I have seen this question before on this forum but don't remember the solution. My question - How do you rig a trotline on the bottom in say 30 foot deep water with no
trees, etc. to tie to. I would think it would have to involve two heavy weights but i'm not sure how to engineer it. Any help appreciated! Thanks

You need two 1 gallon, white jugs. Each jug is to be anchored to the bottom. Run the trotline between the two jugs, with a smaller weight tied to the center of the trotline to sink it.

Here ya go, some good info on this thread from a while back:

http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbt...pen#Post4509344

I have done it but it is a pain, the much much... much simpler solution is to set juglines.

matt

had a friend in mississippi that would tie heavy weights on each end and just sink it completely, when he was ready to check it he used a grapple hook to drag and pull it up

i use jug lines in deep water. bad thing is ppl will see them & run them if your not near by

I fish in Lake Limestone. In the Big Water at the bottom of the lake we set one out for me, as well as one for my uncle, in about 36 to 38 feet deep. I use my special design: "The Planter". That's because out on the lake in deep water (or at least 16 feet deep), you can "plant her" anywhere you choose. However, the gear will cost in parts (the last time I figured cost) about $100 each. You can make a trotline anywhere from 25 hooks to 50 hooks (I use 36 hooks now in 4 sections of 9 each).

I have an anchor line on each side. What is my anchor on each side? Well, after realizing a 2 gallon bucket full of concrete will not hold the line while you are running it in the wind (from 2002 initial experiences), I had to go to a 3.5 gallon bucket with concrete. Depending on how full you fill it with regular concrete mix, it varies from 60 to 72 pounds each. And of course, the way I set the anchor in November, you have to be very careful, as once it goes sailing to the bottom, if you get tangled in it, it will take you for a ride (better have a good sharp knife on you, unless you plan to swim to the bottom & untie the rope). But I assure you by freefalling, it "plants" it pretty good. Now come April thru May, when we pull the Big Water lines (due to traffic & thermocline), my uncle runs the motor until we finally break it free from the bottom, then I slowly pull it up. Then we re-use them the next season which starts in November. We will still jugline & run shallow water trotlines, but the juglines will be swapped out with the ones I make up for the thermocline.

I can raise (set) the depth of the trotline, as well as set it diagonally as to getting a range of just above bottom up to about 10 feet below the surface. The reason I allow 10 feet (if I raise them), is a very large boat can actually plow down with the prop running some 8 feet below the actual surface. This ensures they won't slice the mainline. However, I tend to run just off the bottom from November until early April. Here on this lake, thermocline usually begins between mid-May & mid-June, and once it starts, if I am not pulling the Big Water trotlines, then I am getting the mainline up above the center depth (of 30' that would be 15').

I have been researching, refining, and honing in on tweaking it as best as I can.

Sorry I can't give you the full design of "The Planter" (but I have given you a general idea), as I am compiling items to put in a book and a video. I took my design to Parks & Wildlife in Bryan & talked with a Game Warden back in 1984, to make sure it was legal & no problems. He approved (saying he saw no problem in legality & even liked the way I had designed it). I did not get to try it out until 2002 & have been up to now.

As to anchors, you could plant 3-> 1 gallon concrete buckets on each side. However, I have found that wind & the lake level slightly raised, can break the 1 gallon containers loose one at a time. So I would say best to use 2-> 2 gallon ones. The 1 gallon concrete buckets are very easy to maneuver or raise. The 2 gallon ones are fair, not nearly as tough as to the 3.5 gallon anchors. Some have said I should try 5 gallon anchors. I think not! Not even gonna try.

But one big hint, leave about 15 to 20 feet of space between the anchor line & your first hook. This will prevent a fair size one to wrap in the main line, anchor line & the drop line. They will wrap themselves like a mummy until they cannot breathe anymore. And that's a tragedy.

Wishin' the best!

As mentioned above, deep water trotlines and the summer thermocline don't really groove together, in most cases you will lose a bunch of fish. Last year I was losing fish in 20 foot of water if I took more than 45 minutes to run it. Best bet is to stay shallow this time of year.

Oh, by the way, this is how I have always done my deep water lines, please look at the crudely drawn pic (very crudely) :



Red main line, three parts, 100' of pre-line, 100' of actual line w/hooks and stages, and another 100' of post line. The pre and post lines allow you to pull up the fishing line without overly stressing it or you.

