Fishing Net Best Sellers: The Bait Nets, Mullet Nets, Mesh and Net-Making Gear Kiwis Are Buying Now

Every nine days we look through our real orders from the last 90 days to see what's actually selling in our fishing net range. Lead core rope still tops the list by a mile, and we've already covered our best-known mullet and flounder nets. So this time we've gone a bit further down the list, to the genuine best sellers we haven't written about yet.

Some are finished nets ready to go in the water. The rest are for people who build and mend their own. Everything here is part of our Fishing Nets range, made and supplied from Auckland for netters around New Zealand and across the Pacific.

1. Herring and Bait Fishing Nets, 2.5 inch Mesh

If you want live bait or a feed of yellow-eyed mullet, this is the net. It has a small 2.5 inch mesh and comes 25 or 40 meshes deep, in lengths from 20m up to 100m. Each one is custom made in Auckland, and you can use it off the beach or from a boat.

It's popular here and with our Pacific Island customers. It sits in our Pacific Islands nets range as well as the NZ range. Prices start from $145 and go up to $724 for the longest, deepest nets.

View the Herring Bait Nets or browse all small-mesh herring nets.

2. Mullet Nets, Multi-Mono Mesh

Our mono mullet nets have had plenty of attention, but this multi-mono version has been selling well too. You choose 90mm (3.5 inch) or 100mm (4 inch) multi-mono mesh in different depths, on NZ-made ropes with a braided 6mm lead core bottom rope. The product page sets out how high each depth fishes. For example, 90mm mesh 18 meshes deep fishes at about 1.4m high, and 25 meshes deep fishes at about 1.9m.

It's custom made to suit NZ mullet regulations, and the page notes it's also good for kahawai. Prices run from $126 up to $770, depending on mesh, depth and length.

View the Multi-Mono Mullet Nets or see our full mullet net range.

3. AFM11A Unslung Mesh, 75mm 0.35mm x 50MD x 180m

This one is for net builders. AFM11A is unslung mesh in fine 0.35mm twine, with 75mm holes, 50 meshes deep and 180m long. Slung the standard way, it fishes about 3.2m high, so you end up with a tall wall of net from one roll.

It's mesh only, so you hang it yourself on your own top and bottom ropes. It's $110 a roll. Check the rules for your area on mesh size and net use before you build.

View the AFM11A Mesh or browse all unslung mullet mesh.

4. EVA 03 Net Float, White 35g

This small white float was one of the busiest items in the whole range over the last three months. It's 80mm long, takes a 7mm rope and gives 36 grams of floatation. It's rated to 50m deep.

Net builders buy them by the handful for flounder set nets and similar. The product page suggests spacing them 1 to 3 metres apart along the top rope. They're 95 cents each.

View the EVA 03 Float or see all net parts and supplies.

5. 300mm Net Slinging Needle, Green

If you're hanging mesh or mending a net, you need a good needle. This 300mm green slinging needle from Nautical is one of the bigger sizes, so it holds plenty of twine when you're working along a full length of net.

Simple, cheap and it lasts. It's $10.50. There's also a 350mm version if you want an even bigger one.

View the 300mm Slinging Needle or browse our net construction and repair gear.

Also popular

A few more that kept turning up in orders: NZ butterfish nets in kelp-coloured bronze mesh, from $145; the large heavy duty scallop dredge ($119.90); and, for our export customers, the 10ft 1/2 inch American cast net ($220) from our export-only cast net range.

What this tells us

Finished nets are still the big sellers, especially bait and mullet nets. But plenty of Kiwis and Island families would rather build and look after their own gear, so mesh, floats and needles keep going out week after week. Whatever kind of netter you are, check the rules for your area on net length, mesh size and where you can set before you head out.

Browse our full range at actionoutdoors.kiwi