# Sail-Line Fishing



## TomCat (Jan 6, 2006)

Many years ago, before I acquired a boat and before plastic kayaks came along, I had a sail line fishing rig. I only got to use it twice but it worked and we caught a few fish. I haven't seen that done in a long time. The attached article describes the basic fishing line but doesn't touch on the real heart of the assembly. The reel or spool is the hard part. You can use a hand cranked spool but a motorized unit makes the job of bringing back the sail and 1800 feet of line back to the beach a lot easier. By motorized I mean a windshield wiper motor and a car battery. Have a look at the article see and if it's something you non kayak surf fishing folks may find interesting.

http://phartattack.tripod.com/sailline.htm


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## boat_money (May 21, 2004)

i see a guy in christmas bay using one quite often. right over in the acadia reef area.


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## fridayfisher (Aug 6, 2004)

Saw my BIL build one once . Pretty cool. He got all the directions from TPWD and I think had to get a license for it. Polly used it 2 x knowing him.


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## RodBreaker (May 21, 2004)

A lot of them are used under the JFK causeway in Corpus Christi. The placement restrictions are the same as for trotlines so they can't be used in the Gulf.


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## MEGABITE (May 21, 2004)

Saltwater only, right?


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## RodBreaker (May 21, 2004)

MEGABITE said:


> Saltwater only, right?


 That is correct.


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

The guy in Xmas bay might have been me. I fish my sail line in the spring and in the fall, on weekends when the weather doesn't allow me to get offshore.

There is a pretty small group of guys that fish Xmas and Drum bay with sail lines. You need 3 saltwater trotline tags for an 1800 foot line and you are good to go. I have a couple of hand crank reels that I crank with Mr. De Walt. I also have a power reel that I bought from an OSO guy.

Sail line fishing is fun, productive and is conducted mainly from the comfort of a yard chair. It is a great way to involve a spouse in your addiction!!

I won't be sail lining again until the end of August, but if you see a grey Dodge pickup, or a green Jeep wrangler, around Xmas or Drum, pls drop by and say hello.

steve


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## Hooked Up (May 23, 2004)

Steve, I'd like to go with you sometime. As a young boy growing up in Corpus Christi I saw that all the time in the early to mid sixties. Too young to appreciate it then. I'd sure like to see how it's done in 2006. Tight lines, Guy


steve_m said:


> The guy in Xmas bay might have been me. I fish my sail line in the spring and in the fall, on weekends when the weather doesn't allow me to get offshore.
> 
> There is a pretty small group of guys that fish Xmas and Drum bay with sail lines. You need 3 saltwater trotline tags for an 1800 foot line and you are good to go. I have a couple of hand crank reels that I crank with Mr. De Walt. I also have a power reel that I bought from an OSO guy.
> 
> ...


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## los is 7 (Aug 12, 2005)

Salt water use only. I have two that enjoy using very much


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## troy merrill (May 21, 2004)

What is legal to catch? What do you catch? Just curious.


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## los is 7 (Aug 12, 2005)

I have caught monster trout and redfish, small flounder. the regs are on p.32 of the TP&W outdoor guide. PM me with a fax # and I'll send a construction guide.


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## Speckwrangler (May 27, 2004)

I have seen that guy in X-mas bay before... He caught quite a few fish if I remember correctly... Was in the late 90's and i have seen him several times... Had touts on the line in several different colors.


SW


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## los is 7 (Aug 12, 2005)

7 in. mullet is the secret, they like fresh mullet heads too!


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

How often do you pull in the line to check it or do you pull it in every time you see the floats bobbing?


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

*I use to run a sail line...*

Mine was a hand crank job. We,(my dad and younger brother) have caught trout, reds, and a huge sea turtle (fouled hooked in the flipper). We couldn't get the hook outta that turtle fast enough...LOL The only time we brought in the line, one of the 6 floats on it was dancing back and forth on the water. It was a blast because we could leave it out and do a little wade fishing in Christmas Bay. We also caught lots of fingerling mullet for bait. Make sure and read the TP&W do's and don'ts about sail line...Vic


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## TomCat (Jan 6, 2006)

The floats go out in more or less a straight line. When they start zig-zaging back and forth you know you’ve got fish on. How long does that take, depends.


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## deke (Oct 5, 2004)

Had a guy in west Bay near Jamiaca Beach use one. I don't like them, IMO they are just a lazy way to fill the cooler. And no I don't care how much effort it takes to unload your truck or bait the hooks, it is still a trot line no matter what TP&W calls it. What about the fish that get hooked quickly then sit and then die on the line, then UH OH they are too small, we all know what happens, they are crab food, and please tell me that doesn't happen. I don't like trot lines in fresh water and I don't like them in salt, just my opinion.


