Anyone every run trotline's for catfish while kayaking? If not have you ever run trotline's in general? I've never done it but want to try this season. I really need to catch fish in mass. My biggest concern is for safety reasons. What do I need to be weary of. I've heard of guys pulling gar's and turtles but what about other safety issues?

Thanks in advance.

i have ran some trot lines out of my kayak. But i preferred
running limb lines out of kayak. its a little less chance of
rolling. you can trot line out of kayak but i didnt care too
much for it.

also if you run trot lines in a kayak. you need to carry a sharp knife at all times in case you have to cut your self free if you happen to get hooked. and run the kayak parellel down the line. its not wise to check it perpendicular or to let it cross the kayak perpindicular (sp)

I've run trotlines out of a boat most of my younger life and I'm 64 now.

For safety reasons I would NOT run them out of a kayak.

I fish out of a kayak now for a few years and I can tell you that you are asking for trouble with a knife handy or not it is dangerous.

Stick with jug lines or limb lines and only run trotlines out of a boat and then try do it with a partner when possible.

What's the difference between a trot line and a limb line? I kinda thought they were the same.

A limb line hangs straight down into the water from a limb with a hook, or a couple hooks tied on.

A trot line is stretched across a large area with many hooks tied to it.


Both should be outlawed IMO because I see way too many people who don't come back for their equipment.

Go with jug lines...

limb line, jug line... yall are throwing too many new words at me!!!

try a yoyo

thats the problem none of my buds are into catfishing. which means none are interested in trotline fishing.

i did look up jug line fishing looks interesting. just cant figure out what stops the fish from running your jug all over the lake? being in a kayak i really don't wanna paddle for 3 hours chasing down 1 jug line.

You can put a weight the will keep your jug in the proximity. They spend more time fighting the jug downward than traveling. If a jug does dissappear it usually not far in cover. I keep more or less in site of them and treat them like a bunch of poles. I watch and "'work" them all day. It is easy to involve a kid or a buddy in the process too.
I have not run a trotline in a long while. I have too much fun with the jugs when I want some box fish. I seldom leave mine overnight. I usually put them out early and just run them all day. When you get the pattern figured out you can sink your boat with cats.

Using flagging jugs, you can see from quite a distance when they need bait or fish taken off. Do a google for flagging catfish jugs.

Good luck, Phill

it can be done but its Dangerous!!! Big Fish & the line itsef can roll ya. Safer to Jug or Limb lines.

KEEP A KNIFE ATTACHED TO YOU when paddling, boating or swimming in public waters! people abandon & loose their TROT, JUG, POLE & LIMB lines all the time! not suppose to but they offen have more than 24 new sharp or old rusted hooks on them. remember they are also likely to be weighted or taggled in timber. ive personally lost several trot & jug lines over the yrs. floods & floating timber carry them a long way from their origin near skiers, paddlers, swimmers, etc etc. sometimes theyre right below the surface. a knife or scissors attached to you can save your life.

Has anyone solved the problem of how to get a big catch back to camp when caught from a kayak? I caught a limit of crappie the other day and getting them back to the launch site was a chore. I was thinking about something that floats and is fairly streamlined with a trap door on top. Not trying to hijack the thread. I am planning to try running some jugs on Grapevine Lake as soon as it gets a little warmer. Wonder where the shad might be in a month or so?

I just drop mine straight on ice, but have been known to use a stringer with float on the end and another one put onion on the stringer every 6-7 fish. The bubble shaped floats from Academy are just $1.50 or so and are nicely tapered. Everything stays with a foot or so of surface. I am talking crappie here. catfish I would put on ice in a container on board or drag close to side of yak.

Nothing you tie to your yak is going to make your paddle fun, but if you have a anchor trolley, you can get a cheap metal stringer and take the clips off it. Tie a line on them about 10" long. run one end of the clip through the fish
s' jaw and then around our anchor trolley line. When doing this, I will cut the tails and bleed them after on stringer for a while if the day is cool. they tow flat against the side of the boat. not perfect, but compact.

I really just like an ice chest or fish bag.

Good luck, Phill