Rubber trotlines!!

[centerdriver]

I know that I am still new in this forum, but thought I would stir up either memories or questions!!!!!!
Anyone ever use or heard about rubber trotlines????
My grandfather and I use to do this a couple of times a year, mainly for the male bonding thing and getting out of the house for most the night. We would set out 5 or 6, build a fire, cook hotdogs and even get the guitars out for a while. Lots of fun and at times can really keep ya hoppin.
Dusty

[bugman]

Never heard of or seen one how are they made?I have limblined with my grandpa.....would love just one more trip.

[hogster]

We used to use inner tubes from bikes on limb and bank lines.Is that what your refering to?
If so it was a blast.Who has ever been Noodling?Now thats a blast:D

[centerdriver]

Give yall a hint. Those little clip on bells were (I think) designed for this type of fishing. You only need a boat to set them out and retrieve them. You stay on the bank and when the bell rings.....you pull in the fish, take it off, put another minner on and let it back out. Normally you had ten to fifteen hooks per line.
I can remember it like it was yesterday.....even though it was back in the 60's when we were doing it. Was quite the rage for a few years down in Texas.

[bugman]

You have to be a half bubble off to noodle i just cant see myself wading around with snakes and sticking my hand into places i cant see maybe i'm a sissy but that is one type of fishin i aint ever gonna try.

[centerdriver]

Wanted to see how many inquires I could get with this thread. Will post again tomorrow to let everyone know how this is done. Just can't believe no one has tried this before. But then again, I was tellin a new friend about a few tricks grandpa used for crappie years ago and he had not heard of any of them.

[hogster]

Ah comon Bugman its fun.The secrete is to sink your own tubes and culverts in deep water so there aint no air pockets for the snakes to lay in.:D Then ya just drink one to many coors light and your scared of nothin,go grab dem fish.:D

[Bruce Carp]

Did the noodling thing for about 15 years, started when I was five with my dad, by ten I was fishing by myself before lunch while working along the Salt river in central MO on the family farm. Drive the old tractor back to the house with a couple of cats hand on the drawbar. I would probably get both parents in family court today for a ten year old noddleing by himself! Didn't think much about it then.

[centerdriver]

Since this thread has gone to noodlin will go ahead and let bugman rest his mind.....yes there really is such a thing and it can be a blast.....here's how you go about it.
In sporting goods stores (or you use to be able to buy it there) you can get a spool of rubber that is 1/4" wide...just like a really long rubber band. It stretches something like 3 times its length. One foot will stretch to 3.
Get you some cinder blocks and jugs (for as many lines you want to make), and load them in the boat.
Paddle out about 100' from shore and set a jug with a block with enough line so the jug is floating and line is tight.
Tie a knot in the end of the rubber then tie the rubber onto the jug and paddle back to bank letting out the rubber as you go.
Pull the slack out of the rubber once your standing on dry land till it is fairly tight, but not near the breaking point.
Here comes the tricky part. I wrap the rubber several times around a stick so I can hold it while I cut it and tie on a trot line. Once this is done, the hard part is over.
Let out about 3' of line, tie on a 1' drop with a crappie hook on it, bait it with a minner and let out another 3' and repeat till you have 8-10 hooks baited out.
Take a limber (green preferred) stick and shove it down into the bank. Now let out enough of the line so the center of the hook area is as deep as you want to fish and tie it off to the stick.
Get one of those little bells with the clip on it and attach that to the stick.
Now just sit back and wait by the fire or whatever. When the bell rings, pull in the fish, take it off and rebait and let the line back out.
If you set 4-6 of those out and the crappie schools start coming though, it can really be hectic. Best to have a couple of buddies to help........with the fishing and for company if you so desire.
We preferred setting them out where the lake narrows and goes under a bridge. Sort of funnels them to ya.
You only have to get in the boat to set them out and to take them up again, so all the fishing is done from dry land where the cooler is and the friends are.

[hogster]

Centerdriver that sounds like a whole lotta fun.And im sorry i steered your post towards noodlin.Just popped into mind while reading the post and kind of transfered to it.Once agian sorry.Now this rubber is it flat or round?Cant say i have ever seen a spool of the stuff.What is it it usually used for?Maybe that would help in finding it.