walmart bait cast nets

[chilehead2]

Has anyone tried any and are they any good, as in a flat circle or do they wind up with the horn and the first foot or so sticking up like a sombrero or witch's hat?

Just considering since the salesman caught me with a six ftr made up, lead line in mouth and ready to go by the bait frezzer.

[inshoreangler95]

Yea the 3"6" ones are like 16 bucks, pretty good price i would say i gotta get me one of those! i guess they couldnt be that bad. to me for some reason between one net and the other is size.

[HQQK-EM]

Go to your locally owned tackle shop and buy a Calusa or a Betts.

Better built, longer lasting, and supports your LOCAL economy.

If you have trouble using a conventional net try a Fitec E-Z Throw with the aluminum ring part way down the horn.

[AtlantaKing]

Just a FYI, the Calusas (both their main line and the Cracker line of nets) and Betts are made in China, as are the majority of the other cast nets out there.

I try to stay away from the "retail" cast nets, as most of them are not all that great. I go to a commercial fishing supply house to buy mine; their nets are made right to open flat, and don't cost much more than a retail cast net. :)

[stupidjet]

where is a commercial fishing supply store, online or local?

[surfchunker]

I think the one I got was a betts 6' ... works fine for me ..... I can't afford to pay 100 bucks or more for a net

[AtlantaKing]

I use two: Memphis Net and Twine and Brunson Net and Supply Company. They are local if you lived in Memphis, Tennessee, or Foley, Alabama :p For everybody else, they do mail/online ordering too. :)

[sprtsracer]

I use two: Memphis Net and Twine and Brunson Net and Supply Company. They are local if you lived in Memphis, Tennessee, or Foley, Alabama :p For everybody else, they do mail/online ordering too. :)

Do they have websites or emails to order a catalog/price list?

Duhhhhhh...never mind. I Googled them and they both have websites.

[JFord56]

My first net for shrimp baiting season was a Walmart net. Was a "Hurricane" made by SouthBend. Was a good net and throws as good as my 8' Betts Blue. It's several years old with a few mends in it and still good. Was a 5'x1/2.

Unless I was a guide or had some serious bait needs I would not buy a high dollar bait net. Inshore you never know when you will hoop a pile of oysters or such. About 1/3-1/4 the price of a top shelf net.

Nothing throws as good as a 5 panel net but, it will cost you. BTW You can still throw a taco with a Calusa if you do it wrong.

[Southern Man]

My first net for shrimp baiting season was a Walmart net. Was a "Hurricane" made by SouthBend. Was a good net and throws as good as my 8' Betts Blue. It's several years old with a few mends in it and still good. Was a 5'x1/2.

Unless I was a guide or had some serious bait needs I would not buy a high dollar bait net. Inshore you never know when you will hoop a pile of oysters or such. About 1/3-1/4 the price of a top shelf net.

Nothing throws as good as a 5 panel net but, it will cost you. BTW You can still throw a taco with a Calusa if you do it wrong.

Yea buddy.

[Cdog]

I bought a 4' net from KMart in 2000 for $19 that put plenty of bait in the cooler till I hung it on some rocks last fall.

Went to my local B&T and plunked down $60 on a nice net.

Now I'm afraid to throw it anywhere that I don't know whats on the bottom because I don't want to lose the net.

So I went and got a Wally World net for $12 that I will use now in those situations.

[Fish'n Phil]

I've had my Wally World Net for about 7 years and it still works fine. I soak it in tap water in a bucket after every use. A small net is nice if you have to walk a long distance and don't want to lug around a lot of lead.

[Digger]

I bought a 4' net from KMart in 2000 for $19 that put plenty of bait in the cooler till I hung it on some rocks last fall.

Went to my local B&T and plunked down $60 on a nice net.

Now I'm afraid to throw it anywhere that I don't know whats on the bottom because I don't want to lose the net.

So I went and got a Wally World net for $12 that I will use now in those situations.


I have torn up many a net tossing near rocks and such. If I worked from a boat and open water then it is time for the big boys. Or if I only tossed from the decks of a pier, that would be cool too. But chasing mullet in the creeks I just don't know when I'm not getting it all back. So I toss the cheapes and keep a couple with the Fitec rings (there is a reason).

[jcreamer]

I use a walmart net also.

A little off subject but crazy

On the NB pier I was showing one of the fishemen there how I throw the net.( Nothing great but I do get it out there.) one of the beach there came by and insisted that we quit as we were fishing with a net. We argued and he said that fishing with nets even for bait was not allowed on the pier. According to them it is still fishing. I told him that
1. He was full of it and we were just looking for bait fish.

Sorry if I stole the thread but this is along the same lines.

JC

[MacPE6]

You get what you pay for.

Most of the cheaper nets are not built very well. They usually don't use panels which open better.

If you plan to get in some rocks and orsters then they are great.

IMHO.

I have one that I take out with me in my kayak to catch bait as I go as needed.

I have three different nets depending on the conditions.

[chilehead2]

I appreciate every on's reply. Don't stop though.

I have a Mrs. Jenkins 8 ftr She knitted 1/2 inch mesh by hand here in Bradenton. I have turned down $150 shoved in my face for it and like many, am a bit snag shy since her tired old hands wont let her knit anymore.

[Magged Out]

They work just fine! Soak them in a 5 Gallon
Bucket. 1 Cup of Fabric Softner (Downy) Fill
with water just too cover the net. Soak it for
a couple Hour's. Let air dry. Will weaken the net
a little bit. But,will open up like a champ. The only
thing I don't like about these net's. Is these
knock off weight's. Plastic Weights:mad:. And
the MoFo's seem Heavy too. If they get snagged
the whole net's Pretty much Garbage. No Lead
too Reuse!

[cobiadude33]

A good alternative is to go to Dick's and get something like an Eagle Claw or Laker brand. I know a 5 foot, 3/8 mesh net was 25 dollars. It lasted me a year and brought everything from pinfish to 3 pound mullet in, and spread fairly well until I found an oyster pile.

[geo]

I have 4 nets of various sizes, a few good ones and cheapies, I generally use my cheap ones on shore/pier so if I tear it up no big deal, when I was running my boat I would break out the 100 dollar plus net. I also soak mine in fabric softner like magged out said makes it soft and smells good too! tight lines...........geo

[SnookMook]

We live and die by cast nets down here on the flats in Florida. Calusa, Betts, or Cracker are the way to go.

Those cheap nets will do the trick in a pinch, but for the long haul it's worth the money to buy a good net. You just gotta take care of them. Rips and snags can always be repaired by a good net guy.

As far as general care, a good fresh water rinse down and a soak in diluted solution of fabric softner when storing for a while is definitely the way to go.

I've had two Cracker nets, the cheaper version of Calusa, for a good six to eight years now, and they're still holding up well. One is a 3/8 mesh and the other is a 1/4 mesh.

I fish nearly every weekend with days off during the week from time to time and I use one or the other of the nets at least twice a month.

[redneckranger]

we use a Wally world net never had problems with it even caught a few largemouths in it(lol)

figured the $20 was a good investment to learn how to throw it

[Danman]

ditto redneckranger..I too bought one to learn to cast with...a 3ft one....and imho I wouldn't buy a bigger one when casting for bait fish from the surf..:fishing:

[seajay]

The Callusa and Betts are great nets for off the shelf. They open great and are a fair price.
For a resonable price you can have one custom made just give Tim Wade a call:
Call Tim Wade and he will make you the net you need. He will make it to your specifics.
Very nice nets and much cheaper than calusa or westcoast nets. Wades nets 321-729-9537