Date: January 23, 2003
To: PFIC Message Board
Name: Davey jones
Subject: Drop line
Does anybody still use a drop line? It was the first thing I could afford when I started fishing and have good memories of that rig.
Name: Predator
Drop line + 20 years = “auto reel.” Nowdays, it's sophisticated. We’ve got these little reels, that only spool about 8’ of line. You “drop” it down, set the trigger, and turn your back on it. When a fish hits it, it automatically tensions and reels the fish in so it”s at the surface... keeping pressure on the whole time. Sound like fun? Good way to get bait while you fish off a pier.
Name: Davey jones
I know Cabela's has YO YO reels that have 60-lb test on them. I have also noticed that at the hardware store they sell mason’s line that is dead-on the same as a drop line and some have winders for the line.
From: pierhead
Subject: Beverage cans as reels
At Golita I see people using beverage cans to hold the line. Some actually cast by holding the can parallel to the deck with one hand while twirling the line over their heads and releasing. Good for up to 10-15 yards. Usually rigged with multiple small baited hooks like a Sabiki. Just as effective as jig rigs and perch poles but somewhat slow on the retrieve. Tackle Ho’s they ain’t ... but, hey, we all have to start somewhere. Some (myself included) started with a drop line and then moved up to Rite-Aid and Big 5 specials before we graduated to (somewhat)more expensive equipment. I seem to remember that a hand-held line is much more sensitive and a lot of fun to use. Might be an inexpensive substitute for a travel rod ... fits in the glove compartment of your car and it’s no big deal if you drop it over the side by accident. For all of you new perchers out there — give it a try and let us know how it works out. Pierhead
PS: Occasionally I will see such a set-up, with a single large baited hook, tied to the railing and left overnight ... I try to discourage this by pulling up the rig and depositing it into the recycling containers.
Name: baitfish
Beer cans as tackle. When I was in Cabo, I took a walk along the beach and saw a whole bunch of people, men and women, using cans and strips of wood for rods and reels. They were getting a good 20-25 yards from the beach with squid on a hi/lo. They were nailing a fish that looked exactly like yellowfin croaker. Adam
Name: quietman
Tecate most popular, long casts, smooth drag...
Name: pierhead
How about the Shimano Corona .... all glass construction with an extended neck for those longer casts ... even comes with a 12oz supply of vital, life-saving fluid in case of dehydration. For those who prefer the new shorter but larger ‘spool’ style I recommend Mickey’s Wide Mouth ... be sure and use a springy monofilament with a lot of memory for best results. A counter-culture alternative would be Miller’s High Life with it 40oz artillery shell design ... Pierhead
Name: surfcaster
Hey that’s what I do when I fish on the HMB Pillar Point South Jetty. Actually it’s the best way to catch rockfish from the jetty. All I need is some 20 lb line, some 3/0 pre-tied hooks, some 1 oz. sinkers and some anchovies. I'll find beer/soda cans littered on the jetty as I hop down the jetty and I'll just pick up a couple of them. I wrap the line on the can and then tie on a 3/0 hook and the sinker to the line and put on a piece of anchovies and the setup is ready. Then I find gaps or holes between boulders and if the hole is 4 feet or deeper there is a good chance there is at least a rockcod in it. Most of the time I’ll end up with some rockfish and some are as big as 12 inches. Most people use their rods and cast out their bait as far as they can and most of the time they get skunked. People are not aware that the fish are hiding in the only covers in the area - the big boulders that make up the jetty. I have been successful doing this at the jetty the last 20 years.
Name: Red Fish
Man Pierhead, reminds me of a story fishing at the end of the Berkeley Pier about 10 years ago. I had just started using conventionals for pier fishing and was fishing with a Penn 85 I had as a kid with the ole' plastic spools. Well after fighting about an 80-pound ray for awhile, the spool started smoking and cracked. Well, while I’m standing there dumbfounded thinking the ball game is over, this guy picks up a soda can and starts winding some of my line on it. Well next thing I know, I’m straddling the rail on the top of the rear wall and fighting this ray with a can of soda. I would wind in some line around the can, feel it pulling against my hands and let it go out. About three runs from the can, and I had the beast subdued where it could be landed. I'll never forget, the guy said, “That's how we fish, with our hands, in Hawaii.”
