Dove season, shrimping, football, and deer season back to back - I’m about to go crazy to get started. Just bought a new cast net for shrimping this year, spent a little more on it to get a bigger, nice one with heavier weight and a more narrow horn at the top.
Anyone stepped up to a nicer, heavier, bigger net and noticed a big difference in shrimping success? Curious how much of a difference it makes. I have been working with a Wal-Mart 5 footer for the past 2 seasons (with surprising success, considering), but feel like I’m going to see a difference now.
6’ net is 113 or so sqft - that is about 40% more coverage. Makes a big difference.
7’ net is 153ish sqft. That is DOUBLE.
So yeah, you should see some improvement with a bigger net. Although, if you did good with a 5ft net last year I want to know where you were shrimping! Lots of folks couldnt get any shrimp with a 10ft net last season!
mhebbart let me clarify - shrimping success “by my standards as a self-taught newbie”, i.e. 1/4-1/2 cooler, with the occasional coolering out. Nothing crazy!
One more thing - from now until October, practice throwing your bigger net in the yard. The caveat to the above calculations on net area is that you have to pancake it… which is significantly harder the farther up you go in size.
A bigger net is always better as long as you can throw it well. You have to change your throwing style on nets above 6’ to get good results. You should be very pleased with the results you see with the bigger net. You did pretty good starting out with that 5’ net - I think I remember some of your post last season. We use 7’ and 8’ nets. The thing about them is a taco throw still covers more than a pancake with a 5’! My buddies 7’ is @1.5# per foot - my 8’ is 1.2# per foot. My 58 yo shoulders can’t last with the heavy net - I stick with the lighter 8’. You pancake it over the bait and you on like donkey kong!
What size did you get? Practice on the lawn and get good with it. That will pay off on the water 10x.
I hear ya on the season. Reloading some dove shells - checking my bait and clay - even scouted some possible new duck holes. Cant’ wait on some good football. Time will be here soon. Picking up some new to us decoys today to add to the ol’ diver spread.
At least for me, I was surprised at how quickly my bigger, heavier net wore my arms out. Throw a 1.5 lb/ft, 7 ft net for a while and then a “standard” net feels like you are throwing a tortilla on the grill! Seems like I needed more beer with the heavier net too…
At 68, and after 2 heart surgerys I bought a 25’ trawl and it works well, took it to Mobile bay in Alabama last week, caught some as big as bananss. Tried in the day time with no results and did well at night till the bright moon!
I ended up getting a nice 6 ft. net with a 1.5 lbs per foot - noticing a HUGE difference already just catching bait for fishing! Sucker opens up well, covers a big area, but man it’ll wear you out.
Good luck this year to everyone - I wanna see some full coolers come Sept. 12
