Well this next weekend we are going to set a trotline out on a private piece of property. I have set a trotline before but for this one we are going for flathead catfish. They have caught flatheads out there before but haven't done it in awhile. And to make matters worse he doesn't remember how they caught them. Can yall assist me on doing this even though I know you don't like trotlining. Should I put just one brick in the middle for weight or more? I have big hooks and I have a general idea for bait (Goldfish and brim). I really appreciate it!

Brick right in the middle should be fine if you have both ends tied to something. Big hooks and live bream will do great, I've seen a 30+ come off abtrotline baited with liver too.

Good luck out there!

Thanks bud!

For Yellows running a path, set a weight just off each end that you have tied to get the main line on down near the bottom. And as noted, set another in the center. And yes, I too would use some nice size perch.

Very good you are going this coming weekend, as on my Catfish Calendar, it shows it to be a 3 day YC run this weekend (Fri/Sat/Sun aka 28/29/30). So basically, the spread will be from Thursday PM thru Monday AM. Jeff & James, my Prize YellowCat & Catfish Calendar students, found that their lar5gest Yellows were caught on the front & end days of a 3 day YC run as to my Catfish Calendar.

Also, be sure to have some slack, which will act in a sense as a bungee. If too tight, they can rip the hook out very easy.

Also, very huge shiners will also produce Yellows.

Depending upon your staging, swivels or not ...
If using swivels, use a SS or brass barrel/crane type 3/0 or larger. And NO snaps.
If not using swivels, you can tie the leader with a hitch knot, then a single knot on each side to prevent sliding.

Wish you the best!
And let us know how you do!

I would say that the info you have been given will work fine. One thing I would say is that if you have the choice to string the line in deep water, say chest deep or deeper or shallow water, as in waist deep t knees, use the shallow water. My recent yellow that I caught on a trotline was on a very lively perch in knee deep water, in fact, the first or last hook on the line from where I finished tying off. if you expect to catch anything bigger than 10 pounds or so, tie off to something that has some spring to it, like a young tree. this will give a bit of pull while the fish is fighting and will not allow the fish to have something to pull against that would help it widen the hole the hook is in. Also, keep in mind the rules for trotlines as to how far hooks have to be apart. Good luck and post us some pictures of the catch!!!

Just so happens I plan on a Thursday night maybe Friday night river run Catfish Lynn. I'll let you know if anything comes of it. i also need to take a better look at that calendar of yours.

If you know where the previous ones were caught, I would definitely try that area to see if it still produces. Yellows like to hang around logs, brush, stumps, trees, holes in shallow or deep. The reasoning is simple, they are like a huge eating machine, a vaccuum for food. They use the element of surprise especially if they are big. But they are like lightning, as they can bolt from a dead start just as good as a dolphin can. And they can also come flying out of the water if they think it is worth it.

Also noted above, they can come into the shallows hoping to chance upon a feast as well.

Just remember one safety tip. Always expect the unexpected. A Yellow over 50 pounds has an advantage over you & can take you into its domain if you are careless & not braced to handle a sleeper when it awakens. I made that mistake once & won't do it again. It pulled me across the seat of my old flat bottom (my Dad bought it in 1962) & had my left arm in the water. If I had not made the split decision to let go, I would have went on over & out.

Sadly it was gone upon running the throwline again (but totally braced this time. But that was OK, as I knew where its hole or "apartment" was & I had the calendar to follow until one day I would triumph. That was August 1983. After many more encounters, I finally caught "Big'Un" on July 7, 1985 almost 2 years latter. And I was correct, as it was a YellowCat (about a 65# Op). It weighed in at the locker plant with the tail dragging the bottom of the scale. The scales showed 59#, but the guy said due to the tale dragging, it should go at least 65#. I used the YellowCat days to concentrate trying to catch it.