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If you are entering fishing matches, you will almost certainly need to get your hands on a keepnet unless the fishery provides one. A keepnet will allow you to keep your catches safe and alive in the water so they can be weighed and recorded.
If you are a general coarse angler, these nets will also work great, assuming you are permitted to use one. The vast majority of anglers use a match net for general fishing use as well. There is no need to purchase different ones for match and general fishing.
On this page, I will review the five best keepnets for fishing. We have tried to select something for everybody here. So, no matter your budget, we have a quality option.
- Shakespeare Agility Keepnet – My Best Overall Pick!
- Hunter Pro 3m Keepnet – My Most Versatile Pick!
- Collateral Fish Friendly Blue Keepnet – My Best Value For Money!
- Dinsmores River Keepnet and Landing Net Combo
- Oakwood Carp Fishing Keepnet
Shakespeare Agility Keepnet – My Best Overall Pick!
We have always been fans of Shakespeare fishing equipment. While they are not at the top of the chain regarding the highest quality gear, you can’t go too far wrong for the value for money you get for Shakespeare gear.
The Shakespeare Agility keepnet is 3 metres long, which provides the fish with a huge amount of space to move around.
Unlike most other nets, it is not cylindrical either. Instead, Shakespeare opted for a square shape. This allows the fish to swim around inside the net more easily and prevents it from rolling around once it is in the water. The shape also makes storing it much easier. If you have ever tried to throw something cylindrical into storage, you will know just how difficult it can be!
The frame is very light but made from strong, hollow aluminium. It has a micro fine mesh and a good adjustable angle section for the bank sticks. Its black colour gives it a very professional look.
The Shakespeare brand is well known to be a great entry point for every angler, and this net certainly meets the requirements for our Best overall pick. It has the usual nice agility graphics at the entrance to the net’s top.
Hunter Pro 3m Keep Net – My Most Versatile Pick!
If you are brand new to fishing, you may need more than just a keepnet. You may need a landing net, too, to make it a little bit easier to pull in your catch. Luckily, this Hunter Pro 3m Keep Net set contains a keepnet and a matching landing net. Basically, you have all the nets that you need to get started.
The 3-meter keepnet is high quality. It is almost impossible to break, so you don’t have to worry about the net material degrading, allowing your smaller fish or prize catch to escape.
You get all the accessories you need for your keep net included in the packaging. This includes a bank stick, as well as a stink bag. The latter can be incredibly useful if you are a person who never really has time to dry off their materials.
Collateral Fish Friendly Blue Keep Net – My Best Value For Money Pick!
The Collateral fish-friendly blue keep net is a fantastic best value for money entrant. It is 3 meters long and, as you probably guessed by now, contains all the space needed by the fish you are keeping.
This is the perfect fish-safe keepnet. It has eight rings along its length, meaning your catch can move freely and safely within the net. It will adjust to the way the fish moves easily.
There is no way the fish can escape from this either! The netting is well-made and has a soft feel to prevent any potential fish damage.
If that wasn’t enough, Collateral is a brand-new fishing brand in the UK. This means two things. Firstly, you will support a British company if you purchase this. Secondly, you will purchase a net with customer support based in this country. This means any issues can be dealt with quickly in the unlikely event that you need to contact them. This is a great net, after all.
Dinsmores River Keepnet and Landing Net Combo
Dinsmores is a company that has been involved with fishing equipment for a very long time. Most anglers know them for their renowned selection of weights and lead shots.
The Dinsmores River keepnet is 3 metres long and comes with a 45cm diameter landing net as part of the package. The Dinsmores set is a great choice for the more budget angler and any fisherman starting with the sport.
It has a very robust multi-angle tilt mechanism, which helps ease positioning in front of the angler. The keepnet comes in a yellow-striped, navy blue colour and reasonably soft mono hex mesh netting. The bottom of the net has a heavy-duty strong ring, to which a weight can be added to ensure the net stays in place and straight in the water.
Dinsmore’s nets carry an industry assurance kitemark, which proves they are manufactured using only soft meshes to protect fish correctly.
Dinsmores also have a variation of the river keepnet called a match keepnet. The length is the same, but the net has the same robust multi-angle tilt mechanism and comes with a bag and the landing net. The main difference is the navy blue soft mono mesh with yellow stripes.
Oakwood Carp Fishing KeepNet
Next up, we have this Oakwood carp fishing keepnet. In our opinion, the colour scheme of this net makes it one of the more stylish offerings on this page…………just in case you are one of those people that prefer good-looking keep nets! We all want our fishing gear to look the best.
Even if you are not a fan of the colour of the Oakwood carp net, it is still worth considering. This is an incredibly rugged piece of kit with plenty of space inside. This net will be great for dealing with the vast majority of fish you will encounter in British waters.
The one thing we must point out here is that it does not come with a bank stick. However, this probably isn’t too much of an issue, for most people prefer to purchase one themselves. This net is promoted as having a shake-dry feature that allows the net to dry much easier after use.
Lastly, whilst it’s named a carp net, it can be used as a match or general coarse fishing net. Its angle tilt-adjustable top ring with rod resting capability makes it adaptable for all anglers.
6 Top Tips For Buying And Using A Keepnet
A darker colour net, such as dark blue or black, can reduce the stress the fish may incur due to reducing the light.
Never purchase a keepnet less than 2.5 metres in length; these do not have the capacity to keep fish safe and retained for over several hours.
Most anglers will have at least two keepnets. You will likely have at least three if you are a match angler. Having one of these nets a different colour than the others allows you to identify whether it can be used for keeping silverfish.
Most fishing matches require the separation of carp and smaller silverfish for better protection.
Keep the fish in the net for five hours maximum to prevent exhaustion or stress.
In most keepnet purchases, no bank stick is provided with the net.
Final Thoughts
Not every fisherman will need a keepnet. However, it is worth buying the best you can afford if you do. Any of the five keepnets recommended in this article will be a perfect choice – especially for the general angler.
Our top pick, the Agility keepnet from Shakespeare, is a real gem!
I hope this article gave you all the information needed to pick the right keepnet. You can check out one of my other articles on the top picks for a best-quality fishing umbrella for beginners.
Steve holds a special place in his heart for the mighty Carp and the elusive Tench
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