Old School Handline Rig/tackle, Advice Needed.

[Revan]

Hey folks,

Looking to rig up an old school handline with larger fish in mind for passive fishing, no reel.. just hook, line and sinker, lasso style.

Firstly I despise using gloves so I would like to have the line made of that thicker twisted or braided rope like you see on vintage equipment, I want to catch larger fish so I would probably opt for 100lb line, but where can I source this old type of line? Does it have a name?

As for hooks, I assume I would want want a circle hook but I'm not sure how I'd rig it with the thicker line and if it would fit through the eye of the hook etc, perhaps they make hooks with larger eyes but where can I source them? Do they have a name?

As for bait I could just use a fish and call it a day however I was questioning lures, I know typically they need to be actively worked in the water but what about floor dwelling creatures such as, crayfish, crab and octopus? apparently some tournament guys on youtube have great success using soft crab lures with minimal movement, what are your thoughts?


Cheers

[ellicat]

Are you talking about that Venetian blind cord type stuff ? You should be able to pick it up at blind shops or somewhere like Spotlight.

I imagine it'd burn your hands on a good fish if you couldn't hold it firm. The size hooks you would use would have a big enough eye, I'd imagine.

You must be fishing offshore, so 'dead sticking' a soft plastic is definitely a successful method.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hi Revan

Maybe paracord would suit you? But I don't know how good that would go and would give you rope burn with no gloves.

You could always have a 7 inch or 9 inch plastic just bobbing with the swell and chop out the back as you go along - it would mean no pickers and still the possibility of a biggun.

Cheers Hamish  

[Revan]

16 minutes ago, ellicat said:

Are you talking about that Venetian blind cord type stuff ? You should be able to pick it up at blind shops or somewhere like Spotlight.

I imagine it'd burn your hands on a good fish if you couldn't hold it firm. The size hooks you would use would have a big enough eye, I'd imagine.

You must be fishing offshore, so 'dead sticking' a soft plastic is definitely a successful method.

That stuff looks right up my alley, it appears to be plenty strong at whatever diameter also and you're right it does seem like it will fit through a common hook, this should do.

'Dead sticking' - thanks, I knew there would of been a word for it! not fishing offshore though, just fishing estuary locations with the tides, so we'll see.

7 minutes ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Hi Revan

Maybe paracord would suit you? But I don't know how good that would go and would give you rope burn with no gloves.

You could always have a 7 inch or 9 inch plastic just bobbing with the swell and chop out the back as you go along - it would mean no pickers and still the possibility of a biggun.

Cheers Hamish  

Oh I can handle a little bit of rope burn now and then, just want this stuff to avoid cutting.

Like I said to ellicat I will be fishing from shore mainly in estuary areas, I should of clarified sorry, I believe you're referring to trawling with a surface lure? Not sure.

 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Just now, Revan said:

Oh I can handle a little bit of rope burn now and then, just want this stuff to avoid cutting.

Like I said to ellicat I will be fishing from shore mainly in estuary areas, I should of clarified sorry, I believe you're referring to trawling with a surface lure? Not sure.

In that case it may be a bit more likely you'll have success on live baits, like mullet and herring. Keeping a handline our the back like that could mean a threadfin salmon, jewfish, big flathead, or even a big cod depending on where you're fishing  

Cheers Hamish

[GregOug]

What area do you live in? You could sit in an estuary for a long long long time waiting for a bite on a hand line using Venetian Blind cord and a huge bait if you live near Brisbane! 

[Revan]

3 minutes ago, GregOug said:

What area do you live in? You could sit in an estuary for a long long long time waiting for a bite on a hand line using Venetian Blind cord and a huge bait if you live near Brisbane! 

Hey there, I live in Brisbane yes, I wouldn't sit around waiting, I'd prefer to come back and check after the tides have shifted, but why do you say that? What's the state of the river? I have read about that biological spill, man they kept that one on the low-down imo.

Phil

[ellicat]

You can't have set lines in tidal waters -

https://www.qld.gov.au/recreation/activities/boating-fishing/rec-fishing/rules/equipment

[Ed.]

2 hours ago, Revan said:

Hey folks,

Looking to rig up an old school handline with larger fish in mind for passive fishing, no reel.. just hook, line and sinker, lasso style.

Firstly I despise using gloves so I would like to have the line made of that thicker twisted or braided rope like you see on vintage equipment, I want to catch larger fish so I would probably opt for 100lb line, but where can I source this old type of line? Does it have a name?

As for hooks, I assume I would want want a circle hook but I'm not sure how I'd rig it with the thicker line and if it would fit through the eye of the hook etc, perhaps they make hooks with larger eyes but where can I source them? Do they have a name?

As for bait I could just use a fish and call it a day however I was questioning lures, I know typically they need to be actively worked in the water but what about floor dwelling creatures such as, crayfish, crab and octopus? apparently some tournament guys on youtube have great success using soft crab lures with minimal movement, what are your thoughts?


