I was just talking about nets with Jason Sullivan the other evening. He was telling me about the big water trollers carrying two nets, so that you don't have to worry about digging one fish out of the net in order to land another when you double up on big girls. I assume you'll be running two Beckmans now?
One thing I have noticed about the Frabill nets is that the screws in the power yoke work their way out over time, allowing the hoop to pop out of the yoke. That's not hearsay, that's my own personal experience. Certainly not the type of situation you want to experience when the $$ is on the line!
I use an old Cabela's which I believe is like the new Frabill. I really like it for netting crank bait fish. The hooks do not stick in the net. Removing the fish and getting back to fishing takes seconds. they do draft more water though than a Beckman.
-------------------- Tim Domaille -
Pro-Staff- Brovarney Baits
I have a Frabill muskie net, but I wish I had a Beckman.. My buddy has a Beckman and after using his in his boat I wouldn't even think twice about it. The only problem is they are a little spendy, so I will have to just use what I got for now.
I've been using the Frabill Tru Trax net for the last couple of years and I'm real happy with it. The net is light, easy to extend out to net the lunker and back to normal to store in the boat.
I've only used a Beckman a few times, but they did seem heavier and I personally didn't like the button thing to extend or retract the net.
Again, I don't have the time in with a Beckman, maybe I'll have to grab Tucks and use his for a while to do a comparison. I should have another net for backup.
Scott, I was sponsored by Beckman for a few years and got several net/handle combos. The one I liked the best was a flat bottom 26" hoop (Fin Saver) prototype. Hook proof netting and moderate mesh diameter for a "quick" scoop w/o a lot of resistance. It was stolen after a trip to LBDN last summer... I am using a Redfish series now with a different(aftermarket) mesh netting.
I have a Frabil power lock for the last several years and it works fine. I have had to tighten the screws a couple of times. Congrats on the great finish Scott. Nice to see people we know do well. The Beckman nets are fine nets. I think Frabil and Beckman make the two best ones and I'd be happy with either one. Anyone know what it costs to replace the net in either?
I've been using the Beckman Pro Walleye, going on 3 years. 22X28 with the coated bag and 6+3 extendable handle. Really like the bag, no hooks have ever been stuck. Like the 6+3 handle for the big water days...no leaning over the boat. It's a tough net.
I had a frabill prior, don't remember the model....someone mentioned the screws coming out of the hoop/yoke, right now there's a black and gold decorative screw in my yoke. Had to use what was handy at the time, I think that both screws had been replaced at least twice. It got the job done but is no where near the quality of the beckman, at least imho.
I've thought about getting a stowmaster, just haven't felt like they're very sturdy/strong when extended?? I do like the idea though.
Quote: I personally didn't like the button thing to extend or retract the net.
That was my only neg. thought about my beckman. Trying to find that button when extending the handle was nerve tweaking when the fish was getting close to the boat and I couldn't match the button to the hole!! Or worse yet when I'm on the rod and someone else was trying to do it. Had a buddy almost lose the extendable handle in the water...he yanked it right out and almost slipped out of his hand.
I took the handle all the way out, grabbed a permanent marker and made a good line all the way around the circumference at the button as well as making a line length wise in line with the button. Now it's much easier to find it...just match up the line on the hole and it snaps right in. After doing this and "learning" the net, I wouldn't give it up, it's a tough net.
BIRDDOG
-------------------- FOR BETTER OR WORSE, FISHING AND HUNTING COME FIRST
Quote: I took the handle all the way out, grabbed a permanent marker and made a good line all the way around the circumference at the button as well as making a line length wise in line with the button. Now it's much easier to find it...just match up the line on the hole and it snaps right in.
We've got a fraibil net and I've been happy with it. Not to say that I like it better than others just that I haven't had very many problems with it. I did have the screws come out of the hoop awhile back while trailering it, I just screwed them back in and didn't think much of it. We do carry two nets in our boat, mostly in the winter rather than the summer like most people. The second is a cheap one from Fleet Farm, it's just a short handled one for me in the front of the boat. In the winter on pool 4 there are times when you get doubles of good fish, so having a 2nd net saves effort of struggling with one while the other is thrashing around next to the boat. It's a short handle because, simply it attracts less attention. I don't have the long handle waving around in the air while I'm netting a fish. I might have to give beckmans a try, anyone got a free seat that wants to show me one?
-------------------- Chris A.K.A. Private Simmons
My Web Page
"You only get one life, but if you do it right then one is enough!!"
"Life's a dance, you learn as you go"
-John Michael Montgomery
I've thought about getting a stowmaster, just haven't felt like they're very sturdy/strong when extended?? I do like the idea though.
