Adrien - excellent summary of the earlier posts you had on use of rubber nets and fish handling. I have been using "your" handling methods this year and have greatly improved my handling of the salmonids. Since you mentioned it earlier, I too have noticed the "5 second rule and have always been prepared since and it is amazing how consistently it works. There are probably 20-30 salmonids in Moosehead and local waters that have you to thank.

Erby / Erin - it is E-legal to use livewells in ME for anything other than baitfish, not even for bass. I personally don't like this rule, but I obey it and understand why its there. I have had my own experiences where a temporary stint in the livewell for a fish that appears borderline on surviving is a useful way to decide should it stay or go back. With salmonids, I don't play games anyway (I don't try to exhchange fish and keep the bigger one). If I'm intent on keeping a fish of a certain type, I either keep the first keeper, depending on time of year and gender. I've been trying to get better at releasing females, particularly late in the season, but sometimes I can't tell the difference. Thats another reason I would prefer to sometimes put a fish in a livewell -- I can examine it more closely to determine gender without hurting it...but the those are the rules.

rubber nets are the best when you don't want fish getting tangled in the net or hooks getting tangled in the net. Ranger Products is the only net designed for big salmon. There rubber netting is 36 inches deep so that the fish doesnt bounce out of a short rubber net.