# handline fishing



## vladimir (Jan 2, 2013)

just wondering how many yakkers still fish with handlines .( bait fishing excluded )


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## Squidley (May 8, 2010)

I fish for squid on the side with a jig and handline. Last Sunday I tried a gimmick trip for snapper with a handline (and bait) but the only things biting were port Jackson sharks.


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## Bradv (Jan 14, 2013)

Content removed to prevent monetization of that given freely and solely for community benefit - sorry :-(


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## SharkNett (Feb 20, 2006)

Nothing wrong with keeping it basic. Suspect your handlines will still be serving you when most of the more technical gear has gone to rust. I do wonder tho, did you try the same types of HBs when you were using rods?


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## Bradv (Jan 14, 2013)

Content removed to prevent monetization of that given freely and solely for community benefit - sorry :-(


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

theyakshed.com


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## Bradv (Jan 14, 2013)

Content removed to prevent monetization of that given freely and solely for community benefit - sorry :-(


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## Guest (Aug 6, 2014)

I'm going to start bringing a handline along for bottom baitfishng small stuff. I reckon trolling won't work on Hobies because of tangles with the rudder


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## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

Nothing wrong with KISS and a handline. Used them quite a bit out on the Great Barrier Reef.

A lot of sea kayaks use them as they take no space.


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## anselmo (Aug 26, 2008)

Talk to gatesy viewtopic.php?f=10&t=67265


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## Phoenix (Jan 12, 2006)

I use a handline for bait fishing. I have one with a 3 hook rig and another with a single #6, I target the likes of slimy, etc etc etc etc. Quite successful. I'll probably do the same for

I also have handlines for spot (bait) fishing in estuaries for the likes of bream & whiting. Both quite successful.

I don't really think I'd target anything big on a hand line myself.


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## AdrianK (May 30, 2006)

vladimir said:


> just wondering how many yakkers still fish with handlines .( bait fishing excluded )


For me, it's just not as much fun as fishing with a good rod and reel.
Enjoyment is my primary goal, a feed is secondary.


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

dru said:


> Nothing wrong with KISS and a handline. Used them quite a bit out on the Great Barrier Reef.
> 
> A lot of sea kayaks use them as they take no space.


That's the one. If I can I'll take a photo of a set with two Alvey reels acting as the handlines. Credence?.............

1. Biggest fish 20 kg GT. Only with an Alvey.

2. Largest number in a short time: 13 X 1.3 kg tailor in 30 minutes in breaking surf.

3. Quality? Four or five 2 - 3 kg tailor (in the surf zone) in about forty minutes.

The removal of the rod allows the paddler to concentrate on staying upright during the strike and rough conditions in the surf. Three cheers for the simplicity of the Alveys and their massive winching power, not to mention reliability if dunked, while still maintaining full kayak control.

Kiss works.


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## BIGKEV (Aug 18, 2007)

Bradv said:


> With rods, I was only trolling SP's - weighted both light and heavy - when moving between different spots at which I'd stop for 20-30 minutes to cast. As I don't bother stopping anymore, HB's are better for continuous trolling. So I figured that if I'm not going to cast, I may as well leave my rods at home and keep it simple with the handlines and HB's


You're comparing apples with oranges in this situation. HB's come out of a packet rigged and ready to fish at a certain depth, with a certain amount vibrating action and generally swimming straight. An SP needs to be rigged carefully ensuring everything is perfect or it simply won't swim straight and the fish just won't hit them, they also don't create as much vibration through the water which IMO draws a lot of attention also. I've never really had much success actually trolling SP's anyway, the only exception seems to be the longtail tuna which have been hitting them the last couple of seasons, but generally SP's are reserved for casting & retrieving or drifting (deadsticking) and drawing action from boat movement, this is just my opinion anyway.

Another factor is that you would never really know what sort of depth you would be trolling at, where as with a HB, you know a particular lure dives to 10ft, or another at 6ft etc. Once you start dragging an SP it will just rise up through the water and run where it wants to sit, and I don't think anybody could accurately say what sort of depth that would be as it would be dependant on many factors including speed, any ambient current, weight of jig head, water resistance on the actual SP (paddle tail vs stickbait etc) distance behind the boat, height of rod tip etc etc.

What I'm saying is I don't think you're decision to use handlines for trolling HB's is the reason you are now catching more fish, I think it may be your decision to use HB's instead of SP's that is the reason why you are experiencing more success.

In saying all of the above, there is nothing wrong with using handlines, each to their own really. I used to use one for bait jigging, but haven't pulled it out in ages.

Kev


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