These are pics of the sail line reel I built a couple years ago and a
recent fishing trip to the west end of Christmas Bay, Brazoria County,
Texas. I dragged the piece of aluminum I built it out of through
three moves over 25 years, finally built the thing after I retired.
Mounted it on a pawn shop moving dolly after ditching the nose piece.
The red tags are the license tags, required for each 100 yards I let
it out, up to 600 yards max. There are thirty circle hook drops
within 200 ft. of the sail. I mix live and dead bait, shrimp, mullet,
and piggies.

The main line attachment to the float is on a piece of sailboat track.
Adjustment can vary the angle off dead downwind by about 40-45 deg.
either side.

Oh, I'm the fat old grey headed guy.

http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/SailLine01.jpg The sail line
reel, powered by an old wiper motor.
http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/SailLine02.jpg The reel in
action. My wife said I should have added a level wind.
http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/SailLine03.jpg Wading out to
remove fish and replace bait. The float is a catamaran fashioned of
4" pvc sewer pipe.
http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/SailLine04.jpg The best catch
that day, 25" speck. (speckled trout, spotted weakfish, etc.)

Pete Keillor

On Mon, 20 Oct 2014 11:29:39 -0500, Pete Keillor
wrote:

These are pics of the sail line reel I built a couple years ago and a
recent fishing trip to the west end of Christmas Bay, Brazoria County,
Texas. I dragged the piece of aluminum I built it out of through
three moves over 25 years, finally built the thing after I retired.
Mounted it on a pawn shop moving dolly after ditching the nose piece.
The red tags are the license tags, required for each 100 yards I let
it out, up to 600 yards max. There are thirty circle hook drops
within 200 ft. of the sail. I mix live and dead bait, shrimp, mullet,
and piggies.

The main line attachment to the float is on a piece of sailboat track.
Adjustment can vary the angle off dead downwind by about 40-45 deg.
either side.

Oh, I'm the fat old grey headed guy.

http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/SailLine01.jpg The sail line
reel, powered by an old wiper motor.
http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/SailLine02.jpg The reel in
action. My wife said I should have added a level wind.
http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/SailLine03.jpg Wading out to
remove fish and replace bait. The float is a catamaran fashioned of
4" pvc sewer pipe.
http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/SailLine04.jpg The best catch
that day, 25" speck. (speckled trout, spotted weakfish, etc.)

Pete Keillor

Oops, 3 and 4 didn't rotate. They look fine on my computer, and were
rotated before I saved them. Don't know how to fix. Any ideas?

Pete

On Mon, 20 Oct 2014 11:29:39 -0500, Pete Keillor
wrote:

These are pics of the sail line reel I built a couple years ago and a
recent fishing trip to the west end of Christmas Bay, Brazoria County,
Texas. I dragged the piece of aluminum I built it out of through
three moves over 25 years, finally built the thing after I retired.
Mounted it on a pawn shop moving dolly after ditching the nose piece.
The red tags are the license tags, required for each 100 yards I let
it out, up to 600 yards max. There are thirty circle hook drops
within 200 ft. of the sail. I mix live and dead bait, shrimp, mullet,
and piggies.

The main line attachment to the float is on a piece of sailboat track.
Adjustment can vary the angle off dead downwind by about 40-45 deg.
either side.

Oh, I'm the fat old grey headed guy.

http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/SailLine01.jpg The sail line
reel, powered by an old wiper motor.
http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/SailLine02.jpg The reel in
action. My wife said I should have added a level wind.
http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/SailLine03.jpg Wading out to
remove fish and replace bait. The float is a catamaran fashioned of
4" pvc sewer pipe.
http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/SailLine04.jpg The best catch
that day, 25" speck. (speckled trout, spotted weakfish, etc.)

Pete Keillor


Its legal to run a big assed trotline out like that in your area?


"At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child,
miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied,
demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless.
Liberalism is a philosophy of sniveling brats."
PJ O'Rourke

On Mon, 20 Oct 2014 11:03:14 -0700, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Mon, 20 Oct 2014 11:29:39 -0500, Pete Keillor
wrote:

These are pics of the sail line reel I built a couple years ago and a
recent fishing trip to the west end of Christmas Bay, Brazoria County,
Texas. I dragged the piece of aluminum I built it out of through
three moves over 25 years, finally built the thing after I retired.
Mounted it on a pawn shop moving dolly after ditching the nose piece.
The red tags are the license tags, required for each 100 yards I let
it out, up to 600 yards max. There are thirty circle hook drops
within 200 ft. of the sail. I mix live and dead bait, shrimp, mullet,
and piggies.

