Because as you said a 45 gallon tank is handled differently than a 5 gallon tank....salt water fish are handled differently than freshwater fish....is this thing on? am I speaking here?

Suggestions change with knowledge of what the person is dealing with so more information is better than less information:doh:

Get a larger net......it may help.

Get the fish to a side of the tank with less obstacles and block him in with a simple slide panel and get him into a location and size of area where it is easy to just scoop him up. Using two pieces of large plates of plastic you can block him off and seperate him.

Yeah its a pain in the ass to get the pieces of plastic but it will help if you ever have to do something like this again.