Name: surfcaster
Salmon on a drop line. A couple of years ago I was fishing on Pacifica Pier and there was this father and son fishing next to me. They had two rod and reel outfits but the son decided to drop a live anchovy off the side of the pier using drop line and then he tied the end of the line to a soda can. Wouldn’t you know it, a few minutes later he had a salmon on the drop line. Unfortunately he lost the fish while someone was netting it.
Name: Neptune
Out on the commercial salmon boats... They put out something around 200 lines all at once. With lures or ‘chovies or whatever is working. It’s 70 lb test on every one. They hang from the main beams that stick out over the sides of the boat. They’re on a pulley system so when you hook a fish you just wheel it past the other hooks and pull it in by hand. Usually a hundred or so yards long. Now that’s handlining... They get big sharks and rockfish incidentally quite often. Imagine pulling in a 200 lb. blue shark by hand. Now there’s some work..... Willie
Name: Neptune
Hello fellow fisherman. My name is drop line. AHAHA... I have seen Mexicans along the bank of the Russian River pull in 40+ lb carp off of beer cans. You can make a pretty good toss with one of those with a little practice. I always use a drop line for bait when I’m in need. Unfortunately Shimano doesn’t make a can drop line yet so I don’t have one in my tackle box. When they do I’ll be on he waiting list....
Name: Ken Jones
From Pier Fishing In California 2nd Ed. — Shelter Island Pier— Many anglers, including myself at times, get wrapped up in the world of rods, reels and assorted tackle. Then I remember what I observed during one visit to Shelter Island Pier. On that particular morning, fishing was only fair with a few mackerel and kelp bass filling the buckets. The bait shop was being rebuilt and live bait was unavailable. Then a family of Vietnamese-Americans arrived. They dropped a net over the side and soon they had small smelt and anchovies swimming in their buckets. For tackle they had simple bamboo rods, about eight feet long, each equipped with a single guide at the tip of the rod. For reels they used spools of line. To cast they swung the rod with their right arm while holding the spool of line with their left hand. Casts were about as good as those by anglers using more expensive tackle. To reel in, they simply wound the line onto the spool much like a reel does. They quickly began to out fish the other fishermen, at least until a few people began to borrow bait. The key was the right bait; the tackle, as in many pier situations, was not as important. There are times and places where you need the best tackle you can buy. However, pier fishermen can often get by with the simplest of equipment and to me this is one of the beauties of pier fishing. It allows anyone, regardless of financial status, the chance to go fishing.
This was the only place where I saw such tackle used until a visit to the Monterey Wharf #2 a few years later. Using a similar rod and stationary spool, a frail looking, elderly Vietnamese-American angler was making tremendous casts out into the bay. Terminal tackle was a multi-hook leader on which he was hooking one to four jack mackerel (Spanish mackerel) nearly every cast, while most fishermen were going fishless.
Name: avidangler
That guy you are referring to on the Monterey Wharf is nicknamed “Sidewinder.” He also fishes stripers off Marina Beach. Striper killer, he is. He is the best jig fisherman around, bar none. I have seen him take sardines and mackerel two to everyone else’s one. One day he hooked something BIG off that pier, fought it for around 20 minutes, then lost it. We never saw what it was, probably a large ray.-AA
Name: Albert L
Ken, Hey I've seen that guy quite a few years ago fishing in Marina in the fall, I witnessed him land a striper that was easily in the mid-30 lb. range. I ran into him this past year at Moss Landing where he said he'd been catching leopard sharks consistently. I also asked him how he did on the bass this past year and he caught only a few, but they were all over 20lbs. I sat back and watched his cast, he would run into the surf as a wave recedes, gripping the rod where a reel seat would normally be and w/ the rod running thru his armpit and the butt section on his back he would cast in a side arm motion. To me it's the closest thing to chunking out bait w/ a flyrod. Pretty cool stuff!!!
Name: Davey jones
I have used a wrist-rocket slingshot to chuck a 1oz weight about 7 times the distance of my rod and the line plays out on a fresh spool. At that distance it can be a bother to wind in, but it works great.
