Trout line bait

[Donzi Dude]

My son wants to know what your favorite trout line bait is.:confused:

[flatlander]

gulp

[Steve H]

crawdads, chicken livers, shadsides

[Average Joe]

Bluegills.

[MAKESMEHAPPY]

Gold fish work well also

[dond]

Chicken livers stay on the hook well. Anyone else ever catch a snapping turtle on their trotline?????????

[goinfaster]

If you run out of bluegills (bream down here in the south), hot dogs will work but they don't stay on the hook very well.

[osageid]

Chicken livers stay on the hook well. Anyone else ever catch a snapping turtle on their trotline?????????

I have done that before! Not a pleasant surprise!
:shock:

[Average Joe]

Had a Gar get caught up in one of mine last summer.

[MAKESMEHAPPY]

Also remember the best tasting fish always go after live bait.

[Money Shot]

Turkey Liver

[the bear]

chicken liver and shad....

[ckmansell]

Cottonseed Cakes

[sanpan25]

Dough bait!

[stolidude]

Waterdogs work great!! If you catch a spoonbill the meat with the skin on it will stay on the hook real well.

[livinglife2]

beef spleen

[36Tango]

My son wants to know what your favorite trout line bait is.:confused:

I have never run a trout line, but I habve run bunches of trot lines!

As far as bait, we always mix it up and use about everything that has already been suggested. Make certain that you use plenty of it. I'd also suggest checking the DNR website as there is some regulation on them and how you need to identify them.

Trotlines ar e a bit of a pain, as you have as many as a hundred hooks on one line. What might be easier for your son would be to take a 1 or two liter pop bottle and tie three foot section of heavier cord to it. From there, tie a section of 12 pound line with a hook on the end. The 12 pound line can be 1 foot long, or ten foot long. It does not matter as they will feed at different depths. Tie the cord off on your dock, bait the hook, and then just keep an eye on it. The bottle will put a "shock absorber" between the hook in the fishes mouth and the dock, so that the line does not break, or it does not tear the hook out of its moth if it takes a run at it. For a real hoot, take about 20 of these rigs back into a cove, bait them, and let them float. It is a real charge to see the bottle go wild and go under water and pop up 20 feet away being pulled acrossed the water. Drive the boat over and pull up the line. We have had bottles go under water, and then go all the way to shore, and then go up on shore, and then go up into the woods. If that happens, you have caught a snake (which can be pretty cool)! Typically, you can hold the head down with a stick while you pull the hook with pliers. If you are not comfortable with handling snapping turtles (we have ghad many in the boat), just cut the line after admiring it. In a period of time, the hook will rust out.

A few year back, we became classy rednecks, so we use duck decoys instead of bottles. It really freaks out other boats to see twenty ducks sitting on the water, with one swimming around like a muther!

Damn, I wish I were on the lake right now!

[ckmansell]

Not saying a trot line cant have a 100 hooks as mentioned, but if it did, you would be in violation of Missouri Law. Any one person is only allowed 33 hooks in the water at once. (except Mississippi River, then 50)

This includes your personal poles as well. So if your setting a trot line and you know your going back to your dock to fish as well, then your trot line may only have 32 hooks since your pole at your dock would be your 33rd.

Oh and on a side note, reminder to everyone, this weekend, June 6 & 7th is "Free Fish" weekend. You do not need fishing license or Trout stamps to fish in Missouri. So go have fun!!!

[36Tango]

I guess that I have never counted them, but I probably should! It sure as hell feels like a hundred when you are baiting them and trying to get them in the water without them grtting all phockered up, or get some hooks in your skin.

Thats why we usually stick to jugs. As a side note, pulling up a bunch of worn out fish on a trotline is not that much fun, in my opinion, wheras jugs are a real hoot!

[mosi]

I know......
.
.
.
......It's sick :shock: ...............
.
.
.
.
.
.
.............. but they do make a good stink bait:oops:

[mosi]

:oops: "HOOKS"


.....nevermind[smilie=011.gif]

[Money Shot]

I know......
.
.
.
......It's sick :shock: ...............
.
.
.
.
.
.
.............. but they do make a good stink bait:oops:

They even have a website http://deadhookerstorage.net/home

[Blowupraft]

Chicken livers/ shad sides. I wouldn't use live fish as they will wind themselves up on the lead line. Also its not a troutline its a trotline lol. Use jugs or the noodles for live bait.

[the bear]

Not saying a trot line cant have a 100 hooks as mentioned, but if it did, you would be in violation of Missouri Law. Any one person is only allowed 33 hooks in the water at once. (except Mississippi River, then 50)

This includes your personal poles as well. So if your setting a trot line and you know your going back to your dock to fish as well, then your trot line may only have 32 hooks since your pole at your dock would be your 33rd.

Oh and on a side note, reminder to everyone, this weekend, June 6 & 7th is "Free Fish" weekend. You do not need fishing license or Trout stamps to fish in Missouri. So go have fun!!!


I just read this, I thought Missouri was, only 25 hooks in the water per person....

[repeatoffender]

shad gold fish bluegill shrimp n garlic