The Best Yabby Net for Shallow Water: Why Tunnel Design Changes Everything

When it comes to catching yabbies, most people focus on bait, location, and timing.

But there’s one factor that often gets overlooked — how your yabby net actually works in shallow water.

And if you’ve ever tried setting a net along a muddy bank or in a drying dam, you’ll know… not all nets perform the same.

The Problem with Traditional Yabby Nets

Most yabby nets on the market follow a similar design — typically pyramid-style or lift nets.

These nets rely on one key behaviour:

• Yabbies must climb up and over the frame to get inside.

That works fine in deeper water.

But in shallow conditions, especially along muddy edges, this becomes a major limitation.

• The net may sit too high out of the water

• Entry points become harder for yabbies to access

• Yabbies are less likely to commit to climbing over the frame

The result?

Lower catch rates in the exact areas where yabbies are often most active.

Why Shallow Water Matters

Yabbies naturally move and feed in:

• Shallow dam edges

• Muddy banks

• Low water margins

• Warm, oxygen-rich zones near the shoreline

These are prime locations — but only if your yabby net can actually fish effectively in them.

The Advantage of a Tunneled Yabby Net

This is where tunnel design changes the game.

A tunneled yabby net allows the entry points to sit below the water surface, even in very shallow conditions.

Instead of climbing over a frame, yabbies can:

👉 Walk naturally along the bottom

👉 Enter through submerged tunnels

👉 Move straight into the net

Even better:

• The top of the net can sit above the water

• While the tunnels remain submerged and active

This means the net continues fishing effectively in water depths where traditional nets fail.

A Familiar Advantage — Done the Right Way

Many experienced yabby fishers will remember the effectiveness of Opera House style nets.

One of their key advantages was exactly this:

✔ Ability to fish in shallow water✔ Submerged entry funnels✔ High efficiency along muddy edges

However, those nets are now illegal due to their impact on wildlife.

A Smarter, Bi-Catch Friendly Alternative

The modern tunneled yabby net delivers that same shallow water advantage — but with a key difference:

👉 It’s designed to be bi-catch friendly

This means you can:

• Fish effectively in shallow water

• Maintain strong catch rates

• Use a more responsible, compliant design

It’s about keeping what worked — and improving what didn’t.

Where This Net Really Performs

If you’re fishing any of the following environments, tunnel design becomes a serious advantage:

• Drying dams with receding water lines

• Muddy, soft-bottom edges

• Shallow farm dams

• Tight margins where yabbies are actively feeding

These are often the most productive spots — and now, they’re fully fishable.

Real-World Setup

When set correctly:

• The base of the net sits flat on the bottom

• The tunnels sit just below the waterline

• The top of the net can remain partially exposed

Why This Matters for Catch Rates

At the end of the day, yabbying is simple:

👉 The easier it is for yabbies to enter your net, the more you’ll catch.

By removing the need for yabbies to climb and instead letting them move naturally along the bottom…

You’re stacking the odds in your favour.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve ever struggled to get results in shallow water, it’s probably not your bait or your location.

It’s your net design.

A tunneled yabby net opens up new water, improves entry success, and lets you fish the areas where yabbies are already active.

And when you combine that with a bi-catch friendly design — you’re not just fishing smarter…

You’re fishing better.