Ok i have several cast nets and have talked to plenty of guys about them. I would recommend the cracker net from calusa or i have a bait buster that is a little cheaper and i like it as well. I actually bought an 8' 1/2" mesh calusa net and i do not really like it. It opens great but the horn is 3" in diameter and sometimes when the net sinks and you pull it back up the big swivel gets caught in the horn and the net does not close. That is why i opt for the cracker. Another problem with the calusa is that the rope is too big. So if you want to get the net deep by tying another rope to it there is a lot of rope to hold on to. The fabric softner trick definetly works. I soak mine over night in a capful of downy and a bucket of water and rinse them well the next day and hang them to dry and they are softer than new. You can go to castnets.com and look at both nets i mentioned. They are what you are looking for. If you need any other help let me know.

Tom