What's the concensus...is one brand better than another? or is it more of a chevy vs ford thing? I'm thinking of picking up a 6' 5/8" mono net.

There's big differences in overall quality with cast nets you get what you pay for I personally prefer the ahi brand which is the same one we used during the tourny that particular one runs 67.07 shipped from Walmart if you want high end its calusa or black Pearl nets

I tear up too many nets. Academy frabils catch me lots of bait.

Why get a 6 ft net? 7 ft is legal and bigger is better!!!

I pulled a baitbuster out of a brushpile using the boat to pull it. Only tore a hole about the size of a baseball and pulled 6 lead lines loose from the horn. Will admit I was lucky though!

7' ahi or baitbuster.

Bait Buster is the way to go! Best me I have used. As long as you pay attention where you are throwing the net you won't have a problem. It sinks like a rock!

Baitbuster or Mako nets for me, I only throw them off my boat though. I use the cheap nets from Walmart and Academy to throw from the bank.

I really dont care what net i use as long its 7'. The best thing you can do is take it to a few different depths and count how long it takes to sink to the bottom and figure how many seconds to feet it sinks. Use your graph if you have one and see where the bait is in the water column I hardly ever see bait on the bottom. Cast , count and pull your net once it gets to the depth of bait pull it. If you have a high end graph you can watch it sink if you cast near the ducer. No reason to let it hang up on the bottom and loose it this way. I havent bought a new net in 3 years this way. Never blind cast. Use your graph. If that means driving around for an hr till you find them then so be it. Beats the heck out of casting in the winter till your hands are wet and frozen to catch 1 or 2 here and there

I use a mono from Memphis Net&Twine. So far so good.

Baitbuster. After tom telling mee the story of yanking it off a snag with the boat, we got one. Definatly a high quality net.