A 4 m2stationary drop-net capable of sampling the entire column of water in depths up to 1 m is described. The net is a modified purse seine constructed of 3-mm nylon mesh with top enclosed and hung from a frame 1 m above the surface. The net is dropped when support pins are released via a trip line from the shore. In 25 paired trials, the haul seine, with its greater area of coverage per haul (525 m2), captured more species than the drop-net, but the drop-net yielded estimates of a significantly higher density for fish and macrocrustaceans by individual species.