# Hand built cast net



## DocJohnson

Hi guys and galls! I'm new to the forum but I wanted to share my latest project with someone who would appreciate it. I make hoop nets, gill nets, trawls, crab and crawfish traps, but I have began my most tedious project yet. I am making my first cast net using #3 bonded seine twine. I plan on making it 8 foot long with 1/2" mesh with 9/10 lbs of weights with a 35 foot draw line. To be clear though, it is a panel style net but I am tying the mesh and wideners and not just sewing panels together. I have a couple of videos on YouTube of it and I will post links. How do I post pictures? 

If any of you guys have advice, tips or tricks, or just words of encouragement I would be glad to hear from y'all! 

http://youtu.be/9JKJO23DotY

http://youtu.be/93_lRaffwec


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## DocJohnson

This is my current progress so far. I have a lot more pics but I don't want to bog down the thread with tons of pics so I won't post all of them.


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## firespan1

Thats awesome! You must have a heck of a lot of time on your hands!


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## DocJohnson

I'm working part time at a parts house and my girlfriend is a school teacher so some days I'm at the house alone with the dog who would much rather take a nap than play fetch!! Ill play some pandora radio, load up my shuttle and take off! I decided to tie a cast net because I hung my last cast net up and tore it. Up pretty bad and because its a cheap net it doesn't have real knots. It's just looped together in a half .... Anyway, anytime I try to repair it (and yes I do know what I'm doing because I make and repair nets) the "knots" in the cheap Chinese made ... It just pulls apart. So I'm tired of fooling with it. I'm going to make myself a $300 net simply just because I can.  

I do think my next net will be out of some 20lbs fleabay "dyneema" braided fishing line. Maybe a pink one for the girlfriend... 

Here is a picture of the net just getting started. Note the quarter in the picture as a size reference


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## DocJohnson

And another video

http://youtu.be/C1NJaQJc9cM


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## BananaTom

nice


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## foreverfishing

I tried this once... got about an hour into it and threw the ball of fishing line away... good job man!!


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## Ocean Master

Are you making a monofilament net?


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## DocJohnson

I'm using #3 bonded nylon seine twine. I don't like monofilament line at all. I don't even use it on my rods.


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## DocJohnson

I made it to 25 inches stretched today! 1/4 of the way there!


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## jim t

I hate to tell you but you are a little over 6% done.


But GREAT work. I truly applaud your effort.

Jim


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## DocJohnson

jim t said:


> I hate to tell you but you are a little over 6% done.
> 
> 
> But GREAT work. I truly applaud your effort.
> 
> Jim


As far as knots go, yes. Around 6percent given the exponential factor but in total length I'm a quarter there. Makes me feel better anyway..

EDIT: I did the math on it and given that the webbing will draw up when the net is opened as demonstrated in my videos, and using simple geometric equasions I calculate that in terms of surface area I am roughly 13 percent complete. I also figured as best I could that a .5x.5 mesh is 1/2 square inch and multiplied the surface areas by 2 to account for it requiring 2 meshes to make 1 square inch. However, if we remember basic high school math then any factor being multiplied to both sides of an equasions makes no difference in the calculated value of x. In this case, percentage of completed surface area.


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## oysterman

Edit


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## DocJohnson

I posted another video this morning and after some recalculations I am about 7-8 percent complete. 9000 knots in to a 126000 knot net. It seems impossible to finish. At 263 meshes around and literally growing 14 meshes around every 1.5 meshes in length I have come the realize that this truly is insane. I feel its getting the better of me but I refuse to give up. Though this gives true definition to easier said than done I can't give up now. I will continue and although this may not be as impressive of a project or may seem irrefutably insignificant to some, this I feel is my greatest net yet. It's like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it keeps getting farther and farther away. 

Please comment or like my videos if its not too much trouble. Kind words are very appreciated as well as encouragement. Thanks guys. 


http://youtu.be/FWGhIawNphI


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## PCfisher66

I think if I did that I'd have 6" squares at the end just to finish quicker, good job though.


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## jim t

It's beautiful, GREAT job.

Jim


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## BrakeTurnAccelerate

That's nuts... Just think, if you lived somewhere in Asia, you would've made $1.50 for all your work so far! 

It does look great so far, though. Can't wait to see it finished.


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## BILL MONEY

gotta post for ya.... if you take your mathe equasion and multiply it by zero... thats where i'd still be !! i can remeber watch the oldtimers on old corry road make and mend nets when i was younger and dropping off nets to be dipped and repaired... twine net like you are making was one of the finest nets i ever threw!!! and it will make the fish you catch with it all that much better !!!!!!! stick with it... AND I WANT TO SEE THE PINK NET !!! My daughter would love it !!


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## DocJohnson

There will be a pink one for sure. My girlfriend said so. Ill be sure to take make videos when I start it and I will use the 20 lb pink fishing braid. It should be cute at the least. 

For an update, I tied another inch and a half today for a total of around 800 knots before the cat decided to steal it for a tent..


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## jim t

For an update said:


> THAT made me laugh!
> 
> 
> Jim


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## DocJohnson

jim t said:


> THAT made me laugh!
> 
> 
> Jim


You sir are welcome. Ill try to catch her playing with it. It's hilarious when she gets tangled up and then gets free to go hide under the couch and paw at it.


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## tkh329

DocJohnson said:


> You sir are welcome. Ill try to catch her playing with it. It's hilarious when she gets tangled up and then gets free to go hide under the couch and paw at it.


Haha, great work! Looking forward to more photos.


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## DocJohnson

I got the horn it the net yesterday and I'm at 34 inches stretched. 364 circumference meshes. It's coming on along..


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## Floridadeputy

update?


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## DocJohnson

Sorry, I have made zero progress as of yet, I did get 9 hoop nets tied as well as 4 live bags and 3 dozen crawfish traps tied so far this winter. On the cast net, I'm gonna have to add an extra row of wideners because the meshes are starting to get over square. It will not open up if this happens so I'm trying to get motivated to fix it.. Or start another on and leave this one alone until I figure something out. I started a new job recently and with the holidays and orders for nets it's been crazy.


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## Floridadeputy

Oh u sell them?


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## DocJohnson

Hoop nets and such, yes sir I do.


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## Boat-Dude

I wonna see some lead on that net lets get going bub. LOL


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