The main line attachment to the float is on a piece of sailboat track.
Adjustment can vary the angle off dead downwind by about 40-45 deg.
either side.

Oh, I'm the fat old grey headed guy.

http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/SailLine01.jpg The sail line
reel, powered by an old wiper motor.
http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/SailLine02.jpg The reel in
action. My wife said I should have added a level wind.
http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/SailLine03.jpg Wading out to
remove fish and replace bait. The float is a catamaran fashioned of
4" pvc sewer pipe.
http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/SailLine04.jpg The best catch
that day, 25" speck. (speckled trout, spotted weakfish, etc.)

Pete Keillor


Its legal to run a big assed trotline out like that in your area?


"At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child,
miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied,
demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless.
Liberalism is a philosophy of sniveling brats."
PJ O'Rourke

Yep, it's in the regs. They started doing this in Nueces County
(Corpus Christi) at least 50 years ago, probably longer. My wife grew
up doing it as a kid, which is why we got into it.

It was great when we had small kids, and will be great again when we
have grandkids. They can chase hermit crabs, try to catch mullet,
minnows, etc., raise all the hell they want, and the reds, trout and
flounder 400 yds. away on that reef aren't going to notice.

I've heard that it's illegal in Austalia but allowed in New Zealand. A
charter guy out of Coffs Harbor, NSW told me that.

Pete

On 10/20/2014 12:29 PM, Pete Keillor wrote:
These are pics of the sail line reel I built a couple years ago and a
recent fishing trip to the west end of Christmas Bay, Brazoria County,
Texas. I dragged the piece of aluminum I built it out of through
three moves over 25 years, finally built the thing after I retired.
Mounted it on a pawn shop moving dolly after ditching the nose piece.
The red tags are the license tags, required for each 100 yards I let
it out, up to 600 yards max. There are thirty circle hook drops
within 200 ft. of the sail. I mix live and dead bait, shrimp, mullet,
and piggies.

The main line attachment to the float is on a piece of sailboat track.
Adjustment can vary the angle off dead downwind by about 40-45 deg.
either side.

Pete Keillor


Cool! What's the typical catch?

On Mon, 20 Oct 2014 18:18:19 -0400, Tom Gardner
wrote:

On 10/20/2014 12:29 PM, Pete Keillor wrote:
These are pics of the sail line reel I built a couple years ago and a
recent fishing trip to the west end of Christmas Bay, Brazoria County,
Texas. I dragged the piece of aluminum I built it out of through
three moves over 25 years, finally built the thing after I retired.
Mounted it on a pawn shop moving dolly after ditching the nose piece.
The red tags are the license tags, required for each 100 yards I let
it out, up to 600 yards max. There are thirty circle hook drops
within 200 ft. of the sail. I mix live and dead bait, shrimp, mullet,
and piggies.

The main line attachment to the float is on a piece of sailboat track.
Adjustment can vary the angle off dead downwind by about 40-45 deg.
either side.

Pete Keillor


Cool! What's the typical catch?

Pretty good in the cooler months, the only time it's worth it. Two to
six good fish per set. Of course, croakers, puppy drum, and sand
trout are good to me. I eat them all. Our best ever was one set of
only 100 yds, when we had Z's all over the place (fish on pull the
floats side to side), hauled it in, and had 10 total keeper specks,
flounder and reds. I sent Brenda for more ice chests, then the wind
died. Never got it out again that night. In the warmer months, you
may never get a bait past the T.R.'s (turd rasslers or hardhead
catfish).

On Mon, 20 Oct 2014 17:53:41 -0500, Pete Keillor
wrote:

On Mon, 20 Oct 2014 18:18:19 -0400, Tom Gardner
wrote:

On 10/20/2014 12:29 PM, Pete Keillor wrote:
These are pics of the sail line reel I built a couple years ago and a
recent fishing trip to the west end of Christmas Bay, Brazoria County,
Texas. I dragged the piece of aluminum I built it out of through
three moves over 25 years, finally built the thing after I retired.
Mounted it on a pawn shop moving dolly after ditching the nose piece.
The red tags are the license tags, required for each 100 yards I let
it out, up to 600 yards max. There are thirty circle hook drops
within 200 ft. of the sail. I mix live and dead bait, shrimp, mullet,
and piggies.

The main line attachment to the float is on a piece of sailboat track.
Adjustment can vary the angle off dead downwind by about 40-45 deg.
either side.

Pete Keillor


Cool! What's the typical catch?