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

*Hey Deke...*

The crabs need to eat! Or that is what my gamewarden brother says. What do you do with a small trout that is gill hooked or that is gut hooked? You can't keep it, so you have to let it be crab food. Sorry...not trying to hijack the thread...but it's my .02 cents worth...Vic


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

I have had very few under-sized fish on the sail line. I have had a 10 pound flounder and a 30 inch speck. I'll be back in Drum Bay in September, when the offshore weather breaks. Come and take a look before you call us down.

Grey Dodge pickup or green Jeep Wrangler. Please stop by and say "Hello".


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## tiderunner (Aug 3, 2005)

We flooded out one year on the river and had to cancel our room for the week. Once a year I get the family together. All the kiddos, sisters, and mom. They were disappointed (me too), so at the last minute we decided to camp a few days at Drum Bay. We built a sail line and got our tags and headed out. We caught a few fish to eat and the kids had a great time playing. Our sail reel was a water hose reel and kids were the wiper motor. This subject always get some heat. I know a few that run them. Most of them are retired and in there age. A few of them had boats but sold them. Cost of gas and just not able to launch or handle the boat. It's like everything else, if used responsibly, just another way for people to fish. Not everyone has the resources. I like to visit with the old men, they have the cool stories about the old days. We caught a few reds, tons of hardheads, 2 abandoned crab traps, and a monster stingray. I still laugh about the stingray. Me and the kids headed out to see what was on the hook. We looked like papa duck with 4 ducklings. I took the lead and made em walk right behind me. Grandma is on the tailgate, "What you got"? Papa duck "Aaaagh, it's a huge stingray". 4 ducklings, "AAAAGH" while running on top of the water back to the bank. LOL I was right behind them. Then the thousand question came. Uncle Jimbo, what you gonna do? Dad, you can take him, you can do it! Grab his tail and he cant hurt you, but watch out for the barb. We want the barb, you can get it with your fishing pliers. You better take two pliers. Ya'll know those kids can plan it all out. RFOL. The reel got retired after that weekend and is now in the front yard. We still talk about that weekend every 4th of July. As usual memories took over and I forgot what the original thread was. Sorry!


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## archerforkids (Sep 19, 2005)

Forgive me for rescusitating such an old thread. I tried sail lining a couple of years back and had a blast. Only drawback was the volume of bait it took to keep that rascal baited. Are there any "homegrown" baits that are good like we create for freshwater trotlines to get the cost down?


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## notthatdeep (Feb 5, 2005)

Many years ago, my FIL ran trotlines in Christmas and used alternate red and blue strips of plastic tape. Reds loved it.


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## archerforkids (Sep 19, 2005)

Tape? Wow. Thats wild. Talking about minimizing your effort and expense!!


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## Fishin' Soldier (Dec 25, 2007)

I have heard of people using a dowel rods cut into small circular peices about 1/8" thick and using those as bait. Not sure how this work but they supposedly catch LOTS of drum.


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## YakMan (Dec 2, 2005)

*sail line*

I fish mine in Drum and Christmas but I havent had a chance to break it out this year yet.I built mine so it slides into the reciever hitch but is still a hand cranked.I have a wiper motor that I was gonna wire into a trailer plug so I can just plug it in to the back of the truck.Just havent got around to it.Ive caught some nice fish on it,mostly reds,trout and a few flounder.Its alot of fun for the kids.


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## Too Tall (May 21, 2004)

archerforkids said:


> Forgive me for rescusitating such an old thread. I tried sail lining a couple of years back and had a blast. Only drawback was the volume of bait it took to keep that rascal baited. Are there any "homegrown" baits that are good like we create for freshwater trotlines to get the cost down?


My Uncle had a cabin in Corpus off the ICW way back when. We always used oleander leaves when we set it out at night. Next morning it was full of reds and trout.


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## 69RRVERT (Sep 21, 2006)

Too Tall said:


> My Uncle had a cabin in Corpus off the ICW way back when. We always used oleander leaves when we set it out at night. Next morning it was full of reds and trout.


FYI - From the TPWD annual rule book:

"The sail line must be attended at all times the line is fishing"

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/annual/fish/legal_devices/


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## Too Tall (May 21, 2004)

69RRVERT said:


> FYI - From the TPWD annual rule book:
> 
> "The sail line must be attended at all times the line is fishing"
> 
> http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/annual/fish/legal_devices/


Your right....now.

I was talking about the late 60's early 70's. Don't know if it was in there then but I doubt it. Plus you didn't have boats burning through 2' of water because they just couldn't do it.


