Betts Sea Green 8' cast net 5/8" mesh -- have u tried?

[FishON]

Considering buying one. Just curious if anyone on here has tried the Betts 8' 5/8" mesh net?

I have been using a 8' Betts old salt 3/8 mesh this weeks.. I have been catching gizzards in about 15 foot of water.. Catching a few at a time when i make a good throw.. I am thinking the same net with 5/8" mesh might do a bit better..

Thanks, Fishon

[coheasion]

Assuming it has the same weight per foot it should do a little better as there will be less drag through the water as the net falls so it should fall more quickly.

[FishON]

Mar 27, 2018 9:58:52 GMT -5 coheasion said:

Assuming it has the same weight per foot it should do a little better as there will be less drag through the water as the net falls so it should fall more quickly.

This was my thinking as well..


I am not a fan of how the Betts net pack up. They aren't soft at all. But, I still seem to throw mine just fine.. Basically, it is a cheap net that works OK.

[craddockcreek]

Try to soak it in some warm water with fabric softener. I don't have a Betts, but I've done that with some nets in the past that had been stored for a while and it worked pretty well.

[greywalls]

I've been considering the same net (Betts Sea Green 8'), but in the "Deep Hole" version, which has a ribbon sewn along the bottom. Also, I believe that the entire Sea Green series is 1.2lbs vs the Old Salt's 1lb. I think the specs on the Sea Green series look very promising for use on SML.

Also, on a whelm, I ordered one of the pink Offshore Angler nets from BPS, which are on sale currently... 8', 1/2" mesh, 1lb. Should be here tomorrow.

[piper]

Mar 28, 2018 8:24:06 GMT -5 greywalls said:

I've been considering the same net (Betts Sea Green 8'), but in the "Deep Hole" version, which has a ribbon sewn along the bottom. Also, I believe that the entire Sea Green series is 1.2lbs vs the Old Salt's 1lb. I think the specs on the Sea Green series look very promising for use on SML.

Also, on a whelm, I ordered one of the pink Offshore Angler nets from BPS, which are on sale currently... 8', 1/2" mesh, 1lb. Should be here tomorrow.

Dont waste your money on the deep hole nets. Ive owned a few and even made my own using duct tape and they are nothing but a gimmick. They like to become become a sail if there is any kind of wind and they get heavy as the ribbon holds some moisture...You will work your butt off..Maybe they work for certain species of bait, but in my experience they arent any better for gizzard shad.

That 1lb  1/2" will prob be decent for alewives in the shallows and dock lights. 1/2" will gill some though. 

My best advice is to learn to throw a 10' net. My personal favorite is a 10' with a 5/8 mesh. 

[quackquackboom]

Mar 28, 2018 10:51:32 GMT -5 piper said:

Mar 28, 2018 8:24:06 GMT -5 greywalls said:

I've been considering the same net (Betts Sea Green 8'), but in the "Deep Hole" version, which has a ribbon sewn along the bottom. Also, I believe that the entire Sea Green series is 1.2lbs vs the Old Salt's 1lb. I think the specs on the Sea Green series look very promising for use on SML.

Also, on a whelm, I ordered one of the pink Offshore Angler nets from BPS, which are on sale currently... 8', 1/2" mesh, 1lb. Should be here tomorrow.

Dont waste your money on the deep hole nets. Ive owned a few and even made my own using duct tape and they are nothing but a gimmick. They like to become become a sail if there is any kind of wind and they get heavy as the ribbon holds some moisture...You will work your butt off..Maybe they work for certain species of bait, but in my experience they arent any better for gizzard shad.

That 1lb  1/2" will prob be decent for alewives in the shallows and dock lights. 1/2" will gill some though. 

My best advice is to learn to throw a 10' net. My personal favorite is a 10' with a 5/8 mesh. 

Disagree with you on the tape net. My dad bought one and I was skeptical. They whack the bait though. Especially when it’s deep.

[coheasion]

Agreed on the taped net thing - if the bait is less than 15' deep the taped net is too much of a hassle and I use a regular net. If the bait is greater than 15' deep then a taped net can be worth its weight in gold.

Disclaimer: the 15' depth is not set in stone but is a general guideline

[FishON]

I am not sure but, I would think under 15' depth no tape.. But, 20' and deeper tape would help... I usually only seem to catch gizzards when they are under 20' feet. So maybe a net with no tape would works best for me..

The tape VS no tape net is an interesting topic.

To the guys that have tried tapped nets. How did u like them?

[coheasion]

FishOn - the reason you arent catching gizzards at 20+ feet deep is because you dont have a taped net. The weighted parts of the net sink faster as the mesh drags through the water. this has the effect of closing the net as it sinks. the further it has to sink the more it closes.

The YouTube video below is taped underwtaer and shows this in pretty good detail.


www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z1m6qoYjV8

[Shadslinger]

Taped nets have been worth their weight in gold the past few weeks, months even

[FishON]

Yeah, what I was trying to say is, I don’t usually seem to target shad at plus 20’.. I only fish here a few times a year.. I really only want to buy one net .. I know I want a 8’ 5/8” light net that is easy to throw .. just can’t decide if I want the tape because I don’t see me trying to get bait past + 20”.. But, maybe the tape would really help . If with bait that is about 15’ down.

[coheasion]

If you are only going to have one net then you dont want a taped net. Because of the extra drag caused by the tape they are 3 times as hard to pull up as a non-taped.

the bad thing is during certain conditions, like the last couple weeks, the shad I have found have all been 20+ feet deep and without a taped net I pretty much wouldnt have fished. I spent my first year on the alke without one and now I wont go fishing without one in the boat.

It would be kind of like going to play golf without a putter. Yeah I might be able to get through a round, but I don't think i would enjoy it very much. ;-)

[Yam]

I use my taped net mostly in late fall when the bait is deep. I have pulled mongos up from 50 feet on the main channel. However, the taped net method requires a strong will and a strong back. It's very slow and rarely yields big numbers in single throws.I use it as a last resort when I just can't get big bait with a regular net.

If I had to choose one net for year round, it wouldn't be a taped net. However, I wouldn't leave my house with just one net. That's like taking one screwdriver to a construction site.

[FishON]

Yam and Coheasion, great explanation. Thank you