Handline fishing, or handlining, is a

fishing technique Fishing techniques are methods for catching fish. The term may also be applied to methods for catching other aquatic animals such as molluscs (shellfish, squid, octopus) and edible marine invertebrates. Fishing techniques include hand-gatherin ...

where a single

fishing line A fishing line is a flexible, high-tensile cord used in angling to tether and pull in fish, in conjunction with at least one hook. Fishing lines are usually pulled by and stored in a reel, but can also be retrieved by hand, with a fixed attachm ...

is held in the hands, rather than with a

fishing rod A fishing rod is a long, thin rod used by angling, anglers to fishing, catch fish by manipulating a fishing line, line ending in a fish hook, hook (formerly known as an ''angle'', hence the term "angling"). At its most basic form, a fishing ...

like the usual

angling Angling is a fishing technique that uses a fish hook or "angle" (from Old English ''angol'') attached to a fishing line to tether individual fish in the mouth. The fishing line is usually manipulated via a fishing rod, although rodless techniqu ...

. It is a type of

, and is not to be confused with handfishing, which is catching fish by hand. When handlining, one or more

fishing lures A fishing lure is a broad type of artificial angling fishing bait, baits that are replicas designed to mimic real prey animals and attract the attention of predatory fish, using appearances, flashy colors, specular reflection, bright reflections, ...

or baited hooks are attached to the line, and a

fishing lure A fishing lure is a broad type of artificial angling baits that are replicas designed to mimic real prey animals and attract the attention of predatory fish, using appearances, flashy colors, bright reflections, movements, vibrations and/or lou ...

and often a

weight In science and engineering, the weight of an object is the force acting on the object due to gravity. Some standard textbooks define weight as a Euclidean vector, vector quantity, the gravitational force acting on the object. Others define weigh ...

and/or a

fishing float A fishing float or bobber is a lightweight buoy used in angling, usually attached to a fishing line. A float can serve several purposes: * firstly, it serves as a visual bite indicator that helps the angler assess underwater status of the bai ...

can also be attached to the line. Handlining is among the oldest forms of fishing and is still practiced throughout the world today. Fisherman hand-lining for codfish, Alaska, 1912 (COBB 125)

Fisherman hand-lining for codfish, Alaska, 1912 (COBB 125)

The

fishing bait Fishing bait is any substance used to attract and catch fish, e.g. on a fishing hook. Bait items are both selected from and placed within the environment to achieve enhanced prey capture success. Traditionally, fishing baits are natural fish food ...

can be still fished, trolled or jigged up and down in a series of short movements. Often handling is done close to the bottom of the body of water but can also be done near or on the surface.

Salt water handlining

Ocean handlining is often used to catch

groundfish Demersal fish, also known as groundfish, live and feed on or near the bottom of seas or lakes (the demersal zone).Walrond Carl . "Coastal fish - Fish of the open sea floor"Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Updated 2 March 2009 They occ ...

and

squid True squid are molluscs with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fitting t ...

but other species are sometimes caught, including

pelagic fish Pelagic fish live in the pelagic zone of ocean or lake waters—being neither close to the bottom nor near the shore—in contrast with demersal fish that do live on or near the bottom, and reef fish that are associated with coral reef ...

. Sea handlining is a good way to catch larger oceanic fish.

Freshwater handlining

Handlining is also used for catching

fresh water Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...

fish.

Panfish The word panfish, also spelled pan-fish or pan fish, is an American English term describing any edible freshwater fish that usually do not outgrow the size of an average frying pan. It is also commonly used by recreational anglers to refer to any ...

walleyes The walleye (''Sander vitreus'', synonym ''Stizostedion vitreum''), also called the yellow pike or yellow pickerel, is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the Northern United States. It is a North American close rel ...

, and other freshwater

game fish Game fish, sport fish or quarry refer to popular fish pursued by recreational anglers, and can be freshwater or saltwater fish. Game fish can be eaten after being caught, or released after capture. Some game fish are also targeted commerciall ...

can be caught using handlining

fishing techniques Fishing techniques are methods for catching fish. The term may also be applied to methods for catching other aquatic animals such as molluscs (shellfish, squid, octopus) and edible marine invertebrates. Fishing techniques include hand-gatheri ...

. Handlining can be practiced from the

shore A shore or a shoreline is the fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. In physical oceanography, a shore is the wider fringe that is geologically modified by the action of the body of water past a ...

or from a

fishing boat A fishing vessel is a boat or ship used to catch fish in the sea, or on a lake or river. Many different kinds of vessels are used in commercial, artisanal and recreational fishing. The total number of fishing vessels in the world in 2016 was es ...

. Walleye anglers practice handlining over moderately deep water in a drifting boat. Handlining is also practiced by

ice fishing Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice fishers may fish in the open or in heated enclosures, some with bunks and amenities. Shelters Longer ...

anglers.

Techniques

jigging Jigging is the practice of fishing with a jig, a type of weighted fishing lure. A jig consists of a heavy metal (typically lead) sinker with an attached fish hook that is usually obscured inside a soft lure or feather-like decorations. Jigs ...

motion can be used to attract fish which are normally caught while trying to strike the lure but they can also be snagged by the hooks as they investigate the jigged lure. The lure can also be fished motionless and the angler feels for the bait to be picked up by a fish and then sets the hook after waiting for the fish to fully take the bait. After a strike occurs the hook is set and then the fish is hauled in and the caught fish is removed.

References

* Bjarnason, B A (1992
Handlining and squid jigging.''

FAO The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)french: link=no, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture; it, Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura is an intern ...

training series, No 23.
Handlining
Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 21-Sep-2007. {{fisheries and fishing Fishing techniques and methods

Salt water handlining

Freshwater handlining

Techniques

See also

References