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How to Catch Striped Bass: The Old Way

The following passage is from the early 1950’s and describes a way to catch striped bass with a hand line using the “heave and haul” method:

Why Not Try Your Hand at Catching Bass?

You can catch bass—and you need not be an expert to have fun at it. Bass are to be caught along the whole coast of Cape Cod from May to October.

If you are not equipped with the latest in tackle, you can try the “heave and haul” method. That’s how, perhaps, more bass have been caught through the years than by the new-fangled ways.

But it’s not the easiest way. For “heave and haul,” you need strength, and you need careful preparation. In brief, you coil a line at your feet on the shore, then you swing a lead “squid” about ten inches long and weighing about eight ounces round and round just above your head until you think there’s enough “go” to it to send it out and land it where you want it to be.

Then you “heave” it. But watch out that the line as it uncoils and runs out rapidly does not burn your hand. The coiled end of the line is secured at the shore by anchoring it to a pole or stick well set at the water’s edge.

The moment the squid hits the water, start hauling it in. By repeating this performance over and over, you stand a very good chance of landing your prey. But you may find that the work involved would make the “new-fangled” methods easier and more profitable for you.

Striped bass fishing was first documented as early as 1634.

When I was a kid, I used to go fishing with my father and he insisted on using handlines. He used to say “...with a handline you can really ‘feel’ the fish as the line tugs on your finger…” It’s a good thing we never caught any big bluefish back then…