My son and I set out a trotline for the first time this past week. Wanted to see what the best way to do it and the order to do it in. We were using a 10' jon boat and basically tied onto a stump below the waterline, then moved the boat out to stretch the line, set a weight in the middle, then set a weight at the very end with a float. Then went back to the stump and started hanging the bait. Got to the float end and pulled the line tight and dropped the weight. Went back and started from the stump and ran the line checking and rebaiting. When we were done, pulled all the hooks off the line, then started from the float end and started reeling the line up until we got to the stump. Is this pretty much how its done. If I did something the wrong way please let me know or if you have any tips that would make it go faster, please let me know. Oh we didnt get anything, were using hot dogs soaked in oil and garlic salt. Wanted to keep it simple being it was the first time out.

If im reading it right... you only tied 1 side to a stump? You want to secure both sides to a stump.. or very heavy weight. Otherwise there will be no tightness in the line to be able to "set the hook".

Baits vary like anything else. Hotdogs, liver (any kind), shad, basically anything that will stay on the hook will work. Just all of them will work better sometimes than others.

i think they call the weight and float a "dead man" or something like that...........

i agree with Larry. i always secure both side to a stump, making sure that the main line is tight. the main line has to be tight to set the hook and it also keeps tension on the fish so that the fish doesn't get off......

catfish will eat just about anything you put on a hook. I've caught some catfish on just a red hook....but the bait will determine what size of fish you catch.....Worms, frozen shrimp, liver, soap will normally catch a lot of smaller fish....cut shad and live bait will catch your bigger fish..

AY

my friend & his dad used to just tie off on a stump or tree and put a heavy weight on the other end, they always did good.

supersix - your setup and method sound fine to me. I do prefer to secure both ends when I can but if that can't be done your set up will work just fine.

I too like to tie off both ends to a stump, but with timber falling and rotting below the surface level, that's not always available.

I set my first trotline with a dead-head weight on one end and tied off the other in a great location. You should have twice the amount of line of the water's depth on the dead-head end, so that when you tie your jug or float on it will tighten up the line and still allow you to raise the line to the surface, but dang TIGHT at that end. The float will keep your line just off the bottom and not have your baits lying in mud, sand, etc. and give plenty of hookset when a cat bites. We slayed the blues and flatheads on that line 2 years ago...it was set on a ridge with 20+ water on both sides. One hot location and most lakes have them.

Good Luck!

many methods all of he above will work. I have another way and includes wheels and and jugs, but keeping it simple for now keep trying and you will succeed

Sounds like you did good supersix, I prefer to tie both ends to a fixture.

i learned how to set out trotlines years ago from some oldtimers on lake livingston and had a ton of success. i havent set any trotlines in a long time, but i can tell how i did them. i always set mine out in open water, around points and/or off the river channel. to set one out this way i used a five gallon bucket full of cement at each end of the line. the heavier the weight on the end of the line the better, you wont get anything too heavy. the worst thing that could happen is you cant pull it up when you are taking up the line, and will have to cut the main line. keep your main line tight as possible. i think your line can be 250 feet and place your staging lines ( thats the line you put your bait on, its called a staging line) , place the staging lines about 4 feet apart. i always liked to start from one end of the line and about every 20 feet tie a line at different lenghts , 8 feet , 10 feet etc , place a half brick or something to the end of the line with a small jug on the top so you can fish different depths. in my opinion the best catfish bait will always be cut shad, and also dont use too big hooks, more fish are lost as a result of hooks too big. you dont need a big hook to catch a big fish, and i suggest stainless steel hooks for that reason. good luck , be safe , have fun.

Thanks for the tips guys. Yeah I think my dead head weight was too light. I used a 20 gatorade bottle filled with concrete. I used these for my jug lines when I first started jugging. Definately going to try a heavier weight next time. Ill let you know how it goes next time.

Supersix, I think you've got it down except for the size weight on the loose end.

I have two of the following lines set in two different lakes right now. They take away the problem of someone else running your line and have several other benefits. Some say they are legal and some say they are not because the identification jug/marker is not attached directly to the trotline. Here's how to set 'em.

Set a couple of one gallon jugs about 150 yards apart in the location you want to fish using really heavy anchors. Begin by tying the trotline to one jug. Tie the other end of the trotline to the second jug. You now have a line with a big swag or belly in it tied to two floating jugs with very heavy weights. Go to the middle of the trotline (halfway between the two jugs) and cut the line in half. Tie a large stainless ring(get from Home Depot or hardware store) on the end of one of the half pieces. Run the cut end of the other piece through the ring and start pulling it tight, through the ring. This will pull the jugs toward the center where you are sitting. Keep pulling until the jugs go out of sight under the water. Pull until you can't get anymore line to come through and then tie it together by tieing the end you've been pulling on to the ring. Don't let go or you'll never find it again. It should be fiddle-string tight.

Attach the stagings and bait. You may not be able to get very close to the ends, but bait as many as you can. Generally all this is done with the trotline running accross the boat from side to side. When you've finished baiting, let the line go. At this point throw a jug( w/identification) with a small weight on it out toward the side of the trotline as far as you can throw it. Some people like to do this first. Go to the jug and use it to get a three point bearing on landmarks on shore which cross your trotline as well a a waypoint if you've got GPS. The trotline jugs are now trying to float to the surface, thus holding the main line straight and tight beneath the surface. When you want to run the trotline, drag a big saltwater weighted treble hook until you snag the line. Use the single I.D. jug for the reference point. GPS waypoints can also be very useful. You'll probably have to lay on your stomach on the bow of the boat to run the line because it will be so tight. It's the only way I know of to have a completely invisible line. If it makes you feel better, you can drop the I.D. jug real close to one end of the line after attaching it to the trotline jug with 6# mono. That way it's actually attached to the trotline, but if anybody tries to pull up your trotline it just breaks off. If they take the I.D. jug, you've still got a waypoint and/or the landmarks to help you drag. I've done this for many years and it works well in high traffic lakes. It also solves the thermocline problem in the summer b ecause the line rarely ends up more than 6-8 feet under the surface.

Your trotline would then be illegally set...

Trotlines In Fresh Water

Tag Requirements: Must be used with a valid GEAR TAG. Properly marked buoys or floats qualify as valid gear tags. Gear tags must be attached within 3 feeet of the first hook at each end of the trotline and are valid for 30 days after the date set out.
Construction and Design Restrictions: May not have more than 50 hooks on any one trotline.

Gear Tag: A tag constructed of material as durable as the device to which it is attached. The gear tag must be legible, contain the name and address of the person using the device and the date the device was set out.

For juglines and freshwater trotlines, properly marked buoys or floats qualify as valid gear tags.

Capt'n,

Why not just attach your gear tag to the main line? It doesn't have to be visible to folks just passing by.

Who is that in that picture huck? lol

Shakira!