Trot Lines

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

Went down this weekend and set some lines, caught and 8 1/2 Blue, and and 8 1/2 a few smaller channels, and some how a little tiny white bass . I used live shad for bait. I was wondering how some of you guys like to hook shad or perch? seems like those live ones spin and spin until they are so wrapped up they cant go anywhere even with swivels...Mine were always getting tangled on the clip that hooks to the main line....Any thoughts or help would be appreciated

[fishinwrench]

Goldfish! Albino's if you can get'em.

[laker67]

The old timers used cotton seed cake, don't even know if it is still available anymore. It was cut into squares with a hole drilled in the center. Lots of seventy and eighty lb blues caught on ithis bait years back.

[fishinwrench]

I always thought cotton seed cake was for Buffalo and carp.

[laker67]

nope, catfish

[bfishn]

I hook all live baits just behind the dorsal fin and above the spine. You want them to swim, but if they're twisting up the drops you can slow 'em down a bit by trimming just a little off the tail fin with scissors. Don't trim too much, or they'll bleed out pretty quickly.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I always thought cotton seed cake was for Buffalo and carp.

That was my experience.

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

Also i have been tying one end to the dock and the other to anchor i go drop, Do you think i would have less tangles if i could suspend it off the bottom a little bit

[Jerry Rapp]

I hook all live baits just behind the dorsal fin and above the spine. You want them to swim, but if they're twisting up the drops you can slow 'em down a bit by trimming just a little off the tail fin with scissors. Don't trim too much, or they'll bleed out pretty quickly.

Sounds pretty cruel to me. I use to cut their heads half off before they were trot line bait. At least then they weren't eaten alive, and worked good for bait.

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

a Shads purpose in life is fish food, and the big Flat head typically like live stuff. I always try to bait with live bait, sometimes its hard to keep them alive though