What's The Best Hand Casters?

[GregL]

Hi Raiders

Looking at setting up a few hand lines for the boat of different strengths. I need a few for bait fishing for slimmies but then want to set up a few large ones for targeting kings and other speedsters.

Earlier this year we had a cracker session on the striped tunas fishing 60lb and had a ball!

We didn't have rods on the boat and used a roll of Saltiga leader and a pink squid that was in the bottom of the tackle bag and tied it off to the bollard. It was so much fun getting them to colour before they race off until all the slacks gone with line slipping threw your fingers, now that's fishing!

So my questions are what's the best line strength for slimmies and what's the best spool size?

On the larger ones how heavy do you go? 80-100?

Are the nice older style wooden spools better or worse than the cheap plastic ones?

Cheers

Greg

[The Iceman]

Im sure we used to use 6lb for slimies and I find the larger handcasters around 10in are better for line control

For the bigger stuff back in the days when I used to handline up on the barrier reef we only ever used 55lb and 80lb schneider for its resistance to abrasion We used fairly solid nylon handcasters not like the thin plastic ones you see around today

We also wouldnt be without pieces of bicycle tube on our pinky and index fingers

Still a great and effective way to catch fish especially floating lightly weighted baits

Edited August 28, 2009 by The Iceman

[jewgaffer]

Hi Raiders

........Looking at setting up a few hand lines for the boat of different strengths. I need a few for bait fishing for slimmies but then want to set up a few large ones for targeting kings and other speedsters.

.......Are the nice older style wooden spools better or worse than the cheap plastic ones?

Cheers

Greg

Greg you can have wooden spindles that look like a single handled rolling pin with a longer handle made up for you by a wood turner.....

You could have the wood turned into various diameters and lengths to suit the size of the line you would be using .....

The smaller diameter extension handles should be long enough to give you an extended follow thru when you cast and the handle should be comfortable to hold and also long enough to give you plenty of hand grip while you're winding line back while playing a fish....

The handles would be turned out of hardwood and the spool itself would need to have a dip in the front section over say 2-6 inches depending on line size, and be slightly tapered towards the roll over at the front in the area where the line is wound on and the dip should be deep enough to suit the line bulk.......

Hand line spindles with handles can be easily turned for you by a wood turner and there is a wood turning place in Rozelle that should be able to make them up for you while you wait...

Hope this is of some help to you

Cheers

jewgaffer