Tom Rowland | How To Properly Use A Landing Net For Saltwater Fishing | Tom Rowland Podcast Ep. 371

Tom Rowland is a seasoned saltwater fishing guide with decades of experience targeting species like bonefish, permit, tarpon, redfish, and snook who reveals a crucial technique that most recreational anglers get completely wrong when it comes to landing fish with a net. In this How 2 Tuesday episode, Tom breaks down the exact hand positioning, body mechanics, and timing strategies that professional guides use to net fish quickly and effectively—cutting fight times by up to twenty minutes and dramatically improving fish survival rates. He explains why being fully extended with a landing net is the single biggest mistake anglers make, demonstrates the coiled position technique borrowed from nature, and shares specific insights on head-first netting approaches that work for everything from freshwater trout to saltwater permit.

The Single Biggest Mistake Anglers Make With Landing Nets

Tom opens this episode by addressing what he's observed as the most common netting failure after decades of guiding clients: the fully extended position. When anglers reach out as far as they can with both arms straight and the net handle at maximum extension, they lose almost all their strength and mobility. The result? Fish take a turn, swim under the net, the line wraps around the hoop, and the fish is lost. Tom explains that this happens because anglers in this position simply can't move the net fast enough through the water when current is present or when a permit or bonefish makes a sudden direction change. He compares the proper position to a coiled snake—ready to strike with power and speed rather than stretched out and vulnerable. The specific hand positioning and body mechanics he teaches are designed to give you maximum control at the critical moment. The full breakdown of why extended netting fails starts at 00:05:22.

Why Cutting Fight Time Matters For Fish Survival

Tom shares compelling research on bonefish that reveals just how fragile these fish are during the catch-and-release process. Even pulling a bonefish out of the water for just a few seconds for a photograph—not dropping it in the boat, just holding it briefly—significantly affects its survival rate. He explains that most first-time bonefish anglers don't put enough pressure on the fish during the fight, which extends the battle and causes far more stress and lactic acid buildup. An experienced angler can land a large tarpon in just a few minutes, while someone without proper technique might fight the same fish for over an hour. Tom emphasizes that a landing net is a tool that allows guides and recreational anglers to shortcut fight times dramatically—sometimes by twenty minutes or more—which directly translates to better survival rates for released fish. His discussion of bonefish research and fight time reduction begins at 00:02:24.

The Coiled Position: How To Hold Your Net For Maximum Control

Tom breaks down the specific biomechanics of proper net positioning with precision that only comes from thousands of fish netted over a professional guiding career. Right hand back on the handle, positioned behind your body with your elbow bent. Left hand forward, down toward the water, down toward the net itself. In many cases, Tom actually holds the net bag with his left hand to keep it from dangling in the water where it could catch on a cleat, the fishing line, or anything else on the boat. This position keeps you coiled and ready—never fully extended—so when the fish gives you that split-second opportunity, you can reach out with power and speed while still maintaining the ability to adjust left, right, up, or down if the fish changes course. Tom even discusses keeping the net as close to the surface as possible rather than going deep, because moving a big net through deep water is difficult and gives fish an easy escape route. The detailed coiled position technique and surface netting strategy starts at 00:07:01.

Why Head-First Netting Changes Everything

One of Tom's most important tactical insights involves the direction you net the fish. He explains that you always want to try to net a fish head-first if possible, and the reason is simple physics and fish behavior. When a permit, bonefish, redfish, or snook sees the net and reacts, it's going to kick its tail and go forward—that's its only option. If you're netting head-first and the fish kicks, it swims directly into the net. But if you try to net from behind and the fish kicks its tail, it's swimming away from the net, and even if someone is holding the rod and pulling backward, the fish is stronger and will escape. Tom emphasizes the patience required to wait for that head-first opportunity rather than rushing a poor-angle shot. This principle applies equally to freshwater trout fishing, where Tom nets almost every single fish, and to saltwater species like cobia. His explanation of head-first netting physics and timing begins at 00:09:07.

Final Thoughts from Tom

I've been guiding for decades, and I can tell you that the difference between an angler who knows how to net a fish and one who doesn't is often twenty minutes of fight time and the survival of that fish. This isn't complicated stuff, but it requires you to go against your instincts. Your instinct is to reach out as far as you can, but that's exactly what costs you the fish.

The research on bonefish survival is clear, and it should change how we think about every part of the catch-and-release process. When you can shortcut a fight by using proper technique with a landing net, you're not just making your day more efficient—you're directly improving the survival rate of the fish you're targeting. That matters.

This episode is short but packed with specific technique details that will change how you approach netting. Whether you're targeting saltwater species on the flats or trout in freshwater, these principles apply. Give it a listen and practice that coiled position next time you're on the water. This one's worth your time.