Trotline And Jug Time

[Jason Essary]

This is the time of the year that I start trotlining and a few jugs out on tablerock. Love to catch cats on them. Was wondering if anyone else here does it. Baits, techniques, suggestions? Im still learning every year on them. I fish in little north indian creek, north of indian point marina. My boy loves it and going to start my little daughter on it this year. and the table fair is great. Anyone been running any lines already?

Anyways, let er rip guys. Love to hear any ideas.....

[zsmith62]

I myself cant wait to pull in a few cats myself...

I've found it best to spend the morning and afternoon fishing for little bluegills and such with either worms, and then use all of the little ones you catch as bait for your juglines.

[Jason Essary]

I normally use small perch for half my bait and alternate with frozen shad i catch in throw nets. makes a good one two punch in my mind.

[Quillback]

Do you jug and trotline for them at night, or during the day?

[Jason Essary]

Quillback. I set my lines out during the day and get everything placed nicely (prefferably on a light breeze, fighting a boat in a strong wind while setting lines is very frustrating. Then bout one hour before dark i start fishing perch for bait. sometimes it will suprise u how long it can take to catch 25 to 35 small perch for bait. then just before dark i run the line baiting the hooks.

If i can get myself out of bed, i like to check the line at 1am, then comeback at daylight and check it again. Normally ill let run a line 2 nights in a row before moving it if it doesnt produce, leaving productive lines and keep them baited. I almost always run my lines right on bottom and run 90 degrees from the bank, so to keep snags from bass boys at a minimum.

In the event i want to leave a line for a while (next weekend or so) and not be able to check it, I take all the bait off of the hooks the last time I run it. U would be suprised how many fish u can still catch on bare hooks during the week. Last year I started using the fast clips, makes taking droppers off easy, so this year I will be taking the hooks off when Im not baiting. I cant stand the idea of a fish caught and left for more than a day or so.

[ozarkgunner]

Quillback. I set my lines out during the day and get everything placed nicely (prefferably on a light breeze, fighting a boat in a strong wind while setting lines is very frustrating. Then bout one hour before dark i start fishing perch for bait. sometimes it will suprise u how long it can take to catch 25 to 35 small perch for bait. then just before dark i run the line baiting the hooks.

If i can get myself out of bed, i like to check the line at 1am, then comeback at daylight and check it again. Normally ill let run a line 2 nights in a row before moving it if it doesnt produce, leaving productive lines and keep them baited. I almost always run my lines right on bottom and run 90 degrees from the bank, so to keep snags from bass boys at a minimum.

In the event i want to leave a line for a while (next weekend or so) and not be able to check it, I take all the bait off of the hooks the last time I run it. U would be suprised how many fish u can still catch on bare hooks during the week. Last year I started using the fast clips, makes taking droppers off easy, so this year I will be taking the hooks off when Im not baiting. I cant stand the idea of a fish caught and left for more than a day or so.

I run jugs from time to time. Set the Bluegill 2-3 feet below the jugs and let them drift over flats or even in the main channel. Big cats will come up to the surface at night. Remember you have to label your lines/ jugs and you must be in sight of jug lines at all times. No more leaving jugs overnight like in the olden days.

On limb lines I set the bluegill 1 inch in the water so they splash all night. Big flatheads love to grab them right on the top. This year at the ROCK is going to be great for cats. I grew up fishing the IP area and have several good cat points. The fishing is better up the James River arm.

[Trav]

Here on the lower Taney there is the myth that nothing but trout exist. I run half a dozen throw lines off my dock at all times and have caught a fair share of cats.

I use 3 inch gills as bait and usually pick up a few dozen a year. Last year the biggest was 12 pounds but in '05 I got a 32 pound guy that was pretty nice.

[ozarkgunner]

Do you ever get any brown trout on the Trotlines? I have always wanted to run a line with minnows using 15lbs. test on lower Tanney to try to catch a pig brown. I figured you could get into a mess of trout using med. minnows on a trotline if you used mono for the hook lines.

[bclift65706]

I mostly use ancord jug lines fishing by myself lot easyer to run the lines. Sometimes I have someone with me an stretch out some trotlines but can be very dangerous by your self. Not many people around here are into staying out half the day and all knight so I leave them on the pourch. Seems like I catch most of my fish between 1am and daylight