Watch your traps

[Will S.]

Near Holiday Island, A couple of days ago someone pulled up my Crayfish trap & kept 1/2 the trap & I assume its contents. They were kind enough to remove my name tag, re-clip the line & throw the other half of my new trap and marker back in the water. I will just leave it at that.

[vonreed]

Sad deal.  I feel your grief.  I've got 5 crawdad traps out right now and have had the same trouble.  Sadly most of the trouble indicates other fishermen are the culprits.  I had 2 trotlines cut and stolen last year out of Aunts Creek.  Now I put everything tied off below the surface a few feet to try to avoid the thieves.   

What type of terrain do you set your traps out in?  What depth? 

[dtrs5kprs]

Bummer about the thieves, but that is an excellent picture. Is it recent?

[bobby b.]

And tasty too.

[Phil Lilley]

Trail cam on the bank to take a pic of the thieves?

[johnm]

No wonder it can be so hard to catch them Lil boogers with everyone using live crawdads lol

[merc1997 Bo]

7 hours ago, vonreed said:

Sad deal.  I feel your grief.  I've got 5 crawdad traps out right now and have had the same trouble.  Sadly most of the trouble indicates other fishermen are the culprits.  I had 2 trotlines cut and stolen last year out of Aunts Creek.  Now I put everything tied off below the surface a few feet to try to avoid the thieves.   

What type of terrain do you set your traps out in?  What depth? 

so, do you still clearly mark you lines so those of us that do care to not be tangled in them can do so??  if not, that is the biggest reason for getting a trot line cut.  i really thank those that clearly mark their line so they can be avoided.  for those that do not mark their line, have they ever wondered what if a child took a swim where your line is, not marked, and got tangled in it and got drowned?????  there is a very good reason that the law requires a trot line to be clearly marked.  don't want someone running it and stealing your catch, then you need to run you line more often.

if your last name is clinton, then it would be possible to be above the law.

bo

[vonreed]

2 hours ago, merc1997 said:

so, do you still clearly mark you lines so those of us that do care to not be tangled in them can do so??  if not, that is the biggest reason for getting a trot line cut.  i really thank those that clearly mark their line so they can be avoided.  for those that do not mark their line, have they ever wondered what if a child took a swim where your line is, not marked, and got tangled in it and got drowned?????  there is a very good reason that the law requires a trot line to be clearly marked.  don't want someone running it and stealing your catch, then you need to run you line more often.

if your last name is clinton, then it would be possible to be above the law.

bo

I'm not sure if you're looking for an argument or whatnot.   The trotlines I had stolen were clearly marked by a float within 5 ft of the bank with all my info.  I clearly put my info on the line and put them in a place that swimmers aren't around.  I believe checking a trotline everyday within 24 hours is the law, and driving down and checking them every couple hours would be pointless. Maybe you don't know catfish habits, but they're mainly nocturnal.  Stupid city folk bass fishermen are not friendly to people setting trotlines.  It is there attitude and arrogance that resembles the Clintons.

[abkeenan]

1 hour ago, vonreed said:

I'm not sure if you're looking for an argument or whatnot.   The trotlines I had stolen were clearly marked by a float within 5 ft of the bank with all my info.  I clearly put my info on the line and put them in a place that swimmers aren't around.  I believe checking a trotline everyday within 24 hours is the law, and driving down and checking them every couple hours would be pointless. Maybe you don't know catfish habits, but they're mainly nocturnal.  Stupid city folk bass fishermen are not friendly to people setting trotlines.  It is there attitude and arrogance that resembles the Clintons.

Hey now! I resent that!

I think the way you worded it made it sound like you didn't mark your lines and had them tied a few feet down on the tree/tie off object to avoid detection. I THINK that's all Bo was saying and was pointing out in that case it would be illegal and potentially dangerous.

It's been a few years since I've set a trotline but I think if you CLEARLY mark you line MOST if not all people will leave it alone. Just like anything else a few bad apples ruin it for everyone. The lazy thieves running your lines or the chumps that don't mark their junk or never take it in leaving a friggin' mess in the lake for months (or longer) both suck. Typically I would check ours 2 or 3 times a day and reload bait during those checks. 

[merc1997 Bo]

9 hours ago, vonreed said:

I'm not sure if you're looking for an argument or whatnot.

not looking for an argument at all.  trot liners have every right to do so and it is a great sport.  but, when a trot line is not marked and it is then very easy to accidently snag it, the outcome of that is never good.  the way your statement is worded sounds as though when you started tying them off under the water, you also quit marking them which would make things worse.

i can understand the frustration when you have a legal line that is clearly tagged and marked and someone runs it or cuts it.  anyone that gets snagged up in a marked line is just plain stupid, deserves to loose their lure, and needs to be severely thrashed for cutting such line.  however, i have no sympathy for those that do not clearly mark their line.

by the way, i am not what anyone would describe as a city folk bass fisherman.  i am as about as hillbilly as they come.

bo