Trot Lines

Trot lines are an easy, cost efficient way of catching lots of fish without having to hang around the area you wish to fish from. A trot line is a string or rope with multiple hooks attatched to it that can be left in the water over a period of time. There are different ways to use a trot line, but every trot line has a multitude of hooks tied to it. The hooks should be seperated by about 2 feet and you can make it as long as you wish with as many hooks as you wish. Keep in mind that the more hooks that are in the water, the more fish you are likely to catch. The type of fish you are targeting will determine the height of the trot line and also the type of bait you use. Tying both ends of the line to something just above the waterline and allowing a bit of slack so it will sag just under the water's surface is one way. This method is primarily used to target sunfish, such as bass and white perch. Another method is to secure one end to something on land and the other to a weight of some kind. This is the preferred method because there are baited hooks up by the surface but also down at the bottom. Using this method, you can target nearly any native fish species from catfish to bass and brihm.