Running a trotline with a float tube

I got an idea to use my cumberland tube to set out and run trotlines and limblines for catfish in some small lakes that dont have any boat traffic.

Anyone tried this yet?  

I guess I'll need to make a floating cage for the snapping turtles!

Thanks and good fishing all!

... And Id be leery of all those hooks around my tube. Some clever engineering MIGHT solve that, but seems like an issue to me.

Short answer, yes. Legal wise, not in California.

However, trotlines are easily deal with, as long as you know the starting, mid, and end of line. If you don't see them, you're in way over your head, not just worrying about the hooks making a Titanic out of your tube, but the hooks wrapped around your fins from an escaping/active catch(es).

The best thing to do is to anchor that starting point with a fluke anchor method, 2lbs. This will prevent the starting of the line from being dragged by the strong cat, or monsters from below. Have a single vertical free line tied to the anchor and a float to indicate where the anchor is. The mid segment should have a colored float, indicating the mid segment point. The ending point should have a different color, indicating you're at the tail end, with at least 10 feet of running leader without hooks to prevent possible snag.

when you're hauling the line in, always haul from the tail end. If there's an aggressive fish trying to get away from the line, you better bet the hooks will be coming at your quite fast. Your fins will be wrapped up with live hooks, making legging rings that you won't like. Been there..done that..never again.

Thanks for the advise. Trotlines are legal here in Indiana, just limited by the number of hooks on it.

It is obvious you are not from California. Most people here call them "troutlines".  

fisheromen wrote:It is obvious you are not from California.  Most people here call them "troutlines".  

 SURE IS!!

I haven't tried the put out a troutline yet but did put out some jug lines in a small lake this last week. Caught a few small catfish (throw backs) and 3 snapping turtle..yum!!

I like turtles

ed5000x wrote:I like turtles

x2 lol

You might also wish to try anchored set lines or as an alternative, what we here in the South call "bush hooks."

The anchored set is just a float and anchor combo with a hook gang in between. Set in 20 ft of water, for example, you could use three hooks at five foot intervals to vertically cover the water column. Use whatever is legal for a float and make anchors from cement-filled pet food cans - set an eye bolt, large washer or wire loop in the cement as a tie point for the float line. A half a dozen of these could be accommodated in a crate or small tote box.

The "bush hook," also known as a 'limb line,' is where you tie a single hook to an overhanging tree branch, so the hook hangs JUST below the waters surface by 2"-6".  

Set these and go fly fishing somewhere down the way, but still in eyesight. After an hour or so, mosey on back and check on them. Either of these should be manageable from a tube and probably less prone to snagging, grabbing, and hole poking your tube than a hook laden trot line (the correct spelling).

Here in KY we use the top of an old car top carrier to pull behind us as we wade the creeks and rivers with all our gear in it. I have used it to lay trot lines many of times, though not while in a float tube. Might work well for you to lay out all the hooks already baited in the topper and pull the topper in front of you as you paddle backwards letting the line out as you go. You can also just long line it with a 10lb weight at the down stream end and pull your line into the bank to a tree.

Hey Underwear.
The idea of a floating "work barge" from which to operate is a good one. Just tow it along, and pan out baited hooks.
It could be rough if you have to go far way, but for short trips I like it.

Hey day hut,on you tube some Doomsday Preper's make a Bug OUT boat with old car toppers, they flip 'em upside down and cut a hole in the bottom and use it to paddle across rivers. But I guess us old rednecks should have patented that in the 80's when we started using them for a poor mans john boat. 3 kids holding onto the sides and swimming through the deep holes in the creek to reach our favorite catfish holes was a site to see in the good old days, funny though, were in our 40's and Still do it, but now we bob with life jackets on.

Yardsaleunderwear wrote:Hey day hut,on you tube some Doomsday Preper's make a Bug OUT boat with old car toppers, they flip 'em upside down and cut a hole in the bottom and use it to paddle across rivers. But I guess us old rednecks should have patented that in the 80's when we started using them for a poor mans john boat. 3 kids holding onto the sides and swimming through the deep holes in the creek to reach our favorite catfish holes was a site to see in the good old days, funny though, were in our 40's and Still do it, but now we bob with life jackets on.

I've never actually seen a cast aside car topper. It's like the old anecdote about baby pigeons:
"I'm sure they exist - but I've yet to see one."
Poor mans job-boat... Funny