I have played with a couple of the stowmasters in 2 different sizes....as I really like an uncluttered boat.Although they work....it is not a easy deploy if you are not familiar with it and in my opinion,not built anywhere near like the Beckmans.I have never heard of anyone wearing out a Beckman. A few guides I know have been using the same beckman and no replacement net as of yet for nearly 8 yrs now.
-------------------- Dean Marshall - Everts Fishing Resort
Located Below Lock & Dam #3 near Red Wing, MN!
Click on the Everts Resort banner above to visit our website!
I have a stowmaster net and have been using it for the last 3 or 4 years and I love it. I have the tournament walleye/bass model with the extending handle. I agree for those that don't know how to get it open it can be a challenge......not sure why...all you do is fold the net open and pull the handle until it clicks. You don't need to push any buttons or anything.
Getting it folded down is almost as easy push the handle release button and slide the handle down and fold the net closed.
I love it because the hooks don't get tangled in the netting and it folds down and fits in the front compartment on my 620 so it is out of the way.
The only problem I had was the rubber slip on grip and the end of the handle fell off....I tossed it and wrapped the end with hockey tape like I do on my hockey sticks works great and won't come off. JB
Congrats again on the win Scott, those are hard to come by! I only fish penny ante tourneys and I still wouldn't change nets the day of the tourney. I see the boy mentioned we use a Frabil and it serves our purpose. We both have developed a technique where we hold the netting against the handle,stab and sweep the fish. It works great but it took some practice to get it down. I think like anything else getting use to a product is what gives it the potential to go from good to great. Use the Frabil for awhile and you will figure out it is a good net---let me use the Beckman for awhile and I may run over the Frabil in the driveway
Hey Scott, Congrats on your victory! I use a Frabill Pro- Formance with Pow'R Lok with extend-able handle it doesn't have the tight netting. I use this net daily and hasn't let me down. If they insist on you using frabill I would try this one out. Good Luck Too You #9
Quote: Hey Scott, Congrats on your victory! I use a Frabill Pro- Formance with Pow'R Lok with extend-able handle it doesn't have the tight netting. I use this net daily and hasn't let me down. If they insist on you using frabill I would try this one out. Good Luck Too You #9
I have the same net. Just checked the screws.... they were good to go
big G
-------------------- You can tell how big a person is, by what it takes to discourage them! "Hooks"
I have a Beckman also, walleye edition or something to that effect, It's the perfect net I think for the fishing I do, my only dislike is that it doesn't fit in one piece anywhere in my boat , I can fit the hoop upfront in the bow storage, and the handle fits in my rod/ski locker.
I guess nets are a lot like rods to me, I think I can just pick one up and know if it feels right.
My dad just retired and now fishes alone alot. The last net I got him is awful heavy for a one handed net job. Which beckman do you guys suggest for walleye on the croix? Are they light-weight. Thanks, Dream'n.
I have several different nets but my BEST one is a Beckman Walleye Net. You can't, in my opinion, find a better built net made than Beckman. They are made with very high quality materials, are very strong, and will last forever it seems. Thanks, Bill
I love my stowmaster net. Once you open it a couple times it is easy. The construction and engineering is top notch. The best thing about a stowmaster is not having a big net cluttering up the boat all the time.
It literally takes 10 seconds to get it open and set up. It is also easy to fold down and store away. Check them out here. http://www.stowmaster.net/default.asp
Beckman. In over 10 years of full time guiding I had lots of different reels, dozens of different fish finders, hundreds of cranks.... and one net. That Beckman has been the last thing endless walleyes, pike, bass and even a handful of muskies has seen before the camera flash and it has never let me down. After a minimum of 1500+ paid guide days on the water the decals are sun bleached to the point where you can't tell what the heck they say and the handle and hoop is scratched to heck. But from a structural stand point it is as sound as the day I bought it.
I mean no disrespct to the Frabill product line or anyone that owns one. I've not owned one. I have used one on many occassions it is a decent product... but a folding net has zero value to me. If it takes 10 seconds to deploy, that's 9.9 seconds too long as I can think of an endless string of boat-side hookups on bass, pike and even walleye where the netman had a split second to scoop the fish before the hooks pulled. I have my net at the ready at all times and would never consider stowing it or folding it up. If I'm in the boat the net is in the vertical net holder ready to go. If I'm out of the boat... there's more than enough room for the net, folded or not.
But that's just me. I do know anyone that picks up a Beckman and compares to the other nets out there on the market will definitely notice the quality of the product.
I've had a pretty large Frabil for the last three years. I bought it because I liked the telescoping handle (8 foot) for bank fishing in some odd places and because I could extend it (power yoke) myself when fishing alone. One foot in the hoop and lift on the handle while fighting the fish with the other hand. That worked ok, but I've found my customers to struggle with it. I've had the button stick in and the only way to unstick it is to have something small like a pocket knife to wiggle it back into the hole. Now I just ask the front customer to hand me it to me. I don't want to take a chance having it not "lock" and their fish of a life time get knocked off.
