cast net

[Shellkat]

Gonna try to net some striper bait next week. Any advice on a starter net

[stripernut1]

I guess first of all when you say "starter net" are you talking about something inexpensive to start with ? or do you mean something with a smaller diameter that would be easier to learn to throw?

the other consdieration is your statement that you are going to try to catch bait at cumberland next week. catching alewives on cumberland this time of year is very difficult to say the least, the bait is very deep. it takes a pretty good net to stay open until it reaches those depths , yet sink fast enough to actually "trap" bait as it passes through the level where they are. usually starter nets arent a viable, consistent option this time of year for alewives.

another suggestion is to go ahead and spend the money on a quality net with a sufficent diameter to catch bait in all situations, whether it be deep or shallow. a couple of very good nets to consider would be "calusa nets" (in my opinion the best all around high quality net), second would be a "baitbuster net", (also very good nets, especially for deep water, they sink like a rock) and another is a "cracker net" ( a cheaper version of the calusa, but still a very effective net).

catching deep bait is also going to require some diameter, i along with dozens of other bait catcher including most of the guide services throw a 20 foot diameter net. this larger diameter is also good for catching shallow gizzards as the have a hard time outrunning the edge of the net before it catches them.

if you go ahead and get the correct net to begin with you will be ahead of the game and avoid throwing the wrong net that doesnt catch bait and wastes alot your time. you will utlimately put that net away and end up buying what you should have bought in the first place.
if you are concerned about learning to throw a large net , dont be , i will be more than happy to show you how to open the net , just pm me.

any way you go i wish you the best of luck....youre going to need it lol, shad do not play by the rules

[Shellkat]

Thanks stripernut,I will be fishing the 23-29th at the dam end of the lake and the river.Were camping at kendal and be in a 18foot camo tracker with shellkat on the side, may bump into you somewhere, stop at the camper for a glass of porch wine, site 28. We do pretty good execpt when they are deep, so we decided to try a little trolling, we might not do any good but it sure beats working.

[stripernut1]

sounds good, may have to stop by.

[Duayne]

Stripernut gave you a lot of good info there. I seriously would not attempt to start learning how to catch Alewives on Cumberland right now. I would opt for cast netting gizzards in the backs of the creeks but that can be a very messy mission with a good chance of tearing your net.

As deep as they are and with the possibility of them being schooled up pretty good I would suggest shiners or spoons. Find a school and drop a heavy spoon (at least an 1.5 oz) straight down to the bottom. Then reel straight back up at a quick steady pace. You'll need to be able to get something you troll down to around 70 ft right now so it would need to be down riggers or a deep diving disc like the slide divers.

[Shellkat]

Been looking at those diving disc, anybody got any favorites. I see down riggers in the future.

[Duayne]

Slide Diver Lite Bite.

http://slidediver.com/

They can be tuned to not only go down but out to the side at different degrees. This means you can not only fish a variable of depth, but can cover a wider swoth. Get four and set one each to 3 degrees right and left; one each to 6 degrees right and left. The great thing about these are they release and slide down to your swivel so you don't have to fight the diver as well as the fish. The other great thing is you can set as much lead as you want. 50'-100' is probably the best bet. You can also buy them from one of the local guides if you wish to support them. http://striperfun.com/ Jim Durum (the primary guide for them) can also arrange a learning trip to teach you how to use them. You'd have to contact him for what he charges for that.

[Buzzy]

Jet diver are the best or what I like the best when trolling. I use them on the great lakes with my big boards. They make some with a release so when you get a fish you pull real hard and disengages the jet. Pretty sweet.