castnets for baitfish? legal?

hi folks, i ordered up an ahi castnet , 4 foot w/ 3/4" openings. Are these legal to use in Cal. for baitfish or do I need to save this for baja trips?

i went to the dfg site and had problems locating any info that would be helpful there. anyone have experience?

thanks!

john

As far as I know they certainly are legal. You might want to talk to Insaneduane and ask about his set up. have been with Duane on several occassion when we used his net.

28.80. Dip Nets and Hawaiian Type Throw Nets.  Dip nets of any size and baited hoop nets not greater than 36 inches in diameter may be used to take herring, Pacific staghorn sculpin, shiner surfperch, surf smelt, topsmelt, anchovies, shrimp and squid. Hawaiian type throw nets may be used north of Point Conception to take such species.

That is a direct quote from the fishing regs.  I was wondering the same thing as I used a cast net all the time in Mississippi. 

   So the typical cast net with wieghts on the edge and some draw strings is a "Hawaiian Type Throw Net", and there is no size restriction for that kink of net?   
    I remember a thread (on this site, I think) about how 1/4" mesh was better for anchovies so they don't get stuck in the mesh.
  Has anyone ever successfully cast one from a yak?

wow, thanks for the help guys, i get lost in that dfg site a lot.

i guess the throw nets are the ones with the weights. the ahi one i got is 3/8 " holes, not 3/4 as i posted before, the 3/4 is the lb. weight per foot. for the radius. I got this because i dont want to pack squid for my trip to santa cruz island this may. it comes with a nice carry pack as well.

the 1/4" holes net says its for 1-5" fish as well as the 3/8 th one. I guess it should work ok. The smaller the holes the slower it sinks i guess.

i will try it from my kayak this weekend and see how it goes. i will be diving but what the heck, i can bring this along to test it out. i got the 4 foot wide one because i didnt want to hassle with too large of a net. here it is:

Most of what I have experienced is from the shore at high tide or from the docks where the bait fish gather. I have  no experience with throwing from a Kayak which I would think would be way to cumbersome. My limited experience from a Kayak has been to Sabaki rather than a throw net. I have played with the idea with a long handle dip net but evertime I have been out on the ocean I have not had a problem with gathering bait with a sabaki then towing it with a bait tube.
I am starting to listen to those who are minimalist and starting to unclutter my yak rather than add more gear.

i agreet hat minimalist setups are the best. i always try and go out with as little as possible and with whats easiest to put away. i like the sabikis but there seem to be so many days the baitfish just dont take them and i just end up with a tangled mess. when the jacksmelt get on them they freakout and dance all over the place. at the harbor in monterey there was one day there were tons of anchovies schooling below the wall. people were throwing sabikis and they just were not taking them for some reason. kids and their dads getting frustrated out of their minds. it was kind of funny to watch. i didnt get any myself.

i'll see how this net works out, the 4' radius should be managable and im going to see how i can throw it with one hand like a baseball and still make it open up some, should be interesting.

if nothing else, it'll be a spearfishing day so i'll have to get wet to get some fish: )

john

John,

You can use the cast net to catch live bait.  I've been checked a couple of times now by the Park Rangers (not DFG) at MLK Park and they don't have any problems with this as long as you have a valid California fishing license on you while you're doing it.  It does get annoying because the know-it-alls that come by all the time and insist that its illegal.  Not sure about that clause regarding having a net larger than 36" in diameter...I don't think they even make them that small???

The 3/8" 4 foot net is a good size to toss from a standing position.  Duane has one like yours and has caught lots of good bait with it.  I have a 1/4" 4 foot net and casting from the other side of the bridge from Duane, I would catch lots of smaller bait in addition to what Duane catches.  So I ended up taking more time because I had to throw back more of the smaller bait.  Even with the smaller net openings I would still snare the gills of the smelt.  Yes, it is a pain to gently free them up and release the fish to the open water but its the right thing to do.

I tried casting from my yak last year at the Alameda Rockwall.  We ran out of smelt from all the undersized butts and thought it was a matter of time before we landed a keeper.  Kayak James would watch his FF, wait until the bait fish were right under our yaks and I would throw the net.  Didn't catch a single fish...I think the net doesn't sink fast enough to catch bait in the open water and I didn't have the leverage or the height to have the net flare open.  No, I didn't want to try standing up in my yak, although that would have allowed me to get the net completely open.  Sabaki's are definitely the way to go for jack smelt or herring from a yak.

Gary

Hi Gary, thats some good info there, thank you! i remember last year at fort ross thee were so many baitfish in the water you could see em driving on highway 1. huge schools. we didnt catch fish that day because i think they were full. i remember watching the ff on my yak as the schools moved underneath. they were breaking the surface and it was amazing how they moved.

john

I didn't have the leverage or the height to have the net flare open.

Like anything else, I'm sure you could find a technique that works for you with a little practice, Gary  

I picked up a 4' net just for throwing from my yak, but also have had little luck getting anything to stay in the net.  I attributed it to the smaller size of the net, but it sounds like your 4'er is the same one you've used from shore with success?  Maybe chumming with some bread will keep them congregated long enough to catch 'em?

here is a link to an old post of mine from last year the regs for bait fish havent changed much but the use of a good cast net is a money saving very fun experience


http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=4272.0

There wierdness in this reg is that sardines aren't in the list of approved species to net, so appearantly you have to throw them back.

The 36" diameter is for dip nets (like a regular salmon net with fine mesh and a long handle) and umbrella style nets with a rigid frame.

The know it alls are great.....they usually continue on their way when you cite the reg number then offer them the caltip number.

Great Strategy, Art!  LOL

I'm sure it works.......just be cool and say "go ahead, dude."

Allen

Somone posted once that you can only Dip-Net/handled in lakes for baitfish.
tossing the net in lakes is a big NO-NO,but the bay and ocean is O.K.