Top 3 Best Musky Nets To Boat Your Trophy – 2020 Guide

When it comes to most fish, like Bass and Catfish, getting them into the boat usually only requires you lifting your rod tip and swinging them on board.

For Musky, though, you’re going to want to come to the water prepared — and that means having a high-quality Musky net to make your life easier and protect the fish you love to chase.

Before we get into what we believe are the best fishing nets for Musky fishing, we want to give you a few caveats and make a major disclaimer…

Disclaimer: Don’t Buy A Cheap Musky Fishing Net!

We realize that most of our readers are on a budget and can’t necessarily afford some of the crazy prices manufacturers seem to charge when they tack the label “Musky” onto their gear.

When it comes to your net, though, you want to make sure you’re doing your part to conserve the future of your favorite fisheries.

A good Musky net goes a long way towards keeping the fish safe and making your life easier, so it’s worth spending a few bucks more in order to make sure you aren’t causing long-term harm to the fish or potentially wasting money while throwing your back out at the same time.

Reason #1 – Muskies may fight hard, but they’re still fragile!

 

When you think of a Musky, you think of a hard fight and a tough fish. What most anglers don’t realize, though, is that the fish are incredibly sensitive — especially after a long fight!

Very little thought goes into protecting the fish’s scales and body when they’re being manufactured, which puts big trophy fish at high risk of infection and injury when they’re being netted.

On top of that, if you’ve never experienced it (we hope you don’t have to!), a big Musky can show you the weaknesses in your gear quicker than nearly any other species. A cheap net is fast to buckle, bend, and break under the pressure.

The money you save buying “cheap” the first time is always going to end up costing you more when you have to replace it because you found out the hard way that “you get what you pay for”…!

Reason #2 – You’re paying for R&D from other Musky anglers…

 

When you see higher price tags on some fishing gear, you might wonder what exactly makes that gear different than another one that looks exactly the same… and the difference is in the time spent on researching and developing the gear you’re looking at.

Big brands and known manufacturers spend a ton of time on the water testing their own gear to make sure it’s able to withstand the punishment that most anglers put their gear through.

So while you may only see a lower price tag and think you’re saving a few bucks, you’re not seeing how long that gear has been available, the work that went into making it available, and how many anglers have come to rely on it — just like you’re going to!

Musky fishing is already tough enough, so we always recommend doing your part to keep brand names focused on delivering exactly what we need from our gear while also making sure our favorite fisheries are protected for generations to come.

A good net can make the difference between returning a fish unharmed and turning loose a fish that could develop infections from skin abrasions — infections that could keep it from spawning, making your next fishing trip that much more difficult.

It’s always a good practice to make sure you’re leaving the fishery better than you found it, and having a good net is a good starting point.

That being said…

What Are The Best Musky Nets In 2019?

 

Now comes the fun part — helping you sift your way through the different nets available so you know what you’re getting… and know that you aren’t going to be wasting money! 

At Tackle.org, we try to feature a wide range of gear because we know that every angler is different, the amount of storage you have to stow the net is different, and every angler’s budget is different.

Listed below are 7 of the best musky fishing nets that we’ve been able to find in 2019.

#1 – Frabill Power Catch Big Kahuna Teardrop

 

 

The Frabill Power Catch “Big Kahuna” is one of the go-to nets for tournament and hobby anglers, alike. It’s known for being big enough that even 50+ inchers can still swim around inside of it when you’ve got it in the water.

 

The design is compact, with a 48” handle that makes it easy to generate enough power to lift the fish without worrying about the handle buckling under the pressure, and a softer mesh netting that’s been proven to keep fish safe while you’re handling them.

Backed by a lifetime limited warranty, if something ever does go wrong, the webbing begins to open, the handle breaks, or the hoop collapses, Frabill is known for taking care of their customers and can get you a new one out — as long as it’s due to manufacturer’s defect.

Unlike most nets, the mesh webbing in the Big Kahuna doesn’t tangle on itself or hold onto the smell, making it ideal for storing in your boat, especially if you store your boat in your garage.

While it is more expensive than some of the other nets we’ve seen, we can’t find another net that comes as highly-recommended as Frabill’s Big Kahuna. It’s our #1 recommendation for the best Musky net in 2019.

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#2 – StowMaster TS94X Tournament Series

 

 

StowMaster is a name that you don’t hear tossed around nearly as often as Frabill but they are well-known among other anglers for building quality nets that take a beating season after season.

If storage space is limited and you need a net that’s going to hold up to the pressure a big Musky can put it under, the TS94X Tournament Series nets by Stowmaster are a good choice. 

It’s slightly shallower than the Big Kahuna (42” deep versus 48” deep) but the 30”x32” hoop is plenty big enough to avoid having to fight with the net to guide the fish into it.  The telescoping 48” to 96” handle is convenient (and strong), built from aircraft-grade extruded aluminum.

The mesh is specially treated to keep the fish safe while also making sure your hooks aren’t going to get caught up in it. That’s a frustration that’s all too common when you’re trying to safely release a fish and find out you’re fighting against the net, too.

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#3 – Frabill Power Stow

 

 

Another net that’s easier to stow away than the Big Kahuna, while also coming in slightly cheaper, is the Frabill Power Stow Musky net. It’s built with the same 48” handle but telescopes, while the Big Kahuna’s is fixed.

A 36” wide and 38” tall hoop make it easy to net longer fish while still giving them enough room to move around so you can get your gear to their mouth and release your hooks. The webbing is also built with Frabill’s tangle-free design that won’t knot up when you’re storing it.

Where the Power Stow differs from the TS94X by StowMaster is the handle length. The TS94X extends to a full 96” while the Power Stow maxes out at 66”. Depending on the height of your deck off the water, you may not necessarily need the full 96” read of the TS94X.

It’s constructed from aircraft-grade extruded aluminum so you know it’s tough and Frabill’s lifetime warranty can come in clutch if something happens that was caused by the manufacturer.

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Have a Musky fishing net you consider “the best”…?

 

For our money, we highly recommend Frabill’s Big Kahuna, but if you’re looking for a telescoping handle you can choose from the StowMaster’s massive 96” reach, or the Power Stow’s 48” to 66”.

Remember that you get what you pay for and with so many other anglers recommending these 3 as the best Musky fishing nets, too, you’ll have a hard time finding one that beats them, especially for the price — buy quality ONCE instead of replacing junk 3 or 4 times!

Our recommendations are based on our own experience and research and we’re always up for hearing from other anglers with experience on the water!

If you’ve used a Musky fishing net in the past and it let you down, we want you to tell the world about it! On the same token, if there’s one you use that you want to see featured here, leave a comment and let us know!

Tight lines! From Tackle.org.