sounds to me like a good way to get some front teeth pulled for free.

I have been throwing a 8' plus net since I was 6 years of age, and having it
in my teeth is the only way I know to (best) effectively throw a big net.

In Tampa/Clearwater, off the bridges, I'll throw a heavy 12' radius 2" mesh Mullet net (throw a 7'
mullet net with 2" mesh in the gulf out of south Texas for bait). Nets are heavy and awkward to open
on a throw without starting off with that triangle pocket (3 points of contact, including both hands and mouth).

Below is a link to one of my favorite demonstrations, actually threw nets while fishing on
one of Walkers Charters (tail Walker 3), and he showed me how to not use the mouth technique, to
segregate the net into 3rds, but it simply doesn't open as complete.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqb41qn4Le0

when bait is deeper than 12', in the middle of the day, I throw a 13' net on Texoma,
and some times an 8' (NOT IN TEXAS, but on Oklahoma side), and I'm throwing in the same water that I'm willing to swim. I'll use the smaller nets if Jellyfish are in the area.

"You know how to spit don't you.. you just put your lips together and... blow"

When your pulling up the net, it either isn't touching the bottom, or it is clean by the time
you empty it on deck.

I only throw that big net when the bait is deep, and I'm marking plenty of it. When I'm
throwing in shallow water (and not certain bait is there), I'll throw a 7' net, and use
a different method (quicker to load, and then throw) that doesn't involve holding the lead line
(Not the lead) in my mouth.

It's not bad, and I would prefer to get some sand in my mouth, to not having bait when going offshore/near-shore.

I am sure most of you have had something a lot nastier than a cast
net in your mouth at one time or another,


MO

I throw my net using this method. I can see this being a more serious issue if you have any cuts or open sores or ulcers in your mouth, but other than that, if you have a strong immune system I am sure you will be fine. Now... since I have said that I am probably gonna get sick... haha

I do. I've been doing it that way since i was a little kid and never had a problem. I throw a 7' btw

Look through a microscope at what is in that water you will never do that again saltwater or fresh water I know I've spent thirty years in water treatment!

Not me

Yeah, lemme stick a few lead sinkers in my mouth along with the assorted micro-organisms that have gotten soaked into my net ... y'all can start calling me the Mad Hatter shortly thereafter once the brain eating amoebas get into my system!

I was taught to throw a cast net by my Grandpa. He taught me the "hold the net in your teeth" method. I've been throwing a cast net like that for twenty years. No brain eating amoeba to date.

Learned that way from my Dad and still throw that way.

Thinking about this. Any kind of break in the skin is likely a better opportunity for infectious critters than traversing the acids found in the digestive system. So fin pricks, hook pricks, scratches and other abrasions are likely more dangerous than the cast net in the mouth. Also if water hits your lips while fishing and that brain eating amoeba hits your lips it seems it could still enter the body that way. Not sure its as dangerous as it first seems. Of course there are other variables like the net hits the muddy bottom maybe stirring up more infectious problems than found adrift in the water.

I suspect the ewww factor is a bigger deterrent than actual danger. That said I think I will pass on the cast net in the mouth technique

Disclaimer: I have no special medical or biological expertise just to much time to think about fishing

I have always used that technique. I throw in Texas lakes, so it's always nice to suck on the net and get a little drink of water before every throw. Strangely enough, I do not get sick, but the people I fish with do when they watch me throw.