Bluegill - Big Bluegill

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The Handliner's Handbook

A Simple, Traditional Fishing Method
for the Over-teched, Time-starved Angler

Contents

Foreword…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5
Disclaimer……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………8
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………9

Section I: Gear Selection

1. The Cuban Yo-yo and Other Handline Reels
2. Hooks, Lines & Weights
3. Baits & Lures
4. Rigs
5. Protecting Your Hands

Section II: How to Do This Stuff

6. Homemade Handline Reels
7. Casting a Cuban yo-yo
8. How to Deploy Lines for Trolling and Drifting
9. How to Set the Hook
10. Playing the Fish
11. Hauling & Stowing Lines
12. Trolling & Drifting
13. Raising & Curing Bait
14. How to Tie Furled Leader for Trolling & Drifting
15. How to Make Shock Leaders for Casting

Section III: Special Considerations

16. Running Multiple Lines
17. Float Fishing
18. When to Hang Up the Handline
19. From the Bank
20. Case Studies

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Yeah, I have bad nerves.

Lol

spearing,traps,arrows,nets noodling dynamite etc.all for feeding ones self or the whole village.i fish to get away from everyday life.it gets me outside where i belong.fish are a bonus and occasionally a good meal if you choose to use braided horse hair tied to your finger or  a 50'000.00 bass boat and 300 dollar casting rod it is still recreation..dont forget powerlining damon.hand ling on steroids used for great lakes salmon.

Not to forget the HIGHLY POPULAR ice fishing that is about to commence shortly in northern states, and all of Canada! Ice fishing in its basic ,original form was essentially handlining, and actually still is, except that commercialization has convinced many to go with speciality short rods,sometimes expensive reels, lines and lures! Funny story - I had a friend who went nuts for ice fishing for bluegills, to the point that he fell through thin ice several times during warming periods; yet when I suggested we try the same fishing tactics in Spring and summer, he wouldn't even consider "wasting time on those little fish", nor vertical jigging/hand lining for them,preferring his expensive custom rods for big "game fish" !

Yeah, I hear ya. That's what I love about bluegill fishing: It goes hand-in-hand with catfishing.

Powerlining? Haven't heard of that. School me up!

damon- powerlining is basically taking a very long,say 60 feet,rubber band and launching it with a weight on one end as far as possible.either by hand or with a co2 cylinder.you hang on to the stretched rubber band and attach a trot line with multiple snap swivels spaced with knots and beads,you then put baited snelled droppers on these and let the rubber band pull the rig out with tension.you tie this off to a bucket weighted with water.some folks use large floats to keep the rig on the surface. a bell is usually attached near the bucket.i forget how many hooks are allowed.a very efficient shore fishing system.my brother had one and we pulled in 10 -20 yellow perch at a time when the school moved thru.most use this for salmon and steelhead.better have gloves on

Thats awesome - but yeah, hooks under tension from a big rubber band?
Gloves!

Nice. That sounds like those Kontiki rigs New Zealanders use, except they drag the line out with a RC torpedo looking thing. This powerlining methods seems simpler.

ONE OF 2 IDEAS; DAMON;;  ONE IS;; GET YOUR BUDDY; TO BRING A SLING SHOT;; HAND HIM YOUR HOOK; LET HIM SHOOT IT OUT !!    YOU KEEP THE TAG LINE !!   2ND IDEA IS;; USE A POTATOE GUN TO SHOOT THE LINE !  LOL

hehe! I haven't shot a potato gun in years.

I gotta see a video of THIS!

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