To: PFIC Message Board
Name: Davey jones
Subject: Drop line
Does anybody still use a drop line? It was the first thing I could afford when I started fishing and have good memories of that rig.
Name: Predator
Drop line + 20 years = “auto reel.” Nowdays, it's sophisticated. We’ve got these little reels, that only spool about 8’ of line. You “drop” it down, set the trigger, and turn your back on it. When a fish hits it, it automatically tensions and reels the fish in so it”s at the surface... keeping pressure on the whole time. Sound like fun? Good way to get bait while you fish off a pier.
Name: Davey jones
I know Cabela's has YO YO reels that have 60-lb test on them. I have also noticed that at the hardware store they sell mason’s line that is dead-on the same as a drop line and some have winders for the line.
From: pierhead
Subject: Beverage cans as reels
At Golita I see people using beverage cans to hold the line. Some actually cast by holding the can parallel to the deck with one hand while twirling the line over their heads and releasing. Good for up to 10-15 yards. Usually rigged with multiple small baited hooks like a Sabiki. Just as effective as jig rigs and perch poles but somewhat slow on the retrieve. Tackle Ho’s they ain’t ... but, hey, we all have to start somewhere. Some (myself included) started with a drop line and then moved up to Rite-Aid and Big 5 specials before we graduated to (somewhat)more expensive equipment. I seem to remember that a hand-held line is much more sensitive and a lot of fun to use. Might be an inexpensive substitute for a travel rod ... fits in the glove compartment of your car and it’s no big deal if you drop it over the side by accident. For all of you new perchers out there — give it a try and let us know how it works out. Pierhead
PS: Occasionally I will see such a set-up, with a single large baited hook, tied to the railing and left overnight ... I try to discourage this by pulling up the rig and depositing it into the recycling containers.
Name: baitfish
Beer cans as tackle. When I was in Cabo, I took a walk along the beach and saw a whole bunch of people, men and women, using cans and strips of wood for rods and reels. They were getting a good 20-25 yards from the beach with squid on a hi/lo. They were nailing a fish that looked exactly like yellowfin croaker. Adam
Name: quietman
Tecate most popular, long casts, smooth drag...
Name: pierhead
How about the Shimano Corona .... all glass construction with an extended neck for those longer casts ... even comes with a 12oz supply of vital, life-saving fluid in case of dehydration. For those who prefer the new shorter but larger ‘spool’ style I recommend Mickey’s Wide Mouth ... be sure and use a springy monofilament with a lot of memory for best results. A counter-culture alternative would be Miller’s High Life with it 40oz artillery shell design ... Pierhead
Name: surfcaster
Hey that’s what I do when I fish on the HMB Pillar Point South Jetty. Actually it’s the best way to catch rockfish from the jetty. All I need is some 20 lb line, some 3/0 pre-tied hooks, some 1 oz. sinkers and some anchovies. I'll find beer/soda cans littered on the jetty as I hop down the jetty and I'll just pick up a couple of them. I wrap the line on the can and then tie on a 3/0 hook and the sinker to the line and put on a piece of anchovies and the setup is ready. Then I find gaps or holes between boulders and if the hole is 4 feet or deeper there is a good chance there is at least a rockcod in it. Most of the time I’ll end up with some rockfish and some are as big as 12 inches. Most people use their rods and cast out their bait as far as they can and most of the time they get skunked. People are not aware that the fish are hiding in the only covers in the area - the big boulders that make up the jetty. I have been successful doing this at the jetty the last 20 years.
Name: Red Fish
Man Pierhead, reminds me of a story fishing at the end of the Berkeley Pier about 10 years ago. I had just started using conventionals for pier fishing and was fishing with a Penn 85 I had as a kid with the ole' plastic spools. Well after fighting about an 80-pound ray for awhile, the spool started smoking and cracked. Well, while I’m standing there dumbfounded thinking the ball game is over, this guy picks up a soda can and starts winding some of my line on it. Well next thing I know, I’m straddling the rail on the top of the rear wall and fighting this ray with a can of soda. I would wind in some line around the can, feel it pulling against my hands and let it go out. About three runs from the can, and I had the beast subdued where it could be landed. I'll never forget, the guy said, “That's how we fish, with our hands, in Hawaii.”
