BEACH SEINING 
Seining requires two people, one at each end of the net. One end of the net is held at the water's edge, and the other is taken into the water, swung out into a wide semicircle and brought back to the beach. The seine is then pulled up on shore; hopefully to retrieve a good harvest of shrimp, mullet, trout, crabs or whatever the catch may bring. 
Pulling a seine net through the surf on one of Georgia's beaches is an excellent way to enjoy the beach while rounding up a bit of seafood. Seining can be done any time of day, though many people choose to seine at dusk or dawn. A Georgia Recreational Fishing license is required to use a seine for non-commercial purposes in the state's saltwaters and both people actively engaged in seining must have a license. The shrimping season for seines is the same as that established for other food shrimping seasons. The commissioner of DNR can open the food shrimping season from May 15 through the end of February. During the open season, seines may be used at any time of day in authorized areas. 
When seining, no one person, whether seining alone or in a group, may possess more than 24 quarts of shrimp with heads on or 15 quarts of tails that have been taken in any 24-hour period. In a boat that has both a castnet and a seine net, limits are subject to limits imposed for shrimp taken by castnet. 
Seines come in a variety of lengths, depths, and mesh sizes. The choice of net depends on the types of catch you are after. When selecting a net size, one rule of thumb to follow is the net should be one-third greater in depth than the water you are seining in. This helps create a better obstacle or bag for fish and shrimp so they are less likely to jump over the net. 
 
Seines less than 100 feet long and with a minimum stretch mesh of 1  inches may be used on sand beaches of any barrier island in Georgia. Seines in this size range seem most popular with recreational seiners, especially shrimpers. A stretch mesh o f 1 to1  inches is ideal for catching shrimp, while the length is manageable both in and out of water. 
Larger seines from 100 to 300 feet long with a minimum stretch mesh of 2  inches may be used only on the oceanfront sides of beaches. This larger mesh net size is not much good for shrimping, but does well for trout and mullet. Seines over 300 feet long are prohibited. It is unlawful to use any seine in saltwaters such that it blocks more than  of the entrance of any tidal river, creek, slough, or inlet to the ocean. 
Seines over 12 feet long are prohibited in any inlets or tidal sloughs. Smaller seines, 12 feet or less with a maximum depth of four feet and a stretch mesh of one inch may be used throughout Georgia's saltwaters. 
Here the pullers move parallel down a portion of the stream with the seine between them and drag the net up on a suitable bank to recover their catch. Although these small nets may not produce the catches larger ones do, they are excellent for catching small baitfish and bait shrimp. Also, these nets may be used where the larger nets are prohibited. 
 
Recreational Cast Netting 
And Beach Seining 
Georgia Department of Natural Resources Coastal Resources Division Brunswick, Georgia 
(912) 264-7218 
 
 CASTNETTING AND BEACH SEINING 
Castnets and beach seines are two inexpensive methods for catching a good supply of fish or shrimp. The techniques for using these nets are relatively easy to master and, while a boat might be helpful in some instances, it is certainly not a requirement. All you need to catch a hearty feast of coastal Georgia seafood is a good net, some strong, willing arms, and a taste for life's finer things. 
CASTNETTING REQUIRES A LICENSE 
Recreational Use: A Georgia Recreational Fishing License ($9.00) is required to use castnets non-commercially to catch shrimp for personal consumption. The season for castnetting for food shrimp is the same as that established for the other commercial food shrimping seasons. The Commissioner of DNR may open the season from May 15 through the end of February. During the open food shrimp season, castnetting for personal consumption may be conducted at any time of day in all the state's saltwaters. No person taking shrimp for personal consumption with a castnet may possess more than 48 quarts of heads-on shrimp or 30 quarts of shrimp tails in any day. When one or more persons occupy the same boat, there may be no more than 48 quarts of heads-on shrimp or 30 quarts of shrimp tails on board at any time. No vessel owner shall allow the vessel to be used to take more than the allowable catch limits in any day. 
A Georgia Recreational Fishing License ($9.00) is also required to use castnets non-commercially to take shrimp for bait. There is no closed season for castnetting for bait, unless emergency conditions warrent. Castnetting for bait may be conducted at any time of day in all of Georgia's saltwaters. Recreational castnetters collecting bait shrimp are limited to two quarts per person at any time, provided that person may take a maximum of four quarts of bait shrimp per day. When two or more persons occupy the same boat there may be no more than four quarts of bait on board the boat at any time, and the persons occupying the boat may take no more than eight quarts of bait shrimp per day. Bait shrimp taken with a castnet may be live or dead. 
Commercial Use: Only persons who possess a commercial castnetting license may sell shrimp harvested by cast net, and if you use a boat, the boat must also be licensed. For more information on commercial castnetting, contact GADNR/ Coastal Resources Division at (912) 264-7218. 
 
CASTNET SPECIFICS 
Castnets used recreationally to catch shrimp for personal consumption are restricted to a maximum net size of eight feet in radius with a minimum  inch bar-mesh webbing and must be constructed of uniform material from the horn (thimble) to the lead line. All modifications, including duct tape, lawnchair webbing, and bubble wrap are prohibited. The lead line must have a minimum of  pound of weight per radius-foot attached. 
Bait shrimp castnets must be constructed of a minimum of 3/8-inch bar mesh webbing with a radius not greater than eight feet. Modifications are prohibited in castnets intended for taking bait shrimp. Bait shrimp castnets cannot be used to take shrimp for personal consumption, and the possession limit for such bait nets is two quarts per person. Castnets constructed to take shrimp for personal consumption may be used to take bait. However, at no time shall there be both a bait shrimp castnet and a food shrimp castnet aboard the same vessel. 
Two types of cast nets are available at retail tackle shops and from fishing equipment suppliers. The Spanish net has a perimeter folded under to form a partial pocket when the net is retrieved. The English net has lines leading through a central ring and forms a complete pocket when retrieved. The English net is by far the most popular among Georgia fishermen. 
A castnet can be tossed while standing in the surf, from a stationary dock, or from a boat. The English net is useful both in shallow and deep water, while the Spanish net is designed primarily for shallow water. Mesh size for those nets is classified as either large mesh, for mullet and other fish, or small mesh (usually one-inch stretch) for shrimp. Try a small-meshed net for your first castnet since it can be used for both shrimp and fish. 
Also, it is best to start with small diameter net, about three to five feet, until you learn the basic casting rhythm. As skill increases you may opt for a larger size. 
Most manufactured cast nets are made from monofilament which are less expensive and lighter to throw than nylon thread nets. However, they may not last as long. Sunlight can cause monofilament to break down over a period of time. 
 
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Smaller cast nets (e.g. 4' radius) are gathered by placing the near side of the lead line between the teeth, and by grasping the lead line at arm's length from the mouth with the free hand. With larger nets (5' radius or larger) the webbing is coiled to a manageable length and in the same direction as the lead line (photos 1-3). The near side of the lead line is held between the teeth while the free hand grasps the lead line at arm's length (photo 4). 
 
With a swirling motion, the net is swung backward. As its backward motion stops, the caster brings the net forward with a steady movement. Note: Keep both arms straight to increase the net's forward movement. 
As the forward motion increases, time the release of the right hand first, the mouth second and the left hand last to assure spinning and spreading of the net. 
As the net is released, the loop begins to uncoil. Notice the net perimeter is parallel to the caster's right arm. The high path of the net assures enough distance to spread the net.