Trotlining adventure kc

[Devan S.]

So are you tying off to a tree or bank and then anchoring with a rock? I see lots of lines run from tree to tree but haven't thought about pulling tight and sinking the other end. I prefer jugging but set a trot line from time to time but always went tree to tree which rules out a lot of places. Another tip for everyone is watch your depth and check often, catfish will die as the water warms up.

[5bites]

Real easy 5bites as long as you know where to look.

1) run short lines. 10 hooks or so. I have hooks spaced 4 to 5 foot apart. 2) secondary points are generally best as long as you have the right type of structure. Look for areas with decent size slab rock. Also a shelf of some sort that runs off into 20 foot of water before dropping deep is best. 3) mid May into early June is usually a real good bite prior to them spawning. 4) circle hooks are generally best as they snag fish real well but not rocks, trees, etc. 5) bait selections: green sunfish are the prime flathead bait. Soft finned and bodied. Catch them throwing small brown jigs and such around rocky areas as they are crawdad devouring machines. Pumpkinseed and normal bluegill will work in a pinch though. 6) a little trick I dreamt up and seems to work very well. I take a quarter of a pool noodle and tie it about 3 or four foot from the anchor and sort of lifts the end hooks off the bottom slightly. 7) hook bait slightly behind and above anus opening. The bait will swim up constantly and struggle freely. It also lives a lot longer. Make sure you bait right before dark, any earlier and gar and turtles play havoc along with the TR lobsters.

These are just some of the techniques I use and it works real well. The best morning years ago I had trotlining resulted in 8 out of 10 hooks having flatties on it. Not something I do every year, due to the walleye fishing obsession, but you can fill a freezer real quick with some great eating.

Average size I have found is about 7-14 pounds or so. It varies though.

Good luck.

Very good stuff! Thanks for the tips!

What are you tying to?

I assume like mentioned above that you are anchoring with a rock. How heavy do you need? How are you able to check your deeper hooks if it's anchored out there. I wouldn't think you'd want to pull up your weight when you run it. Or do you run a lot of line out past the last hook so it stretches?

Like I said it's been so long but I miss doing it. I'd love to show my boys. We set jugs a few times and had fun. This would be better.

[hunter_3780]

This is how I do it as well. Just pull up your rock stretch back tight and re sink your rock. Make sure your rock is under water before releasing it or it will snap and nock off some of your baits.

[rangerman]

I use window weights as an anchor, tie off on tree low or in the water. As mentioned make sure you don't snap line or you'll lose baits. Just work along line with trolling motor. Pulling it up is a given.

[5bites]

If I tie to a tree is it ok to have a weight at the front also? That way all the bait is down by the bottom the length of the line.

How much weight does a guy need usually?

[rangerman]

i wouldnt weight the front end. I wouldnt want the line that tight to the bottom. rear end I just use two small window weights so I figure 20 pounds or so. The line will be close to or on the bottom without the front weight.

[5bites]

Great. Thanks again for the advice. I hope we can go down to the lake again this weekend. If so hopefully I can try it out.