Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Cast net survey?

Zephyr pond is hard to sein because it drops off so fast into deep water. I was thinking of trying to cast net and get a representation of what I've got. Anyone had any success with this method?

I, personally haven't had much luck with casts nets. But, then again, I'm not too good at it. Oh, I can catch enough from a school of shad to fish with, but little BG and shiners are pretty quick, and I think you cant get to bass and catfish hideouts to get a representative sample. Trapping will do better to sample age classes of BG. Bass, I would think seining is by far the preferred method. Hopefully we will both learn from more experienced posters.

When I throw my cast net, it looks like I'm throwing a wet noodle.

I have a 4 foot and 6 foot cast net and my luck with a cast net is zero. I get off some good casts but I think with a deeper pond the fish scamper away when they hear the net hit the water. I continue to try off and on and I had my older son try his luck which was the same as mine.

I used to be real good at it. Now, it looks like a taco when it hits the water.

Dont feel like the Lone Stranger, Dave. I have those inclinations re: many strenuous physical activities. "I'm not as good as I once was"

I could do ok at one time but now I find myself and the net twisted like a pretzel more often than not. Never could do well enough to sample BG or LMB but could catch a few shad.

heybud – at one time I could throw a net pretty fair, so when I decided to “cast net survey” our small pond that had no structure, I though it to be good idea.

I tried in the back lawn and found that all my tosses were “tacos”, but with practice, I partially regained my skills.

First toss at the pond with feeding fish, I had a winner with half a dozen HSB and a couple of RES.

Second toss a couple.
Third NADA.

Tried several times since and the cast net approach is a total failure for me.

HSB are so fast they avoid the net when they see it coming – can catch occasional BG or RES.
It really messed up our pond - the fish still hide when they see me coming.

A couple of thoughts. While it is ok for looking at fish do not try to apply any hard facts, data, blance, etc to the resutls. It is not a quadrangle seine analysis. We do it and sometimes get larger fish than you would in seine haul. The key to pond cast netting is lots of weights. It makes it hard to throw but gets many more fish since it sinks quicker.

Just got back from Zephyr Pond and trying to cast net. I couldn't even hardly catch moss. Actually that's all I did catch. Like Greg said I think I need more weights. Oh well I gave it the good old college try.