never fished the james for blues and was wondering how hard it would be to catch bait with a castnet if launching from deep bottom.also where would be a good place near the landing to try for bait, thanks
I use a gillnet but I've also used casting nets. When I launch at deep bottom, I go to the left and go to the No Trespassing sign about 100 yds up on the rt. I have good luck there.
Is a permit required to use a casting net, or is that just a gill net? I was thinking of picking one up at Bass Pro and practicing because I' ve never used one before. Going to be down and in that area one of the first two weekends next month.
Hey Jerry.....I got an email from him Captain Hugh but haven't gotten back to him yet. My uncle and I haven't reached an agreement on whether to get a guide or not, so I just can't commit yet. Hugh will be the guy to get a call though if we can reach an agreement shortly. Otherwise, it might be a launch the pontoon boat for three or four days and learn as we go. All comes down to the guide being extra money that he's not sure if we need to spend. We'll hopefully have it all hashed out this weekend. Thanks on the castnet info.
Here's a link that is great to teach you how to throw a cast net. http://www.calusa.com/howtothrow.cfm I wouldn't get less than a 8' net, Mono construction with 3/8" mesh, When you buy an "Betts Old Salt," you're getting a net that is properly designed to work. Simple, effective design. You can get a cheaper net with nylon construction but have not heard anything good about those nets. Betts does make a nylon for less money and if you see an 8' Betts OLd Salt listed for much less than $80-$85 make sure that it's mono..... Good Luck Jerry
3/8" mesh is too small. Go for 3/4" or even 1". Get the heaviest you can find. When bait is deep, the net needs to sink fast! Sometimes they're called "mullet" nets. The area right around the ramp at deep bottom is usually loaded with bait. Just motor around until you mark some on your depth finder. Be careful though, that area is also loaded with junk on the bottom. You could say good bye to the 100 bucks you spend on a good net in a hurry.
Went out yesterday to try out my new 8' betts cast net and gather bait for this week.....hit deep bottom and was catching some nice cutters throwing behind the buoy...And like they say where there is bait there are big fish...caught a nice flathead in the net...never broke 1 line...I must say this is the best net Ive ever used and i been through a few:tounge_out:
definetly think about investing in a gill net.....they are cheaper than throw nets and 1/2 the work.......deep bottom at the trespassing sign is a good place...throw shallow...we were catching our bait in 2-4 feet of water
The easiest way to catch the shad is with a gill net. Many of the catfishermen order the gill net from The Fish Net company Stock number is: LGM-6617 Price for 6' x 50' is $46.91 less shipping. Mono 6' X 50' long.... 2" Mesh 3 1/2" Stretch.... 3/8" Float Rope.... Leaded Core Bottom Rope Call Billy @ 800-256-5256. I would think you would be better off with sticking with a 50ft net. If you go out a lot by yourself a 100' net would be hard to pull in your self. Also you have to order your floats separate. I forgot the stock # for my floats, just ask Billy what he recommends. Virginia regulations require that you use at least a 3.5 diameter float on each end and painted a florescent/reflective orange. I ordered ....(2) 3.5 and (2) 4" floats just to see which I like better and ended up putting all 4 floats on my net. The last 4 numbers of his/her social security number or driver's license number (at least 1"high), preceded by the letter "R" More info:http://www.jamesrivercats.com/gill.htm Jerry
those prices are usually for 300 feet....if you get a 50 foot one then you take that price and divide it by 6 becaquse there are 6 50 foot sections in a 300 foot net and add 10 dollars for them to rig it up....get one..........awesome....we caught a 10 lb blue in ours along with some huge crappie
Sorry Jerry, just a small correction on your info. 2" sq. mesh is always going to be 4" stretch (2 + 2 = 4 oooh That is the size that MOST use. Be forewarned though - that size is illegal for a 2-3 month period early in the year (like right now) If you want a net that is legal year round get one that is no more than 3 3/4" stretch (1 5/8" sq. mesh) I personally like this size better. It is much easier to get shad out of it because they don't get buried in it quite so deeply. The negative side is that the bigger cutters can actually fall out of it when you're pulling the net in causing you to lose a few. It's only an issue when the shad are scarce and you lose one of the only 4 you got in the net that day :angry:
The shad are in different places at different times so you have to do a little checking and looking to determine patterns. Tide, sun ,water temp., time of year all play a part in the locations they are found. A lot of times 15' can make a difference.