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## Reel Joy (May 28, 2009)

We are headed down to the coast in a couple of weeks with the family. My FIL gave us his old sail line after showing me how to use it once about 10 years ago. We decided this would probably be one of the last chances for him to show us how to use it and wanted it to be a surprise for him to show us again and re live some fond memories of fishing in his younger days. I will be showing my young nephew how to use it as well so it will be passing it on down so to speak. 

I need to know from those of you that use sail lines if the end of july is a decent time to try to catch fish on it or should we try later in the year, say October? 

We think it would mean alot to him to use it and enjoy it. Thanks in advance for your kind repliesangelsm


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## TJB (Sep 17, 2008)

I'd say if you can catch a good supply of bait and have a good wind sail it out. My grandfather has been building them for years, I grew up fishing with them and i'll pass it on to my children one day too.


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## sharkbait-tx70 (Jun 28, 2009)

You know I grew up on the bayfrount in Corpus. When I was a about 7 I would go down in our backyard and run our sailline evryafternoon and nite...We never used live or dead bait...We would pour our own worms and we would make our floats out of the old pantiehose eggs and put bird shot in them to rattle. you had to control the speed in wich you let it out or you woul catch tons of bluefish and ribbon fish. But if you let it out slow then let it tack across you would almost always catch nice trout and reds...But we never used dead or live bait...I guess that is why we did not catch to many small ones and by catch....


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## redfish bayrat (Feb 17, 2006)

Back when I got my drivers license and started going to Corpus, I noticed the snowbirds in the winter using sail lines with a north wind to fish the Portland Shore line by the lake and Indian Point. 

I made a run over there in a boat and fish the outside edge after seeing what those "tourists" caught. That was 1970. Don't see nearly as many being used now. Most of the Snow birds are towing boats down now.


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## 2slick (Dec 5, 2008)

I had a friend give me a sail line a couple months ago. It's still right where he put it. I used one some last summer, and it seemed like a lot of work to me. And that one had the wiper motor on it. This one I was given has a hand crank. Oh well, maybe I need to put some hooks on it. My 16 year old grand son is coming down in a couple weeks, and he might enjoy it.


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## Porky (Nov 1, 2006)

We used to camp down at Yarborough flats every may in the 80's and there were sail liners there who would work the flats. They used artys, mainly soft plastics and we would always check with them to find out what colors they were using.


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## 69RRVERT (Sep 21, 2006)

I used to have one but sold it when we a garage sale one year. It was not for sale but just placed in the back of the garage. A gut saw it and had to have it. $120.00 later and it was gone. I used a garden hose reel for the main line and .080 weed trimmer string for the hook line. If you use trimmer line, it will naturally roll up in the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket and not tangle. I would hook the hooks over the top of the bucket as I put the line in it. Thanks - 69rrvert


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## hvfd1610 (Mar 26, 2009)

Some guy had one in east matty. Found it with the flounder boat


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## buckaroo (Nov 12, 2006)

I would like to have a construction guide. My son and I saw them at Bird Island Basin last week. Fax 432-520-0778
Thanks, Buckaroo Midland, Tx


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## bill (May 21, 2004)

buckaroo said:


> I would like to have a construction guide. My son and I saw them at Bird Island Basin last week. Fax 432-520-0778
> Thanks, Buckaroo Midland, Tx


http://phartattack.tripod.com/sailline.htm


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## deke (Oct 5, 2004)

Holy old thread Batman!! *** LOL


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## buckaroo (Nov 12, 2006)

los is 7
please send a fax of how to make sail line.
thanks
buckaroo
432-520-0778


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## buckaroo (Nov 12, 2006)

ok guys I got the web site for sail line DIY
thanks
Buckaroo


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## Bull Red (Mar 17, 2010)

I used to help my dad run his sail line in the 70's. We only used arties, mostly spec rig worms and such. We usually caught lots of keepers. We mostly ran it off Indianola or Magnolia beach. Had a few boats cut the line over the years. It would really get my old man's blood boiling. I'd usually flag down the boat to take me out to get it. Ahh, good times!


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## YakMan (Dec 2, 2005)

Just pulled mine out for my neighbor to use.Used to sail it in Xmas,Drum and over in Sargent down at Cedar cut and in Cedar lakes.Caught many a fish on it.When I pulled it out I noticed the tags expired in 2004 so its been sitting for awhile.I mounted mine on some square tubing that fits in the receiver hitch of my truck.It sticks out far enough to clear the tailgate when its open.Had a wiper motor with pulley mounted so I could run a belt to spin it. Wired the wiper motor to a trailer plug so all I had to do was plug into trailer light plug,crank the truck and turn on the running lights to reel it in.Left the belt loose so it would slip when you grab the line or hang up.


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