HANDLINING WITH AN OLD VICTROLA

[jigs]

Here are a few questions for you old timers. I picked up an old victor victrola handlining fishing box a few years ago and put it back into service today. The fish did not cooperate much but the reel worked great. I'm sure the olg guy that gave it to me was giving me the thumbs up sign from heaven. I know they made the phonographs up until the 30's. How popular were these things for handlining the Detroit River? Would a guy make them himself or did they sell these using the phonograph parts? Mine is in a well constructed wooden box with the wind up handle. Any historians who have info your knowledge would be appreciated.

[FROGMAN]

I may be off the mark here, but most everyone I know that hand-lines the Detroit uses newer reels designed specifically for the purpose. I would probably save that antique, and give it a place of honor in your home! At the very least it is a piece of fishing history.

Good Luck

Keith Segar
NPAA #260

[Hunter]

I second that Frogman, put that away on a shelf. Ive handlined 10+ years, and have seen countless reels, including some that were 30-40 years old. Ive never even heard of such a thing. Put it away, look for a newer version, you never know what that might be worth.

[Hutch tackle & guide services]

Frogman and Hunter are exactly right. I too have been handlining for a long time and have seen many different types of reels. Some work ( for a while ) and some don't at all. My vote goes for the Riviera Kachman reels. There the best out there and fair priced. Put that old jewel on the wall for a conversation piece. Hutch

[Shellback]

Check out nyfisherman.com and go to the lake ontario fishing report link. Post you question there and I'm sure you will get some answers. They were very popular on the Finger Lakes, seen a fellow using one a month ago. I could also put you in touch with a fellow who grew up fishing with his grandfather and father who used that technique on Owasco Lake in Auburn, NY. Shellback

[Jersey John]

Back in April of this year I fished with a guy who used an old victrola handline box. We were lake trout fishing on Lake Ontario and he was explaining to me that there is a person who makes them for around $130.00. It was spooled with copper wire. Ray calles it " pulling copper". He usually fishes Senaca Lake in NY for Lakers and is very successful at it. He caught his lakers on the copper and we used the downriggers and had a great weekend of fishing and I learned about handlining at the same time. JJ

[Ray]

Jigs, How do you like that old box or record player? I have two of them and I'm working on a third one, just for a spare. I've been using one now for about 25 years, handlining on the New York Finger Lakes and sometimes I use it on Lake Ontario. Years ago they were built by guys that went around and bought up all the old record players in the area, took them appart, and constructed a wooden box. The guy that developed the first box must have been a genius. Back then, there was very little fishing tackle and good reels to use, so they had to use their brains a little. Today, we have everything given to us and half of us, don't even know how to use it correctly. That goes to show, we're moving too fast in developing the way we do things today. I would give you my right nut to go back and fish those days. It was more of a challenge than fishing today. Sure, we have it better today, but how many people really appreciate all the good things we have? You can still pick one up today, but they're getting harder to find and the people that have them, don't want to sell them to us fishermen anymore for $40. They want an arm and a leg for their antique. There's not many guys out there that know how to use one correctly. There is a few tricks to learn before you become a master with it. It takes hard work and patience to learn how to handle the Victrola correctly. Offshore Company has a reel for about $150, but you can only put 300 ft. of wire on it. That's more than enough for the handlining man today, but a Victrola can hold up to 1,000 ft. of copper. I like copper better than wire, b/c copper is a lot safer to use than wire. If you don't know how to use wire correctly, you can tear your hands appart real easy. Copper won't cut into you that easy. So all you anti-victrola users out there, be thankful you have all the high-tech toys we have today, because none of them will match up and outfish a man that knows how to use a Victrola. Ray

[Lucky Eddy]

Hi Guys: What you are referring to is called a Seth Green rig. And was used on Seneca Lake NY. for lake trout.

[Ray]

the seth green rig is all different. a victrola is nothing but a man made reel that winds up your copper or wire, which ever you like to use. you have to play the fish by hand and let the victrola wind your wire up for you. a seth rig is like a down rigger stacking lines up one another. in order to use the rig, you have to know your state fishing regulations in order to use it. in new york state, we can run 5 leaders off it but no more than 15 hook points. i use single hooks on each spoon so this gives me 5 points. its mainly used for lake trout only. i use it on lake erie when im fishing for walleye but i would rather use the dipseys and down rigs beacause they are less work. you can use it also with the hand line too instead of a rod and reel. try using a hand line with 5 different spoons spaced 15 to 20 feet apart with leaders 10 feet long. you have total control in your hand not sitting in the boat half asleep waiting for a rod to go off when your down rigger fishing. this rig is not for everyone, its not popular and you are limited to where you can fish it. i would not try to use it on lake ontario for kings or steel head because these fish will tear it apart. its mainly used for lake trout fishing. very excellent way to fish the thermocline.

[rich]

your right they are seth green rigs. my neighbor who is 82+yrs old still uses them till this day for walleyes. there homemade there all made just a little differnt, each there own makers design . you can call these the orignal down riggers. but u can stack 5or6 lines at once. good fishing

[yrnut]

When I started charter fishing in 1946, most all the skippers had old victrola boxes. We made these boxes from the old victrola players. With these boxes the skipper could drop right down along side the boat with a heavy weight and not get back into the rest of the lines his charter people were using. They didn't rewind too fast, but they sure kept your drop line from tangling. I still have one of these boxes hanging in my garage.