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If you are entering fishing matches, you will almost certainly need to get your hands on a keep net: unless the fishery provides one. A keep net 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 when you go pleasure fishing. 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, we want to look at the five best keep nets for fishing. We have tried to select something for everybody here. So, no matter your budget, we have a quality keepnet for you.
- Shakespeare Agility Keep Net – My Best Overall Pick!
- Hunter Pro 3m Keep Net – My Most Versatile Pick!
- Collateral Fish Friendly Blue Keep Net – My Best Value For Money!
- Dinsmores River Keepnet and Landing Net Combo
- Oakwood Carp Fishing Keep Net
Shakespeare Agility Keep Net – My Best Overall Pick!
We have always been fans of Shakespeare fishing equipment. While they are not at the top of the chain when it comes to the highest quality gear, you can’t go too far wrong for the price that you pay for Shakespeare gear.
The Shakespeare Agility keep net is 3 metres in length, which provides the fish with a huge amount of space to move around.
Unlike most other keep nets, it is not cylindrical either. Instead, Shakespeare opted for a square shape. This allows the fish to move around inside the net a little bit easier and prevents it from rolling around once it is in the water. However, we have also found that the shape makes it much easier to store. 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 super 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 top of the net.
Hunter Pro 3m Keep Net – My Most Versatile Pick!
If you are brand new to fishing, you may need more than just a keep net. You may need a landing net, too, to make it a little bit easier to pull in your catch. Luckily for you, this Hunter Pro 3m Keep Net set contains a keep net and a matching landing net. Basically, you have all the nets that you really need to get started.
The 3-meter keep net is high quality. It is almost impossible to break, so you don’t have to worry about small holes forming, 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 the type of 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 in length and, as you probably guessed by now, contains all of the space needed by the fish you are keeping.
This is the perfect fish-safe keep net. It has several rings, 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 Keep Net
Next up, we have this Oakwood carp fishing keep net. 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 keep net, it is still worth picking up. 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 the vast majority of people that pick it up. 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 has the ability to 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.
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 silver fish.
Most fishing matches require the separation of carp and smaller silver fish 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 keep net. However, it is worth buying the best you can afford if you do. Any of the five best keep nets for fishing that I have recommended in this article is going to 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.
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