The big Cast Net Debate, U.S fishing culture

The Cast Net Sniper Blog

-The Big Debate!

Since I was young, there was an underlying judgement against fishermen that use nets. Laws were written to criminalize net fisherman, people were encouraged to report anyone using a net, fisherman were taught to dislike net fisherman. If you looked it up on forums, you would see the destain that Americans had for the "immigrant" net fisherman. We were taught that we "respected" nature because we used a fishing pole. Let's start this debate and maybe shed some light on this issue!

I am approaching this issue from a Cast Netting perspective.

Culture plays a HUGE part in our lives, we are taught things and generally believe things that we are taught growing up, after all, "why would anyone lie to us?". While culture is very important, sometimes it also displays a lot of ignorance. This is certainly the case when it comes to our fishing culture.

It may Suprise you to know that; in other countries, there is no "fishing licenses", no "bag limits or size limits". When I was fishing in Brazil, not a single fisherman had a license. When one person caught a big fish in the net, we were so happy for him! Nobody acted like they owned the fish, or were some sort of fish protector, because to think this is Not Rational. I couldn't imagine the reaction of the fisherman if someone marched over and told him "You can't keep that", that would be insane Lol.

Somehow, fishing in the U.S. became some sort of "Moral Showcasing". People are encouraged to police each other while fishing together. They face actual JAIL time for keeping the wrong or undersized fish, and huge monetary fines. People preach "ethical fishing practices" while fishing for sport, which is arguably more unethical than keeping your catch. It's ruining fishing here, and I don't like it...

After seeing what true freedom is like while fishing in Brazil, I feel compelled to speak out on this issue.

Pole fishing is Easy!

We simply can't continue to associate pole fishing with "Sustainable" fishing. Walk down any fishing pier in FL and you will see pole fisherman with wagons full of fishing poles and gear. It takes no skill to put a hook in the water with a baitfish attached. This perfectly mimics a baitfish in destress and instantly tricks the fish into biting the hook. There is no actual skill involved and often times, this results in the hooked fish dying.

Saltwater poles can be casted hundreds of feet covering a massive area! which brings up a pole fishing issue; "Campers" These guys show up at sunrise and cast out multiple rods to claim a whole fishing area to themselves. If anyone shows up and casts their bait in that zone, that is considered "fishing on top of them". This fishing style is slow, takes no skill, and is pretty annoying when all the spots are taken.

When a fish "breaks off" nobody acknowledges that a fish now has a hook permanently lodged in its mouth. The fisherman is upset because, now he has to buy another replacement. People combat this issue with the tried and true "aww, the hook will rust out in no time at all". If that's the case, the fishhooks would literally dissolve in your tackle box after use (which they don't). Not to mention the amount of litter from hooks and bait surrounding these prime fishing areas. I watched a scuba diver pull thousands of dollars in baits from one of these areas that were snagged in giant bait balls underwater.

I don't say all this to judge the hook and line fishermen. I just say this to ruin the viewpoint that they are "ethical fisherman". Instead, they need to embrace that they are Free American Men, Fishing because they want to feed their family.

The fish belong to them, as FOOD. They are not morally superior to a net fisherman, nor are they more ethical. They simply can only fish with a fishing pole because they can't cast a net properly.

Net Fishing takes REAL skill

It's no secret that your first time picking up a net will be a Failure. It might take a significant amount of time before you learn to throw, even a small net well. There is actually a huge learning curve, but once you master this, the throw is more satisfying than the fish!

Unlike rod and reel fisherman, net fisherman doesn't purchase nearly the same amount of gear, baits, line, tackle, and other random things that the big businesses want to sell you. The net fishermen go out with only a few necessary tools. The net, a solid Knife, a bag or cooler for the catch and that's about it! You can see that this would be bad for business if everyone switched over to exclusively net fishing.

With this simple setup, you are pretty lightweight, and mobile. Instead of sitting and fishing for hours, you are constantly moving & watching the water. This is a very active fishing style that requires everything to go right in order to make the catch. A fish spotted, a throw that's on target, and a net that sinks fast enough to capture the fish.

