Been a long time since I have set one and ran one.

I have bought one and have my cinder blocks, my jugs and line ready to go. I am setting it in a large private pond that has quite a few cats in it, we used to catch them on jugs and limb lines as a kid. Anyway, if I tie all the lines and hooks on it before I go,,,,,what is the best way to store it to minimize tangles?

Question #2....in a private pond that gets little to no pressure on cats anyway....what type of bait would you use on the trotline?

There are 2 lines in this box they start at #1 and #3

wow....good idea....now I guess you start pulling the tag line out, set the hooks and go....

Very cool...will go get a styrofoam icechest today and start doing this tonight...might even buy another trotline..

thanks

Or just get a used piece of soft foam used to package stuff. Wrap the mainline around it and hook the hooks in the side.

Unwrap as you set it out, just add weights as you go.

For bait just use whatever you catch in the same pond your fishing. If they are hungry and you want eater fish, try chicken liver.

chicken liver stay on the hook well on a trotline? I can get brim and perch easily....out of the pond, might just try it. This is a big pond, about 12 acres or more and lots of fish.....

thanks..

i don't use chicken livers myself ... right now i have been catchin' blues on soured chicken gizzards, on trotline ... leave'um out long ebuff so that they just start to smell soured, they don't hafta be plum nasty ... although somebody lese here on the board tried'um and didn't catch a thing ... also the only time i use'um is on trotline ... the brim & perch should work as well especially for bigger fish, which would be the eaters in my opinion

I stopped making my troline the way shown in the pic a long time ago. First of all, never buy a pre-made trotline. Go to an armt surplus store and buy some parachute cord. Its about 1/8", maybe 3/16" around. Very strong and doesnt untwine or get knotted very easy. Mark the line every 4 foot with a black marker. Get some large swivels. Tie a single knot on both sides of the swivel to maintain your 4 foot spacing. For the hooklines, I use the black tarred twine doubled over. #7 or #8 hook. Use a combination swivel/clip. This way you can clip your hooks to the swivels on the main line. Easy to set, easy to take up. Gives you the flexability to use different types of hooks, you can unclip it if a fish has swallowed the hook, ect... Its the best way to build them that I know of. I build them in 10 hook sections, and tie a combination swivel/hook on each end. Depending on where I'm fishing, I might want to set out a 20 hook line (80') or maybe a 50 hook line (200'). Simply clip the sections together to make the length of trotline you want.

Ok..this is a good idea. No more cut the line to length and fix it after it's been out.

"Use a combination swivel/clip." Like the MAGIC BAIT trotline clips with a swivel added?

BTW... 1 keeper in 5 days on the bayou here in Jefferson. S-L-O-W trotlinin'...lines are home and drying for the weekend. Don't wanna catch a jetski this holiday. I hear them yamaha things don't cook up too tender.

Steve,

Try using a long piece of flat styrofoam, put the hooks along one side all in a row spaced about 1/4" apart and let the leaders and mainline drop down, wrap each end tightly around the foam and let it dig into the foam to keep them from coming loose. Take the leaders and mainline that are hanging down and wrap a twist tie around them or a pieces of electrical tape to keep them from getting tangled. When you go to set the line remove the tape or twisyt tie, tie one end of the line to whatever fixture you are going to use and them drive (SLOWLY) and let the hooks pull out of the styrofoam (be careful) until you get to the other end of the line. This works very well and better than enything else I have ever seen or used. The best foam to use is the foam they use as insulation on construction sites (pink foam board) and you can easily find scraps laying around all over town.

www.txcatfishguide.com

I agree don't buy a pre-made line unless you are just playing around. I don't use swivels or snaps heck I can't hardly afford the hooks. There you go now you have 4 or 5 suggestions

Will build my own this weekend.


jtexfisher...i will be in your neck of the woods fishing....mostly for bass, but why not set out the line and see right?

Steve..

good luck this weekend. Caddo has bee a wee better than the 'Pines or the bayou. Bass seem to be moving to 8-10'. Catfish ?? Dunno...been runnin' them lines on the bayou. Crappie have been good once you find 'em.

It's my oncall weekend...3 days off the water. Here's hoping the withdrawl symptoms are't too bad.

i guess i'm slow or missing something ... do you wrap the main line around the styrofoam, end to end?

I do this as well. I use a piece thats about 20" by 8" by 2". You start wrapping the main line around the end of the styrofoam and you stretch the stages/hook to the other end and jab them in. You just keep wrapping, stretching, stabbing.
I only do this when I am going to put a line out where the bottom is fairly clean. In Lake Palestine it's too stumpy and your hooks will get caught on the bottom. For those kind I just leave the hooks off and add them once the line is set....but you already know that.

Just wondering how your trotlining trip came out.