Another Brian,

Don't know about the fine mesh nets either. I, like Rob, only net fish that I know are legal and I'm going to keep. Actually, that's not entirely true either as the last several legals I caught I didn't even use the net. Actually, come to think of it I haven't used my net since last year some time and I've landed several legal halibut and seabass. The technique Rob described for short seabass works good for halibut also - it seems to paralize them somewhat. For legal seabass that you're going to keep sticking your finger under the gill works great.

If you are going to get a net make sure it is over 18 inches in diameter. There is a DFG regulation that requires all boats to have a net this size or larger. The only time I have heard of this not being true was when several float tubes were together and at least one guy had a net. This may be the same for kayaks but if you're going to buy one anyway you might as well be legal, right?

Whose going to invent the steel thumb sheath so we can lip halibut like bass? :D

Can't imagine coming home with "halibut thumb"

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You can't catch tomorrow what you kill today - please practice catch and release.