Name: surfcaster
Salmon on a drop line. A couple of years ago I was fishing on Pacifica Pier and there was this father and son fishing next to me. They had two rod and reel outfits but the son decided to drop a live anchovy off the side of the pier using drop line and then he tied the end of the line to a soda can. Wouldn’t you know it, a few minutes later he had a salmon on the drop line. Unfortunately he lost the fish while someone was netting it.
Name: Neptune
Out on the commercial salmon boats... They put out something around 200 lines all at once. With lures or ‘chovies or whatever is working. It’s 70 lb test on every one. They hang from the main beams that stick out over the sides of the boat. They’re on a pulley system so when you hook a fish you just wheel it past the other hooks and pull it in by hand. Usually a hundred or so yards long. Now that’s handlining... They get big sharks and rockfish incidentally quite often. Imagine pulling in a 200 lb. blue shark by hand. Now there’s some work..... Willie
Name: Neptune
Hello fellow fisherman. My name is drop line. AHAHA... I have seen Mexicans along the bank of the Russian River pull in 40+ lb carp off of beer cans. You can make a pretty good toss with one of those with a little practice. I always use a drop line for bait when I’m in need. Unfortunately Shimano doesn’t make a can drop line yet so I don’t have one in my tackle box. When they do I’ll be on he waiting list....
Name: Ken Jones
From Pier Fishing In California 2nd Ed. — Shelter Island Pier— Many anglers, including myself at times, get wrapped up in the world of rods, reels and assorted tackle. Then I remember what I observed during one visit to Shelter Island Pier. On that particular morning, fishing was only fair with a few mackerel and kelp bass filling the buckets. The bait shop was being rebuilt and live bait was unavailable. Then a family of Vietnamese-Americans arrived. They dropped a net over the side and soon they had small smelt and anchovies swimming in their buckets. For tackle they had simple bamboo rods, about eight feet long, each equipped with a single guide at the tip of the rod. For reels they used spools of line. To cast they swung the rod with their right arm while holding the spool of line with their left hand. Casts were about as good as those by anglers using more expensive tackle. To reel in, they simply wound the line onto the spool much like a reel does. They quickly began to out fish the other fishermen, at least until a few people began to borrow bait. The key was the right bait; the tackle, as in many pier situations, was not as important. There are times and places where you need the best tackle you can buy. However, pier fishermen can often get by with the simplest of equipment and to me this is one of the beauties of pier fishing. It allows anyone, regardless of financial status, the chance to go fishing.
This was the only place where I saw such tackle used until a visit to the Monterey Wharf #2 a few years later. Using a similar rod and stationary spool, a frail looking, elderly Vietnamese-American angler was making tremendous casts out into the bay. Terminal tackle was a multi-hook leader on which he was hooking one to four jack mackerel (Spanish mackerel) nearly every cast, while most fishermen were going fishless.
Name: avidangler
That guy you are referring to on the Monterey Wharf is nicknamed “Sidewinder.” He also fishes stripers off Marina Beach. Striper killer, he is. He is the best jig fisherman around, bar none. I have seen him take sardines and mackerel two to everyone else’s one. One day he hooked something BIG off that pier, fought it for around 20 minutes, then lost it. We never saw what it was, probably a large ray.-AA
Name: Albert L
Ken, Hey I've seen that guy quite a few years ago fishing in Marina in the fall, I witnessed him land a striper that was easily in the mid-30 lb. range. I ran into him this past year at Moss Landing where he said he'd been catching leopard sharks consistently. I also asked him how he did on the bass this past year and he caught only a few, but they were all over 20lbs. I sat back and watched his cast, he would run into the surf as a wave recedes, gripping the rod where a reel seat would normally be and w/ the rod running thru his armpit and the butt section on his back he would cast in a side arm motion. To me it's the closest thing to chunking out bait w/ a flyrod. Pretty cool stuff!!!
Name: Davey jones
I have used a wrist-rocket slingshot to chuck a 1oz weight about 7 times the distance of my rod and the line plays out on a fresh spool. At that distance it can be a bother to wind in, but it works great.