Cast nets

[tercel89]

How are the cast nets that you see at Walmart and Academy Sports that run about $39 ?  The 5 foot ones.  I have never had one but I want to catch my own bait from now on. So I am new to it and I dont want to get a very expsensive one in case I screw it up at first.  Any help is appreciated. 

[MacGyver]

They work fine - or at least as well as the person throwing it.

I actually think the smaller ones can be harder to get a good throw out of than one that's a little bigger. But, throwing over water that you don't know what's at the bottom - smaller is good.

I was in the back creeks at the southern end of Priest the other day and there were dozens of schools of shad - thousands in each school.

[ReeferMac]

They're not terrible. Like @MacGyver said, as much is on the thrower! My Son regularly shows up his old man.... we've actually had better luck with the passive traps you can bait and setup. Put it in the night before, fresh bait when we launch the boat in the morning. Even towed the thing behind the canoe like a bait pail. Worked! 

[tercel89]

I fish from the bank for right now until I get a boat. I still have fun. I wade in a lot of water while fishing in places like Caney Fork River and such.  But this year I'm trying to get as many Gar as I can get to fill up the freezer. They love those minnows , shad and shiners that are caught with those nets.  I just hope I don't get those weights caught on the bottom and break the darn net. I guess I'll practice in a shallow pond that I know is clear on the bottom. 

[gregintenn]

You'd do well to practice in the yard til you get it figured out. I've never gotten mine hung up, and I'm an expert at getting things hung up! They work great once you figure out the trick to throwing them. 5' should be plenty big.

We always keep it in a bucket, and take a minnow bucket also. Dump the caught minnows in the open top bucket, then pour them from that bucket into the minnow bucket. Makes it a lot easier.

Edited April 29, 2021 by gregintenn

[MacGyver]

I learned to throw a big net in the intercoastal hunting for shrimp - and it may be that you're just better on what you learn on.  

I don't know that I've ever heard the phrase "as many gar as I can to fill up the freezer."  

But that comes from a guy who regularly eats ladyfish - so I'm not opposed to it.

I'm assuming cleaning a gar is about the same as a ladyfish. Do you scrape the meat  off the bones with a spoon?

[KahrMan]

Throwing is not hard to pick up.  My daughter loves throwing the net and catching when we fish in Florida.  I am sure you can find a youtube video for some tips.

[Sunfish]

I learned to do it years ago for Mullet in Fla.

[RED333]

Biggest large mouth I ever caught was with a 10 foot cast net, yes I let it go. I have lost 2 nets getting hung up on the unseen bottom.

Practice,  Practice, Practice, then when you get good Practice some more, as  Greg said, in the yard before the water.

[MacGyver]

15 minutes ago, RED333 said:

Biggest large mouth I ever caught was with a 10 foot cast net, yes I let it go. I have lost 2 nets getting hung up on the unseen bottom.

Practice,  Practice, Practice, then when you get good Practice some more, as  Greg said, in the yard before the water.

I would have liked to have seen that. 

[MacGyver]

37 minutes ago, Sunfish said:

I learned to do it years ago for Mullet in Fla.

I have some friends who nearly swamped a bay boat trying to pull in a net of mullet that had hundreds Of pounds of fish in it.

I didn’t realize there was such a market for mullet roe - but they make a bunch of money sending it overseas. 

[10-Ring]

I've had several cheap ones and no expensive ones.  The cheap ones have worked fine for me.   I've had 5,7,8, and 12 foot nets. The smaller ones are much easier to throw for me.  Interesting things I've caught

- 4 pound largemouth

- about 20 tilapia in a single cast at GSP.

- about 10 white bass in a cast.

 Honestly, if I'm on bait, I have as much fun with a cast net as I do catching big fish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MacGyver]

On 4/29/2021 at 7:19 PM, 10-Ring said:

I've had several cheap ones and no expensive ones.  The cheap ones have worked fine for me.   I've had 5,7,8, and 12 foot nets. The smaller ones are much easier to throw for me.  Interesting things I've caught

- 4 pound largemouth

- about 20 tilapia in a single cast at GSP.

- about 10 white bass in a cast.

 Honestly, if I'm on bait, I have as much fun with a cast net as I do catching big fish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honestly, when we’re catching fish - I’m just thrilled to be catching fish. 

We’ve had as much fun seeing what we pull up on a Sabikii rig as we do pulling in giant bull reds.

My youngest and I have had a contest for the last few years when we fish in the surf to see who can catch the smallest fish within 5 feet of the shoreline. We use tiny tiny hooks and have caught some no larger than the nail on your little finger.

It’s a blast.

Gotta have a lot of them to make a taco though. 

[tercel89]

6 hours ago, MacGyver said:

I learned to throw a big net in the intercoastal hunting for shrimp - and it may be that you're just better on what you learn on.  

I don't know that I've ever heard the phrase "as many gar as I can to fill up the freezer."  

But that comes from a guy who regularly eats ladyfish - so I'm not opposed to it.

I'm assuming cleaning a gar is about the same as a ladyfish. Do you scrape the meat  off the bones with a spoon?

