Trot Line Fishing

[mike3132]

Last week we set a couple lines in the river. We didn't do all that well but did manage one 13 pound flathead catfish. We had 5-6 3 lbs. channel cats. Next week we are going to set them again. Our favorite bait is small sunfish. Anyone else set trot lines? Mike

[ozark]

Sunfish are the choice here for flatheads. They don't care for dead bait. Channel eats about anything. 13 Lbs is a good flathead. Flatheads used to be the usual catfish found in the buffalo river. Trot line fishing is a fun way to fish.

[rossman40]

Dude, that is the lazy mans way to fish, been there, done that and got the T-shirt ;D

When I was in Illinois a friend of mine lived on a lake, we would put out two 50 hook trotlines Friday night and bring them in Saturday after we woke up and usually had enough for the fish fry that night. We used chicken livers and once some old deer meat. Not much sport but for catfish it is a decent way to get some fish. Nowadays here in Ohio the sport fisherman whine like a bunch of babies when they see some one with a trotline, set line or jug line and start calling the game warden. The game warden (if he comes out) checks your stuff and if everything is cool tells you to have a nice day.

[KerryB]

When we catfish around here, we usually set out a trotline along the weed edge. We then throw out some jugs a little deeper and then anchor the boat where we can watch everything with a spotlight while we tightline with our rods and reels. Chicken livers and cut shad usually are the preferred bait, but catalpa worms are hard to beat when you can get em' ;D!

[mike3132]

Rossman,

Here in Indiana it is illegal to set trot lines in a lake or reservoir. We set in the upper Wabash River where the water is only 3-4 ft. deep on the average. Running two lines every two hours all night isn't a lazy mans way of fishing. We usually set the lines around 6pm and then pole fish. We run the lines every two hours and re-bait. Usually the big flatheads come between midnight and 5am.

Kerry,

I'm going to a place that usually has worms and see if i can find any. We are going to run lines again either this weekend or early next week. If I can get the worms they will be on the line for sure. Mike

[rossman40]

I think the Ohio rule is the lake has to be over 700 acres to use trotlines in a lake but streams is fair game. I think Illinois has put that into effect too. Both states I think now have limits of like 6 channel cats per day. When I was a kid in Illinois fishing with family in the area of the Illinois and Spoon rivers we would slay'em, I can remember having to quit because all the stringers were full.

[Buckrub]

Good Lord A Mercy.

Illegal to use trotlines?

I am SO GLAD EVERY DAY that I live in a civilized state. If I was running jugs or trotlines and someone called the game warden, I wouldn't kill 'em but I'd make 'em beg for it. But that doesn't happen here. Yo Yo's, trotlines, jugs, anything short of dynamite is legal here, 12 months a year.

Heck, we even Hog, or Noodle, a few catfish from time to time!!

[ozark]

A throwline is simular to a trot line. If you have no boat. Anyone know what I am talking about?

[KerryB]

I remember my mom telling me about helping her dad use throw lines when she was a kid. She said the first time they tried it, he asked her to hold the end of the line while he threw the other end out. She got excited watching him and threw her end out when he let er fly! He had a few choice words when he saw her send the whole rig flying out in the lake. ;D

[mike3132]

We set lines again Friday night and caught 17 catfish. We had 15 channel cats, 2 blues and 2 snapping turtles. The turtles were about 5-6 lbs each. The blues weighed about 5-6 lbs each and one channel went around 5 lbs., the rest were 2-3 lbers. Today for supper its catfish, zucchini coleslaw and fresh tomato's. Mike

[10ga]

Here in VA trotlines are legal is all the tidewater rivers. York, Rappahannock, Mattaponi, Pamunkey, Piankatank and Potomac Rivers. Don't know about anywhere else. I commercial fish them with pots/traps, yo-yos, trotlines, fyke nets and about any way you can get them in the boat. Get anywhere from $0.15 to .85 lb depending on size. Best day ever had me and helper caught 2,230 lb out of 165 pots. License is for 600 pots and you only fish them once a week. 120 to 150 pots a day. In winter and spring when the shad and herring are running is best time to trotline. Much bigger fish on the trotlines. Better to get 500 lb of 5 to 50 lb fish and get .85 a lb than 2200 lb of smaller fish and they drop the price to .15