Anybody have any experience cast netting shad or shiners?

[SoFloSully]

I am thinking about buying a cast net to cast net shad or shiners. What size and brand cast net should I look into purchasing? Also, I need some tips in general about how to find the bait, what strategies should I use to bring the bait to me or get them to condense into a single area? I am not sure about any of this I have never cast netted for bait in freshwater. I have used a cast net before but nothing serious just a small one. I am open to any tips and suggestions you guys may have. 

[ThePolkFolk]

I only ever used one fishing from a friend's dock so take my advice with caution.

We would normally crush up stale bread (sometimes he had bags of fish food) that we would chum an area up with. We would come back some hours later to collect the fish, it was usually around 3-4 hours.

A 5' - 6' net should do the trick just fine. Just make sure to check your state regulations. In Florida, we can't use cast nets to catch bluegill for bait, we have to catch those on hook and line if we want to use them as bait.

[TnRiver46]

It all depends on what kind of area you will be throwing the net and what species of bait you are going after. 1/4" mesh is better for shiners but costs more. 3/8" mesh is good for threadfin gizzard and alewives. I catch shiners in small creeks and rivers and that will shred your net. Also I catch shad below dams and always lose a net or two per year. So don't throw expensive nets unless you are in open water. The best way to find shad is to watch for them flipping on the surface. The next best way is to locate them with a depth finder. As far as drawing them in, most people use a light on a boat dock and net them after dark 

[scaleface]

I use to use them a lot for shad . Just the cheap wal Mart ones . I would just drive around until I saw a pod of shad  . Most of the time  just straight out from the boat ramp . Thats how thick the shad   are at Mark Twain  Lake .  It usually took one nice throw and then i'd drop them on ice . They are impossible to keep alive  , at least I never figured it out . i used them for catfishing . and the ice kept them fresh ..

[Bucky205]

We use to catch our own shiners a lot in Florida.  W would anchor up between the weed beds where you see shiner activity.  Throw out a couple of handfuls of dry cat food and wait a few minutes.   If shiners are around you will see them feeding on the cat food in a very short time.  Make a cast with a 5' or larger net into the shiners, sometimes you catch a bunch, sometimes only a couple, sometimes none because they didn't bait up.  I would get a bag of cat food and ride around to a few different locations to see where they would bait up well.  Once I found that place I would get the net out.

[flyingmonkie]

I've been catching stuff tossin' a net since I was a tiny tot  Fresh cut gizzard shad is the best catfish bait there is!  

 

I've never really put much thought into it.  Don't spend money on anything fancy.  $20-$40 should get you going.  The bigger your mesh, the faster it'll sink, but get it tight enough that you don't lose baitfish through it.  3/8" is pretty common, if you're targeting shad, you'll do fine with a 1/2".  In terms of radius, the smaller it is the easier it is to cast.  Bigger nets are hard to cast, but obviously can cover more water.  I generally use a 5 or 6 ft radius.

 

I've never had luck netting shad that weren't visible.  The absolute easiest way is to hit shallow flats in the morning when they are active... just throw at them when you see them, let it sink a couple seconds, and RIP IT!  Shallow water is easier too, as they have less time/room to swim out from underneath the net.  I've caught visible shad in deeper water, but you have to let it sink a little further and I generally catch less.  I've had many 100 shad nets in my life throwing on schools in 3-5ft.  Especially in the summer.  Cake.

 

Throw-netting can be a ton of fun just in general.  As a kid, I would walk the bank with a cast net for hours each day.  I've caught practically everything you can imagine in them.

 

Have fun!

[Bluebasser86]

Couldn't even tell you what brand my net is but it's lasted a few years now, way longer than they usually do. Mine is a 8 footer with 3/8" holes. It's the best compromise of size and ease of use that I've found. Like others have said, look for flipping shad and try to get a net on the area ASAP.  Once you get it right, you can catch bait pretty fast. Always a good feeling to toss a net and see all the flashes or the rope jumping if you're throwing for big gizzard shad.

[dmainor]

3 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Couldn't even tell you what brand my net is but it's lasted a few years now, way longer than they usually do. Mine is a 8 footer with 3/8" holes. It's the best compromise of size and ease of use that I've found. Like others have said, look for flipping shad and try to get a net on the area ASAP.  Once you get it right, you can catch bait pretty fast. Always a good feeling to toss a net and see all the flashes or the rope jumping if you're throwing for big gizzard shad.

X2 on the 8 footer,  Try and find a place where you are well above your target water so that your net will have time to fan out, even on a poor throw.   I used to throw a walmart 8 foot cast net off a bridge (about 8-10 feet above the water) and would get enough shad to catfish with for the day.   

 

Dug

[N Florida Mike]

• Id use a 5 foot net to start with,if u havent thrown one much.

•Get one with heavier weights.

• Ponds are easier because the fish are more concentrated and easier to find.

• Chum the area with old bread until you get a concentration of fish.It may take a few hours to a few days .

• Check the laws for cast netting in your state.

I was cast netting some shiners in a pond down the road and caught a 5 pound bass.W onder what he was doing with all those shiners??