Shore fishing with nets?

[fishnewb]

Hi all,

I've been looking into fishing with nets, in particular cast nets (e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_nyVKof9jA&NR=1 ).

Does anyone have any experience with these?

My aim is ideally to be able to catch eating size fish during camping trips and generally throughout the year. Does anyone have experience using nets to catch anything other than bait from the shore?

My main mark has a very strong current, around 8knots at its peak, and is rather rocky (though there are sandy/muddy areas with max 4knot currents) - would anyone have suggestions of the type of net that might be best?

Thanks in advance!
fishnewb

[JustMark]

I use a 6ft cast net for bait catching, but I have also caught the odd decent size Bass and mullet etc.

Don't use your net over rocky ground. You will destroy it in no time

[Gremlin]

They use cast nets quite a bit in France as my French pal showed me ...
very skilful and very impressive. (Yes, they eat anything they catch over there!)

[fishnewb]

Thanks for the information!

Gremlin, those are some very interesting photos - and a lot of fish!

Looking at this as a potential way to feed myself while on camping trips, does any one have any thoughts or knowledge about how to:

- Maximise your chance of catching eating fish (e.g. groundbaiting deep-ish water such as a pier)
- Use them to catch prawns/shrimp/other edibles

I've also been looking at the design of these nets, I think I may be able to fashion one myself if I can find the right netting (rather than pay £45+ for a commercially made one). Has anyone made their own?

Any information would be appreciated!

[iain]

let us know how it goes as it is an interestin one!

[JustMark]

The mesh is readily available. I do have a couple of prototypes up to 9ft.

The key is getting the Brailles attached at the right points on the lead line, and of course making the horn at the absolute centre so it pulls into a purse and more importantly releases properly.

With experience, it is not going to cost a lot less making one than it is buying to be honest. Unless you plan to make a couple of hundred. I'm already way ahead on that and am looking forward to my container arriving at the end of this month.

Lot's of new toys to play with. Including tents, bivvies, nets, kayaks, rods and lures etc. Happy days

[JustMark]

You mention netting while camping. That would probably be a non-starter. Even a 6ft net is heavy, heavier than your tent and cooking equipment combined.

It has to be heavy to close the purse quick enough to catch something.

Also, Freshwater netting without a specific licence is a no-no in the UK. Rocky areas will destroy your net so you are pretty much left looking for bait with the odd bonus fish if you happen to be quick enough.

It still gives you up to a 30ft water column to get lucky in though. (Hand cast nets usually have a max 30ft depth range, determined by sink rate and rope drop length)

Learn to recognise a weaver fish and know how to release it back quickly and safely.


For prawns and the like, you are better of with a creel type trap. Maybe a drop net with a mackeral head or even a small net with dog food in it would also be useful

[Gremlin]

Some interesting LINKS here -

http://www.bertaut.com/cajuncharlie.html

http://www.wonderhowto.com/topic/mak...-own-cast-net/

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/items/__cast+...=228459_228460

[TURBOTAKER]

LOL And to think there was an uproar on another forum when i beach seined a box of golden grey mullet!!!!

[fishnewb]

JustMark: where did you get the netting?

Right now, I'm looking at using some 50lb line for brailles, some paracord for the rope around the line and paracord (or something lighter/smaller) for the handline and fashioning a simple horn out of a random bit of hard plastic.

I've been thinking about whether I could make some kind of pocket system where rather than having barrel weights around the net, I could have pockets that I could put stones into, vastly decreasing carry weight. Pretty sure this would make it unbalanced though, so it wouldn't sink flat, which probably isn't good.

Any thoughts?