Cast Net Techniques

[fish2eat]

Loved the thread on biggest stuff caught in cast nets, but as I'm still fairly new to using one, can the gurus please tell me if they

1. Burley before throwing
2. Sight the bait before throwing or just toss and hope
3. Select a likely patch/structure and what to look for

don't worry about throwing styles, way too difficult to describe here

[devocean]

Sight the bait before throwing it.

[Richard]

Bit hard to describe here - but have a look at the top of your screen and you'll see the 'Hints & Tips' button. Have a look at "How to throw a castnet" under that. There's instructional videos.



Richard

[DaveSue_Fishos_Two]

It is always best if you can sight your bait. And if you know of any bottom lying snags. But always remember, especially with clever baits like mullet, if you can see them they can probably see you and very often the net. Casting at night is a different game. Often you can rely on what you know and feel, a known snag just out of reach, the end of a pitch black boat ramp etc where there should be bait fish. This is called casting blind, and all of the posts in the "biggest fish in the cast net" show that casting blind is very, very often productive. In unknown territory it can also result in a snagged net and this means either diving to retrieve or kissing it goodbye.
I have never burleyed before throwing the net. But maybe that is a good technique. I like getting in real shallow in the boat, lifting the motor, and casting against the bank. Or, off a good jetty particularly at night.
On the beach during the day can also be good, but generally in this sort of territory a drag net will outperform a cast net.

Cheers to you
Dave

[Kiktz]

If I am going for lil bait fish I have thrown bread out, But if you frequent a area you will soon learn where they hide/ sit. Even when you throw off Beaches, Ramps & sand banks you soon pick up on lil things to look for.

[DICER]

I try to sight, but quite often I'll figure a place out during the day and come back during the night and cast blind although with "ears" - for example between mangroves on a bank and there is some noise. You have to be a good, controlled and confident caster. I don't burley.

[fritzy]

The videos under hints and tips are great.

[fish2eat]

yeah thanks fritzy, but I can throw the net, just wanted to workout when and where for best results.

Also have read about using berley (bread mainly) but no-one here seems to use it much

[SURF_SNIPER]

with the likes of mullet i dont burly up rather sight them and cast ahead of them, but if your trying to net gar burlying with bread is good way to intice them into the area.

[fritzy]

Yeah mate,
I am a big believer in burley, particularly if you are in shallow water. Mullet and herring especially are partial to a doughy bread concoction, wet the bread so that it slow sinks and breaks up and herring just love it. For me, this has been the most successful way to catch plenty of bait on the gold coast canals. Remember, structure such as bridge pylons are good spots to look for them, but beware of snags on the bottom... Have lost more than one or two that way... >
Cheers Fritzy

[MickEddy]

g'day
i try see the bait before i cast, but if i can't see anything then i just throw the net in a likely place. i haven't used berley before.
mick

[fish2eat]

Ok thanks, I'll take some bread crumbs next time, if I can't see baitfish I'll chuck some out and see if it attracts a school

It's so much nicer getting a session supply in one throw than getting 3 or 4 per cast.

Also, as the net was a birthday gift from Mrs Deckhand, I've been loathe to get adventurous with it in front of her, so I tend to throw it in clear deeper water. Now that its six months old I should start getting in closer to the banks and snaggy areas where the baifish spend most time

Thanks guys for the tips

[gogecko]

I burley because I cast at night and cant sight the baitfish. I cast in a known spot that produces herring. Tried bread for a while with no success, although Ive seen bread work well in other locations. I use 1 pilly chopped finely for burley then cast and catch 20-30 herring. You have to do a practice burley to see how fast the current is running tho. I find burley only works near high tide when the current is slow.

If you use bread, you must soak it and compress/knead it by hand, then throw it down hard in small pieces into the water. It will break up on impact and spread quickly.

Hope this helps.