Pretty good in the cooler months, the only time it's worth it. Two to
six good fish per set. Of course, croakers, puppy drum, and sand
trout are good to me. I eat them all. Our best ever was one set of
only 100 yds, when we had Z's all over the place (fish on pull the
floats side to side), hauled it in, and had 10 total keeper specks,
flounder and reds. I sent Brenda for more ice chests, then the wind
died. Never got it out again that night. In the warmer months, you
may never get a bait past the T.R.'s (turd rasslers or hardhead
catfish).

So, how do you handle the bones in croakers?

--
Ed Huntress

On 10/20/2014 6:53 PM, Pete Keillor wrote:
Cool! What's the typical catch?

Pretty good in the cooler months, the only time it's worth it. Two to
six good fish per set. Of course, croakers, puppy drum, and sand
trout are good to me. I eat them all. Our best ever was one set of
only 100 yds, when we had Z's all over the place (fish on pull the
floats side to side), hauled it in, and had 10 total keeper specks,
flounder and reds. I sent Brenda for more ice chests, then the wind
died. Never got it out again that night. In the warmer months, you
may never get a bait past the T.R.'s (turd rasslers or hardhead
catfish).


I'll bet you have some good recipes! Croakers, Puppy Drum. Sand Trout,
Specks, Reds???

On Mon, 20 Oct 2014 20:11:04 -0400, Tom Gardner
wrote:

On 10/20/2014 6:53 PM, Pete Keillor wrote:
Cool! What's the typical catch?

Pretty good in the cooler months, the only time it's worth it. Two to
six good fish per set. Of course, croakers, puppy drum, and sand
trout are good to me. I eat them all. Our best ever was one set of
only 100 yds, when we had Z's all over the place (fish on pull the
floats side to side), hauled it in, and had 10 total keeper specks,
flounder and reds. I sent Brenda for more ice chests, then the wind
died. Never got it out again that night. In the warmer months, you
may never get a bait past the T.R.'s (turd rasslers or hardhead
catfish).


I'll bet you have some good recipes! Croakers, Puppy Drum. Sand Trout,
Specks, Reds???

I keep it pretty simple. Drum and reds are filleted with hide and
scales left on, sprinkle with Tony Cachere's, salt, and pepper, grill
on gas or charcoal about 6-8 min. per side med low heat. Sand trout I
scale and fillet. The skin is too thin to skin reliably. Specks the
same, but they skin easily. Then fry. Croakers, whiting scale, gut,
and fry whole. Reds are also delicious skinned, cut into steaks, and
baked with sliced peppers, onions, and a little lemon in the oven
until they flake. For flounder, my favorite is scale whole fish,
score top side, drizzle with butter, lemon, and seasoning, then bake
in oven.

It's all good. I'll fillet gafftop, fry. Sheepshead are good too,
but it takes a large one to be worth it. Then I fillet them without
getting into the gut cavity. Just remove the fillet and skin. Those
armor plated *******s will make you bleed if at all possible.

Brenda also caught a nice blacktip shark in the surf. I gut 'em,
steak them with a 10" butcher knife, then cut the hide off in donuts
with a small fillet knife.

I've never eaten a hardhead or mullet. Haven't been that hungry. Or
piggy perch / pinfish. Mostly because they're too little to mess
with. I've always thought they'd be good, though, like bluegills in
size.

By the way, if you want to get a youngster hooked on fishing, get a
tiny hook, #10 treble or smaller snelled hook, and put on the smallest
gobbet of fresh dead shrimp you can manage, one split shot, then have
the kid daub around a dock. Guaranteed hookup in seconds on piggys.

One thing I don't appreciate is blackened redfish. Nasty overseasoned
way to ruin a magnificent fish.

Oh, two days later we caught two beautiful reds, one 25", one 26". I'm
looking forward to grilling those. I'll post a picture on the same
heading.

Pete

On Mon, 20 Oct 2014 20:23:09 -0500, Pete Keillor
wrote:

On Mon, 20 Oct 2014 20:11:04 -0400, Tom Gardner
wrote:

On 10/20/2014 6:53 PM, Pete Keillor wrote:
Cool! What's the typical catch?

Pretty good in the cooler months, the only time it's worth it. Two to
six good fish per set. Of course, croakers, puppy drum, and sand
trout are good to me. I eat them all. Our best ever was one set of
only 100 yds, when we had Z's all over the place (fish on pull the
floats side to side), hauled it in, and had 10 total keeper specks,
flounder and reds. I sent Brenda for more ice chests, then the wind
died. Never got it out again that night. In the warmer months, you
may never get a bait past the T.R.'s (turd rasslers or hardhead
catfish).


I'll bet you have some good recipes! Croakers, Puppy Drum. Sand Trout,
Specks, Reds???

