The number one reason a well thrown cast net turns up empty are due to the mesh size being too large. This frustrates anglers looking for live bait. The fish just slipped through the mesh? No, they missed. Why? Because the fish went right through the holes. And more times than not, it’s because you bought wrong mesh size, not your throwing skill.
Newcomers tend to think that bigger holes is better for catching fish. That thinking goes the wrong way with schooling baitfish. Your goal should of be to use a net where the holes are smaller then the body width of the bait. If you can stick a bait upside down into the net and it fits through sideways, then it is going to slip sideways right back out. Girth is the determining factor, not length.
How to Choose the Right Net Mesh Size
For example, you might have a standard net that looks fine for catching a long skinny minnow. But that minnow’s body isn’t as wide as mesh opening. It swims out the side as the net drops down. Glass minnows are small. Shallow freshwater pond-dwelling glass minnows is small and transparent. A quarter-inch or less mesh are about right for these guys. Anything bigger is a waste of time; those holes just aren’t small enough. Before you can pull bottom closed, your bait slips through.
On the other end of the spectrum, baits such as herring and large mullet in saltwater need huge openings, up to three-quarters of an inch or even wider sometimes. Netting big mullet on small-mesh fabric cause massive amounts of drag in water. Because the large mesh creates drag in the water, the net won’t sink fast enough. It allows strong fish plenty of time to notice a problem and run before it’s trapped.
The makeup of the net material also play into it. For clear water, monofilament nets are almost invisible underwater. The closer you can get to being unseen by wary baitfish, the better. Because these nets weigh down they also sink quicker, catching fish before he knows what’s happening. Nylon nets is made of a softer more forgiving material that doesn’t tend to ball up as much, making them lighter and easier to cast and float longer. So if you’re fishing in the backs off creeks with dirty water where you’re not going to see much anyway, nylon is great. It’s easier to learn with too. But it costs you stealth. Pick what fits your condition.
Net laws differ from state to state. In some states, they are very specific about their net rules in marine fisheries. They also specify how big the mesh size can be to protect young game fish, while others just let anglers make there own decisions. It’s best to look into your local rules prior to fishing. Trust me, having a net taken away from you or fined isn’t fun.
To put it simply. There’s no reason to remember all the measurements in millimeters for each and every species. Find what the body width of the bait you’re looking for is and then choose a net with a little less space than that. After figuring that equation out, the rest are muscle memory. Pretty soon you’ll stop wondering why your net came up empty. And you’ll be able to watch it fill up instead.