[Fruitbat]

Over the last year or so I've started seeing more and more people using cast nets to catch fish. I've seen guys catch a load of Blues on Jolly Roger Pier. I also saw a guy catch fish at Jordan Lake, but he was too far away to tell what kind he had. I thought cast net were only legal for catching bait. Is it legal to catch fish with a net?

 

[meenyt]

I think it is legal only for catching bait, but you will catch anything that happens to be there when you throw the net. Any non bait fish are supposed to be released immediately, at least that is my understanding. I may be wrong, and I have never used a throw net, so you would do well to consult the regulation books.

 

[OptiMystic]

I am pretty certain inland game fish have to be caught on hook and line, but I am less certain about fish that are not specified as game fish and I think you can net salt water fish as a legal means of taking but still have the same size/creel limits and license requirements. But check the regs!

 

[NCStateFisher]

are you sure he was netting blues on purpose because that's about the easiest way to end up without a net... they'd bite holes in it so fast its not even funny

 

[gambusia]

You can cast net non game fish (except sturgeon of course)

 

[Neilslure]

I see it quite often. Walk along throwing the net and put everything in the bucket regardless of size or species.

 

[peanut]

I would hit the "like" button for the above, but I dislike the practice so much, I'll refrain......
I'd be willing to bet the guy gettin the blues was trying for mullet for bait.

 

[Fruitbat]

I was a bit surprised too when I saw that they were netting Blues. They pulled in enough Blues to fill a Coleman 48 qt cooler. About 1/3 of what they pulled in would not fit in the cooler, so they threw those back and headed for the gate. It does seem like Blues would shred a net.

 

[catmaster]

It ain't the cast net throwers...that have decimated fish stocks...
It's global consumption of the sea...