Thread: Trotlines

Old unused trot line left out and not used get cut everytime by me, same with Yo Yo's. I have no problems with someone who is using it actively, but dont let me find one just left out day in and day out and not used.

I pull crank bait from MAy thru November and do get caught in trotline some. If they are marked and I get in them then it is my fault and I will try to get my crankbaits back but will not cut the trotline, but if it is not mark then I will do whatever it take to get my lures back.

Got to put my 2 cents in.
Several years ago I was buying some minnows from Dave, at Daisy, AR, they have a motel and store,gas,bait, Lakeside I think it is called. I stopped in pretty regular back then. OK, I got a few dozen minnows which he put in a plastic bag and layed them on the counter, then he asked, you going crappie fishing, I said no I am trotlining, here is what he said, "I was bass fishing the other day and hung on a trotline, I pulled it up and it had a catfish on either side of where I was hung, I reached down with my knife and cut it". Folks I looked him in the eye, looked at that bag of minnows on the counter then turned and walked out of his store, that was years ago, have not been back and I tell everyone I can about it.

I would've knocked over a bunch of stuff on the way out of that bait store.

I've picked up other guys nets while dragging for mine that's had hundreds of dollars of fish in them. Every single one was dropped right back where it was found. I've never taken a fish off of another persons gear. Wish I could say that people did the same when they accidently or purposely pick up my gear.

I trotline occasionaly myself, and as a rule I do not touch another persons line knowingly and if I do accidentaly snag it, I do my best to put it back just like it was found. However, if its an obvious old line, rusted hooks, two feet above the water line because it was put out weeks ago when the river was higher, etc, it may get removed. They give the rest of us a bad rap. Case in point, I accidentaly drifted under an old line that was up out of the river and my son had to get down and under it to keep from getting caught up in it. He tried to grab for it but I was luckily able to stop him. If his hand would have snagged a hook he would have been pulled out of the boat. I don't take kindly to anything that endangers my childs life.