I have a stalker and travis has a cabelas. We both like them, mine has lasted since 2000 and landed "a few" fish.
about a 20 inch hoop size is good enough i have put 15lb lake ontario lake trout into it. Don't get a super magnum because it is too heavy to use. When you have a big fish you intend to keep use your regular slob net.
Rubber nets are difficult to use below the surface because of their weight and drag, the fish need to basically be on the surface and slid into it.
Yo - I cringe thinking of the damage I may have done with my "slob" net but I found when trying to land and net a fish (when fishing alone) I just can't handle the big rubber nets "one armed" (with a 9' rod and big 'ol level wind reel in the other). Any suggestions? Reading between the lines, using a the "regular" net for keepers and rubber for small / catch-release fish sounds like a reasonable compromise. Eric H.
