Hi Justin,
Warning, this is rather lengthy here
Hopefully these things below might assist you. First off, not sure if Chad (Redneck) aka "TxCatfishGuide " has anything on throwlines or not, but you might do a search engine on his TFF nickname to get a post or comment from him which should have at least a link to some of his shares. Wait, got his homepage right here- <
http://www.learntocatchcatfish.com>
OK, you did not mention if this is a private or public lake. Private lakes of course need permission for their landowners. And some public lakes have special rules to which they may not allow juglines, throwlines, or trotlines. A limb line is a throwline. It can have anywhere from 1 to 5 hooks. 5 hooks being the maximum. And you could even have a jug attached to it, of course there are things you might want to watch out for, to avoid any problems.
Recently Chad corrected me on my interpretation of a jugline or throwline having to have your leader lines spaced apart 3' or more. He was correct. Only trotlines are required to have a minimum of 3' intervals (spacing) between each leader staging coming off the main line. I have TX Rules & Regulation booklets going back into the 1970s, so either I assumed it from the trotline criteria, or a long time ago, it was in the verbage. That would take time to go back & dig thru them. And it would not do anything to the current regulations.
With my juglines & throwlines, just like my trotlines, I always set the leaders at least 3' apart. The reason I do that, is helps to keep a distance so they don't get tangled (as much), as I tend to use a lot of live bait. And of course the same goes with fish getting caught on them as well. But even with 4' spacing on trotlines, I have caught Cats (at least twice, a 12# Blue & a 20+# Blue) with a hook on each end. Yep, one in the mouth area, another in the tail. So you can understand why I would not put leaders any closer than 3' apart, to cut down on that.
Not knowing your depth if you set it off the two ridges shown, can change the way I might set one. Or it could mean I will use a heavier weight for tension. I also don't know whether you will be using a boat or by walking the ridge(s).
As for what to tie to, it could be a limb, stump, root, small shrub-tree, or even a stick, such as a broom stick or something similar. You can push or hammer them into the bank depending on how dry or soft the ground it. You can even take the wood pole stock for closets & cut into sections, then whittle one end into a point. And you could also drill a hole & put a steel eyelet bolt in to tie to.
Some use willow switches (very small willow limbs, anywhere from as thick as a pencil up to 3/8 rebar), or other natural green (fresh) switches, as they are not brittle but resilient.
My GrandDad used to use sethooks, similar to a cane pole, about the thickness of a finger from tree branches. But instead of having a single hook on the line, you could have the main line with up to 5 hooks each.
Another method is using a "loop stake", something I came up with back in the early 1980s, shortly after Newt was teaching me about YellowCats & how to hide trotlines underwater. Back then, he used a little 10" piece of rebar or very large nail. He would hammer them in, tie the line to it, then cover it with rocks. You would never see the stake or line.
HOWEVER, due to some who started using rebar rods in the lake for trotlines, it became a problem as it would puncture fiberglass boats easily. So the rules outlawed them for trotlines. But not so for throwlines. As for my loop stakes, if you get a 10' piece of 3/8 rebar, you will have to cut it with bolt cutters or a torch. You can cut it into 2-- 3' & 1-- 4' sections or 3 of 3 1/3rd feet. Try to get the non-rusted ones if possible. Next, take each one, find a P/U with a sturdy bumper that has a trailer ball hole (or extra hole hopefully). Stick one end of the rebar & start bending it around. You do it several times & you have a loop stake. However, realize that you will need to get it off the bumper, so leave a little gap. You can also figure out which sides of the rebar bend easier as you get the hang of it. There are several loop styles (or looks) you can make, such as a "D", "O", or curly Q (like a spring or coild rattlesnake). Next, wire brush them. Put them on some cardboard & spray paint them (I have used gray, silver, and black). Or whatever you wish. I clean them & respray them every year.
REMEMBER, you cannot use them for trotlines, but you can use them for throwlines. If a bank does not have limbs or roots, you can use these. If you want them hidden, you can set them out a little from the bank if it does not have a steep drop-off. You can even shove them in the mud (be sure to tie on your main line first). But you have to remember where you set them at, or mark it somehow on the bank so you can refind them.
