Week 9: Handline Mastery for Pinefish123 Created: Fri, 07/31/2020 - 05:48 Default: No

I was really excited about this challenge. I used to fishing with handlines all the time when I was a kid, in both freshwater and saltwater. I made 4 handlines for this challenge, 4 lb. (green line on PVC), 6 lb. (green line on saline solution bottle), 8 lb. (blue line on PVC), and 12 pound (blue line on plastic jar with red lid). I planned to use different test to match the different species I was planning to catch.

I caught the grass carp on the 12 pound handline, using a doughball as bait. I removed the weight and swivel that are shown in the pic of that handline after missing some bites. The grass carp made 7 or 8 big runs after I hooked it. I chose the containers to allow line to flow off easily when holding one end to allow for big runs like these. I learned that fishing handlines in saltwater. The grass carp wasn't big enough to take a finger off if I got it tangled in the line, but I still took extra care to avoid wrapping the line around body parts. And putting a couple patches of athletic tape on my thumb and forefinger helped to avoid line burn as it made its runs.

Then I caught the big channel cat and the common carp on the 8 pound handline. I was targeting carp with corn and caught the catfish on that before I picked up a common carp. Both also made pretty good runs, but not quite the power of the grass carp.

I caught a black bullhead and bluegill on the 6 pound handline, but chose to submit other species instead.

Then I caught the brown trout, roundtail chub, and rainbow trout from a small local river with the 4 pound line. I tried to target suckers also but with no luck. 

photos: 
Default Challenge: 
No
Weekly Challenge: 
Official Score: 
10
Approved: 
Yes
Angler of the Week: 
No

Comments

Graceclaw's picture

Wow. This really demonstrates handline mastery! I would have paid good money to witness the Grass Carp catch.

FishNerd's picture

I thought my gar was impressive but you clearly have a great deal more expertise in this form of angling

2017: Total species (44), New (12)
2018: Total (94), New (50)
2019: Total (116), New (49)
2020: Total (63), New (9)
2021: Total (72), New (11)
2022: Total (151), New (59)
2023: Total (134), New (48)
2024: Total (30), New (13)

ebspeciesfishing73's picture

That is an insane spread of handline fish! I'm not even doing the competition but I really want to now go and catch so large fish on a hand line. Great catches!