While complaining to Pat one day about how catching bait was ruining my back, he said he could design a net for me that would be easy on my back, and throw better than anything I'd ever used. Sure got my interest. I ordered a net.
It was like a miracle! It was so much easier to throw and to haul, I couldn't believe it. That net actually made it possible for me to keep working, and gradually my back has returned to near normal. The craftsmanship and quality of the net are superior to even the best commercially made nets, yet the cost is about the same. I didn't realize how profoundly better Daddy Pat's nets are until a recent trip with a good friend in his boat. I threw his name-brand net the same size as mine, and had a terrible time with it. I had a hard time getting it to open fully, and the brailles kept getting tangled. It wasn't until then I realized how spoiled I'd become throwing a Daddy Pat custom castnet.
Why Should You Use a Daddy Pat castnet?
Daddy Pat has been building castnets of all kinds for over forty years for his own use and for commercial fishermen and professional guides. Over 50% of the nets he builds are for those guides and commercial fishermen, whose incomes depend on a successful cast net trip. Professional fishermen also take into consideration the cost and useful life of their nets! If you are a weekend fisherman the days you're able to get out on the water are just as important to you as to the professional who spends 200+ days a year on the water!
Let's Look at the Net!
Let's start at the top with the hand line. It's a good round hollow braid line with a loop that slips over your hand. Many nets use a slipknot and a cheap flat hand line that doesn't coil nicely, and will tie itself in knots in short order and cause you problems. Should you throw your net over a shark, a manatee, or a submerged snag in a fast current it can kill you if you have a slip knot around your wrist. With a loop and a floating line you can disconnect from your fouled net and retrieve it safely.
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Next is the horn of the net. It's called that to this day because in the old days it was a piece of horn! A 2 inch nylon horn allows for easier and quicker reloading of the brailles.
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The brailles are a very important element of any castnet. The brailles in a Daddy Pat net are approximately 300 pound test 2.3 MM diameter monofilament that resists twisting and tangles. Unless otherwise specified in the specifications, all brailles are a bright color (usually red) that allow you to easily see and clear a lead line tangled over a braille, a clump of oysters, or a piece of root.
Because Daddy Pat uses heavy 300 pound brailles, they are looped and loose crimped around the lead line. This allows the net to "relax" during the cast, and allows the lead line to chatter or roll and free debris, and minimizes pickup of weeds and other stuff on the bottom.
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The leads and lead line are important, as well. Daddy Pat uses long, bullet-style leads instead of the round ball style that dig into soft bottom and pick up unwanted debris. These leads are also tied loose so that they fall away from the mesh, allowing the leads to operate properly and the net to open more easily.
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Last are the panels and seams. All Daddy Pat nets are panel nets with seams that are hand tied with double net knots.
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The end result is a net that loads easier, throws better and more consistently, traps less unwanted debris, is easier on your body, and lasts longer than than any net you've ever owned.
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If you'd like to own a Daddy Pat Custom Net, drop me an email, or call me at 1-239-628-3522 in Ft. Myers. A small stock of these fabulous nets is always in stock, or you can order a net custom built for your unique requirements. This is not a fancy storefront, but payment can be made using PayPal to capt@barhoppr.com. Checks and money orders welcome. For local folks we can deliver to your door.
LOCAL DESTINATIONS!