The loop stakes can also be used for many other things. To tie up your boat or if you want to beach & fish somewhere, these will keep you anchored to any shore. You can tie your fish box or fish basket to them. And if you get back to camp & want to stake out some of your big catch, not a problem. I have staked out stringers (on 3/16 or 1/4 nylon corded rope), 10 pounders, 20 pounders, 30 pounders, 40 pounders, and 50+ pounders (with nylon rope of course). Basically, you just stab it in straight. The outer portion of the loop in a sense does have a slight bungee or spring action (if not fully stabbed into the ground), but still stiff to not bend out. I usually stab them in up to the loop if just out of the water.
OK, you now have some alternatives if you need to hide your lines so you won't have others assisting or I should say helping themselves to your fish. As to tieing to the stakes or anything, I would say wrap around the rebar, stump, limb, root, or whatever- twice. Then you can do two standard knots. Or a single standard with a half bow (slip knot), but be sure to pull out slack (if not, you'll regret that one).
There is nothing like watching a limb line given it heck & catching a nice one. But there is nothing worse than finding somebody has robbed you of your hard earned catch. So it all depends on surroundings, other people, and your choices.
Next would be your limb line or throwline main line length & leader line settings. You have to determine these things by obervation & understanding your area you are wanting to fish. A rule of thumb, is to at least allow for the wrap around your fixture. A limb, as well as a stump might require much more than a root or rod would. Then a minimum of at least 3', in order to get away from the attaching fixture.
From there, depending on depth, angle of the depth going from the bank, accounting for underwater structures, and such, you must determine how far apart to set your leaders. Let's say you chose 3' & decided to go with 5 hooks (leaders). If a slow angle drop, the line would be going out almost horizontal & it may need a heavier weight to keep from being slack. If a fast drop-off to about 15', a 1 to 2 pound weight would be enough to give it a little tension.
As to leader lengths, Newt taught me about 21" to 24" for trotlines. I tend to stick with that across the board. Some like them much shorter. I use 3/0 Brass barrel swivels for each leader connection. I used to think the 3 way Brass swivels were sturdier. But "The Giant" snapped off one of them. And "The Giant" broke off either a Brass 1/0 or 2/0 Brass Barrel swivel. For the setting of each leader, you could use many things (such as tieing a double knot on each side. Or you could use brass trotline brads. The good thing about brads is if a really big one gets on, he can slide the brads. So it has a little give. You can add the little plastic beads if you want more swiveling.
Another option is a Hitch knot with a single knot one each side (these cut the sliding down to a minimum, but allow it for a really big one) like Newt used for attaching his leaders on the main line. He detested swivels.
As to cord, I basically use size 36 green nylon cord. May be dark green or medium green. It is 3 strand twist. That is cheaper than braided. However, on a jugline or throwline, a Blue or Channel tend to swirl. What that does is untwirl the 3 strand twist to where it might resemble 3 separate strands. If a decision to use braided is chosen, first apply to leader lines, then to the main line if you choose.
As to my leaders, I cut them to 24" each & tie one single knot on one end. Then after making leaders, I get the assorted hooks I will use. I thread the loose end thru the eyelet of the hook, then I make one knot. And then I tie just a single knot around the eyelet. When putting the leaders on with the hooks, onto the swivels, I tie a knot, then another. And pull snug so it can't come off.
Also, I mentioned you could add a jug tied off from the attached figure towards the 1st leader. Just remember you do not want too much play between jug & attached figure. The jug can serve as a giving point (as well as a giant cork). It can also be a method of still finding your line if a branch or limb pulls out or breaks off. But then it might be considered a jugline if your attached fixture becomes free. To which you need to have your information written on it. Other than that, a limb line/throwline does not require a tag. or the information required to be put on it or the jug.
Trotline clips are OK, but my Dad had some bad luck, as another person was going after they baited out & running their lines, taking off the leaders with the fish.
Hope this helps a bit. Good Luck! Any questions, just ask.
