Cast Nets

[tattoo_maker]

I'm going buy myself a cast net today or tomorrow, thought I might ask a few questions first....

How difficult are they to use, any tips on how to throw the net?

In BCF I saw 7 foot and 9 foot nets........what's the difference....is it just the depth they can work in?

Where is the best place to buy one, I thought the prices in BCF were OK but does anywhere sell them cheaper?

I guess it'll pay for itself quickly enough as servo bait isn't cheap!

[noname]

don't get anything smaller than 9 foot in mono material, top pocket even better. the heavier the better as they are pretty light around that size at best. not that difficult once shown how to throw 1.

[nadders]

as rob said mono material and over 9 foot. i find my 12 foot drawstring net (dont buy one of these for your first net) easier to throw than small dinky nets

top pocket is good for prawns but herring/mullet etc might get an easy escape without bottom pockets dont you think rob?

i personally like drawstrings as they catch everything but they are a bit of a pain sometimes and i wouldnt recommend learning on one.

let me know when you get one tattoo maker and maybe we can line up a session at bretts or something and i'll teach you to throw it

[werewolf]

I have a 9 foot mono, and find it easier to cast than my original 8 footers (yep had and destroyed a few in my time). I normally by mine at Kmart when they have their 20% of fishing tackle specials. Never used a top pocket net as they are lot more expensive than the cheapos that I use and mine tend to only survive half a shark season at best before getting torn beyond repair (and that's with patching it myself when possible).

BTW, mono are supposed to be lighter to throw than cotton, but as for strength I don't know...

[uglyfish]

k mart dont sell cast nets anymore.do they???

[noname]

nadders wrote:

as rob said mono material and over 9 foot. i find my 12 foot drawstring net (dont buy one of these for your first net) easier to throw than small dinky nets

top pocket is good for prawns but herring/mullet etc might get an easy escape without bottom pockets dont you think rob?

i personally like drawstrings as they catch everything but they are a bit of a pain sometimes and i wouldnt recommend learning on one.

let me know when you get one tattoo maker and maybe we can line up a session at bretts or something and i'll teach you to throw it

they also have bottom pockets

[nadders]

oh cool, didn't know that. i've always used either bottom pockets or drawstrings

[Keechie]

i got a 9ft net and its a dream to use compared to anything like 6 0r 7ft net. The different sizes pretty much mean the bigger the more heavier it will be and also thats how far open the net will spread.

[superstryda]

uglyfish wrote:

k mart dont sell cast nets anymore.do they???

Yes they do, got a new mono 10 footer from there just the other week. Not bad nets for the price, cheapest i've seen.

[adri4n]

I'd agree with not getting anything smaller than 9 foot. Beginners worry that it'll be harder to throw, but with the added weight, they are actually easier to cast and will work better even if you are a couple of metres above the water as they'll stay open. I would personally go for a 10 foot. It'll take you a while to get the hang of throwing it around but at least you won't have to upgrade for a larger one once you do.

As for throwing the nets there are many different styles/ways. Just check out youtube and have a practice with 2 different types. I personally don't use the ones which require you to sling them over your shoulder or hold it in your teeth, that way i don't get too wet even casting mine all night or have to worry about crap from the water...

[angrysalmon]

i have a 12 foot i think. i learnt on smaller nets but youtube is a great help. look for a technique that you dont get wet throwing it. there are many ways to throw a net just need to find one that suits you..bigger the net easier once you practice.

[tattoo_maker]

Ok so I bought a 9 foot nylon net from BCF......I looked in Kmart but they didn't have any.

I got a bit confused.....as I thought I was getting a mono net.

Is the nylon much different to mono?

Maybe I should exchange it?

Nadders......would be up for a bit of cast net training anytime that suits you....just tell me when and so long as I'm bot working I'll be there.

[nadders]

man to be 100% honest with you i would exchange it for a mono net. i have a 9 foot nylon net and i find it heaps harder to throw than my 12 foot mono drawstring. i dunno something about it, it seems to get all tangled up and "stuck" together in a way i cant explain. mono nets seem to be a bit springier and hold their shape i find making it easier to throw and open up with less mucking about.

i'll see what im doing on the weekend most likely getting hte electric sorted though but i'll let you know. i'll have you opening your net in 10 minutes!

edit: plus i believe mmono nets sink faster, meaning less bait escapes

[Malcolm]

I agree get a mono net I find once the nylon ones get wet they suck as in first throw goes well then

[noname]

as long as it's not made from cotton, all will be fine. the same material as mono fishing line is the go! i only know of 2 types, mono and cotton...... nylon?????? guessing mono?

