Salt Water Trot line ?

[MikeH]

I was bay fishing the other day and my motor got caught up in a trot line that was only about 2 feet under water. While I was cutting the line out I noticed that there was a cirlce wood chip about the size of a penny and about as thick as a nickle on all the hooks. Any ideas on how that catches fish and what the attraction is. This was in a salt water bay in South Texas.

[dawg2]

I have used a McDonalds straw cut into a 1-2" long section, slip it over th eshank of the hook and troll it behind the boat and catch a lot of fish. Maybe it's just a "lure" to get them to nibble and they will get hooked....Otherwise, I have never heard of that...

[captbrian]

how much line did you get wrapped up in?

[Ed in North Ga.]

Thats old school lure for saltwater catfish where I come from, and also used to to keep fish from swallowing a hook if its put on through the center and loose-

Catfishers use a wood dowel cut to chunks on a table/band saw- throw all the pucks into a 5 gallon bucket of your favorite juices and let soak- instant hard bait. Lasts a long time if you use pine-as long as its soaked till it sinks in the bucket- not enough soak time and the pucks float.

[XTREME HUNTER]

Thats old school lure for saltwater catfish where I come from, and also used to to keep fish from swallowing a hook if its put on through the center and loose-

Catfishers use a wood dowel cut to chunks on a table/band saw- throw all the pucks into a 5 gallon bucket of your favorite juices and let soak- instant hard bait. Lasts a long time if you use pine-as long as its soaked till it sinks in the bucket- not enough soak time and the pucks float.

I did not know people went after salt water catfish.
I guess I learn something every day.

[crackerdave]

That's a new one on me,too,and interesting.In my younger,stupider days,I worked on longline boats and when I saw the topic of your thread,I thought that was what you meant.Those boats use a 10 mile long,super heavy-duty "trotline."
I've often wondered how a trotline would do in saltwater creeks.

[LureheadEd]

Are trot lines legal in salt water ?

[meriwether john]

I did not know people went after salt water catfish.
I guess I learn something every day.

catfish ain't too bad, if they be sailcats. best smoked like a mullet, which by the way in some areas were considered trash fish as was the tasty trigger. remember folks not keeping triggers as a kid even in Destin. too much trouble. even many areas of the country people will not eat freshwater jackfish. imo some of the tastiest freshwater meat around. a little trouble but ask anyone that has tried one and see what they say. yum yum.

have heard of and used trotlines in saltwater before. you do have the longliners offshore but it is done on a small scale much like in freshwater lakes, inshore. haven't ever used wood on hooks though.

[MikeH]

I am assuming it is legal. there was a metal tag on a buoy that had a guys name and address on it. I wonder if you could make a mixture of shrimp and maybe mullet ground up, let it soak in that and maybe catch some drum on that setup?