Any angler who has ever wet a line can tell you that the best way to catch fish is to use live bait. There are several good ways to get your bait. The easiest, of course, is to go to your local bait shop and buy it. This is what I recommend for novice fishermen and this is the way I usually get my bait. It is fast and convenient, and you can pick up tips on what is biting, where to fish, and how to catch them. Another method of obtaining your bait is to use a sabiki rig. This string of about a dozen tiny gold hooks is cheap, compact, easy to use and perfect for deeper water and places where it would be difficult to throw your third option, the cast net. Tie enough weight to the bottom of the sabiki rig to keep it vertical in the water column, and tie the other end of the rig to the main line of a fishing rod. Then jig it next to bridge pylons, channel markers, or schools of bait fish in open water. This can produce dozens of fresh baits in a short amount of time. The third option, as I mentioned, is a cast net. This is by far the fastest, easiest way to catch bait. A few throws can produce enough bait to last you all day. You also have the ability to match the hatch better by catching the type of bait your targeted fish are feeding on. This is the method used by fishing guides and serious anglers every where. The only drawbacks to owning a cast net is price, and the ability to throw it. If you fish on a regular basis, a cast net can pay for itself in less then a year. If you buy a quality net it will last you for several years. Learning to throw a net can be tricky at first, but there are plenty of excellent how to guides in print and on the Internet. If you follow there directions, you can learn to throw a net in a couple of hours. So what's the best net for you and where can you get one? I went on the web and looked up the top two cast net manufactures, Calusa and Fitec, and did a comparison. Both companies have a variety of products and both companies products come in a wide range of net size and mesh sizes. Both companies also emphasize quality, with top of the line materials and manufacturing standards used in all of there product lines. The biggest difference between the two companies is who they try to sell their products to.
Calusa targets fishing guides and hard core fishermen. There nets are designed for anglers who spend a lot of time on the water and need top quality gear that is durable, and reliable. They demand a net that will stay soft, open flat every time, and sink quickly. Calusa gives them this with there two product lines, the top of the line Calusa Nets and the lower cost Cracker Nets. All of Calusa's nets are hand made using six panel construction, double selvage, and 1.5lb's of lead per foot. The Calusa Nets are made with co polymer monofilament nets, a #12 bonded nylon twine hang line, and a 2.25" horn. The Cracker Net is made with nylon monofilament nets, a #9 non-bonded nylon twine hang line, and a .5" horn.
Fitec targets fishermen of all skill levels and experience. They make products for every one, from the guy who fishes a few times a year and just wants to catch his own bait, to the fishing guides and hard core tournament anglers who demand the best cast net money can buy. There products range from the Quick Throw Sportsman Series, featuring the patented accu-throw ring, nylon nets, and .75lb's of lead per foot, to the XS-1500 Series, featuring six panel construction, Dyneema nets, and 1.5lb's of lead per foot. Fitec makes two product lines that directly compete with Calusa for top end cast nets, the new XS-1500 Series and the GS-1500 Series (Pro Select). Below you will find a chart comparing these two Fitec product lines with the Calusa and Cracker product lines. The Fitec XS-1500 Series net is made only in a 3/8" mesh size and three net sizes, so I will use this as the criteria for my comparisons.
Calusa
NET- Co polymer Mono
HANG LINE- #12 Bonded Nylon
PRICE- 6', $129 8', $189 10', $219
Cracker
NET- Nylon Mono
HANG LINE- #9 Non-Bonded Nylon
PRICE- 6', $95 8', $120 10', $140
GS-1500
NET- SpS Mono
HANG LINE- Polyethylene with a Polypropylene outer sheath.
PRICE- 6', $138 8', $153 10', $184
XS-1500
NET- Dyneeme
HANG LINE- Polyethylene with a Polypropylene outer sheath.
PRICE- 6', $260 8', $425 10', $657
