Thread: Cast Nets

On my first trip down last year, I used fresh dead shrimp as bait. As I caught various non-game fish, I turned many of them around as cut bait. My experience was that I got less trash fish on fresh cut bait than I did on shrimp.

This time around, I was considering trying to catch some bait with a cast net. What is the best inexpensive cast net, and what is the smallest recommended size? It needs to be something that I can order online, so that I can get some practice in before my trip. Also, are the Walmart cheapos worth buying? Those are available on the shelf in my area.

I might not get much opportunity to use it, so I'd rather not spend a ton of money on it. On the other hand, if you tell me the cheap ones aren't worth using, I can understand that as well.

I guess my biggest question is, what is the smallest practical size. I figure the smaller ones are easier to learn with, and are less hassle overall to deal with.

I started out several years ago w/ a 4' (8'diameter) net and have never felt a need to go larger. My last 2 trips, the net never got wet... red ribbon nets and sabiki rigs have provided all the bait we could need.
But if you feel the need, a small diameter net is much easier to learn to throw, and will be quite productive even for shrimp near the grass in the lagoon.

1/4" mesh will save time and the lives of many bait fish that get gilled and then beheaded trying to get them out of 3/8" mesh.

If you throw a net at Perdido Pass, watch out for rocks; I have lost a net or three throwing in unfamiliar areas.

I tell people not to waste their time with frozen shrimp or frozen squid. I'll bet it's been 20 years or more since I used frozen shrimp! Maybe 30! I've used a small cast net before and the small ones are not too difficult to master. You can easily catch shallow water baitfish with a cheapo net! I say "shallow water" because the cheapie nets sink so slowly that the fish get out from under them in water more than a couple of feet deep. You may catch a few if they're really thick in deeper water.

What FinChaser said about throwing in unfamiliar areas. Rubble often has pieces of steel rods sticking out and that will ruin your net, which, again, makes a strong case for "El-Cheapo"!

I use an 8' dia., 1/4" nylon I purchased 20+ yrs. ago at the old J+M store. It all I have ever needed.

Even though I can't throw a cast net for crap, I can still manage to get some bait with my 8' from J&M. If you need any help learning to throw banana-shaped casts, I'm your man---dammed good at it.

Originally Posted by Haywire

Even though I can't throw a cast net for crap, I can still manage to get some bait with my 8' from J&M. If you need any help learning to throw banana-shaped casts, I'm your man---dammed good at it.

Be careful throwing that bait net in J & M. They'll get mad if you knock over that stack of Yeti's.



Sorry, I couldn't resist.

It ain't easy gettin' that net to spread in their live bait tank. I've given up on the big freezer.

my sweet and lovely wife believes that the banana cast is intentional; she says I do it really good.

Finchaser is spot on about mesh size. The 3/8" is a nightmare to get minnows out of. Here is a cheap one with 1/4" mesh(3.5'). I have used it down there for a few years and it works fine in shallow water for menhaden, bull minnows and glass minnows.

Betts Tyzac Nylon Cast Net