A rubber net is an important piece of gear. Not only does it make landing a fish easier, it is slicker than monofilament or nylon nets, and that prevents damage to the slime coat of the fish.
With a creel limit of one red drum and a slot limit of 18 to 27 inches, most fish are destined to be released. The bag limit for black drum is 10 fish between 14 and 25 inches, with only one fish greater than 25 inches, meaning that anglers will probably be releasing some black drum as well.
Aside from the conservation aspect of using a rubber net for landing fish, there are other advantages on the human side of the equation. First, rubber mesh will not billow, making it easier to corral fish in the strong current present around bridges in tidal areas that have large water-level fluctuations. Rigs and hooks also fall through the rubber mesh rather than imbed or tangle as they do in twisted monofilament or nylon, which makes them much easier to remove. When using a monofilament or nylon net, a hook snagging or a knot cinching down can result in 10 minutes of fishing time lost during the removal process or in having to cut and re-tie the line to the rig or lure.
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