Fishing with a cast net

I bought a 6 ft cast net but haven't tried it yet. I will practice on dry land before I take it on the boat. I fish in the St. Johns River and would like to try to get some shrimp and anything else if possible. How can I even tell where to throw it? What are the signs that shrimp may be present? I know some folks get shrimp at night but I don't fish at night. Thanks!

Re: Fishing with a cast net

If you are new at tossin a net, checkout this site and video. Also, at night you can fix some 12 v lights to a cane pole and jib it out off the bow and that can help attract shrimp. Or a coleman lantern if you think you will miss it with the net.

Most all shrimping is done near the grass beds or grass flats.

Be aware of oyster beds, they will rip a cast net to shreds. Usually shrimp are more active the first hour of an incoming or last hour of outgoing tide.
Let us know how you do!!

http://www.calusa.com/watchvideo.cfm?name=notrequired

Re: Fishing with a cast net

If you're planning on using the castnet from your boat and it's safe to stand in your boat on the trailer try practicing from on the boat. I bought a 5' cast net a few months ago and got proficient at casting in my garden, yet when I tried from the boat I had great trouble!

Re: Fishing with a cast net

Unfortunately, my boat is trailered in the garage. So throwing it from there isn't an option for me. Why did you have trouble throwing it from the boat after you practiced on the ground?

Thanks,
KWB

Re: Fishing with a cast net

Tossing a cast net is a lot like making a good golf swing. You gotta wind up and unwind, heaving the net in an upward direction while at the end of your spin. I have launched myself off a few bows over the many years I have tossed a net.
My current bait net that I only toss on the flats is 10' with about 12lbs of lead. Once that load gets spinning, you better have good balance and deck shoes on to keep from slippin and sliding!

Re: Fishing with a cast net

KeyWestBoater said:

Unfortunately, my boat is trailered in the garage. So throwing it from there isn't an option for me. Why did you have trouble throwing it from the boat after you practiced on the ground?

Thanks,
KWB

Click to expand...

What Triumphrick said above-and the boat will move as you shift your balance too.

Re: Fishing with a cast net

i never had any trouble casting a net from the boat. the first time casting from a boat was the same as on land. it took me one look at a guy throwing his net to figure out how to throw mine and i have an 8ft net. just watch someone who knows what they are doing cast it and you will get it. i fish in the intercoastal and go back in the creeks and get plenty of shrimp. out in palatka and green cove guys will be catching shrimp in the big holes when its hot, you will see em set up when the shrimps runnin. and like the other guy said, marsh and grass, you can get em there too, might not yield as much for every cast around the grass as you would in the deep holes during the day, but at night a light will get you plenty around the grass.