I've been whining for two years now since Dan Thiem hooked into a 58+ pound cat. I lifted her into the boat the way one lifts heavy weight in, keeping the handle up in the air. The net still works, but it has a funny ob-long feel to it.
Ralf, let me know when your down to Everts with your Beckman the next time...I want to take a looky see.
I would think with a collapsible net, you would get it ready, before fishing, much like most nets do by pulling the handle out and locking in place. Do people really collapse it between netting fish, while actively fishing ??? I thought it was collapsible for storage when not in use, or pounding from spot to spot.
big G
-------------------- You can tell how big a person is, by what it takes to discourage them! "Hooks"
I do. A net handle in the wrong place at night is not a good thing.
My brother in law lost his once in a life time bone fish because our guide had his net stowed. It was the first fish of the day. All he has to show for it was a scale of his fish and a picture of him holding my fish.
Has anyone else ever tried the rubber nets? I have one and love it. There is no getting hooks caught in it and it does not hurt the fish at all. Very easy to get them out of it quickly and back into the water. We landed about a 44 inch sturgeon last week on LOW with one also. Your thoughts?
Quote: Has anyone else ever tried the rubber nets? I have one and love it.
The rubber nets work fine for panfish. For bass, walleye and other larger species they're often refered to as "tennis rackets" due to their tendency to have fish hit the bottom of the net and come bouncing right back out. The bags on those nets are never deep enough and they offer a tremendous amount of resistence when moved through the water due to the width of the rubber netting.
-------------------- James Holst - In-Depth Outdoors TV Host IDA Guides Guide Service
Ph. 507-271-0362
Quote: Has anyone else ever tried the rubber nets? I have one and love it.
The rubber nets work fine for panfish. For bass, walleye and other larger species they're often refered to as "tennis rackets" due to their tendency to have fish hit the bottom of the net and come boucing right back out. The bags on those nets are never deep enough and they offer a tremendous amount of resistence when moved through the water due to the width of the rubber netting.
I had one in hand yesterday, and that was my exact thought. How shallow the bag was, and what would keep a flopping fish inside a trampoline? Needless to say I put it down.
-------------------- When I'm not fishing I'm on IDO wishing I was fishing.
I'm on my third season with my Beckman. I remember the first time I used it like it was yesterday. I think I said something like "Where have you been all of my life?"
I've got a rubber net and I really like it. As you mention R4W, no tangles, no caught up hooks, easy to pull fish out and I'm able to quickly get back to fishing. I've had one for a good number of years now and haven't had any problems with it, nor have I ever had a fish flop out.
But, maybe I should knock on wood!
-------------------- my rod and my reel....they comfort me....
I used to have Frabill nets and and averaged about one broken hoop per year. I switched to a Beckman about three years ago and not had a problem with it. When I first started using the Beckman it seem a bit heavy and awkward but after using it for a while it feels fine.
Quote: I used to have Frabill nets and and averaged about one broken hoop per year. I switched to a Beckman about three years ago and not had a problem with it. When I first started using the Beckman it seem a bit heavy and awkward but after using it for a while it feels fine.
I've heard it stated by many anglers... that the Beckman is "heavy." I know I've stated to guys asking for suggestions on nets to "buy the beckman, it is heavier but it will last forever."
So tonight the curiosity got the best of me. Knowing there was a postal scale on the desk and a 26 x 22 Beckman in the garage one thing lead to another and before you know it I'm out in the garage trying to balance a landing net on a postal scale just so I could find out exactly "how much of a manly man do you need to be to wield a Beckman Net?"
Drumroll, please.
The darn thing weighs in under 3 lb 4 ounces.
And this net has the 4 x 3 extension handle that allows a guy to reach out and net that lunker the next county over. Plus the lifetime warrantied yoke, indestructible net hoop and bag. Without the extension handle it wouldn't surprise me if this net weighed in around 2 3/4 lbs.
I think we're up to our necks in this disposable society to the point where when we do get a rock-solid product in our hands that will last forever we're able to be swayed by marketing that labels Beckman nets as "too heavy."
I think it is more accurate to say the other nets are a bit light. On quality.
-------------------- James Holst - In-Depth Outdoors TV Host IDA Guides Guide Service
Ph. 507-271-0362
Went out catfishing to a community spot tonight. It worked out pretty good. One fella across the river headed for home and a IDO member pull up right after he left. He positioned his boat like and expert, dropped the anchor and baited up.
