Could this be a casting net? If so we use them on the Ohio to catch shad to use as bait while catfishing. The casting net also looks like an umbrella, but it has weights on the outside of the net. We find a school of shad and throw the net right in the middle of the school. You throw it in a way to get the weights on the outside of the net to open the net up. It is hard to explain, but easy to show somebody how to do it. It is a pain in the butt to learn how to throw one, but once you get the hang of it the net opens up every time. It sounds like you are having good luck with the way you use it too, so to each his own.

Dan Blair

Edited by - Dan B on 01/31/2002 09:36:08