Cast Nets for the Surfcaster
By Joe Malat

A five-foot radius cast net with a 3/8-inch mesh works fine for catching finger mullet from the surf. Joe Malat photo

I believe fish are a lot like humans, they like to eat what tastes, smells and looks good. I also believe that fresh bait catches more fish than the old, smelly stuff, and I will go through great pains to buy or catch the freshest bait I can get.

Mullet is one of the most effective natural baits that can be used in the Outer Banks surf. They come in all sizes, from three-pound monsters, to the small ones about the size of your finger. Finger mullet are at the top of my preferred bait list, because they are a favorite food for just about every coastal saltwater fish.

A few small mullets can be found in the sounds now, but by early September huge schools of small finger mullet begin an annual southward, inshore migration. They are literally everywhere in the surf. You can see them swimming in the breakers and on many days the bluefish, speckled trout, and drum are in hot pursuit.

Finger mullet can be purchased at most Outer Banks bait and tackle shops, but beach anglers can easily catch their own with a cast net. If you do not have a cast net, consider adding one to your collection of gear. For the price of a few dozen finger mullet, you can buy a net that will provide you with fresh bait for years to come.

Cast nets are readily available and affordable, but the variety of sizes, materials, and price ranges can be confusing. At first glance it might seem that all cast nets are created equal, but that's not so. The same net that works great for catching finger mullet from the beach may not perform well while trying to catch menhaden from a boat. Finger mullet are small and usually found in very shallow water. Menhaden may be twelve inches long and they are caught in the deep water of the ocean and sounds.

There are several different factors that come into play when selecting the best net for your needs. These include the mesh size and material the net is made of, the weight of the net and the size of the net when it is fully opened.

The first cast net I owned was made of braided nylon, but I rarely see them any more. Most are now made from nylon monofilament. Mono nets are the best because they sink fast, and the material does not retain water, making it easier to throw.

The beauty of a cast net lies in its simplicity. It's a basic and simple fishing tool, a circular net with weights at the bottom. After the net is thrown over a school of fish, it settles to the bottom, covers the fish and traps them until the thrower retrieves and opens the net.

Cast nets are measured by mesh size and radius length. Mesh size refers to the square openings of the netting, usually ranging from 1/4-inch up to 1½-inches. The ideal size for catching finger mullets in the surf and for all-purpose bait gathering along the Outer Banks coast is a 3/8-inch mesh. This size is large enough to allow the tiny silversides that frequently swim with the mullets to slip through the net. Most of the finger mullets that run in the surf are less than six inches long, but big mullets that might be twice that size may be mixed in with the big guys and a 3/8-inch mesh will catch both equally well.

Ideally, the open net will look like a round pie (not a slice of pie) when it hits the water and the radius length, which is half the diameter of the open net, determines how large the pie will be. A four-foot radius net will have a diameter of eight feet when opened fully, and nets may range in radius size from as small as three feet up to more than 14 feet.

So, it only makes sense that the biggest net will catch the most fish with the fewest number of throws. Or does it? Theoretically, and in an ideal situation that is true, but let's consider a practical "on the beach" situation.

Generally, smaller nets are easier to throw, and are definitely less expensive, but the small nets have fewer weights around the bottom, and sink slower. I own cast nets in several radius sizes, from three feet to eight feet, but the net I use most frequently from the beach is my five-footer. Unless you are in the commercial fishing business of trying to supply tackle shops with finger mullet, I recommend a four to five foot net for catching bait from the surf, and I'll tell you why.

A five-footer can be thrown easily from the beach, into the wind. During the fall on the Outer Banks, some of the best runs of mullet occur when the wind is blowing into the thrower's face and it's tough to throw a large cast net any great distance into a brisk wind. Sometimes the mullet are cruising in the breaking waves, about 15 to 20 feet from shore. It's tough to throw a big net that far. A few, well-placed throws with a five-foot net will catch anyone enough mullet for a full day's fishing.

A well-made, five-foot cast net costs in the neighborhood of fifty dollars. This is not the Cadillac handmade model, but a good factory produced net with enough weight to settle fast enough to trap the speediest of mullets

Care and maintenance of a monofilament net is easy and with a little TLC a new net will last for a long time. After I use my nets I always give them a fresh water rinse and hang them up to dry, out of the direct rays of the sun. After drying, the net is stored in a five-gallon bucket with a lid. That's it. I have two nets that have seen more than 15 years of hard use and despite a few holes, are working fine.

So, how do you throw them? Observe a dozen anglers who throw a cast net and you are liable to observe twelve different techniques. If you purchase your net at any one of the local Outer Banks tackle shops, most of the shop operators will be glad to give you some basic instruction, and some nets come with a simple instructional video. Like anything, practice makes perfect.

When you are trying to spot schools of mullets cruising down the beach, two items are absolutely necessary: a pair of polarized sunglasses and a hat with a bill to shade your eyes. Both will enable you to see the skittish mullets before they see you.

Just one more tip: on the beach, don't walk into the water to try to get close to the cruising mullets as they trace a path toward you along the shoreline. They can see you and will begin to head for deeper water (just beyond the range of your net!) as they approach. Stand a few feet back from the water's edge, and throw the net on a low, straight trajectory. A high toss allows them enough time to frantically scoot out from under the approaching net, and they will do that in a heartbeat.