It wasn't 10 minutes and heard him yell "fish on!" This was still day light and we have a perfect front row seat. This buddy grabbed the net as the flathead was getting close to the boat. As the net man reached for the flat...THE NET HOOP FELL OFF! I couldn't believe it! The next thing I heard was "so much for the Frabil, anyone have some size 10 screws?"
I asked him if he saw this thread because you guys were talking about screws coming out. He hadn't but might have something to add now.
I was sitting there, kinda giggling...HEY! You would have too! Then it hit me. I have a Frabil too and haven't checked the screws. The only reason my net hasn't fallen apart is because I've used electrical tape to hold a flashlight in place in the yoke area. The one screw was out of it's hole and stuck to the tape.
I'm not going to mention any names, but St Croixer could have been sitting there giggling at me.
What's the moral of this story: Listen to the threads on IDO and check your equipment when there's post that concern you.
Sorry to steal your thunder Jarrett...wanna go to gether and buy some Loctite?
Quote: Has anyone else ever tried the rubber nets? I have one and love it.
The rubber nets work fine for panfish. For bass, walleye and other larger species they're often refered to as "tennis rackets" due to their tendency to have fish hit the bottom of the net and come bouncing right back out. The bags on those nets are never deep enough and they offer a tremendous amount of resistence when moved through the water due to the width of the rubber netting.
I used one of these rubber nets for several years. For the most part, it is definitely a two handed net. It drafts more water than any other net I've ever used. There was an incident with a fairly large brown trout that abused that net like a trampoline one cold April day many years ago.
I'm currently using a Frabil Tru-Trax with the extra long telescoping cam lock handle. It really doesn't draft that much water, but then again, I've never used a Beckman.
After reading some of the previous post, I went out and checked the yoke screws. They're still in place for the time being.
For sheet metal or self starting screws, lock tite really doesn't work all that well. Try some water proof sealant instead. It holds tight when applied to just the threads yet it is not permanent. I've applied it to many screws in my boat and have never had one come loose again. Those darn screws on the bottom of boat seats used to forever fall out in my boat until I started using water proof sealant on them.
The yoke screws on my Frabil net are gonna get a coating of water proof sealant tonight after work!
My rubber net story.....this was a long time ago.......A cousin and I were casting for pike. He lead about a 10 lb pike to the net - and I scooped with the rubber net. The fish entered perfectly straight - and under power. It's nose centered perfectly on on of the little holes in the rubber net....and as the fish powered, the rubber stretched and it swam CLEAN THROUGH the net. He fought it back to the boat and I re-netted it. That was the last time I ever used one........
Tim
-------------------- I'd rather be in the boat with a drink on the rocks, than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.
The 26 x 22 is the same net I use. It is a nice all around size for the type of fishing I do. Plenty big for open water trolling. Although, twice it has had to net flatheads over 50 pounds. Hopefully, that never happens again
Yeah, I do get carried away. I was hoping for a pic of Jarrett soaked to the waist, hands torn up with blood dripping from his elbows after hand landing a 50 +.
-------------------- James Holst - In-Depth Outdoors TV Host IDA Guides Guide Service
Ph. 507-271-0362
Quote: a folding net has zero value to me. If it takes 10 seconds to deploy, that's 9.9 seconds too long as I can think of an endless string of boat-side hookups on bass, pike and even walleye where the netman had a split second to scoop the fish before the hooks pulled. I have my net at the ready at all times and would never consider stowing it or folding it up. If I'm in the boat the net is in the vertical net holder ready to go.
I agree 100% with you about having the net ready to go. When I'm fishing the net is unfolded at the vertical ready to go. But when I'm not fishing it's very nice to fold it up and tuck it out of the way. It's one less thing for me or the kids to trip on. I agree a Beckman is a very good net, but if you like to keep your boat less cluttered and organized, a Stowmaster net just might be for you. Another advantage of it folding up and stowing in a small compact package is, it makes it nice to be able to take it out of your boat at night and lock it up. I've been burnt on that one before.
Quote: I was hoping for a pic of Jarrett soaked to the waist, hands torn up with blood dripping from his elbows after hand landing a 50 +.
That is my dream too, and what keeps me coming back
As for my Frabil net, I am composing a letter to their corporate office suggesting a name change to "Feeble" (pathetically lacking in force or effectiveness)
I hope this post at least saves a few people the heartache of owning a FEEBLE net
What Landing Net??
My buddy has a Beckman and after using his in his boat I wouldn't even think twice about it. The only problem is they are a little spendy, so I will have to just use what I got for now.
I've used several Beckmann's that belonged to friends of mine, and I am glad to have my own!
That is exactly what I did 
I thought it was collapsible for storage when not in use, or pounding from spot to spot.
me.
Second time.