How to Throw a Cast Net for Mullet: A Step-by-Step Guide

During the fall run, the best bait on the beach is the mullet swimming past your feet. A cast net turns that bait into a livewell full of fresh mullet in a few throws, but only if the net opens. Most new throwers spend the first few sessions landing a tangled ball of mesh, which anglers call a "banana" or a "taco." The good news is that a clean throw comes from a few repeatable habits, not raw strength.

This guide covers how to pick a net, how to load it, how to throw it, and how to fish a moving pod of mullet once you have the throw down.

Why I wrote this one

I learned to throw a cast net one lopsided throw at a time. Nobody hands you a clean circle. Now my fall weekends are at Mickler's Landing, teaching my son the same thing: load it, turn your hips, let go in order. He's working through the same pile of tacos and bananas I did, and that's fine. When the net finally opens full over a pod of mullet, you can see it click. It's not something you can buy. You earn it on the beach.

Everything below is what we've worked out on that beach, passed along to you. Go practice on the grass, then come find the bait.

Parts of a cast net

Know the parts first, because every step below refers to them:

• Hand line: the long rope you tie to your wrist. It pulls the net closed and brings it back.
• Horn: the ring at the top of the net that the hand line runs through.
• Brail lines: thin lines running from the horn down to the lead line. When you pull the hand line, they draw the bottom of the net up and trap the fish.
• Mesh (or webbing): the net itself.
• Lead line: the weighted line around the bottom edge. The weight is what spreads the net and sinks it fast.

Choosing a net for mullet

Net size is measured by radius, the distance from the horn to the lead line. A bigger net covers more water but is heavier and harder to open. Mesh size is the gap between knots: small mesh catches small bait but sinks slowly, and larger mesh sinks faster but lets small fish through.

• First net: a 5- or 6-foot radius is a common place to start. It is light enough to learn on and big enough to catch bait.
• Finger mullet (3 to 5 inches): small mesh, around 3/8 inch, holds them without gilling them.
• Larger run mullet: bigger mesh sinks faster, which matters when a pod is moving quickly. Many anglers use 1/2-inch mesh or larger.
• Weight: more lead per foot sinks the net faster in surf and current, and a heavier net is harder to throw. Match the weight to where you fish most.

Before you buy, check the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) rules on cast net size and the waters where cast nets are allowed. Some areas have their own limits. The regulations guide has an overview, but FWC is the final word.

Loading the net

Most bad throws are decided before the net leaves your hands. Take your time loading it until the steps are automatic.

• Slip the hand-line loop over the wrist of your throwing hand and cinch it. Never wrap the line around your fingers or hand, because a big fish or a snag can trap them.
• Coil the hand line in neat, even loops in that same hand, working toward the horn.
• Hold the net at the horn and shake it so it hangs straight, with no twists and the brail lines clear.
• Grab the net about a third of the way down from the horn, near your waist, and hold the gathered net and the coiled line together in your throwing hand.
• Reach down and pick up a section of the lead line, roughly a third of it, with your other hand. Some throwers drape that section over their throwing shoulder instead.
• Many throwers hold one point of the lead line lightly in their teeth to keep the shape. It works, but it's optional, and it only makes sense with a clean net.

The throw, step by step

Right-handed directions are below. Reverse them if you throw left-handed.

• Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart, left shoulder pointed roughly at your target.
• Rotate your upper body to the right and load your weight on your back foot, as if you were winding up for a sidearm throw.
• Swing back through toward the target, leading with your hips. The power comes from turning your body, not from your arms.
• Let go in sequence: your throwing hand releases first, then your other hand releases the lead line a split second later. If you're holding the lead line in your teeth, open your mouth as the net leaves.
• Follow through in a flat, sweeping motion and keep the hand line free. The spin you put on the net is what makes it open into a circle.
• Let the net sink all the way to the bottom. In the surf, give it a couple of seconds longer than you think.
• Pull the hand line steadily, hand over hand, to close the net, then bring it in. Lift it by the horn and open the lead line over a bucket to drop the bait.

Learn on grass first

Practice in a yard or a park before you take the net to the beach. A dry net on grass shows you exactly what shape you're making. Aim for a full circle every time, then work on distance. Twenty throws a day for a week will do more than one long afternoon. Rinse the grass and dirt out of the net before it goes in the water.

Common mistakes and fixes

• Net lands as a banana or half-moon: you released both hands at once, or you threw with your arms only. Turn your hips more and let the lead line go a beat after the main net.
• Net lands in a ball: there was a twist or tangle in the mesh before you threw. Shake the net out fully and look for crossed brail lines each time you load it.
• Net opens but falls short: you're throwing up into the air. Keep the throw flat and low. A net thrown high stalls and closes before it lands.
• Fish escape before you pull: you started pulling while the net was still sinking. Wait for the lead line to touch bottom.
• Rope burns or a stuck hand: the hand line was wrapped around your hand instead of looped on your wrist. Fix the loop every time you load.

Throwing on a pod of mullet

During the run, mullet move along the beach in pods. You'll see them as dark patches, flickering silver, or nervous water on the surface. A few habits make a big difference:

• Throw ahead of the pod, not on top of it. The school will swim into the net as it sinks. If you throw straight on top of a moving pod, most of the fish will be past it before it hits bottom.
• Throw toward the edge of the pod. The edges are thinner and easier to cover, and that's where the stragglers are.
• Wade only as deep as you're comfortable in moving surf. A cast net is heavy when it's full and wet, and the waves still keep coming.
• Watch for what's chasing the bait. Snook, tarpon, jacks, and sharks follow the run, and a fish hitting your net or bucket is a real risk. Keep your bait bucket out of the wash.
• Keep only what you'll use. A dozen lively mullet in an aerated bucket fish better than fifty half-dead ones.

Safety and etiquette

• Look behind you and to the sides before every throw. Never throw near swimmers, other anglers, or anyone walking past.
• Don't throw over rocks, pilings, or debris you can't see. A snagged net costs you the net and often time in the water to free it.
• Avoid sea turtles, manatees, and birds. If a protected animal gets in your net, keep it in the water and release it as carefully as you can.
• Respect posted closures and pier rules. Many fishing piers don't allow cast nets during busy hours, or at all.

Taking care of the net

Saltwater, sand, and sun wear a net out fast. Rinse it in fresh water after every trip, let it dry hanging up rather than in a bucket, and store it out of direct sunlight. Look over the brail lines and horn every so often. A frayed brail line usually snaps on the throw that matters most. A net cared for this way can last several seasons.

Putting it to work

Once your bucket is full, the next question is where to fish it. The tactics guide covers rigging live mullet for the predators that follow the run, and the timing guide shows when the run should be at your beach. To find out where the bait is today, check the live sightings map.