The green are float lines, they set the depth the main line fishes at, and also serve to allow you to pick up the line. I usually use 2/3 to 1/2 of the water depth as my main line depth. Floats are usually the largest jugs you can find filled with expanding foam.

Weights are usually 5 gallon buckets partially filled with sack-crete.

I'm sure my caveman style illustration is not the best diagram, but maybe you can get the idea.

best pic of the year by a 2 year old







jk with you man

before you do this you need to know that you can't run a trotline along the bottom in 30 ft of water right now because the fish will be dead and spoiled before you can get them off your line unless you suspend the line about 5 ft or so from the surface. in this heat there's no oxygen or very little oxygen down deep and if you hook a fish on a trotline and they struggle they'll die within a few minutes. the way to do it is to add about 3 times the depth on the end of your troline on both ends and you can use cinder blocks tethered together or you can use big rocks on each end of the line ... about 100 lb rocks is what you'll need or about 6 cement blocks tied together on each end of the line with a rope and jug on the end block for a tightener ... then tie a few jugs on the mainline with about 5 ft of line to hold the mainline up at that depth ... 3 or 4 jugs is necessary for that ... one on each end and one in the middle or a couple depending on how long your trotline is and once you get everything rigged up then go out to the tightener jug and put the rope on one of your cleats and pull your anchor until the suspension jugs on each end sink about half way and then your line will be tight ... you should also use some sort of item to allow a little stretch on each anchor ... I always used a pully system so that when I got a big fish on they'd just pull the mainline through the pully to where I had it fastened to a big 2 gallon jug that kept the line tight all the time and would allow the line to give a little when big fish pulled against the anchors ... without any give you'll most likely have your terminal gear broke or hooks straightened out

Wow, thanks for the info. I do about everything different. I don't use trotlines a lot. I put a couple out for 1 or 2 nights now and then to stock the freezer. I try to make it quick and simple. I just use a couple of house bricks on the bottom of my of my 5 qt blech jug floats. If I set in 30 feet of water, I tie my trotline about 15 ft from the bottom on the float line. I space my drops about 10 ft apart. I ue 40 lb big game for the drops. I put my 1st hook about 25 ft from the float. I always bait all the hooks before I jump them out. I put about 1 lb of wieght at 5 hooks go 5 and put a float on the line. About a 4in by4in piece of styrafoam wrapped in duct tape. On down the line. I pull the line snug now and then, I make my drops about 10 in long and use fresh shad if I have it. If not, cut carp. chicken hearts, etc. Oh, I leave about 10 feet of extra line on my jugs so the fish fight that line ,example, use 40 feet of lin if the water is 30' deep. I depend on my swivels to be tied close to the knots to set the hooks. This might not be the very best way, but it is quick and simple, besides that, I probaly would sink my boat trying to pull up a 100 lb weight. I usually run 30-35 hooks on 400 ft of line.

J

Thanks Guys - some great info! I'll be giving it a whirl this fall.

We set out the Big Water lines at the bottom of Lake Limestone in November, just after the thermocline has ended. Sometimes it lasts into October, as I found that out the first week on Lake Livingston in 40 feet of water by the Chalk Bluffs back in 2002. I was explaining a little more in detail on my "Planter" set-up this weekend at the CTC Kid's Catfish Tourney with one group. When asked how I raise & lower it, I explaned it a bit more, and Richard said, Hmm, I never thought about that. Yes, it is simple, but most overlook the possible & easiest way.

I used to set out the weekend before Thanksgiving, and the first run on Thanksgiving, is usually the biggest haul. Last 2 years though, the Farmer's Almanac was noting colder weather earlier, so I knew that meant high winds, so we had to set out the first weekend in November, stay a night, then rebait. Then come back the weekend before & rebait again before Turkey Day. This past season (2009-2010), the biggest (of the rebait on the weekend before T-Day) was a 40# Op on a jugline. And the Almanac has proven correct, so that is the reason I we started earlier. I prefer to wait if possible & not set out so early. I use the Farmer's Almanac, not the Old Farmer's Almanac (which is about 10 years older than the Farmer's Almanac). The Farmer's Almanac usually has some orange on the front. The editor or publisher is Peter, of whom I have conversed with by email before.