I keep it pretty simple. Drum and reds are filleted with hide and
scales left on, sprinkle with Tony Cachere's, salt, and pepper, grill
on gas or charcoal about 6-8 min. per side med low heat. Sand trout I
scale and fillet. The skin is too thin to skin reliably. Specks the
same, but they skin easily. Then fry. Croakers, whiting scale, gut,
and fry whole. Reds are also delicious skinned, cut into steaks, and
baked with sliced peppers, onions, and a little lemon in the oven
until they flake. For flounder, my favorite is scale whole fish,
score top side, drizzle with butter, lemon, and seasoning, then bake
in oven.

It's all good. I'll fillet gafftop, fry. Sheepshead are good too,
but it takes a large one to be worth it. Then I fillet them without
getting into the gut cavity. Just remove the fillet and skin. Those
armor plated *******s will make you bleed if at all possible.

Brenda also caught a nice blacktip shark in the surf. I gut 'em,
steak them with a 10" butcher knife, then cut the hide off in donuts
with a small fillet knife.

I've never eaten a hardhead or mullet. Haven't been that hungry. Or
piggy perch / pinfish. Mostly because they're too little to mess
with. I've always thought they'd be good, though, like bluegills in
size.

By the way, if you want to get a youngster hooked on fishing, get a
tiny hook, #10 treble or smaller snelled hook, and put on the smallest
gobbet of fresh dead shrimp you can manage, one split shot, then have
the kid daub around a dock. Guaranteed hookup in seconds on piggys.

One thing I don't appreciate is blackened redfish. Nasty overseasoned
way to ruin a magnificent fish.

Oh, two days later we caught two beautiful reds, one 25", one 26". I'm
looking forward to grilling those. I'll post a picture on the same
heading.

Pete

Oh, caveat, we caught these in San Luis Pass in the boat. Pretty,
ain't they?

http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/SailLine05.jpg

On Mon, 20 Oct 2014 16:51:53 -0500, Pete Keillor
wrote:

On Mon, 20 Oct 2014 11:03:14 -0700, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Mon, 20 Oct 2014 11:29:39 -0500, Pete Keillor
wrote:

These are pics of the sail line reel I built a couple years ago and a
recent fishing trip to the west end of Christmas Bay, Brazoria County,
Texas. I dragged the piece of aluminum I built it out of through
three moves over 25 years, finally built the thing after I retired.
Mounted it on a pawn shop moving dolly after ditching the nose piece.
The red tags are the license tags, required for each 100 yards I let
it out, up to 600 yards max. There are thirty circle hook drops
within 200 ft. of the sail. I mix live and dead bait, shrimp, mullet,
and piggies.

The main line attachment to the float is on a piece of sailboat track.
Adjustment can vary the angle off dead downwind by about 40-45 deg.
either side.

Oh, I'm the fat old grey headed guy.

http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/SailLine01.jpg The sail line
reel, powered by an old wiper motor.
http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/SailLine02.jpg The reel in
action. My wife said I should have added a level wind.
http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/SailLine03.jpg Wading out to
remove fish and replace bait. The float is a catamaran fashioned of
4" pvc sewer pipe.
http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/SailLine04.jpg The best catch
that day, 25" speck. (speckled trout, spotted weakfish, etc.)

Pete Keillor


Its legal to run a big assed trotline out like that in your area?


"At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child,
miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied,
demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless.
Liberalism is a philosophy of sniveling brats."
PJ O'Rourke

Yep, it's in the regs. They started doing this in Nueces County
(Corpus Christi) at least 50 years ago, probably longer. My wife grew
up doing it as a kid, which is why we got into it.

It was great when we had small kids, and will be great again when we
have grandkids. They can chase hermit crabs, try to catch mullet,
minnows, etc., raise all the hell they want, and the reds, trout and
flounder 400 yds. away on that reef aren't going to notice.

I've heard that it's illegal in Austalia but allowed in New Zealand. A
charter guy out of Coffs Harbor, NSW told me that.

Pete

Its illegal as hell in a lot of US states. Which is why I asked.

Some states allow you to put on 2-3 hooks, others..one only. Fishing
plugs with double hooks were an issue in a number of them.

Gunner

"At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child,
miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied,
demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless.
Liberalism is a philosophy of sniveling brats."
PJ O'Rourke

On 10/20/2014 9:42 PM, Pete Keillor wrote:

Oh, caveat, we caught these in San Luis Pass in the boat. Pretty,
ain't they?

http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/SailLine05.jpg


I was lucky enough to have an uncle that inspired all of us kids to love
fishing since we were old enough to walk. Kids and fishing just go
together. We caught Lake Erie Perch and Walleye mostly out on the boat
and Crappie and Bluegill in the local marina and Cats from shore. All
tasty! As an adult, fly-ins to Canada for Pike are the ultimate for me.
I have a 49" (released) and have been looking for that 50" for years.