Cheers

You might be thinking about Braided Dacron line.

[deegee12g]

50 minutes ago, Revan said:

Hey there, I live in Brisbane yes, I wouldn't sit around waiting, I'd prefer to come back and check after the tides have shifted, but why do you say that? What's the state of the river? I have read about that biological spill, man they kept that one on the low-down imo. Phil

If I understand what you have said here, then you would be breaking the law by using a "set line". Here is an excerpt from the Qld Recreational fishing rules and regulations :-

Fishing equipment - Fishing Lines - Tidal water

 A cross line, drum line, free-floating line or set line is NOT included as a fishing line.
 You must be present with the line at all times.

Whoops - Ellicat beat me to it while I was cutting & pasting.

 

 

 

[Revan]

19 minutes ago, ellicat said:

You can't have set lines in tidal waters -

https://www.qld.gov.au/recreation/activities/boating-fishing/rec-fishing/rules/equipment

Cheers! I appreciate the heads up.

Guess I'll have to look into a commerical license if I want to use a set line.

[GregOug]

8 minutes ago, Revan said:

Cheers! I appreciate the heads up.

Guess I'll have to look into a commerical license if I want to use a set line.

Yeah. Good luck with that!

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

10 minutes ago, Revan said:

Cheers! I appreciate the heads up.

Guess I'll have to look into a commerical license if I want to use a set line.

Commercial licenses cost heaps and are mostly taken up. 

You'd be looking at becoming a commercial fisherman who goes out on a prawn trawler or something as a crew member.

Cheers Hamish

[Revan]

1 minute ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Commercial licenses cost heaps and are mostly taken up. 

You'd be looking at becoming a commercial fisherman who goes out on a prawn trawler or something as a crew member.

Cheers Hamish

Mm..

Well how much does it cost? according to what I see the annual fee is $341.05c a year which is just 93c a day, surely I could easily make that back by eating the fish I catch, so far I'd probably at a net profit from getting the license so I don't think it's so expensive, in fact I'd view it as a great investment.

The real question is why would I be out on a trawler? I don't have a trawler, my commercial equipment includes a hand line, do they have capitalist monopoly pre-requisites at the fisheries or something?

 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Revan, the main defining feature of a 'commercial' fisherman is that they are trying to catch fish in bulk and selling it - so just leaving a set line out is not a commercial fisherman, simply a recreational fisherman.

If you want to do that then great, I'd love to hear some stories. But I'm very surprised you get a license that cheap. Normally someone would own the license and you would work as deckhand on there boat and work your way up.

Guess I was wrong - sorry.

Cheers Hamish  

[Revan]

4 minutes ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Revan, the main defining feature of a 'commercial' fisherman is that they are trying to catch fish in bulk and selling it - so just leaving a set line out is not a commercial fisherman, simply a recreational fisherman.

If you want to do that then great, I'd love to hear some stories. But I'm very surprised you get a license that cheap. Normally someone would own the license and you would work as deckhand on there boat and work your way up.

Guess I was wrong - sorry.

Cheers Hamish  
 

Propaganda from those big criminals out there in the trawlers mate, they don't like competition hahaha!! Not that my hand line would be a threat! Hey who knows, I guess some day I'll see but for now I got a bit of online shopping to do and a few test sessions on location.

Cheers mate.

[Brodie_S]

1 hour ago, Ed. said:

You might be thinking about Braided Dacron line.

Ed beat me to it I was just about to mention Dacron line lmao 

[Drop Bear]

You can purchase rope on a handline at Water Tower Bait and Tackle in Manly. It is made for running spoons behind paravians. 

There is no reason why you couldn't tie a 100lb mono leader to the rope and fish with standard tackle. 

Most hooks over about 2/0 will have an eye that is big enough to put 100lb line through but you would probably want something like a 8/0. 

I can't help you with set lines. they are not really a good option IMHO. Better to tie it off and sit beside it and relax. 

Venetian cord is available at Bunnings and at most chandleries. I can't see how this would be easier on your hands however. 

I have used small pieces of push bike tire tube on my fingers to stop the line cutting in. 

 

[Do$tylz]

12 hours ago, Revan said:

Propaganda from those big criminals out there in the trawlers mate, they don't like competition hahaha!! Not that my hand line would be a threat! Hey who knows, I guess some day I'll see but for now I got a bit of online shopping to do and a few test sessions on location.

Cheers mate.

It's QLD fisheries that has the limit of commercial licenses. It's done to ensure sustainable fishing of our local waterways. Just to clear up so you don't misdirect your grievances.

It's clear - set lines are not allowed as a recreational fisherman. From an AFO perspective - we do not condone this.

In terms of deadsticking - you can dead stick, but the tactic is generally applied to specific situations to be successful. If you just chucked a rando plastic out in a creek in Brisbane, your chances aren't high.