Reel - who needs a reel???

[Chris Gatorfan]

Check this out...

[Chris Gatorfan]

Pay attention as mr tuna takes off.....

[Ron Jones]

I'd use a different material, but meat lines have worked since long before there was rod and reel.
Ron

[jonathan.han]

You go full bore on a handline (or a rod/reel) and never let them turn their head. The idea is to keep them moving towards you. Give them a little slack and you've given up line you gained and your buddies giggle on the video they post on youtube. Handlines make fishing stupid easy; really a lot more idiot proof than with a rod, granted you don't let up on the afterburners.

[saltydog]

We used to do a lot of hand lining off our shrimp boat and putting a wrap on your hand like that is a good way to loose fingers or a hand. He's glad that wasn't much bigger or we would have seen blood.

[Tightlines667]

I've caught alot of big fish on hand lines over the years including Striped Marlin, Shortbill Spearfish, Albacore,Yellowfin,Bigeye, and Skipjack Tuna, Dolphinfish, Wahoo, Sharks (Galapagos, Oceanic White-tip, Tiger, Grey-reef, White-tip Reef, and Silky), and have tangled with many Blue Marlin (none were ever successfully brought to boat side.  And have seen thousands and thousands of fish landed commercially.  Handlining.    Anyone who has leadered large 'green' fish knows there is a correct way to take wraps, and also that it's possible to control the fish w/o actually having to take any wraps.  Physics dictate that keeping the pressure at a 90 deg angle(or close to it) will result in a mechanical advantage.  If you can turn and control a fish's head, no matter how large he is, the rest will follow.  Danglers and commercial pole n line take great advantage of this principle by getting the fish's head out if the water almost immediately following hook up (not recommended for large billfish).  By properly positioning the line under hand over outside thumb, over back of hand, over pinky, and back to weak hand you can exert a surprising great deal if control over a large fish with relatively little pressure.  You can actually steer the fish by controlling its head.  This no wrap style is also much safer because you can dump the line quickly (w/o burning yourself) during a sudden surge.  It takes practice to Learn the best/safest hand lining/leadering technique.  Knowing when applying pressure will be most effective is also critical.  For instance, with a typically circling tuna gsin line as it circles towards you, hold as it circles under, and lift the head (and the fish) towards the surface as it circles away.   A useful trick when it reaches near the surface at the furthest arch from you is to apply a quick jerk/max pressure oposite the direction of roration which usually will cause the fish to hestitate and turn to rotating the other direction.  This pause will often allow you to immediately bring the fish under control and to gaff.  leadering large fish (especislly Mako Sharks and Cobia) is alot like walking a dog.  Just tell him where to go.  Conversely, applying max pressure to a fish running straight away or sounding hard, does little to control the fish and strains the gear heavily.  More pressure may slow him down, or tire him quicker, but it usually doesn't cause the fish to turn in any controlled fashion.  The time to maximize control is when the fish is changing direction, or hesitates.  Just a few of my observations based on experience.

[Bunnlevel Sharker]

I learned on the pier when beaching a fish or trying to gaff one solidly hooked with a nice big hook, get their head outa the water! As for hand lining fish up, wear gloves

[Shark Hunter]

The only Hand lining I'll be doing is when I grab my 480 lb cable leader after reeling in a Shark. Then it is all over for him.  Definitely requires Gloves.

[Caranx]

I call that the "bow-side boogie"

Nice video!
I got a laugh out of that!

[kmstorm64]

I have never handlined salt water fish, as a kid I used to crawl through brush and briars to get to really good trout fishing spots.  Granted a 12-20 inch trout will never fight like that fish did, but it sure was fun!