Cast nets for catching bait fish from Kayak or Pier

Hi - it seems like it would be fun / rewarding / satisfying to catch my own bait fish. I live in Marin near the Bay. What are people's thoughts on using a cast net from the kayak? Or to people think that's too difficult, and when the bait fish are running you can just throw cast net from the pier. While I prefer to be on the kayak, one nice thing about doing it from the pier is I could do it with my kids.

Any perspectives are appreciated!

Best,
Stewart

You might try using the Search feature in the upper right corner.  Look for "cast net", and you'll probably get more than you can read in a day!  Add in "Marin" or "Pier" and you have a good chance of learning enough to make some solid plans.  Best of luck.   

My experience: throwing a net from a kayak is difficult but doable. If the water is more than 8 feet deep or so, fish like anchovies can often escape downward before being caught.

I participated in the herring spawn for the first time this year - it was super fun!  99% of the battle for herring is getting to the right place at the right time, and I got lucky for sure. 

I've also had luck a few times for other bait fish, but usually it is only one or two at a time. 

There is definitely a degree of finesse required to throw a cast net; adding that to a seated position on a kayak makes it quite an evolution.  Definitely recommend some practice before hitting the water.  From a seated position, a smaller net is easier to handle for sure, but can also limit the productivity.  Sometimes a sabiki can be easier and just as productive. 

My kids also have more fun with the sabiki.  They like catching fish with a rod, and they get excited catching several at a time sometimes.   

Echo to what SpeedyStein said — I’ve done it from a kayak and have caught *some* bait.
You need to be right on the bait.

I personally prefer chumming off a pier and casting the net into the chum line.

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.

+1 to Eric’s suggestion.
I’ve been using the cast net for the last 3 years, and am by no means an expert on using it. However, this January we went to Marin and I used the Sabiki instead. Got more fish than most folks - maybe because it was slow and the kayak allowed me to move around, but it was a lot of fun.
If using a net from the kayak, especially a Hobie, be prepared for the net getting stuck in everything - especially the mirage drive.
If the fish are close to shore, a net is way faster, but might be hard for kids to cast

I often don't have much trouble with a sabiki. Especially if I tip it with squid. I don't have a FF, I just follow the birds/boats and have been typically successful Have you tried that? Or were you just looking for something different?

I think it is also worth mentioning that I really only use the cast net for stocking up on bait - like during the herring spawn.  I meant to load up on a bunch of anchovies this year, but every time I brought the cast net with me, I was only finding smelt or the anchovies were tiny. 

If just catching bait for the day, I will 99% of the time just use a sabiki.  I usually troll it behind me on the way to the spot I want to fish, and will usually pick up at least a couple baits.  If I see lots of marks on the sonar, I will stop and work it for a few minutes.  Works great in the bay or the ocean. 

Also worth mentioning that I use the ProTroll floating bait bucket, works great.  I tie it to a padeye right next to me, and drag it along beside my kayak.  I don't notice any extra drag from it.  Keeps bait fresh, is big enough for 5 or 6 medium-ish smelt/mackerels or a whole bunch of anchovies/sardines. 

Thanks all! Super helpful. I've mostly been using frozen tray bait for trolling. And I thought it would be fun (...rewarding, satisfying, etc.) to try using a cast net when there was a big run of bait and catching a bunch that I could freeze. You see those videos of people doing it online (...and of course it looks awesome and very productive. Who would post a video of the 99 times the net got tangled, or they didn't get anything when they threw it, etc.) I even find myself thinking about of all the money I'll save (as long as I don't think about the cost of my time....)

I think it also sounds fun to use a sabiki to get live bait, so I'll give that a shot. I caught two rockfish at the same time, for the first time, recently and it felt like it my birthday and Christmas at once.  So getting multiple fish at the same time on a sabiki seems awesome.

I'm definitely a newbie, and when I first started I wanted to start fishing ASAP and maximize the probability of success / time spent with bait in water, so I didn't deal with live bait (....also a seasoned kayak angler told me all the "secrets" of how to kayak fish, and he swore by bounce balling tray bait, so I just followed his advice). And since I'm new to both fishing and kayaking, I had to start by learning certain techniques and then expand from there. Now that I'm more comfortable with my equipment, some techniques (I even know how to tie some knots! hahahaha), etc., I'm more comfortable trying out new techniques.

