Fishing Nets Types and Uses | How Each Net Works

Fishing nets fall into families defined by how they catch fish — gillnets entangle, seines surround, trawls tow, and cast nets are thrown by hand, each suited to different species and waters.

Picking the right net starts with knowing the basic distinction: how does the gear actually trap the fish? The wrong choice means wasted effort. Whether you’re rigging a commercial boat or stocking a tackle bag, the seven main net categories — gillnets, trammel nets, purse seines, trawls, cast nets, dip nets, and trap nets — cover everything from inshore bait collection to deepwater harvest.

Gillnets and Drift Gillnets

A gillnet is a vertical wall of netting held open by floats on top and weights on the bottom. Fish swim into the mesh and are caught when they cannot back out — usually snagged by the gills or body. Gillnets can be set stationary (anchored) or drifted with currents to follow migratory species like tuna or salmon. The Marine Stewardship Council distinguishes drift gillnets from stationary ones because deployment patterns and target species differ significantly.

Trammel Nets: The Three-Layer Design

Trammel nets use three layers: two large-mesh outer walls sandwiching a fine-mesh center panel. A fish pushes through the loose outer net, drives into the slack inner net, and becomes tangled in a pocket when it tries to reverse. This design catches a wider size range than a standard gillnet and is commonly used for flatfish and crustaceans in both US coastal and inland waters.

Purse Seines, Trawls, and Encircling Gear

Purse seines surround a surface school completely, then a cable at the bottom cinches — or “purses” — the net shut to trap everything inside. Tuna and sardine fleets rely on this method. Trawls are large funnel-shaped nets towed behind a boat. Bottom trawls drag along the seabed for groundfish like cod and flounder, while midwater trawls target pelagic species without contacting the bottom — a meaningful habitat-protection choice.

Hand-Operated Nets: Cast Nets, Dip Nets, and Landing Nets

Cast nets are circular and thrown by hand so they spread open over shallow water, sink, and trap baitfish or shrimp as the weighted edges close. Dip nets and lift nets are a mesh bag on a hoop lowered and raised by hand. Landing nets, common in recreational fishing, scoop a hooked fish from the water and are not primary capture gear. For a solid all-purpose landing net checked against real-world reliability, see our roundup of the best one-piece landing nets covering models that hold up in saltwater and freshwater.

Trap Nets, Fyke Nets, and Pound Nets

These stationary nets have funnel-shaped entrances that guide fish inward and make escape difficult. They are placed in known migration paths or along shorelines and checked regularly. Fyke nets use a series of hoops and leaders; pound nets use a heart-shaped enclosure. Both are effective for inshore species like eels, perch, and crabs where long-term passive capture is the goal.

Net materials matter for performance and durability. Nylon (polyamide) is common in set gillnets because it has negative buoyancy. Polyethylene and polypropylene are lighter and used in trawls and seines. Spectra and Dyneema, both UHMWPE fibers, are expensive but extremely abrasion-resistant for high-force applications. Color also plays a role: dark or neutral mesh is less visible to fish, while bright white nylon is more visible and used where avoidance is less of a concern.

Environmental considerations are tied to gear choice. Bottom trawls raise seabed-habitat concerns because the gear drags along the ocean floor. Drift gillnets — left unattended in open water — carry bycatch risks for marine mammals and turtles. Trammel nets and set gillnets catch fewer non-target species when properly attended. Hand-operated gear like cast and dip nets have minimal environmental impact because they are used actively in small areas. Local US regulations vary by state and fishery on mesh sizes, species restrictions, and gear seasons; check your state’s marine fisheries agency before deploying any commercial-sized net.

The right net depends on what you are targeting — schooled surface fish call for a purse seine, bottom dwellers need a trawl or set gillnet, and inshore bait collection works best with a cast net. For the recreational angler, a reliable landing net completes the kit, and the models tested in our one-piece net guide balance reach, mesh quality, and corrosion resistance for long-term use.