Well, yesterday I encountered cast netters on Bastrop. As I'm coming into north shore there is a boat in the first slip and the second slip so I have only one choice to park while I get my trailer. As I'm coming up to the slip a guy casually walks over and picks up a grey 5 gallon bucket, but doesn't say a word. He goes back to the boat in the first slip. I glide in, go get my trailer and get ready to load. I put my boat in reverse and it dies. I literally just got it out of the shop for tune up, impeller etc so I'm really concerned. I try again and the same thing happens. The wind is out of the SE so I push out of the slip and let the wind carry me to my trailer. I start her up again and shift to forward and it dies as I'm drift by the boat in the first slip, the one where the guy who picked up the bucket is sitting. I casually mention "Dang I just got this out of the shop. Maybe I got hydrilla in the intake or something."
Not a word from boat boy.
I drag the boat onto the trailer with the winch and pull out to assess the issue. A #$@^!%*&^ brand new cast net is twisted and tangled around my prop.
Boat boy could have mentioned "Hey, lemme get my net outta the way" as I was coming in.
He could have said, "Yeah, you might have out net caught up" as I was drifting past wondering WTF was going on.
He didn't because he KNEW he was wrong!
I reported it to the guard shack who basically told me there was nothing they could do except tell people it's illegal to do that.
I reported it to the game wardens who told me it was LCRA jurisdiction and they couldn't do anything either.

My only good feeling about it is that they lost a brand new cast net because I gut it to shreds removing it. They were watching me the whole time and never said a word!
When I left the guard shack I came back around and felt like a confrontation, but I was an adult and just took pictures of them as they were loading up their boat because their day was over without a net to catch bait.

Oh yeah, the fishing on Bastrop was ok, but sporadic. I found a pattern, but could only mange 2-3 fish before they'd shut off and I'd move, repeat the pattern for 2-3 fish then they'd shut off again. Fun day until the end!

Now I gotta pull the prop, and spindle to make sure no stray netting got up in there.

Wow, that looks like a mess.

It was, but a sharp knife made short work of it.

I am sorry for your frustrating experience. To be honest, I have never seen any cast netters on Bastrop and I have been there a lot. I have seen them on FCL and Fairfield many, many times. I have also never seen, heard about, or caught a tilapia on Bastrop. That is generally what the cast netters are usually after. I guess they have depleted FCL and Fairfield.

Is it against the law to throw a cast net there?

Don't know about illegal, but it is against lake rules. Plus its posted no fishing from the docks.

I use to be on Bastrop fairly regularly and I'm with you on never seeing them there before. I would think the vegetation is too thick, but I guess not at the ramp which is why they were there?

That sucks. See them at Fayette all the time, but haven’t had any tangles thankfully. Hope your motor is ok!

Have snagged 3 cast nets in 3 weeks on FCL. Not sure why these are abandoned.

I’ve collected a few castanets from Fayette shorelines and when I sang them with lures. I salvage the lead because I mold my own jigs and weights. Recycling at its finest!

I found a perfectly good 16’ cast net at Fayette a couple of years ago. I surmised that they saw a game warden coming and they had bass in the boat so they ditched it to avoid a hefty fine.

Believe me, the vegetation at the ramp is very thick.

The uninformed or non-caring do not read those No Fishing" signs.

true, and yeah I know there's plenty of vegetation at the ramp. look at my trailer, lol.