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General Talk / Re: Cast nets for catching bait fish from Kayak or Pier
« on: October 13, 2024, 07:42:56 AM »
If you’re going for anchovies, then you will want 1/4”. Most castnets you find in stores are 3/8”. Get at least a 6ft radius castnet if you want to have more success. Once you get your throwing down then consider a bigger one. The smaller mesh like 1/4” will have more weight per feet so it will sink fast enough. There are castnets that have extra weight for fishing in deeper water too. I have a 10ft radius 1/4” net and it can sometimes be a beast to throw, but when done properly I can easily get a 5 gallon bucket full of bait in one cast. As for throwing from a kayak, I have done it standing and sitting on my Outback. 6-8ft radius work better off a kayak. Practice, practice, practice in your yard or a field. Watch a few YouTube videos and find your preferred method. Betts, Fitech, and Ahi are all reputable castnet brands. Castnets can be very effective in getting lots of live bait quickly. Also they can be more lively than sabiki caught bait. I learned throwing a castnet in my teens in Texas in the Gulf of Mexico catching mullet and many other baitfish.