[werewolf]

yeah I was thinking mono and nylon were the same, unless the cotton ones are "nylon"

[jeff f]

the ones you are calling cotton are nylon, the fishing line ones are mono

[Malcolm]

OK maybee it's cotton that i don't like but yes the ones made from fishing line are the go for me

[fishinking]

yeh mate get a 9ft mono cast net for your first net, tackle warehouse sell them at a good price and if u go any bigger than 9ft for your first net you will find it very hard to learn with

[fishinglife]

fishinking wrote:

yeh mate get a 9ft mono cast net for your first net, tackle warehouse sell them at a good price and if u go any bigger than 9ft for your first net you will find it very hard to learn with

nahh tackle warehouse sell em for 20$ more than BCF and do not have the range.

been there done that,, go to BCF get yourself a 10 footer for starters, learn with that then upgrade.

I started with a 7 footer, but once you get the knack a little extra spread will take you to a 12 footer.

Dave

[noname]

also take into consideration casting these nets can become heavy after a while and pulling it in against the current, some ppl throw mine 3/4 times and hand it back muttering **** that!

[straddiebrad]

mate the easy way to learn is keep an eye out when some of the guys on hear are going and tag along and watch them bring your nett along and you will be casting in no time i found this helpful to me,still no expert and havent got a prawn yet but it i have learnt how to throw it.brad

[tattoo_maker]

So I took the nylon net back to BCF and exchanged it for a mono net......no problems there, I was set to go.

Wanted to try it out last Saturday while my girlfriend was doing her entrance exam (English) at UQ St Lucia.Couldn't find any spots with good access to the water so parked the car next to a nice grassy spot, chucked the lapto on the passenger seat and you tubed cast net throwing, I like to think of myself as pretty handy but the 99 steps needed to prep each throw were kind of baffling and I wasn't getting much of a result, and after half a dozen attempts I was kinda releived when it started raining ^^

Later on I went down to Bretts and actually got something on my first cast!

Nadders and Teckee showed up and Nadders showed me his way which was a lot less complicated and didn't involve putting the Brisbane river in my mouth......cheers mate I really appreciate the tips!!

Really happy I finally got around to getting the net and it's actually a lot easier to pick up than it looks, even got my first live bait fish.....catfish.......but still a fish.

and thanks to everyone else for the advice on what to buy as I was a bit confused with all the different sizes and materials.

Chris

[fishing-mavericks]

I dont know how tall you are, but if yr under 6ft like me then a 9ft net is perfect. It doesnt make sense really to learn with a small net, as you'll upgrade straight away anyhow.

Personally I think that the drawstrings are a good idea, but I hate using them so I never bothered to buy one. My collection consists of an 8ft, 9ft and 12ft. I can only manage about 3 casts with the 12footer coz the weights really bog your arm down!!

[nadders]

man i thought the same about drawstrings till i brought both along one day and caught 3x more with the drawstring

the way i see it if your drawstring lands over something its going to get caught, but how many times do you see things swimming aorund in your regular net only to fall out somehow on the retrieve?

give it a go one day you might be surprised how quickly you get used to it! i throw a 12ft drawstring and its a heavy bastard but its the only net i've kept for a long period of time lol, i even went for a swim in the river for it

[kiara_poltegerist]

personally i prefer a 12ft over any net, and I also reckon it's easier to throw than a smaller net. I learnt casting on do$tylz's 9 foot, but gave up and bought a 12ft right away - much easier to throw properly and get to open up every cast.

[Astroboy]

Nadders im still waiting on your Cast Net mastercast.... :dry:

[jackman60]

bcf should have pretty good prices and ill go the 7 foot just because the 9 foot would be harder two use and if you are just starting that would be a good size to practice on

remember cast nets are illegal in nsw but not qld so your all good in the river and goldcaost