I have never used a cast net before ,but am leaning toward a 6ft ez-cast with the ring.
Never thrown one with the spreader ring James, so can't comment. I'm pretty happy with my Betts Hi Tider 6' to catch smaller bait. It's too light for deeper water, but works fine in 3' - 5' where I use it. The mono isn't the best in the cheaper nets, so careful around rocks, logs, barnacles, oyster beds, etc. The more expensive nets have better mono, better construction, more weight, etc. If you're after larger bait like mullet, 8' is about as small as I would recommend.
:) Get a cheap one first . Learn to throw it on the front lawn . Watch u tubes , there is a lot of way to load the net . You just have to find which one works for you .
The secret is in the spin.
Make sure that the mesh size is right for the baitfish you are chasing. If the opening is too large, they get their gill covers stuck in the mesh. A pain to clear the net and kills all the stuck bait.
A larger mesh size will sink faster for the same diameter and weight, so you don't want to go any smaller than you need to either.
-J