03-11-2003, 05:55 AM
Set lines can be set up several ways. Trotlines are usually a long line with 6 inch drops and hooks every two ft or so and set shore to shore under water or anchor to anchor. There is all kinds of ways to set them depending on your situation. We use to set trotlines out during Feburary and fill the freezer up - cold water catfish taste better than when the water gets over 60 degrees. Setlines we would use a limber cane pole or green 1 inch limbs jammed into the mud and just use nylon or cotton cord for a line with a big hook and goldfish/minnows/sunfish for bait. Channel and Yellow cats can not refuse a big ol goldfish. That is the best live bait for whiskers by far -they can live for several days on a hook if the water is not to warm. We also put set lines out on the river by just using overhanging limbs and that is how we caught really big yellow cats with a shiners or goldfish. Yellow cats are the best eating - they exclusively eat minnows or fish and are tougher to catch. Imagine grabbing a kite string with a 50 lb catfish hooked to it and dragging it into a 14 ft jon boat - fun!
Believe it or not but Channel cats are catchable on just bare silver hooks. Get one fish on a trotline which is set just under water and the flash from bare hooks dancing will catch them.
Catfishing is better at nite for the bigguns but most people fish wrong to get the really big ones - the trick is to fish shallow & maybe only 2-3 ft off the bank and get back away from the spot cause they are super spooky. The big ones cruise the shoreline chasin minnows at nite. I always caught the biggest fish on a trotline on the hook that was next to shore.
Most states you have to label your lines with name, etc and you are required to check them every day if in public water. I don't know how they would work in Utah cause you can not use minnows and any other bait the small fish would peck to death and clean off. Setting trotlines in public water is risky cause you don't know what may run into it.
I have seen some spots on the bear river I guarantee you could probably haul some big channels out of if you could use minnows - but you can't use them here.
I have used jugs but they were a pain to keep up with.
Thats how I did it [cool]
[signature]
Believe it or not but Channel cats are catchable on just bare silver hooks. Get one fish on a trotline which is set just under water and the flash from bare hooks dancing will catch them.
Catfishing is better at nite for the bigguns but most people fish wrong to get the really big ones - the trick is to fish shallow & maybe only 2-3 ft off the bank and get back away from the spot cause they are super spooky. The big ones cruise the shoreline chasin minnows at nite. I always caught the biggest fish on a trotline on the hook that was next to shore.
Most states you have to label your lines with name, etc and you are required to check them every day if in public water. I don't know how they would work in Utah cause you can not use minnows and any other bait the small fish would peck to death and clean off. Setting trotlines in public water is risky cause you don't know what may run into it.
I have seen some spots on the bear river I guarantee you could probably haul some big channels out of if you could use minnows - but you can't use them here.
I have used jugs but they were a pain to keep up with.
Thats how I did it [cool]
[signature]