If a fish is captured that is not wanted, simply place the fish back into the water unharmed. There is rarely ever a fish kill using a net, sometimes the fish are a little overwhelmed, but they quickly realize they are free to go once released.

Unlike rod and reel fishing, you are seriously limited on distance. If the fishing pole was a rifle, the net would be a bow and arrow. It's all about the throw and you are typically limited to under 30 feet, with expert cast net fisherman, they can throw double that. Some days, the wind is so strong that you are almost unable to open the net at all Lol.

Let's talk about the net fishing community. This might be the biggest reason to switch to net fishing. We are incredibly welcoming to new net fishermen! If you have a net in your hands, you are a friend of the Cast Net Sniper YouTube channel. We love talking about nets and throwing nets. If you see a net fisherman out there, he's probably a really chill guy!

We don't have the big boats with 6 motors. We don't get the underwater live scope fish finders. We aren't secretive with our spots or baits. We don't yell at you for fishing too close or expect you to read our minds. We are a different breed of fisherman.

Net fisherman love throwing nets together🤙 There is a technique where 2 fishermen throw nets side by side to double the catch area once the net hits the water. There is a possibility that one net will spook the fish under the other net & increases your catch rate!

It's very entertaining to watch Lol. you can make fun of each other for bad casts and celebrate when a nice fish is caught! It's a whole different experience than the fishing pier and if people realized how much fun it is, they would certainly drop the stigma.

The fishermen who developed the skill to throw a net are true fisherman. There is nothing but skill involved in the catch and that has a tendency to make some people annoyed. But Fear Not, Let the rod and reel fisherman have their fast boats, 12 rods with live scope, and 6 tackleboxes. If it took me that much gear to catch a fish, I would be constantly raging mad too LOL.

In conclusion

Here in the U.S. We have a fishing culture problem...

Contrary to what you might think, when I see hundreds of fish caught with a net in one cast, I get bothered too. I understand why people dislike this very much.

Generally, when people see video clips like this, its Mullet that's schooled up or it's a fisherman catching bait to freeze for chum and other uses. Sometimes its tilapia which is invasive in Florida. I understand the stigma that comes with videos like this, but these fish can only be caught with a net, they will never eat a lure.

There certainly are fishermen that abuse the resource. I would argue that you could never deplete the ocean with poles or cast nets. It doesn't matter how hard you try, cast nets are too ineffective to cause any change in fish numbers. They simply don't cover enough area, and the fastest fish can easily outrun them. I have fished where people net fish daily, & there is an Abundance of fish!

I always found it funny that I had a daily Bag Limit of fish here, but I could go to the store and buy a HUNDRED pounds of walleye if I wanted, or however many fillets of salmon I could afford. It's almost like, they want me to purchase my fish from a store instead of catching it myself 🤔. Could the giant ship pulling the big nets be the real reason that the fisherman is so heavily policed here in the U.S? Are the commercial fishing businesses attempting to suppress the Americans rights to keep their catch? What's the real reason that law enforcement is Strictly policing and harassing the fishermen so much here?

These are the real questions that appear obvious to me, but somehow the fishing culture has turned so strange, and fisherman are often so disrespectful to each other instead of confronting the giant money machine that is the fish distribution business. They are literally taking the fish out of the ocean and the STORES get to keep the profit, meanwhile, you go to jail Haha

The tides are changing, and net fishing is finally starting to get a foothold here in the U.S. I'm so happy to see other guys out there slinging nets & teaching their kids to throw nets as well! People are learning that net fishing is NOT easy Lol. With some practice and a good net, you will always have a great time and, always be nice to your fellow fisherman. Fishing is a fun sport and there is no reason to complicate it with judgement or strange opinions. It's a very simple and rewarding activity that should be FREE for All American men and women.

Hope you enjoy this little blog I wrote :) Sincerely, The Cast Net Sniper.