i swear I'm gonna get the last word here! Been back to Academy. Swapped it out for mono due to the unamimous vote. Thanks all for the help. (BTW, dont let Academy tell you mono is not onsale, both nylon and mono are.) Good deal... $10 bucks off.

Good deal Markk, looks like you got the right net and made the last post here. Oops!

How large of a net would you recommend for a rookie??

Well, I agree that the way to go now is mono. But I grew up throwing nylon nets (had 3 at one time in FL - a 7 foot, a 8 1/2 foot and a 10 foot).

The trick with nylon nets is that they need maintenace. We used to coat them, when we got them new, with shellac that had been thinned (1 part shellac to 4 parts thinner). Hang out til dried and it throws better than mono.

The only problem is that this needs to be repeated periodically as the coating wears off. But if that is maintained the net will last and throw great.

PS: Coat the rope also.

I give up... on getting the last word that is... never on fishin

Warrior, The smaller the better but once you get the hang of it you will want the largest one you can get to maximize your bait catching. Sort of a trade off. You can learn faster ont he smaller net but will need to buy the bigger one before long. Either way just pracitce on your lawn every day so you don't spend valueable lake time trying to learn to throw.

Warrior, I bought my first net about a year ago to head out to Texoma. I think I bought a 7 or 8 foot net and after about two hours in the backyard (and every instructional internet video I could find) I had it down well enough to slaughter some bait. Then the trick is keeping shad alive!!! FYI, don't keep shad in your livewell.

The largest net allowed in Texas is 7 foot. ( 14 diameter )

Thanks MWD, StriperCH, and Michael for the replies..

Sorry Mark, didn't mean to hijack your thread, but I got what I needed

i would get a 4.5

Hey BBrown - what did you shellac your nylon nets in? My father gave me a bad arse cast net when I was younger and it was dipped in something that kept it from rotting - it was a strong net and seemed to sink fast. I had always beleived it was dipped in a tar mixture - it was black and smelled slightly of tar. I have used many nylons since - but I do remember that dipped nylon was the best I ever had - but it could just be all the great memories that went along with it!!

MONO.....

I would get the biggest net allowed in Texas..

and then get a

http://perfectcirclenetthrower.com/HTML/products.htm


and your set for freshwater and saltwater bait.

I would not recommend a throwing device. You just have something else to keep track of. I think that nylon throws better but, I think that it is made for the coast where you do not have to worry about snags.

Wow, what a difference throw'n a new net makes. Much easier with that mono net. A little practice makes 'em perfect. That throw'in video i caught in an earlier thread was a big help too.

Not to mention it slows the rate a net sinks. Right now we are catching much larger threadfins in water as deep as 19'. A big piece of plastic at the top of the net would keep that from being possible. A quality panel net is the way to go, at least for me. Conditioning a net prior to use makes a difference as well.