Good limb line setup

Sorry, I haven't done much catfishing, have fished my whole life for bass and panfish.

I have been using this for limblines on a river and it works, I have been catching cats (mostly blue cat), but wondering about the method I modified a little bit...

bottle > braided line > barrel swivel > 50# Big Game mono > bell sinker > #7 circle hook

Bottle is a Gatorade or Powerade bottle because they have a groove toward the top where you can wrap the line. I put reflective tape on the bottle so it shines well when hit by a flashlight beam; I wrap and do one half hitch so the bottle hangs just below the limb. Tarred main line is good for wrapping around a limb because it holds well just wrapped with no knot, but I used non-tarred fluorescent yellow-green line because it's much easier to see the line at night and tell if there is a fish on. I actually used #5 and #6 circle hooks but think #7 is better because easier to bait up.

Question... why a mono leader at all? What is the purpose of using mono for this? Why not use the same braided line as the mainline? Is it because it's just stiffer and easy to handle?

I lose some hooks because gar bite and cut the mono. I was thinking of using steel leaders to save hooks but it might be better to just let the gar get away and lose a hook so you don't have to deal with gar!

Theory is mono won't spook fish and will break so you only lose a hook instead of everything.

If what you are doing works why change?

Also mono is more resistant to abrasion. After catching a few fish or getting hung up on rocks or trees, the braid can get pretty roughed up which is bad news.

Because I don't know what I am doing, lol, and wondered why I saw a guy using mono below the swivel.



Say, I wondered about this... abrasion resistance... fluorocarbon is supposedly even tougher, right? Why not use that? Is it because Big Game, for instance, is inexpensive?

BTW, guys, for limblines in a river... would you prefer to have the weight above the hook or weight on bottom and hook above?

Just searching for the ideal limbline, I sure do love the blue catfish for some good catfish fillets.

Use 3 way swivel with weight on one and then hook on the other using a float to keep it off the bottom.

Eric

I don't run them as much these days but I had really good success doing this, find a good limber (but strong) over hanging branch, tie enough line (small nylon rope like you get at wal mart for trot lines, or bowfishing line works well too.) to keep the bait 6-8" under the surface, no weight at all. The bait will kick back and forth and make some splashing and rippling on the surface when it swims. This will attract the fish. This was all done in the Brazos River. Lakes might be different. Never ran limb lines in a lake. But it worked really well for me. You'll know when you have one when you see the tree trying to be hauled off in to the river.

I always just used a piece of trot line string with a swivel in the middle to prevent it getting twisted up and a hook on the end. You want your bait to sit just under the surface so it flaps around just like G love said.

We never used weights on our limb lines in the clear fork of the Brazos.

I run straight braided line with a snap swivel by the hook. I don't use circle hooks, I use j hooks for my limb lines. I love the circle hook, but for limb lines I use the j hook. About 12" from the hook I tie a knot so my 1oz egg sinker will not go down to the hook. MY braided lines is usually about 150# strength. One thing I've learned on the braided line, by the made in America stuff that's treated. This will help keep line from abrasions and helps keep the line from rotten so fast. With the straight braid line, your only weak spot is the snap swivel. Once again buy a strong rated snap swivel. My grandpa thought me this method and he use to make a living fishing. Catfish Connection.com has the type of line I use. Plus they have a size chart to match up what size you want.