Thanks all! Super helpful. I've mostly been using frozen tray bait for trolling. And I thought it would be fun (...rewarding, satisfying, etc.) to try using a cast net when there was a big run of bait and catching a bunch that I could freeze. You see those videos of people doing it online (...and of course it looks awesome and very productive. Who would post a video of the 99 times the net got tangled, or they didn't get anything when they threw it, etc.) I even find myself thinking about of all the money I'll save (as long as I don't think about the cost of my time....)

I think it also sounds fun to use a sabiki to get live bait, so I'll give that a shot. I caught two rockfish at the same time, for the first time, recently and it felt like it my birthday and Christmas at once.  So getting multiple fish at the same time on a sabiki seems awesome.

I'm definitely a newbie, and when I first started I wanted to start fishing ASAP and maximize the probability of success / time spent with bait in water, so I didn't deal with live bait (....also a seasoned kayak angler told me all the "secrets" of how to kayak fish, and he swore by bounce balling tray bait, so I just followed his advice). And since I'm new to both fishing and kayaking, I had to start by learning certain techniques and then expand from there. Now that I'm more comfortable with my equipment, some techniques (I even know how to tie some knots! hahahaha), etc., I'm more comfortable trying out new techniques.

I enjoy this reply.  I think you're going to flourish in this sport and fishees beware...

Remember, I'm a newbie and don't know anything, so here's my question. I understand the concept of throwing a cast net from a kayak. Do people ever use it like a trawling net? I don't know the difference between a trawling net and a cast net. My thought process was if all one wants is a relatively small amount of bait fish, do people just put the net in the water and pedal around? I'm guessing not, because (i) it's probably illegal / no permitted; (ii) trawling is bad and hurts the environment for reasons ABC; and (iii) a cast net will sink to bottom and not present itself in the right way/ keep its shape to be effective, in part because being human powered isn't sufficient (even though I'm super strong).

I'm just intellectually curious about it as I try to understand this thing called Kayak Fishing.

Remember, I'm a newbie and don't know anything, so here's my question. I understand the concept of throwing a cast net from a kayak. Do people ever use it like a trawling net? I don't know the difference between a trawling net and a cast net. My thought process was if all one wants is a relatively small amount of bait fish, do people just put the net in the water and pedal around? I'm guessing not, because (i) it's probably illegal / no permitted; (ii) trawling is bad and hurts the environment for reasons ABC; and (iii) a cast net will sink to bottom and not present itself in the right way/ keep its shape to be effective, in part because being human powered isn't sufficient (even though I'm super strong).

I'm just intellectually curious about it as I try to understand this thing called Kayak Fishing.

No, we do not trawl with our kayaks, even a tiny bit 

We use Sabiki's when we want to get bait from a kayak, it's a very simple technique and effective, and also can be super fun.  Sabiki's are a string of hooks, like 6-8 with tiny shrimp fly like things to attract bait fish.  They are easy to deploy on your rod and cast or troll around and find bait with.

Interesting idea. I don't think a cast net would work for that because of how it "scoops" when the rope is pulled. It is designed to close up on the bottom side, not the top side. Plus with the weights, it would be impossible to keep open - it would just collapse and tangle itself.

As for the legality, I have no idea. I do know that you towing around a little net to catch a few anchovies is a whole lot different than the type of trawl nets that commercial boats use.

For all intents and purposes, for just a few baits for that day's fishing, you are probably best suited with a sabiki rig.  Let the size of your target baits determine your hook size, but I usually go with a #6 or so, seems to work well for many different types.

I usually use a 2 oz weight, and just drag/troll it around behind me for a bit. If I see a bait cloud on my sonar, I will stop and work it a little, but usually just dragging it behind me works fine. I let put enough line so that at my cruising speed, it is a little ways behind me, but at least a few feet below the surface.

You don't need a special rod for this.  I usually just use the lightest rod I have with me.  Some people carry dedicated light gear for sabiki, but it is not necessary. 

Haha, what Al said!