I'm looking into getting my first cast net, but I'm lost at what size and type to get. I understand that in Texas, it must be no more than 14 feet in diameter (7 feet in radius). I'm interested in getting my own bait, instead of wasting money on bait when I could just catch my own. Any suggestions?
That would depend, of course on where you were fishing. On private waters, there are not much limitations on type or size of gear used to fish with.
When I moved to the coast, the thing that motivated me the most to figure out the cast net, was seeing folks catch big reds on small, live mullets. Then seeing all those mullets and only scaring them away by throwing tacos, figure eights and inverted mushrooms at them. When I did accidentally catch one, it was a sure bet I'd also get a good shot at catching a redfish.
Start with no bigger than a 3 footer. I found it ever so much more effective to throw a smaller net well than a bigger one poorly when it comes to catching fish. Mono will sink better and is less visible, braided is stronger. 3/8" mesh is best for most things. Smaller mesh is better for some minnows, but sinks so slowly shad or mullets escape. Tilapia and sunfish are even harder to catch than shad, but doable once you figure the thing out.
I've seen a Guatemalan throw a 15 footer and catch a 14 pound largemouth in it at my fishing club. It is like watching a good choreography, and something I doubt I could ever master.
Some days down at the coast I get so enamored casting for bait and seeing so many cool species, I hardly get to fish. I caught the biggest speckelled trout of my life on a green sailfin molly castnetted out of a ditch on the way to the fishing hole.
