How do you deal with trot lines?

[MinnowReaper]

I generally do not have a problem with trot lines as long as they are properly marked, maintained and not overdone to the point that they choke out normal fishing. However, there seems to be on most every body of water that I have fished, a number of trotlinners that feel it necessary to not mark their lines or keep them maintained properly. Whenever I get hung up on one of these lines I have no problem with cutting the line (usually after harvesting a few fish off of them if fresh). To quote a guide that I fished with once: "Inconvenience me, I'll inconvenience you". Just wondering how other people deal with this problem. And if it is not a problem where you fish let me know so I can fish without being inconvenienced.

[1fishhound1]

If the line is new and is not over on of my piles or something like that i will usually just get my bait back and leave it alone. If its old or set over one of my spots it usually gets dealt with with a knife. If properly marked they can still get everything back without a problem. I do my best not to cut one that is properly marked though. Unmarked ones do not get the same courtesy.

[Cmj]

If they are not marked or look like they have been there a while I cut them. The marked ones don't usually cause me many problems because I know they are there.

[Huntalivesh23]

Me and a buddy run trot lines and we do not mark ours for the fact of there's certain groups of guys on the water that think they own the lake and will either steal or cut lines that are marked. That being said, when we are done running them for the year we pull them out of the water so as to not have other fishermen get caught on them

[skiptomylu]

As long as they are active I don't mess with them and most I don't even check, but if I do get tangled in one it better not be inactive and just left there because it's getting cut. I have done some trot lining as well, but never left my lines in when I stop using them. Actually I don't have many problems with them though and it's probably been 3 years or more since I cut one and that one got me a but hot under the collar. It had fish rotting on it so I knew they baited it and just left it there so in that case I don't care if it's marked or not, it's getting cut!

[chucktx]

x1!

[Cmj]

Me and a buddy run trot lines and we do not mark ours for the fact of there's certain groups of guys on the water that think they own the lake and will either steal or cut lines that are marked. That being said, when we are done running them for the year we pull them out of the water so as to not have other fishermen get caught on them

It is illegal to use unmarked lines here, as well as leaving them out for an entire "season." As I stated before, if I am trolling along and all of a sudden all my lines get hopelessly tangled in a trotline that was not marked, and has obviously not been tended to for several days/weeks, you better believe it's going to get cut. I'm not a trotline/limbline/yo-yo hater like a lot of the guys on here, as I enjoy using them from time to time. But I ALWAYS take them down when I am done, per my state laws. Sure, it's a lot of work but it's better than coming back to find that someone has cut all of my lines. When someone cuts your lines, you say that they "think that they own the lake," but you are the one that ties your unmarked lines everywhere and leaves them for weeks or months at a time. Just sayin.

[ezgoing]

If they are marked, I avoid them. If they are unmarked and I get tangled, they get cut.

They should not be set in places where they impede the general flow of fishing or boat traffic. If they are, then they deserve to get cut by anybody that finds them.

I don't own the water but neither does those who put out trot lines that are in the way of other users of the water. Remember that you are using a shared resource and treat others the same way you want to be treated when you use it.

I used them years ago but I tried to set them where they would not be in the way of other fishermen. I also marked them where they could be seen from a distance as I did not want anybody running through them when trolling. Yes, some were stolen but not as many as you would think. A lot of the older fishermen had a habit at shooting at anybody they caught running their lines. This was well known in the area so most stayed away from lines that did not belong to them.

I no longer use them as we can catch all the fish we and our neighbors can eat with rod and reel, or by trolling six rods at a time if it is otherwise slow.

I have no problem with their use as long as they are used in a courteous manner.

edited:typo

[IAMMAC]

Can't use them in AZ, so I have not had this issue. I can see how frustrating it could be though.

[RCC]

How I deal with them is to watch the lake the day before I want to fish and see where the spider rigging/cranking crowd is. Before daylight on the day I want to fish, I string several unmarked trot lines about 3ft deep in the area my competition was fishing the day before. This usually keeps them busy until I can catch a limit and get gone. I have found that trot lines made out of yarn really tangle up good and are quite inexpensive. No hooks needed.