Any interest in cast nets?

[misokat]

Go for it. There are a lot of Florida guys on here and it would be great.

X2, I'm not a Floridian, I'm Italian and still want to see it .
Go for it Bob .

U don't have to be from Florida to throw casts nets lol,,,, all up and down east coast we use them all the time......and id love to see how one is built so i can repair mine after it gets torn up at night from a accidental shark in net etc....

[ChileRelleno]

I'm down here in Mobile,AL and everywhere I go on the Gulf, I see people catching their bait and etc with cast nets.
I keep wanting to get one or two mesh sizes and learn to throw'em.
A feisty mullet/ladyfish would be a dinner bell to most sharks, great live bait.
And not paying $3.-$4. per dzn for live shrimp would be nice too.

[VW]

My interest is not in making them but in repair and maintenance.  I have one that I need to replace the swivel and that appears to mean replacing the braille lines too.  Not looking forward to doing it.  Is it a problem if the lines are a little longer than they "need" to be?

[Cone]

VW, the brail lines should all be close to the same length. I've replaced the swivel before without redoing the braille lines. If the brails are whipped you can just cut the whipping and cut the swivel. then you can use a split link and swivel or just use cord through the swivel and rewhip.
   I promise I will get on this. It may be a few weeks though, I have some things I have to take care of first. I'm not a pro but I've made probably 50 0r 60 nets in my time. I've tried different ways to make them but I now only use 10 panel nets. Most of the custom makers here make 8 panel nets. To each his own. The 8 panel nets are faster to make and open well but I think a 10 panel net is better.
    Here is a link to some info I found on the web.  http://fishnetsa2z.com//  Look at the illustrated Encyclopedia of nets.
I do some things differently but this goes into pretty good detail.
Bob

[saltydog]

Thanks for the info I would like to learn how to make panel nets.

[broadway]

Bob,
   I'd like to see the process of building one from scratch, as I've spent a couple of hours untangling one and wondered if I could make one almost as fast
The time I'm speaking of I had casted on a pod of bunker and as I see the net sink I see the striper go in for the kill on one of them.  Needless to say, I had a very unhappy striper (tore up the net with its dorsal) and about 30 adult bunker, which literally took 2 hours to untangle.  I later gave the net to a charter capt. I know was able to fix it and use it for his business.
Bring it on!
Thanks
Dom

[Cone]

Dom, I did something similar. I threw my net over a school of catfish thinking they were mullet. I must have caught 100+ in the throw. They twisted up in the net. I tried to get them out. I managed to get one out and being young and dumb, I kicked it. The spine on the dorsal fin went through my tennis shoe and into my heel and broke off. I pulled off my shoe but I couldn't get it out without pliars. I had to limp back about a 1/2 mile to get a pair. I left the net. Maybe someone else got them out.   Bob

[broadway]

     That is some bad luck!  1/2 mile with a spine in the heel... you're more of a man than I
I'm working on throwing a pretty heavy 10'er, but I think I need to go back to the gym cause after about 3 throws I'm done
Dom

[Bryan Young]

Ouch...  One of my fears now and before were moray eels when casting nets. 

[Makule]

My nets are generally about 10 to 12 lbs, with a radius of from 10' to 16'.  The 16' net was too big and hard to completely open, but it was good for mullet.

A friend of mine used to use 12' to 14' nets (radius) that weighed anywhere from 24 to 36 pounds.  Asked him why so heavy and he said he lost two nets after throwing over a school and they all decided to swim away in the same direction.  The guy was short, but was a weightlifter so the weight didn't bother him.  Some of the places he used to throw were so rough and deep that I wouldn't even think of throwing.

[Cone]

     That is some bad luck!  1/2 mile with a spine in the heel... you're more of a man than I
I'm working on throwing a pretty heavy 10'er, but I think I need to go back to the gym cause after about 3 throws I'm done
Dom

No, just less intelligent! I won't do that again.!    I throw mostly 12 ft nets between 12-15 lbs. I do have a 14ft net with 21 lbs of lead on it but I can't throw it many times. 14ft is the largest net legal in Florida.
Its mostly technique but it does take strength to throw one far. I can throw my 12ft nets to the end of a 35 ft hand line but the 14 footer barely makes it past my feet.  Bob

[broadway]

Bob,
     I believe you're right... I've been told it's 80% technique, 10% strength, and 10% luck.
I just have to get down what works best for me.  Being a lefty there aren't many videos online or anyone that can show me because their all righties, so what I know I've done on my own.
Up here in NY Harbor there are tons of jellyfish that get caught in the net, so I prefer to not drape the net over a shoulder or put any part of the net in my mouth (put icy hot on your lips and you'll see why.)
From what I can tell I'm not holding the lead line with the my pinky long enough at the end of the throw which is what opens it to that perfect circle.  Even though I'm conscious of it I haven't had many successful throws with the big guy. No problem with the 6'-8' but that don't catch many bunker
Thanks
Dom

[Alto Mare]

Bob,
    I believe you're right... I've been told it's 80% technique, 10% strength, and 10% luck.
I just have to get down what works best for me.  Being a lefty there aren't many videos online or anyone that can show me because their all righties, so what I know I've done on my own.
Up here in NY Harbor there are tons of jellyfish that get caught in the net, so I prefer to not drape the net over a shoulder or put any part of the net in my mouth (put icy hot on your lips and you'll see why.)
From what I can tell I'm not holding the lead line with the my pinky long enough at the end of the throw which is what opens it to that perfect circle.  Even though I'm conscious of it I haven't had many successful throws with the big guy. No problem with the 6'-8' but that don't catch many bunker
Thanks
Dom

Dom, the problem is you need a left-handed net. Flip that thing upside down, just as you would with a right handed reel   

[broadway]

Sal,
   I wish it were that easy.
I'm ambidextrous with reels but not cast nets... YET!
Thanks for the sound advice
Dom

[AndrewC]

Banned down here..Get caught with one anywhere near the water and they'll take you car, boat and trailer......then they take you to Court and the fines really hurt