We have taken the time to review O’Pros Landing Nets, one of the most durable net systems available in the market. We’ve put it to the test on long wade trips, alpine lakes and remote destinations in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, and many other awesome fishing spots. Here’s everything you need to know to determine if a O’Pros Landing Nets are the right choice for you.
If you are an avid fly fisherman, you’ve probably considered upgrading your landing net. You may be used to a small wooden net that can make it difficult or impossible to land large fish, or maybe you’ve just been considering upgrading a well used setup. Either way, hopefully you’ll find this review helpful.
About O’Pros | About The Nets | Our Review | Summary
Our Testing
We took the O’Pros Mid-Length Landing Net to above 12,000 feet at alpine lakes, to tailwater fisheries deep in Colorado canyons, long wade trips, threw it in the back of our cars, attached it to our slings, wading belts, threw it in the dirt, netted many fish, and put it to as rough of a test that anyone could expect when using a net like this.
Where To Purchase
You can purchase O’Pros Landing Nets and other O’Pros products on their website: O’Pros Site
About O’Pros
Outdoor Professionals (O’Pros) was founded in Janesville, Wisconsin by 3 brothers. As past hockey players that all picked up a passion for fishing, they took some incredibly durable hockey technology, and brought it to the fishing world. They had a passion for making the highest quality gear, and stand by that gear so strongly that they offer a “no-fault” lifetime warranty.
See how they came to create nets with handles from hockey stick shafts here.
You can read more about O’Pros here.
About The Nets
O’Pros Nets come in three sizes, have multiple color options, and different net depths that can be chosen. Each net optionally comes shipped in a travel bag that can be used as a carrying bag, storage device, or to be shipped back to the O’Pros team if any repairs are ever needed.
Net handles are made from the same materials as hockey stick shafts, which results in an extremely durable and lightweight material. With rubber nets, an extremely wide (19″ x 14″) and versatile net rim design made of aluminum, this net is durable, functional, and lightweight. Below we will go into greater detail.
Technical Specs
| Shaft | Hockey stick shaft handle (carbon fiber/fiberglass composite) – Color options: Fish Camo or Stealth Black |
| Hoop | Wide aluminum hoop (19″ x 14″) – Black, blue or Silver |
| Net Bag | Rubber – Depth Options: Regular depth (12″) or Deep (16″) |
| Warranty | Lifetime |
Standard Shipping
O’Pros offers 3 business day standard shipping via UPS ground. This is generally around $10.
Returns & Warranty
All O’Pros nets come with a no-fault lifetime warranty if purchased from an authorized dealer or the O’Pros site. This policy and product registration details can be seen here.
Our Review
Functionality
The functionality of this net can be broken down into a few categories to help you see if this is the right net for you:
Versatility
This net has 3 different shaft lengths which give great options for all types of angling, even from boats. If you like to travel light, but want a large landing net, the 9 inch option is fantastic, but if you want a bit easier landing of fish while wading, the mid length might be a better option for you.
In addition to the three lengths, you can also choose a deep 18 inch or the regular 12 inch net depth. The 18 inch is fantastic for handling larger fish, and keeping them wet to recover and be released safely.
Measuring Fish
No more guessing the length of your fish. Having a ruler on the net handle makes measuring easy!
Strapping To Your Waders, Sling, or Backpack
The handle of each net has a convenient hole that allows for strapping the handle easily. You’ll find many anglers utilizing this loop, or a magnet system attached to the net loop to keep the net ready to grab. The shorter the handle, the easier this is to do comfortably.
In this picture, you’ll see the net slipped into a fly fishing sling. This is a quick and easy option. It is our preferred method to use a magnet to have the net dangle via a magnetic release system.
Durability
This is the largest advantage of the O’Pros net over any other net on the market. For the weight, we believe this is the most durable net out there. The hockey stick shaft mixed with the aluminum loop makes this net extremely difficult to break, bend, or scrape up any way that affects performance. This is different from other nets on the market that might by fully carbon fiber, where over time, the dings lead to carbon fiber chipping away. As someone who also grew up playing hockey, the shafts can take an absolute beating before any damage becomes noticeable. Scrapes on rocks, sand, and dirt will do nothing to effect the performance.
Looks
We love the look of this net. The color options, along with the hockey stick shaft makes this an awesome looking accessory. Being able to choose a couple shaft colors, net rim colors, and netting colors let’s angler’s customize the look that they want. We think this net has a comparable or better looking aesthetic than nearly any other net on the market.
Value
Landing nets tend to be pretty expensive, but investing in a high quality net will land you more fish, keep fish safer, and give you a piece of gear that will last many years. In terms of value compared to other nets, we put O’Pros near the top. It is similarly priced to leading competitors, yet offers a bit more durability as well as versatility with deeper net options. Because of this, the overall value of this net compared to other options in the market is right where we would expect. Anglers can invest in more expensive nets, but in our opinion, won’t really get any added value. In addition, anglers can invest in less expensive nets, but will either be missing key features, like a deep rubber net and long handle, or when they do get these features, they simply are not going to get the same level of durability.
Anglers can also invest in the leading competitors, but these are often fully carbon fiber, which helps win on weight, but reduces the overall durability of the net when hitting rocks, brushing on trees, and normal wear and tear.
Other Reviews
Check Out What Midcurrent Thinks In Their Video Review:
Recommendation And Overall Thoughts:
Overall, we highly recommend the O’Pros landing nets. To recap what we love:
- Durable hockey stick shaft handle
- Awesome color options
- Deep rubber landing net
- Durable aluminum rim
These features create one of the best looking and most durable nets on the market. We expect to be using this as our primary net for wading trips for the next several years.
Additional Photos
Max DesMarais is the founder of hikingandfishing.com. He has a passion for the outdoors and making outdoor education and adventure more accessible. Max is a published author for various outdoor adventure, travel, and marketing websites. He is an experienced hiker, backpacker, fly fisherman, backcountry skier, trail runner, and spends his free time in the outdoors. These adventures allow him to test gear, learn new skills, and experience new places so that he can educate others. Max grew up hiking all around New Hampshire and New England. He became obsessed with the New Hampshire mountains, and the NH 48, where he guided hikes and trail runs in the White Mountains. Since moving out west, Max has continued climbed all of the Colorado 14ers, is always testing gear, learning skills, gaining experience, and building his endurance for outdoor sports. You can read more about his experience here: hikingandfishing/about