On Mon, 20 Oct 2014 18:18:19 -0400, Tom Gardner
wrote:

On 10/20/2014 12:29 PM, Pete Keillor wrote:
These are pics of the sail line reel I built a couple years ago and a
recent fishing trip to the west end of Christmas Bay, Brazoria County,
Texas. I dragged the piece of aluminum I built it out of through
three moves over 25 years, finally built the thing after I retired.
Mounted it on a pawn shop moving dolly after ditching the nose piece.
The red tags are the license tags, required for each 100 yards I let
it out, up to 600 yards max. There are thirty circle hook drops
within 200 ft. of the sail. I mix live and dead bait, shrimp, mullet,
and piggies.

The main line attachment to the float is on a piece of sailboat track.
Adjustment can vary the angle off dead downwind by about 40-45 deg.
either side.

Cool! What's the typical catch?

And what are the red solderless, componentless PCBs on there?

--
A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner, so if
one's life is cold and bare he can blame none but himself.
-- Louis L'Amour

On Tue, 21 Oct 2014 08:40:07 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Mon, 20 Oct 2014 18:18:19 -0400, Tom Gardner
wrote:

On 10/20/2014 12:29 PM, Pete Keillor wrote:
These are pics of the sail line reel I built a couple years ago and a
recent fishing trip to the west end of Christmas Bay, Brazoria County,
Texas. I dragged the piece of aluminum I built it out of through
three moves over 25 years, finally built the thing after I retired.
Mounted it on a pawn shop moving dolly after ditching the nose piece.
The red tags are the license tags, required for each 100 yards I let
it out, up to 600 yards max. There are thirty circle hook drops
within 200 ft. of the sail. I mix live and dead bait, shrimp, mullet,
and piggies.

The main line attachment to the float is on a piece of sailboat track.
Adjustment can vary the angle off dead downwind by about 40-45 deg.
either side.

Cool! What's the typical catch?

And what are the red solderless, componentless PCBs on there?

....The red tags are the license tags,... They're engraved aluminum,
each year a different color. Also called Sal****er Trotline Tags,
which is why they're made that tough. I just milled a groove on each
side of a piece of aluminum strip so I just have to take off one end
and slide them out to replace each year.

On Tue, 21 Oct 2014 10:52:29 -0400, Tom Gardner
wrote:

On 10/20/2014 9:42 PM, Pete Keillor wrote:

Oh, caveat, we caught these in San Luis Pass in the boat. Pretty,
ain't they?

http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/SailLine05.jpg


I was lucky enough to have an uncle that inspired all of us kids to love
fishing since we were old enough to walk. Kids and fishing just go
together. We caught Lake Erie Perch and Walleye mostly out on the boat
and Crappie and Bluegill in the local marina and Cats from shore. All
tasty! As an adult, fly-ins to Canada for Pike are the ultimate for me.
I have a 49" (released) and have been looking for that 50" for years.

Sounds like a lot of fun, Tom.

On Tue, 21 Oct 2014 14:21:27 -0500, Pete Keillor
wrote:

On Tue, 21 Oct 2014 08:40:07 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Mon, 20 Oct 2014 18:18:19 -0400, Tom Gardner
wrote:

On 10/20/2014 12:29 PM, Pete Keillor wrote:
These are pics of the sail line reel I built a couple years ago and a
recent fishing trip to the west end of Christmas Bay, Brazoria County,
Texas. I dragged the piece of aluminum I built it out of through
three moves over 25 years, finally built the thing after I retired.
Mounted it on a pawn shop moving dolly after ditching the nose piece.
The red tags are the license tags, required for each 100 yards I let
it out, up to 600 yards max. There are thirty circle hook drops
within 200 ft. of the sail. I mix live and dead bait, shrimp, mullet,
and piggies.

The main line attachment to the float is on a piece of sailboat track.
Adjustment can vary the angle off dead downwind by about 40-45 deg.
either side.

Cool! What's the typical catch?

And what are the red solderless, componentless PCBs on there?

...The red tags are the license tags,... They're engraved aluminum,
each year a different color. Also called Sal****er Trotline Tags,
which is why they're made that tough. I just milled a groove on each
side of a piece of aluminum strip so I just have to take off one end
and slide them out to replace each year.

I just knew those weren't PCBs. Not living there and not having
bought a fishing license in 40 years, I'm a bit lagging on the
licensing details now. g

--
A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner, so if
one's life is cold and bare he can blame none but himself.
-- Louis L'Amour