(Please note, this is the correct term and spelling
of trotline, it is not a trot line or trout line).
Trotlines are basically a means of getting a lot
of hooks in the water with a few people. I love fishing trotlines because
you can really pull in large numbers of good sized fish, They are great
fun to run. The only drawbacks of trotlines are that if you are not experienced
they can be somewhat cumbersome to get setup and in the right location.
They can also be dangerous if you are not careful.
The key to trotlines like any other method is location.
First you have to locate a good spot to set the trotline out, BUT with a
trotline you have to consider that you are going to have 150 Feet of line
and 25 hooks dangling across the water. One of the keys to successful trotlining
is putting the line in a location that it will not get caught up in a boat
motor, or anything else. A prop will rip a line to shreds instantly, and
whats left of it a pissed off boatowner will likely destroy AFTER he gets
done pulling all your torn up hooks and line out of his prop.
Again make sure you are familiar with local laws.
Running an illegal trotline can get you a date with a Game Warden really
quick.
You have two options as far as equipment. You can
buy the trotlines at a store, (which typically involves tieing the hooks
on only) or build it from the ground up. If you have never used trotlines
before just go buy one and use it and make sure it is right for you before
going to the trouble to build your own. You can purchase several different
brands and grades of trotlines. Go to Wal Mart or your local tackle store
and look at the options. You can get a decent ready made trotline with hooks
and all for about $8, (if you want a brand recommendation email
me). You can also purchase some heavier trotlines that are excellent
quality from several companies. I would be happy to share this information
also if you email me, you
can even get them with the hooks tied on if you want them that way.
The biggest advantage of building your own trotlines
is that you get a heavier grade trotline. This is essential if you are going
after monster flatheads. I will try and include more information on building
your own trotlines at a later time. The disadvantages of building your own
are that it is very time consuming, you have to be very careful to make
sure you are within legal
lengths and spacing.
If you are fishing the "bassin hot spots"
like Lake Fork and Ray Roberts and these die hard bass fisherman find your
trotline, some of them will take a knife to it because they are against
them. I only say this because it has happened to me on more than one occasion.
I usually stick to the commercially manufactured trotlines one these "hot
spot" lakes for this reason.
If decide to go ahead and build your own trotlines,
the best advice I can offer is to make sure all of your spacing and leaders
are legal
lengths, and use good quality brads and heavy brass barrel swivels.
A cat will twist and turn a line on a trotline without barrel swivels until
he breaks the line. Either way the decision is yours. I can refer
you to a company where you can purchase a HEAVY DUTY high quality trotlines
that will be as good or better than any you could build and they also sell
supplies to build your own. I am refraining from posting their link at this
time because I am currently seeking sponsors for the site.
In addition to the trotline you will need some
good weights. You can use cinder blocks if you wish but they can get a little
pricy. I build my weights from empty 1 gallon cans, cement, and coathangers
and can build six or eight of them for the price of one cinder block. I
get the cans from a restaurant at no charge, the hangars are all over the
house, and cement runs around $2 for sand mix that is ready to use. It does
not take long to build these weights. You can get away with one or two weights
per 150 foot trotline.
Just remember, the bigger the fish, the bigger
the weight will need to be. If you are going to attempt to target the big
uns, you will need a big weight. I know one guy who weights his down with
two manhole covers, let me tell ya, you have to be a pretty big guy to wrestle
a trotline up to a boat being weighted down with fish and two manhole covers.
(And don't everybody go out and start stealing manhole covers).
Place your trotline in the selected area and tie
off both ends. Leave enough slack in the line to get it down to the bottom
and make sure you have both ends tied well. You have to remember that you
could potentially have 25 fish on 25 hooks and you do NOT want that line
to break free, there is no straightening out that mess. Not only will you
lose your trotline and all the fish but the fish will likely die.
I like to weight my lines in the middle and if
I need two weights I will place a weight on either side around 15 feet or
20 feet from each end. You will need some good braided nylon twine or rope
to hold the weight onto the trotline. If you use cinder blocks, remember
that the sharp edge of the block is going to rub against the twine and it
will often cut it, which can quickly become a mess.
Once you are all rigged you can begin baiting.
It helps to have two people in the boat, one person helps manage the line
and pull you along it while the other baits. You have to communicate with
each other and watch what is going on because you can quickly catch a hook
in your forearm or elsewhere if you are not careful.
Baiting the trotline can be done with a number
of different baits. You need to target the bait to the species you are fishing
but remember that you are baiting at least 25 hooks. (if you are like me
and running several trotlines buying expensive bait would break you real
quick). Trotlining for channel cats you can use minnows, shad, night crawlers
or any other bait than channel cats like. Some people use punch baits or
livers on their lines but they are not likely to stay on the hooks. You
have to keep in mind that if you hook onto several cats at once, they are
gonna be thrashing around and shaking that line, thus you need to have a
good bait that is gonna stay on the hook.
Once the lines are baited carefully work them into
the water so you don't throw all your bait off and your off to use your
rod and reel or juglines or whatever else you wish to do. You can check
your trotline in a few hours if you wish. It works really well to set your
lines an hour or two before dusk, and then run them once in the middle of
the night, and rebait, and then run them again the next morning. If you
cannot do the night run, definately check the next morning because you are
likely to find fish.
If you set a line out and decide to leave it in
the water, and do not plan on checking it within twelve hours, pull your
bait off the hooks. Once you get a good system going it is pretty easy to
get your trotlines in and out of the water.
Good luck and enjoy. This is one of the funnest
ways to catch kitties!
