A good landing net is the part that helps you do that. We’ve been fishing with and testing the new EGO S2 Slider Net with the PVC coated mesh from Adventure Products. You may recall this net won the Best of Show for Accessory at the ICAST 2010 show in Las Vegas. Our own Terry Brown had been providing input to Grant Corbett, owner, on features the net should have. So we’ve known about the S2 for quite a while and were pumped to get some of the first nets.
The S2 Slider gets its name for a unique handle that Adventure Products has exclusive rights to. With the simple touch of the middle button on the 29-inch handled S2 we tested, and then pulling on the handle or hoop, the handle extends both directions, transforming a 3-foot net into a 7-foot net. The net has great foam padded grips along the length of the handle that make the net easy to grip, even when wet and keep the weight of net to a bare minimum. Coupled with the mesh net option, this is an extremely lightweight option, extending the versatility of the net.
Floatation throughout the net keeps you from losing your valuable investment. You can literally spear the net underwater and it pops back up like a cork and it remains floating from hoop to handle. We advise putting your name on label and placing it on the net with your number. If the net happens to be accidentally knocked overboard unknowingly, there’s a good chance a good Samaritan will return it because it will still be floating.
Another nice feature is the screw on hoop. In a few easy twists the net hoop unscrews from the handle. This is not only nice for storage but it gives you the versatility to add several other options that Adventure Products offers. They have a boat hook, Slider Knife and two sizes of gaffs as well as different styles of hoop nets from clear and black rubber to pvc coated mesh and deep and shallow nets.
The net extends easily with two hands but we figured out on the fly that if you turn the net sideways and pull it against the gunwale of the boat, you can slide the net open one handed to land fish that are actively swimming away and down from your netting attempts. I actually landed a decent smallmouth when testing it last fall and extended the net in the middle of the fight because the fish kept making a surge.
This net retails from $59.99 to $94.98 depending on the handle and hoop configurations. You can choose handles in 18-inch, 29-inch and 48-inch. You can choose medium or large size hoops. You can choose from rubber or PVC coated mesh and you can choose clear or black rubber or shallow or deep mesh. The clear rubber is very intriguing as we think that makes the net less obtrusive to the fish when you go to land a hard fighting trophy at the boat.
If you fish a lot and you want to land big fish, a net is a wise investment. All the big bass anglers I know are adamant about a quality landing net that doesn’t harm the fish. EGO nets are designed to be easy on the fishermen and easy on the fish. The red and black styling of the S2 Slider puts sexy back in fishing nets. The stowability, extendability and the durability are all on par with what we expected when we first started talking about the concept of this net with Corbett. This sets the bar pretty high on nets.
Jason and Todd preferred the rubber nets while Terry preferred the PVC coated mesh. We all loved the 29-inch handle as a happy medium on length. It extends to 7 feet as you can see from the photos. Not to mention this net is warrantied for 2 years with the exception of the mesh.
We also recommend not storing the net in the center floor storage hole on a boat. The net is susceptible to getting bent in that holder if stepped on and that damages the extending action of the net. We like to store ours in a front compartment broken down for quick in and out when we go to and from fishing spots and fishing trips.
You can read more about the nets, the options and the accessories online at EGOS2Slider.com.
You can purchase the 18-inch handled version at TackleWarehouse.com or additional 29-inch handles and accessories.
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