b'NETTING Spread the net quickly parallel to the beach once a large wave has gone past to get around the mullet.Always net on the incoming tide and on areas of flat beach, not in holes or over sand banks.N etting isnt as commonnet, down the beach on a sunny daycaught on rod and reel.There are a few as it once was withover the incoming tide.This was whenkey things to consider when drag netting many areas aroundthe shallows would warm up from thein the surf and I will cover these off in the Godzone banning thehot exposed sand and the mullet wouldfollowing points.use of set nets andcome into the warmer water to feed this is a good moveon plankton. SAFETYwith the damage toOften the mullet would be seenFirst, safety always needs to be top of the ecosystem by itsjumping from the water or if you weremind and you should always net on the indiscriminate nature.However, havinglucky, their heads were out above theincoming tide.The huge surges of the grown up on the west coast of Northlandsurface by the dozens as they feed up onwest coast can suck the net from your on Ripiro Beach, my family enjoyed dragplankton.We would sometimes get 70- hands, and many unfortunate netters netting in the surf to put food on the100 fish in one drag!It took hours just tohave lost nets this way and you risk table and obtain fresh bait for surfcastingget them out of the net. your own safety getting tangled in the or boat fishing. With the rising costs of food and evennet in big seas so dont attempt to take As a kid, my grandfather Alby Pattinsonbait, drag netting is still a viable methodon the mighty Tasman unless the sea would take us in his Land Cruiser withto catch targeted species such as mulletis calm (under 2m), and only net over trailer hitched on the back with the 40mor flounder that arent successfullyincoming tides.30FISHING IN GODZONE MAR/APR 2023'