Cast nets

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JIM

JIM

Banned
Nov 5, 2008
876
2
18
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Indiana
I intend to try my luck with netting this spring and am considering a cast net over seine, due to the fact that i never have a partner to help seine, and im going after a fish that is supposedly in the river, which in some places im sure will have steep banks, and well anyway..... does anyone have any tips for using the cast net as to size and operation. :popcorn:
 
Casting nets come several sizes. I have used the 3 ft and the 5 ft. I normally buy one at Walmart every year for around $20. Using a casting net requires a little practice, it took me several fishing trips to get to where I could cast with a decent success rate (being completely open).
 
I use a cast net with some regularity, mostly in salt water, most of the fresh water kept in aquariums are to be found in cover, under banks, under or around rocks trees and other objects. A cast net will not do well under these conditions. A cast net is good for fish that swim in open water, especially if they swim in large schools. a dip net worked from the bank will catch almost as many fish as a seine and will allow you to work around and use cover to your advantage. The "Perfect" dip net by these guys is what I use. see this link.

http://jonahsaquarium.com/JonahSite/netdipnet.htm
 
I uae both the cast and dip nets when I go out. You can get some good videos on youtube for the cast net. Trust me you'll need to practise casting the net in a yard or driveway before you get good at it. Took me about a half hour before I could get the hang of it. Got my son hooked on it too. He brought home a 4 foot eel thinking I was gonna let him put it in one of the tanks. That thing was viscious.
 
As said above, cast nets are good for open water, but the problem with using a dipper around cover can be limited water depth or thick grasses.
I use a drag net for baitfish and cray fish, works well in grass, basically you push it out above the water, almost pushing the basket out and letting the handle slide through your hand, and drag it back to shore along the bottom, works really well in shallows for all sorts of fingerlings. Mine is old, my grandfather made it, looks almost like a bicycle basket on a pole with the open part of the basket 90* to the handle and facing you, its like a woven aluminum material, could probably make one if you found a stout enough bicycle basket. :)
 
Great ideas all, I really like the one about the bicycle basket, that sounds like what i need, I will be trying to catch small YOY, sunfish from a river, which may or may not have brush, probably will, because sunfish like the cover, so that gadget sounds like it might be more effective under those conditions. :D
 
or just use food to lure them out of cover
 
Small traps also work well for fish that hang in cover. Just get a fair sized minnow trap, throw some bread or bacon or something in, and leave it for like 24hrs if you can. Ive always enjoyed doing that.
 
dafrimpster;2707725; said:
Has anyone tried one of these? I would like to try one but fifty bucks is a lot if it sucks.
http://members.cox.net/shinerscoop/
Click to expand...


I have one, under the right circumstances it can bring up tons of minnows. It takes a while to get used to it but it does work.
 
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