Trotline fishing is a popular way of fishing, especially for those who fish the coastal areas. Trotlining is very effective and productive because you can catch a lot of fish at once. It can even be more productive than pole and line or bank line fishing and it only takes 5 minutes to make one. Trotline fishing is a great way of catching fish of different sizes and you can have fun with it.
Trotlining for catfish is a common practice in the coastal areas because the currents are slow, so fish will stay over a particular area for a long time. This makes trot lining very effective. Trotlines are set up from point to point, or from bank to bank, long heavy lines with baited hooks hung at intervals. They are left for a certain period of time and the person setting them will come back later to check on them.
In addition Trotlines can be used by themselves or along with bottom bouncers. They are very effective because it only takes 5 minutes to prepare and they catch many fishes of different sizes. As the tides change, more fish will be caught as they move along with the changing tides. Trotlines are usually used in areas where there is a current so that the lines can drift along with it. This makes it very easy for fishermen to check their trotlines since they don’t have to travel too far. They can just follow the line or pull it in when they get to where it’s located.
Before we get into the different types of trotlines, it’s important to understand that a trotline is simply a line suspended in the water with several baited hooks.
Many fishermen tie their own lines and add an assortment of lures such as spinnerbaits and crankbaits, while others use commercially made trotlines with jig heads that already have the bait attached.
There are tons of ways to rig up trotlines, but these six common types are the most popular. They range from easy to use for first-timers, to more complex rigs with additional options—a perfect way to find out which works best for you!
We’ll start with probably one of the most simple to use.
Neck-Style
The neck-style trotline is a basic setup that allows you to fish in waters with vegetation or submerged brush where you cannot set up with any other type of rig without getting hung up on the cover.
Attach your line (we used 50lb test) to a sturdy tree limb, dock post, lay a trotline stake in the ground—whatever is stable enough to hold the weight of your line.
Next, tie on a simple slip sinker about 8 inches above your hook or jig head. The slip sinkers are helpful because once your baits are set you can slide them up and down with ease.
Attaching the bait is quick and easy. We used 4/0 octopus hooks, but many fishermen use treble hooks which are great for larger fish. Slide the open end of the hook through your fishing worm leaving about an inch in front of the barb. Slip it in between the coils on your slip sinker so there’s just enough space for your worm to wiggle and then tighten the line.
There are two ways you can attach your baits once you’ve set up your neck style trotline:
Use a bait band/worm harness which allows for better hook penetration, movement, and durability (it will help keep thinner worms from tearing). You can make one very easily with needle nose pliers and some 400 or higher braided fishing lines. Just bend the point of the hook out into a loop that you can slide on your line, then attach it to your mainline about 4-6 inches above the sinker. Then you just slide your rubber band down over the worm on your harness and place it around the neck to keep it in place.
Once you’ve added your hook, slip sinker, and worm harness or band it’s time to add your bait. You can use a variety of baits for this including crawfish, cut shad/pinfish/baitfish, nightcrawlers, etc. Slide them on your hook so they dangle about 1-2 inches off the bottom.
Neatly stack your baits by making figure 8’s on both sides of your hook, then apply pressure with your pliers to tighten it up and hold them in place. Once the sinker is holding enough weight you can slide all your baits back up together onto the hook.
Now, just tie your line to a sturdy nearby object and you’re ready to fish!
Tip: Be sure to check your knots often since they may loosen or slip and be replaced as needed. You can also attach treble hooks and other objects such as spinnerbaits and crankbaits instead of the jig heads to really entice the fish.
The base of your slip sinker is probably one of your most important pieces when putting together a trotline. A good sturdy weight will ensure that the rigs are properly sitting on the bottom where you want them, and disallow them from slipping off into cover or down under rocks! Try not to go any lighter than a 1/2 oz. weight for this style of trotline.
Floating Neck-Style
This is very similar to the neck style with one major difference. It uses a regular snap swivel instead of the slip sinker and can be left in place during winter months when you cannot access your fishing spots due to ice.
Attach your line (we used 50lb test) to a sturdy tree limb, dock post, lay a trotline stake in the ground—whatever is stable enough to hold the weight of your line.
Attach them to your snap swivel by slipping it in between the coils with ease. Or, if they are too thick or difficult to fit you can also use a ring harness.
The base of your snap swivel is probably one of your most important pieces when putting together a trotline. A good sturdy weight will ensure that the rigs are properly sitting on the bottom where you want them, and disallow them from slipping off into cover or down under rocks!
Floating-Neck-Style with Float (for ice fishing)
Same as Floating Neck Style, but with the addition of a float to keep your trot line up off the ice during winter months. For this, we used a Berkley Gulp! Alive Shad and applied a small split shot about 10 inches above it. The use of live bait adds another level of difficulty to catching your fish, but it can be well worth the reward! If you are using a Gulp! Alive Baits will last for days if kept in optimal water conditions.
