hmm - just went to smart marine shop down the road and of course they only sell set nets :blink:
So maybe not as easy as I initially though to buy a drag net.

Being a complete noob at net fishing I can't really tell the difference between a drag and a set net when I see one.

Looks to me like Bocephus has pretty much covered it.

As for the "set nets", they're probably what we call "gill nets" around here. The fish get their gill covers and fins entangled in the net and can't get away.

I grew up using a 10' seine to catch minnows, worked great in <2 feet of water working back to the shore, but like Bocephus said, unless you're using a 50 foot seine, an adult flounder (or pretty much any game fish) will be gone before you get to the beach.

The Carolina rig above is a great all-around bottom fishing rig. You can use bullet sinkers like the picture, or if you're in surf and need more weight, egg sinkers work well. I like to put a plastic bead between the weight and the swivel to protect my knots too. a lead sinker can damage a knot in short order.

Tight lines!

Hello Markt, I rate your fishing times/ tides for the East Coast around Auckland. I find it extremely versatile to have tide bite and moon sun movements in one easy to read info-graphic.

The areas I have used your bite times for are:
From shore Music Point, north to Mangwhai Heads.
From boat The Noisies out to the top end of Kawau.

I don't write on these things at all, but the topic of netting interests m, it's a dying art, well doing it right is dying.

Don't listen to the advice coming from overseas our flounder don't behave like that, they are able to be netted. When I was young the old fellas taught me how to pull nets by hand. I can't remember what nets were used, I don't think it matters much as long as they don't breach length and mesh size restrictions. They used the same nets they set out off the beach overnight. You may not bait the net. A sandy bottom is required and a snorkel exploration of the water beforehand, on a separate day, does the trick. Netting should not be done in swell, or in hazardous water where rips and currents are strong.

Nets for success: have weights along bottom and floats at top. you keep the net open by using a piece of timber tied between the top and bottom ropes at each end. The longer the net the more hands required to pull. Two people will just be able to pull a net, but they better be two strong people. If the netting is been done in the presence of seaweed (in the water not still on the bottom) you will need four or more. Trial your net though, take it for a spin, and you will find out how many hands you need. 4 is ideal.

You do not walk out, go separate ways and drag towards shore, you will scare the fish away and you are dragging such a small area you won't get much at all. Drag down the beach. One person holds the nett in knee deep water the other drags the net out near chest height. Person in deeper water walks straight out from on shore hand, walks down beach to get a lead on the shore hand, about 5 metres. Both hands drag down beach. How far you go depends on how far you have checked the bottom, how much stamina the water hand has and how heavy the net gets. When it's time the shore hand stops and the water hand continues on, looping back towards shore, with a slight curve in net. The curve should increase as it gets close to the beach. Do not muck about getting the flounder as you pull in the net, walk it straight up the beach keeping tension on net, if the net falls slack you will lose fish. While dragging it is important the sticks at the end are held straight up and down and kept on the bottom, if the water hand can't manage they are not strong enough and need to come in closer to the beach, failing that they are the wrong person for the job or need another person to aid them.

This is also a good method for free bait with a smaller mesh net.Obviously the smaller mesh for bait fish will be too small to be legal for bigger fish species and you will need to return those to the water immediately.

When you have finished for the day get any seaweed out of the nett while it is wet, once it's dry it's a nightmare. Also wash the nett in fresh water and put it somewhere to dry if it is made of that green string stuff. If it is synthetic (I've never used synthetic nets) I imagine it is best to keep it out of the sun to stop it degrading. Orewa is pretty populated now it may be fished out, up Nth around Taipa I can vouch for piper netting and around Kawhia they still set net flounder in and around the mud flats. I imagine clear sections of calm bays will yield results, particularly muddy or silty ones. Have Fun.

Hi Markt,
Allfish here .. yes a drag net needs two people and you could catch anything "Stingray Worsed" and would destroy your net. My experience for what it is worth, a set net would be better for you and Kayak, yes anchors, bouys with ropes attached to your anchors attached to your float and lead lines. make your lead line longer than your float line so when your net is set the float line leeds your lead line once set between your anchors ( I made small spider anchors from 25mm steel water pipe with loops to tie net and bouy ropes to and four 5 mm steel rods welded in the other then bent in semi-circle) - hence 'spider' so it grips the bottom, To work the net lift one anchor and feed the net over your kayak emptying the flounder out as you work your way cross your net, allow enough rope from the ends of your net and anchor so as you don't lift too much of your net off the bottom whilst working it. Of course you have to pick your spots to fish, best in river mouth at low tide and work the incoming tide as the flounder come in on incoming tide to feed... you can work the outgoing tide too BUT tend to get more rubbish in your net. Hope this is clear enough explanation on how to set your net. P.S. You can tie your float and lead line around the back of your net at three meter intervals, not too short though with a piece of light rope or fishing line to make semi bags so the flounder don't escape. Best you set this up on dry land before you roll up your net ready to go netting. Much easier to set up too. Best of luck Allfish.
When I fished for flounder with a liecense as semi commercial for flounder fishing, it was in the Tauranga Harbour, in the mouth of the Wairoa River BUT not ascross it completely, only in the semi channels which at low tide can be accessed on foot or by paddling up and them, set your net across a channel and sit in your kayak as the tide comes in so you are not in any depth of water, maybe only the depth of the tide rise at full tide say 2 - 3 meters, so is easy fishing - opps netting !!!!!!
P.P.S. Check the NZ fishing regulations re:- flounder netting and size too, other wise if by any chance you are inspected by the 'Fisheries Inspectors' you could loose everything including your kayak. The Regs are leanient BUT the 'Fisheries' aren't !!!!
Also a good word of advise is to obtain your 'fish scale measure' from the Fisheries Dept which has their 'Crown Seal' on the scale for size of fish and stick it to the outside of your Kayak in a convenient place so you can check your catches as you work your net, then they can't argue with you if in any off chance you are checked, be careful of the charts you buy at your fishing tackle store.. the "Fisheries Dept" don't recognise them as true.

Why don't you try hook and line fishing for them. I caught beach flounder almost every morning living in FL. I caught most on A DOA Night Glow Shrimp. We eat flounder anytime we wanted them. I also gave my friends flounder. I got pretty good at catching beach flounder for about 6 or7 years. Here is just a few pictures of beach fishing. Flounder love to hang around rocks and sand bars.

I think I might have posted on the wrong place. Sounds like you guys are all net fisherman.