homemade line

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Bassmaster31
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homemade line

Post by Bassmaster31 »

Hello Handline fishing community i am an experienced rod fisherman and i just began using the hand line fishing technique i bottom-fish in the long island sound and at times off the end of montauk point my primary fish are bass and bluefish. I have been buying hand fishing sets from a nearby fishing retailer. and i am feeling a little adventurous and i am seeking to creat a homemade handline set by using a mono line and i am looking to see if anyone's done this and has any tips also the other supplies used and how to rig it.

thank you

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Peace
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Re: homemade line

Post by Peace »

Hi Bassmaster31, welcome to HLF. It can be a refreshing experience for rod anglers trying out handlines, but learners are often get deterred by the winding and managing of slack lines. It's generally a good option use monofilament lines for handlines as they have the natural shock absorbance you would get from a fishing rod. The elasticity can be a problem if you fish in deep waters as it reduces sensitivity, which can be crucial to fishing certain species of fish.

I can't give you specific advice on the fishing techniques and rigs as I am unfamiliar with your locality and its fish species. If you have been fishing in that place with rod and reels before, the rigs shouldn't be much different from the ones you normally use. If you've been using braids, you'll probably be using slightly heavier lure weight or sinker to compensate for the extra line diameter with mono.

Handlines can be used in different ways, especially in different region or countries. Some work the line and fight the fish with the spool while others do it with just their hands. It's partially due to the technique to catch a certain species or size of fish and also a personal preference. If you're doing big game fishing, it's advisable wear finger guard or gloves while fishing with handlines. Never wrap the lines around your hand for extra grip and do not step on your slack lines on the floor, it can lead to very nasty consequences.

Have a great time fishing with handlines. :)

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poroto
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Re: homemade line

Post by poroto »

I agree with Peace regarding the finger guards. The oldtimers use to use cut bicycle rubber inner tubes for this purpose and it works great. I manufacture hand line reels in Florida now, but I've been making homemade for years. How to make the reel, will depend on what kind of tools you have access to. For example, if you have access to a wood lathe, then you can make beautiful wooden reels possibly with exotic woods like cocobolo or zebrawood, if you have a pressure pot you can put them in a mold under pressure with polyurethane resin before turning them this will make the final product very durable, much stronger than wood alone and will fair very well in a saltwater environment. Epoxy is also a great material for making the reel, but you'll have to find resins with a head deflection temperature higher than 200F otherwise they'll tend to warp on you when exposed to the sun for long periods time.

For line and rig I would use a low friction monofilament of you desired weight. Keep in mind the heavier the line you use the higher the risk of been pulled in the water by a big fish if you get tangled with the line. I use to use 60 lbs to 100 lbs, but now stick with 20 lbs as I find it adequate for inshore fishing and since I use very small pocket hand line reels I can keep over 250ft of on them. Just stay from braid as it tends to cut right into the skin (unless to always use gloves). For a bottom rig I prefer a drop shot with a bank sinker between 1/2 oz to 2 oz depending on current and two circle hooks the size of which depend more on the size of the bait than on the type of fish I'm going after. Basically the bigger the piece of bait, the bigger the hook, obviously you would not use a really big piece of bait for sheepsheads which have small mouths, but you also don't want to fish for grouper with small shrimp.

Welcome to handlining, in my opinion the most ethical and environmentally sound way to fish. BTW, millions of people across the world still subsist on fishing with hand lines.

Hope this helps.
Simple hand line reels for real fishing.
www.fishingyoyito.com

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