If you see your float start to dip below the surface, re-bait the hook and set your line back out.
You can also add a spin-glow to your line if it is in a particularly dark area or you are trying to fish at night.
Floating-Neck-Style with Float (for ice fishing)
Your trotline is complete, now it’s time to wait for your fish! You can either pull in your line when you are finished or leave it out overnight. If you leave the line in overnight, be sure to check back first thing in the morning to ensure that your catch made it through the night!
If you’re using a Gulp! Alive Baits will last for days if kept in optimal water conditions. Next, tie on a simple snap swivel about 8 inches above your hook or jig head. The snap swivels are helpful because they allow your baits to move with the current, which is important since many fish feed on the drift or just follow their natural instincts.
Attach your bait (we used 4/0 octopus hooks) by sliding the open end of each hook through your fishing worm leaving about an inch in front of the barb. Attach them to your snap swivel by slipping it in between the coils with ease.
The best way to attach your sinker is probably one of the easiest: just slide it on over your line and work it down until you have reached the knot tying your trotline together. The weight helps sink your line and bring it down to the bottom, allowing your baits to sit where you want them. If your weight is too light (such as a small rock) it will allow the trotline to bounce along the lake floor as fish swim by. If this happens you can either tie another sinker to it or use a bigger one.
Three-Way Rig
The Three-Way Rig is another method of fishing where your line splits off into three. This rig is used mainly when you want to use multiple types of baits at once. To do this, tie one end of your string to a swivel and the other end to an offset hook. Then, attach 3 snap swivels to your mainline, about 6 inches apart. Attach your baits (we used Gulp! Alive Baits in Crawfish) by sliding the open end of each hook through your bait leaving about an inch in front of the barbed end. Then attach them to your snap swivel by slipping it between the coils with ease.
- Tie a weight to the end of your mainline and tie a slipknot into that weight. One trick is to cut a small slit about an inch long into the weight, then put the trotline through it so it will stay secure on the bottom of the lake.
Attach your baits (we used Gulp! Alive Baits in Crawfish) by sliding the open end of each hook through your bait leaving about an inch in front of the barbed end. Then attach them to your snap swivel by slipping it between the coils with ease.
- The next step is to tie a slipknot into one end of your line, pass through a bobber, and tie another slipknot. Add split shot to the mainline about a foot from your bobber so you have some room for movement. The last step is to tie another weight on the opposite side of your mainline as you did with the first one, but instead of adding a slipknot to it, just loop it around twice, pull it tight, and cut off the excess.
Slide your bobber down to whatever depth is comfortable for you, then cast out your line into the water. If the boat bobs or waves are causing trouble for you, you can either buy a casting harness or just snug everything up on one side of your boat to stabilize it.
- This method of trot lining is the most versatile and allows for many different types of baits to be used. When using live bait, you can hook them through their nose (this prevents more bites), hook one side of the tail only (to make it easier for fish to take your bait without feeling resistance), or if they are too small, simply nail the tail to a fish board and lay it on your trotline.
Once you have set out your line, you can check it periodically by slowly pulling your bobber down, then letting it rise back up. If there is any tension on the line, then there is either something caught or hooked on or something swimming around with it. If you want to tell which type of bait is effective, just tug on it a little to see if they try taking off with it or if they are trying to get away from it. As for the fish board, you can either check every five minutes or wait until you feel tension.
If using live bait, remember that catching too many of the same type of fish is not good for the lake. It is best to keep one or two, then throw them back if you are trying to catch some other species.
If using artificial baits (such as plastic worms), try putting a Gulp! Alive Baits on it to give your line an extra boost. If you’re feeling lucky, try out a Gulp! Alive Baits in Crawfish.
If you have any trouble with your line being stolen or snagged by other people’s lines, just add some nails near the top of the water to discourage them from going after it. If they get their hooks stuck on a nail instead of yours, nothing will happen and they’ll probably get confused, which will give you enough time to pull it up.
Nail the tail to a fish board and lay it on your trotline.
You can also add some nails near the top of the water to discourage them from going after it.
buck-line
Another type of trotline is called a buck-line because you can add a hook to each clip, making it a type of “mullet run.” This is an especially effective method when using live mullets because they are good at attracting every fish in the vicinity.
Wrap Up
From setting up the trotline to reeling it in, there are many steps involved with this type of fishing. It is important that you understand these techniques before trying your hand at catching any fish! If you want more information on how to set up a trotline and other methods for fishing, give us a call today. We can help provide expert advice so that you catch as many fish as possible while minimizing your effort.
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