Powerline Fishing
I’ve been fishing on Chicago’s lakefront since I was a very young child. There is a certain culture that arises from people that like to fish but don’t have boats. I never picked up on this culture until I lurked several chicago fishing messageboards. Like any hobby, hobbyists are nerds which can’t wait to tell you about something they built… and help you along in your own projects.
I’ve always heard the rumor or urban legend about powerlining rigs. Powerlining is essentially launching a high test fishing line out with an anchor and several baited hooks. Pitching a line out with several other smaller lines allows you to achieve distances (and in turn depths) that would be hard to achieve using the traditional rod and reel.
There are three main ways to pitch this monster line out into the water:
- Throwing the anchor/weight by hand
- Using a water balloon sling shot
- Using the pressure of a CO2 tank (think potato gun)
Guess which one I’m interested in…. you guessed it… CO2 tank.
After perusing several messaging boards I’ve come up with the following bill of materials:
- CO2 Fire extinguisher
- 5ft of 1″ pipe
- some sort of pipe adapter (I’ll figure that out once at home depot)
- 12 oz 1″ x 2.5″ weight
- 70′ of rubber band/cord
- A couple hundred yards of 10-12 lb test
- Reel
- two large swivels
- 10 smaller swivels
- hooks
- beads
Then my additonail ideas:
- Door stopper spring
- Dowel rod
- Bell
- Screweyes
The plan I’m working on… still need to add snelled hooks.



Hi, I ran across this site and like your setup. Have my grandfather’s old powerline. Wanted to get more bells with the springs and they are unavailable. Couple of questions, 1 . where do you fish? I used to fish at calumet park. Also would like to know more if you get this setup. would like to see it if your close by. nice details. Any info on where I can get the old bells that screw into a wooden tackle box would be appreciated also would like to know how your co2 fire extinguisher works.
Paul Collins
August 29th, 2009 at 8:00 amwhere could I buy the co2 tank for fishing, powerline set up
February 11th, 2010 at 10:10 pmWhere can you purchase the rubber band materials?
March 24th, 2010 at 1:24 pmI powerline fished when I was a teenager back ib Chicago.
Thanks,
Dave
[...] these little (and sometimes big) guys can be done at least two ways: by regular ol’ rod and by power lining. Details about fishing with a pole probably aren’t necessary. Power lining, however, is something [...]
April 13th, 2010 at 11:01 amyou can buy the rubberband at henrys bait shop at 31st and canel , by the white sox
May 24th, 2010 at 4:37 pm