How do you net live bait?

The standard mesh size would be ¼-inch square, or ½-inch stretched, which makes the net less likely to gill the baits. The captain chums up bait near the boat, and then places the net in the water, drifting it back behind and beneath the fish. He then pulls the hoop to the boat, capturing the fish.

Can I use a cast net in Florida?

Cast nets and seines may be used as harvesting gear for the following species only: black drum, bluefish, cobia, flounder, mullet, Florida pompano, red drum, sheepshead, shrimp, Spanish mackerel, weakfish and unregulated species (see Coastal Species).

Can you throw a cast net in deep water?

In deep water, throw close to the boat so the net sinks straight down with total slack in the hand rope until it hits bottom. Any tension on the handline will cause the net to collapse. Like Joey said, use 1.5 lb/ft of lead.

Can you fish with a cast net?

They range from bait fish such as small finger mullet to sheepshead, blue crabs, larger mullet, red fish, snook, shrimp, and many other salt-water varieties. The game fish you get, such as trout, reddrum, and snook, must be thrown back. It’s illegal to catch these fish with a cast net.

What is the best bait for hoop nets?

When baiting the hoop net, it’s important to use bait that will last for a period of time, allowing the net to soak long enough for the fish to find it. Cottonseed cubes make an excellent bait for scaled fish, while compressed soybean meal and cheese baits work well for catfish, buffalo and carp.

How do you catch lobsters with hoop nets?

Stuff the diverse bait choices in a holed PVC pipe or plastic bait holders to secure them. Then, put the bait holder in the hoop net and take the whole line out. Unplug the line after you throw the net in a spot where you think lobsters are. You can be in charge of the line, and your fishing buddy can get the net.

Can you use goldfish as bait?

If the fish became too large for their surroundings, or the owner became tired of it, they simply got rid of it in the closest freshwater source. Today, goldfish are becoming reintroduced as livebait. Pennsylvania has stepped in, as well as many other states to make it illegal to use goldfish as live bait.