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Hand-troll gurdy questions

Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 11:05 pm
by Super Cub
I am having trouble with search function, so I apologize if this has been covered hundreds of times in the past.... My boat's hydraulics were stripped before I bought it, and I don't have much room for hydraulic gurdies with my current deck configuration until I build a hayrack. In the meantime, I am considering trying to rig manual gurdies so that I can try salmon trolling (I'm currently rigged for albacore trolling with handlines).

I have the original davits from the prior hydraulic system; will these work okay with the addition of gurdies (someone told me that hand-troll davits usually have a longer reach, but I've never actually seen a hand-troller here in Oregon)?

Can anyone recommend a supplier for a reasonably inexpensive yet functional manual gurdy? The only ones I can find on line are Kohlstrands, and they are out of stock / back-ordered at the only NW supplier that shows them on their website. Plus, they are more expensive than I would like to spend knowing that I could put that money toward hydraulics next year.

Could I get away with tearing the reels off of a set of Cannon downriggers, or will I need to use more weight than they could handle? How much weight is required on a hand-troll setup?

Can I run multiple lines per side, or am I limited to one per davit? Can I use my trolling poles to spread them, or should I just stay simple by dropping them straight down from the davits?

Finally, would this severley limit my productivity compared to hydraulics? I know it will be a workout, but can I catch 10-20 chinook per day using a couple of hand gurdies?

Thank for any input.

Re: Hand-troll gurdy questions

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 6:20 am
by Hans2
PM sent.

Re: Hand-troll gurdy questions

Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2011 2:30 pm
by Super Cub
By the way, we're only allowed 4 spreads per line, so I think I can get away with light weights.

Re: Hand-troll gurdy questions

Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 6:02 am
by Kelper
Do yourself a favor and get yourself a pair of 2 speed gurdies. They'll be spendy, but worth every dime. I was was mad at myself I waited to get mine. They seem to hold their value pretty well too, so you won't be out that money. If you run 11" flashers, you'll need some weight.

Re: Hand-troll gurdy questions

Posted: Sat May 28, 2011 5:58 pm
by birdfeeder11
murry pacific in Sitka ak has hand crankers in stock. u will need at least 25lbers in order to catch on your hand gear. Yes use your poles if they are already set up on the boat, spred gear catches better. your davits will work somehow just mount your gurdies and grt the relationship correct with a block. then save some coin and get power gurdies.

Re: Hand-troll gurdy questions

Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 3:22 pm
by Super Cub
Thanks for all the input. I am still trying to figure out if I can afford hydro's to start. The areas that I'll likely be fishing are close to 40 fathoms, and a friend mentioned that he sometimes runs 60 fathoms of line with 50# weights, so the hand-cranks probably won't work for long (I think it was Danny Glover who once said, "I'm getting too old for this ****.").

I hadn't seen 2-speed hand-cranks, but I think I can add a used hydraulic system for about the same cost as them.