Question:
I am considering purchasing a cast net for catching bait. Can you give me some suggestions on what kind of cast net to buy? (From Tom – Longview, Texas)
Answer:
There are a lot of benefits to owning a cast net. When fishing for catfish and using fresh live or dead bait you have a few options:
- Purchase it from bait shops or other stores
- Catch it with seines or traps (like perch traps)
- Catch it with cast net
Most catfish anglers prefer to catch their bait with cast nets because of several reasons:
- Relatively inexpensive to purchase
- Functional for catching shad, skipjack herring, perch and other common catfish baits
- Relatively easy to throw and use with some practice
- Easy to store in even the smallest boats
- Require very little maintenance or up keep
- Don’t require being left in the water and being at risk of getting stolen like perch traps
- Don’t require getting in the water like seines
- Adaptable to different depths as the bait fish or your target fish move
- Highly effective at catching bait for catfish fishing
There are a lot of different options out there for cast nets based on when or where you plan to catch bait.
When purchasing a cast net for catching bait, you want to take the following in mind:
- Always purchase the largest size cast net that you can legally use in your state
- Make sure to check all the state regulations on catching bait with a cast net (there may be restrictions on what kind of fish you can catch for bait, as well as additional restrictions)
- Stay away from gimmicks like hoops and other special “add ons” to help you throw the net, but a regular cast net and learn to throw it, it will pay off in the long run
- You may need more than one net, as a general rule, the larger the net is, and the more weight it has, the more expensive it is going to be. During certain times of the year when fish move into deeper water you want to have net with more weight and a larger sized mesh, during warmer months when bait is shallow you can use nets with a smaller mesh and less weight (which is cheaper).
- If you have to buy an expensive net to catch bait in cooler months, put it away in the warmer months and use a cheaper net. Cast nets get torn up easily by underwater obstructions and you are much better off tearing up a $25 one than a $100 one
- Stick with monofilament nets. Some are made from nylon and monofilament sinks much faster than nylon.
- Buy from a reputable manufacturer like Fitec, Betts, and others, you can view some of these cast nets here at Bass Pro Shops or at Cabela’s.
Product Links:
Betts No Spook? Camo Cast Nets
Make sure after you purchase your cast net to prepare it for catching bait. Most don’t function really well straight out of the box. We will post some information soon on some different techniques for this.
You might want to check out some of our other articles pertaining to catching bait Like this article on building your own bait tank.
good article