Anyone still handline at sea?

[ranga7]

With all the flash rods and reels gettin around these days you dont hear much about the old handline. Personally i just love catchin em on a rod an reel but some love the handline. Two mates of mine who commericial fish love em, especially for jew fishin. Another mate who swears by em got one 14 years ago for $7 and still uses it. And boy does he give it two me when he out fishes me with my live fibre rods and stradics etc hangin out of ever rod holder. I know a few of the older fisherman in town still love em 2.

Cheers Ranga.

[Marlin_Mike]

My old man would fish with nothing other than hand lines, right up till he died at 75, off shore or river/bay. I still have a few hand line sI use, especially in rivers. Its good to go back to the old days before we we could afford rods as kids.

Mike

[Linedropper]

I only used to do it to hook fish before winching in with an Alvey Reefmaster back in WA. Couldn't imaging hand lining a fish up from 100m +. Ouch!

[tunaticer]

I find that shallow reefs that don't get too much fishing pressure the handline is the fastest and easiest way to get them into the boat. 90lb Schnieder on a 10" handcaster works well for me on reefs to about 20m deep. Pure skull dragging at its finest. It is surprising how much more easily a stubborn fish will come up on heavy line and no rod.
I would imagine there would not be too many people in todays fishing fraternity know the feel of handline combat. Rods tend to wear out the angler as well as the fish due to the leverage factor.

[googarra]

My main deckie has never held onto a rod in my boat that I can recall, nor his son, I think he does not even know how to use an overhead. 100lb line on a 10" reel on the floor. They use a short piece of bike inner tube around their index finger. When the going gets real tough and he starts swearing I pick up the reel, wind up the slack, and hand it to him and the battle is on, lots of swearing ect but I have seen him land some monster fish on the hand line.

I use it on the deck winch, 200lb mono, but I cannot hang onto the 100lb line doing what he does.

Love the 80lb braid onto 80lb leader on shimano tecota overhead.

50/50 people I take with me use 100lb hand lines, still a way of the north

Cheers

[goat boy]

Went out on a charter in the whitsundays last year and all he used was handlines (didn't catch a cold though). On a side note, when I was really young I loved nothing more than running down to Burleigh beach from the apartment I would be staying at with my handline. Dig up a few pippies, stand in waste deep water and hurl out....used to amuse the onlookers no end, especially when I'd get a fish. My mum always appreciated the fresh fish too :D