What type nets do you use to keep the net from closing up when the shad are 30 feet deep? I have tried to add duct tape around bottom of my cast net, just above the sinker line, and it did not seem to help. This idea was from a shrimpers post on a different messageboard he was trying to catch shrimp 25 feet deep. Thanks for the help.:big_smile:
The tape on the weights may stiffen the edge a little, but it won't help much to keep the net open. First is to practice until you can cast that net properly. You can use any net for deep shad, but larger is better. After descending 25 feet, a net will close as much as 50% of the diameter that hits the water. If you throw a 5 foot net and it lands in a 4 foot circle on the water, it may close to as little as 3 feet or less due to the water pressure on the net itself. Use the biggest net that you can master. I personally prefer to throw a 10 foot net. I have one in the boat next to the two 7 footers. Since the handline on most production net is something less than 25 feet, you have to add a length of cord to the handline. I use the handline removed from a hopelessly destroyed net. I usually ruin one or two nets a year, but I catch bait twice to three times a week. Use your fish finder to locate the shad. Turn the gain all the way up and the shad will appear as a cloud. Bearing in mind the location of your transponder on the boat, cast your net directly on top of the bait cloud and allow your net to go all the way to the bottom. It's easier if there are two people in the boat... one driving slowly and watching for the bait n the graph, the other positioned over the transponder with the net ready to throw at the word from the boat driver. With good teamwork, bait-catching is a quick evolution as long as the cloud is bait and not suspended junk in the water. Hope this helps you. Good Luck and good fishing!
tkishkape, did you find any shad 3-1-03? we tried friday twice south of vian at the welfare bridge, didn`t`t find shad and sat. over at apple gate around the light pole with no luck there. its looks like they have moved. we fished with froze shad and never caught a fish
They were flippin shallow on saturday steve..We caught between 25- 30 blues on 3-1-08. Back to the question at hand if your net is small in deep water it wont work well at all...need a 7ft minimum i think and add extra rope to it so ya can go down far enough....I hate throwing deep for shad..gets the boat wet, you wet, and everthing ya own wetoooh::tounge_out:
Steve... there are so many things to look for when searching for winter shad... Casting blindly is a simple act of frustration. If the sun is bright, the shallow water is being warmed fastest. A one degree difference will move the fish. Always go to the bank where the waves are crashing to hunt shallow shad. Watch for the seagulls. If they're diving, they're eating shad that are shallow... surface to 2 feet deep. If the gulls are sitting on the water, harassing the cormorants, the shad are deep. Cormorants can dive and fly through the water to impressive 40 foot depths to catch shad... but they cannot swallow them underwater. They return to the surface and turn the shad head-down and swallow. When the cormorant surfaces, the fast attacking gulls will try to take the shad away from them. It's a noisy arrangement and the gulls usually win. If you don't see the birds and there is no breeze, use your electronics to find them. If you're bank-bound, get used to fishing with frozen or store-bought bait.
In addition to using a 10' net, spend a little extra money to get one that has extra weight on it. That will make it sink faster. Also, unless you're after small shad, going to a larger mesh size will make it sink faster...but you'll have trouble with the little shad getting through the mesh, and sometimes getting stuck in it.
Great advice trew.... Works in Arkansas, but the regulations will get you in trouble in different states. Texas allows only up to a 7 foot net, 3/8" mesh. Oklahoma allows you to throw any net you're big enough to throw, but the mesh can be no larger than 3/8"
First of all the net shouldnt close till you pull on draw strings if weight/to net resistance is proper which they should be on larger nets. You need to get another 25 ft of rope and tie to existing rope. Then as long as net hits water in a full spread you should be good to go. You would have to use a minimum 6' radius net ....larger if you can throw it properly.
Bought a new net from Bass Pro. 7 footer. I threw the net almost as much as my son threw the one with duct tape. He caught about 20 shad to my 1 shad. It still took lots of throws and lots of time. I can find them on my sonar but they are being chased by all kinds of bigger fish. Feel like I threw away $47 on a new net. I am going to try and add weight to this net and see if I get better results. Anyone know when the shad will start moving up shallower? This is my first year of Blue cat fishing, in fact the first time I fished for Blues was with a guide named Tiny on Keystone on 2-2-08. Since then I am hooked. :smile2:
Brad: A good guide like Tiny can make a catman out of any fisherman. Tiny's one knowledgeable catman... Now, if you will read all of the posts, the "How-To" section and keep up with all of the BS that goes on here at the BOC, you'll soak up some of that vast store of knowledge and experience. But it won't do you a bit of good until you get out there on the water and use the information and techniques you learn. Make them your own and figure out what works best for you. I guess the best thing I can recommend to you at this point is to keep a log of every fishing trip. Record everything; water and air temp, location, depth, weather conditions, bait... everything that can affect the quality of the day's fishing. After a year of collecting data, you will be able to see your notes from last year. When the same conditions prevail, you have a starting point for that trip... your own experience. My personal log will be 5 years old come 2009. My intent is to publish it for the benefit of other catmen.
sorry, Brad... My Bad I re-read your post and missed a very important observation below in red... When you find yourself in that situation again, mark the area with a floating marker and quietly move to casting distance from the marker using the trolling motor or paddles. Do not start the big engine. The engine will spook the blues. If you have to get some bait, go get some elsewhere then come back and anchor up within casting distance of your marker float. Those fish are actively feeding on shad and are prime catchable. Get a cut bait to them Pronto and hang on!
Well, the ones I used and bought don't. I suppose just like plastic pop can holders if left in the water yes they would certainly drown. The one I used, we only left in for 15 to twenty minutes. We released several carp, striper and catfish to live another day. Besides that, don't the fish (shad) you catch in your cast net die? For crying out loud, it's BAIT! :confused2: Finally, please don't question my sportsmanship. I am not recommending something illegal or unsporting. I am simply commenting on something that I have observed and done. Do you release your shad alive after you are done fishing with it? Heck, aren't you from Oklahoma where "noodling" is legal? Talk about unsporting. Ask Skip if those fish were dead that we brought into the boat in the gill net?:wink: Lighten up, life is way too short.
Sorry about the tone, maybe I am a little grouchy or it hit me wrong. I don't need or want a cpr, sporting, etc... war.
No apology necessary... I was in the wrong by suggesting that ther might be a problem. Please forgive me. I'm sorry. I was not as thoughtful or tactful in my reply as I should have been. I certainly did not intend to cause hurt feelings. I am, however looking forward to competing with you in a couple of weeks! Now, wouldn't it be funny if we were selected to the same team? Well, let's climb up over this little bump in the road and get on with important things like MORE TRASH TALK!
