Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Buying some netting, need advice on what kind

One other thought, Chadwick. The smaller the mesh, the more resistance when you try to lift or pull a net. So, go with the largest mesh that does the job for you. If you want 2 inch and longer bluegills, you can definitely go with 1/4 inch (bar or square measure), and probably could even go up to 3/8. 1/2 starts to retain bluegills at about 2.5 inches, so it's defintely too large.

Just a reminder for all readers on mesh measurement. Bar (or square) is knot to knot distance. Let's take the 1/2 inch bar measure. It has four sides, and all are 1/2 inch long. That same net is 1 inch stretch measure (pull two opposing knots tight, and then measure that distance). Need to pay attention to this, or you'll end up with a mesh that is too big or too small for what you wanted.