Trotline knots, 5gal buckets.

[125blackfire]

These are kinda newbie questions but what is the kind of knot to use to hold your anchor on your trotline, what kind of knot do you use to keep the line on the brass/stainless steel chip, and finally how do you use 5 gal buckets as floats. (If you put holes in them for line, they will fill up with water...)

[Mr. Breeze]

 Smart assed answer.  one that holds.  seriously,  I use a bowline.  clove hitch will work also.  as for the buckets, tie the line to the handle.  or remove the handle, drill hole in lid, silicone an eyebolt with nuts and fenderwashers.

[antman]

Mr. B hit the nail on the head with that one

If you plan on being around the water the one knot you MUST know how to tie is the BOWLINE

Very strong knot that's easy to tie and won't come loose on you but is easy to take apart when you need to.

   

[jack1747]

Clovehitch around the item. Finish with a bowline for the tag end.  If the line is small, like #12 or smaller, tie a over hand knot in the tag end before tying the other knots.  I guarantee you will never loose anything because a knot came loose.  I'll get you a pic when I can get out there..

[jack1747]

PS: The guys are right on... Learn to tie these 2 knots with your eyes shut and you got it made on the water and everywhere else you ever need to hold something...

[mdjohn]

and then there is the stainless steel wire reinforced knot 

[125blackfire]

OK, I think I have the bowline knot down..I attached new bow line, and anchor line. But I don't get how the float is suppose to be, is the float suppose to slide through the rope to accommodate different depths? Or does the float stay at the 25' mark of the 50' line? I am using 5gal buckets as my floats, we have to many laying around.


PS: I have 2 5' of 2" chain is that to much? I'm using it on a 12' Jon boat.

[dfran]

BF,

5' of chain is waaaaaaaaaaay too much chain for a trotline. I'm not sure what 2" chain is but I would 2- 1' pieces should be fine. The float stays in one spot you will need 25' of line going from your anchor to your float and another 25 foot piece going from your float to the chain on the end of your line.

[125blackfire]

AHHH!!! This trotline is getting me frustrated! How do you keep it from tangling up My trotline all ready tangled up, so I spent 3 hours untangling it then It tangled up again!! Sad thing is 8/10 if the 1000' trotline is still coiled up.

[captaincrab55]

AHHH!!! This trotline is getting me frustrated! How do you keep it from tangling up My trotline all ready tangled up, so I spent 3 hours untangling it then It tangled up again!! Sad thing is 8/10 if the 1000' trotline is still coiled up.

bf,   Did you buy Rope or Line to make your trotline??....     Maybe if you wash it in Baby Shampoo that prevents tangles...

[dfran]

CC55 remember who you're talking to.

BF how is it getting tangled? What are you doing with it?

AHHH!!! This trotline is getting me frustrated! How do you keep it from tangling up My trotline all ready tangled up, so I spent 3 hours untangling it then It tangled up again!! Sad thing is 8/10 if the 1000' trotline is still coiled up.

 

What does this mean?

[captaincrab55]

dfram,   Sounds like bf has a-holes in his line from not unrolling it.....   bf needs to Post a picture...

[125blackfire]

Once my mom gets home shes going to download the pictures, I had to send it to her phone and then she has to download them on the computer then email them to me...What I mean about the 8/10 is that only 200ft is out of the spool.

[125blackfire]

This may help its #4 lock tight stright line, no snoods.

[Seaweed]

This may help its #4 lock tight stright line, no snoods.

Thats your problem.  That stuff tangles.

Anything else you need help with?

[Mr. Ray III]

As I was skimming through the posting mahem, I noticed bf was confused about moving the buoy to accomodate deeper depths.

Here is what you do.  Make 15' of line to the anchor and buoy.  then another from buoy to line.  Easy.  No moving buoys.  Done.  Wrap both lines around the buoy when your done, no tangles.


here is a picture. study it carefully.  learn it.  use it.  don't take my buoy idea.

[Mr. Ray III]

maybe someone can make the picture bigger. 

[dfran]

CC55 it sounds like you're right. He said it's on the spool, he hasn't unrolled it and let it un coil. I hope that's his problem. He is probably taking the line off the spool with the spool sitting upright on one end instead of unrolling the spool to get the line off.

[jefftoleft]

I'd almost pay to watch this 

[125blackfire]

I have no idea why I am getting tangles. If theres a process you have to do once you buy brand new line can someone tell me? Heres the pictures. In the second picture it shows how I was coiling it the first and second time.

[jefskil]

pictures like those are why I went with crab pots instead of a trotline!

Sorry for the smart [arse] remark, can't help unfortunatly...but why wouldn't you just reel it back onto the spool as opposed to bundling it up as it comes back into the boat?

[dfran]

BF this is the main reason I tell people to go with someone that runs a trotline before they try it themselves. Why are you taking the line off the spool and coiling it? If you went with someone you would see how to pull the line into a bucket or basket, no coiling just pulling it in and laying it in a basket. Get the line you have untangled and wrap it back on the spool. Leave it alone until you know what you're doing. You're just going to get frustrated and give up, leave it alone.

[125blackfire]

Truthfully I have no idea why I coiled it up...Tomarow I'm going to put it back into the spool. I thought if you just lay it in a bucket then it would get tangled up and knotted even worse.

[captaincrab55]

I have no idea why I am getting tangles. If theres a process you have to do once you buy brand new line can someone tell me? Heres the pictures. In the second picture it shows how I was coiling it the first and second time.

bf,   Looks like a-holes in the line..    You need to put a rod or pipe in the spool and play out the line...

[Mr. Breeze]

what the captain said.  find a piece of pipe that will fit thru the round hole in the center of the spool, and is long enough to stick out of both ends.  support both ends of the pipe, then pull on the line.  the spool will spin as the line comes off.  
best suggestion in this thread is this.

BF this is the main reason I tell people to go with  someone that runs a trotline before they try it themselves.  

There are many people that live on Stoney Creek that run trotlines, and many more that crab that area often.  Maybe someone would take you "under their wing" and show you if you asked.