I tried eating gar last year and now it's the main fish I try to catch. The skin is hard as plastic and you need tin-snips to cut it open. After you get it open there are 2 long boneless loins on each side of the back. No need to gut it or skin it. The meat is odorless and firm like chicken. It's like alligator and I love it !!! This Gar was 3 feet long and both loins were around 15 inches long and nice and thick. 

Edited April 30, 2021 by tercel89

[tercel89]

Thanks everyone for the information and help. I'm gonna get one and practice in the yard first then move on to the water. Thanks all ! 

[KahrMan]

1 hour ago, tercel89 said:

Thanks everyone for the information and help. I'm gonna get one and practice in the yard first then move on to the water. Thanks all ! 

I believe I have an extra one of you want to practice before buying. 

[tercel89]

Nah. You keep it for a spare. I'd hate to ruin a spare net that you could use.  Thanks much though !

[10-Ring]

On 4/29/2021 at 9:38 PM, tercel89 said:

I tried eating gar last year and now it's the main fish I try to catch. The skin is hard as plastic and you need tin-snips to cut it open. After you get it open there are 2 long boneless loins on each side of the back. No need to gut it or skin it. The meat is odorless and firm like chicken. It's like alligator and I love it !!! This Gar was 3 feet long and both loins were around 15 inches long and nice and thick. 

Caught a couple gar this morning, going to give this a go, how do you cook them?

Edited May 16, 2021 by 10-Ring

[TennesseeCamper]

On 4/29/2021 at 9:38 PM, tercel89 said:

I tried eating gar last year and now it's the main fish I try to catch. The skin is hard as plastic and you need tin-snips to cut it open. After you get it open there are 2 long boneless loins on each side of the back. No need to gut it or skin it. The meat is odorless and firm like chicken. It's like alligator and I love it !!! This Gar was 3 feet long and both loins were around 15 inches long and nice and thick. 

To be honest I didn’t know you could eat them, But I never had alligator either. I used to see monster gar when I was a kid down south. 

[tercel89]

57 minutes ago, 10-Ring said:

Caught a couple gar this morning, going to give this a go, how do you cook them?

You can grill them , the meat is so firm that it wont "mush" up between the grates. The main way I cook them is just like catfish. I cut the loins up in smaller pieces , put them in some salt water in a bowl and then roll them into a bowl of cornmeal and flour that is 2 parts cornmeal and 1 part flour.  Then deep fry them in oil like catfish. 

[tercel89]

1 hour ago, 10-Ring said:

Caught a couple gar this morning, going to give this a go, how do you cook them?

 

[Fourtyfive]

On 4/29/2021 at 3:36 PM, MacGyver said:

I learned to throw a big net in the intercoastal hunting for shrimp - and it may be that you're just better on what you learn on.  

I don't know that I've ever heard the phrase "as many gar as I can to fill up the freezer."  

But that comes from a guy who regularly eats ladyfish - so I'm not opposed to it.

I'm assuming cleaning a gar is about the same as a ladyfish. Do you scrape the meat  off the bones with a spoon?

Eating Ladyfish? Really?

Usually art for me, then shark bait....

 

 

Edited May 17, 2021 by Fourtyfive

[tercel89]

11 hours ago, 10-Ring said:

Caught a couple gar this morning, going to give this a go, how do you cook them?

hey what were you using to catch them ? 

[MacGyver]

37 minutes ago, Fourtyfive said:

Eating Ladyfish? Really?

Usually art for me, then shark bait....

 

 

Yeah, they make fine shark bait.  But when we’re throwing hard swim baits in the surf, we catch a lot of them. They’re such fighters that they really wind up wounded a lot. I feel bad putting a fish back that isn’t going to survive.

A guy I worked with years and years ago down in the Gulf showed me a trick that changed my mind on ladyfish. You just run a fillet knife quickly down the backbone and remove both fillets bones and all - literally two passes less than 10 seconds. Then, you take a spoon and just scrape the meat off and the bones stay behind.  You’re left with a nice white meat about the consistency of canned tuna.

We either shape it into a sort of croquet shape and sauté it with whatever seasoning we have on hand. Or, we put it on the smoker with the equally plentiful whiting we catch and makes loads of old Florida style smoked fish dip.

It’s surprising a really clean tasting fish. 

[Fourtyfive]

1 hour ago, MacGyver said:

Yeah, they make fine shark bait.  But when we’re throwing hard swim baits in the surf, we catch a lot of them. They’re such fighters that they really wind up wounded a lot. I feel bad putting a fish back that isn’t going to survive.

A guy I worked with years and years ago down in the Gulf showed me a trick that changed my mind on ladyfish. You just run a fillet knife quickly down the backbone and remove both fillets bones and all - literally two passes less than 10 seconds. Then, you take a spoon and just scrape the meat off and the bones stay behind.  You’re left with a nice white meat about the consistency of canned tuna.

We either shape it into a sort of croquet shape and sauté it with whatever seasoning we have on hand. Or, we put it on the smoker with the equally plentiful whiting we catch and makes loads of old Florida style smoked fish dip.

It’s surprising a really clean tasting fish. 

Hmmm. Catch a lot of them on spoons and bubble or straw rigs all morning on the beach. Never eaten one........This is one of the biggest I’ve ever seen but that’s not me....

Edited May 17, 2021 by Fourtyfive