cast nets for bait

[Five O'Clock]

does anybody use these?

I'm up here in Boston, and at my marina, there are thousands, literally, thousands, of bait fish. They seem to be pogy's (menhaden, bunker, etc.), and mullet, roughly 6-12" long. I have been taking a weighted treble hook, throwing it into the school, and jigging the backs/tails/head of the bait and reeling them in..

Some I would put in a cooler and freeze for chunks, some I would keep live, and live line them. The process is fun for the first 10 i catch, but it gets tedious because i just want to get out there and catch the big boys.

I was thinking of getting a cast net, the review's i've been reading say it's not tough to learn, so I dont think that would be a problem. But would they be OK for the bait fish I'M going after, the larger bait fish. I'm sure they are good for minnows and silverbacks, but for pogy's/mullet?

Any thoughts?

 

[rolmops]

Re: cast nets for bait

The round ones with lead weights all around are very easy to use.
They come with a radius of up to 8 feet.
You had better check out your local regulations because they differ from place to place.

 

[Five O'Clock]

Re: cast nets for bait

rolmops i know you fish off the cape up here, do you know of any Mass regulations?

 

[mthieme]

Re: cast nets for bait

My neighbor has one.
Whenever the kids want to throw a rod in, he uses it to snatch up an endless supply of bait.
Pretty cool.

 

[Five O'Clock]

Re: cast nets for bait

yeah they seem great. but will they be practical for fish that are 8"-12"

the smaller ones are easier to throw (so i read) but the fish i'm going after aren't your everyday minnows or shad... they're big boys

 

[triumphrick]

Re: cast nets for bait

You can spend $20 at Wal Mart down here or $200 for a custom made with a lot of lead and better mono. The mesh sizes are what's important. Usually ranges from 3/8 for small greenbacks up to 3/4 for mullet.
I know the Wally store nets are sold with a video to help you, or come on down and I'll help ya sling one from the bow of the boat!

 

[rolmops]

Re: cast nets for bait

I don't know about Mass regulations concerning cast nets.
There is no difference between large and small fish once they are in your net,except that pulling it back in becomes a lot harder.Not because they fight,but because they are heavy.
I would love to try and throw a cast net into a striper or bluefish blitz.That would be just plain incredible.

 

[sparky71]

Re: cast nets for bait

I just started a thread without reading this one first and fish in roughly the same waters.I've been reading alot of good things about the use of nets for bait.I would like to set myself up,and also would like the mass. regs. as I live in NH but fish mostly out of Mass.(some offshore next year).
(Sorry for the mini hijack here but am VERY interested in this practice and trying to gather as much info as possible on this subject sorry for any inconvience)

 

[triumphrick]

Re: cast nets for bait

Since almost all my fishing is with live bait and I use at least three different nets, I'll chime in some more.

One of my nets is 10' 3/8 mesh and cost me about $160. It has a lot of lead, is a bear to toss, but it really does a great job of netting what we call "greenbacks". Small silvery baitfish about 3-6 inches long. Everything we catch just loves them. There are very similiar fish called threadfins or scaled sardines, but they are all really good bait. Mainly all these baits are the same size and require a 3/8 mesh to contain them. This is my flats net, never tossed over obstructions.

Another net is also 3/8, just 6' and is pretty well beat up. Most baitfish hang out around rocks, and if you ever get your net down into the rocks, it will tear. Not a good thing for a $200 net. This net was a Wal Mart special I paid $25 for. Sure, some fish will slip out, but I will toss it most anywhere.

My other net is also 10' 3/4" mesh and I use it for netting mullet. They range from 10-18 inches long and are good for eating (smoked) or used as shark or tarpon bait.

Lastly, for netting the smaller baits there are a world of "attractants" that can be used to lure the bait to you. Cheap cans of cat food mixed with some grits or meal are common. They sell menhadden oil for $15 gallon to mix with it to give an even stronger aroma. Lately, I have been using Purina tropical fish food sold in 50# bags to lure my baits close in. Mix with a little water, form a baseball sized glob and throw in an area that you can reach with your net.

None of these nets work in deep water. The nets sink rate is not as fast as the fish and you will pull up many an empty net. So, we use Sabiki rigs. A string of little tiny gold hooks jigged around the baitfish. When they hit you usually pull up five to six at a time.

Hmmmm..that seems to cover my experience with salt water cast nets and baitfishing.

 

[Robs88]

Re: cast nets for bait

I have a 10' cast net, saves me a lot of money on bait, They're not hard to learn how to open them.