Trotline knots, 5gal buckets.

[Dreampixels]

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.

The part you have uncoiled...........Work on getting the mess out of it. Once that is done, stick a pipe or whatever thru the spool of remaining line. Tie the undone end to a tree or something. Pick up the spool and wal it of in a straight line. You will probally not have 1200 feet of room so place a bend in the line and walk it up and down the yard until it is all off the spool.

This will allow the line to fins its self, (how it wants to lay)......then begin working on it.

To PUT IT AWAY..........slowly wrap it in as large of coils as your container allows. Make sure each new coil lays on top of the last coil as the container fills use an OPEN HAND to press STRAIGHT down evenly around the top of the coils. Practie will make perfect......wait lets go back PIOR to the first coil going in the container, secure that end, mine has a brass snap of it, I lay that on the ground directly beside my container..............then do the coiling as instructed until you reach the other end.

Once you reach t he other end you want to secure that and maintain it's indentiy as it will be the first end to leave the container. How I do this is I snap the first end to the handle of my buck ot basket, then send end (last end to go in container) I snap this one onto the back of the first one.

To lay the line, I snap my anchor line to my Float, then I snap my chain line to the Float and main line (the section that I will be putting in the water first or the last snap in the container. Once that is done, I do the same on the other snap which leads to the bottom of the container.

Now everything is ready to pay out and no rushing or scrambling is needed to find anything as the line pays. If your line is well thawed and you did things right there should be no tangles a quick flip here and there can not take care of.

Of course pulling the line is just reverse.......

Just wait til you try an run it Tiger.......

[dfran]

BF as I stated earlier GO OUT WITH SOMEONE THAT RUNS A TROTLINE, you will learn 90% of what you need to know. Untangle the mess you have, wrap it back on the spool and wait till you go with someone.

I don't coil my line in the basket, I just lay it in there.

[Big Rad]

Since sir BF is not using snoods, he should make use of a hose reel to wind and unwind his trotline..  As the locktite is exposed to water it will lose the tendency to tangle.  I would leave the line outside in a storm, let it get wet let it dry, then repeat

[Dannyboy]

If you are not running a snood line, then track down a used hose reel and wind it up on that.  It makes it real easy to put in and take out.  Dannyboy

[dfran]

If you are not running a snood line, then track down a used hose reel and wind it up on that.  It makes it real easy to put in and take out.  Dannyboy

I think I heard that some where before

[125blackfire]

I might be able to get my next door neighbor to take me out trotlineing. He runs a trotline. Which is more effective coiling or just laying it in a 5gal bucket? I will be storing it in a 5 gallon bucket. Thanks everyone for there inputs. They really have helped me out.

[Dreampixels]

I might be able to get my next door neighbor to take me out trotlineing. He runs a trotline. Which is more effective coiling or just laying it in a 5gal bucket? I will be storing it in a 5 gallon bucket. Thanks everyone for there inputs. They really have helped me out.

Either will work. It is hard to say, just allow it to find itself any pressure should be straight down in a compressing motion with an open hand so not to push any loops under an other.

[Seaweed]

Do not coil it!  Lay it in the basket, as others here have told you.

[CrabDog]

Do not coil it!  Lay it in the basket, as others here have told you.

but Weed how does one coil it onto the hose reel...... and I assume you want to mount he hose reel on the front of the kayak right......

[Chef Lar]

but Weed how does one coil it onto the hose reel...... and I assume you want to mount he hose reel on the front of the kayak right......

Then it would be like a "Gatlin" gun. For when the lad's on the GP this summer fighting off the pirates.

[Mr. Ray III]

I might be able to get my next door neighbor to take me out trotlineing. He runs a trotline. Which is more effective coiling or just laying it in a 5gal bucket? I will be storing it in a 5 gallon bucket. Thanks everyone for there inputs. They really have helped me out.

I would put the line in a basket.  If you store it in the bucket wet, it will get moldy, and smell terrible, and will never dry.

[crab24]

this is so funny but this might help with the knot thing                    http://animatedknots.com/

[dfran]

I would put the line in a basket.  If you store it in the bucket wet, it will get moldy, and smell terrible, and will never dry.

BF
I have to agree with Ray. I store mine in a bushel basket. When I get back from crabbing I set it outside and let it air dry in the sun. After a couple days of drying I run myhand down thru the middle to make sure it is dry before I store it away. If you keep it in a plastic bucket and it gets mildewed from not drying properly the line will rot in a couple days. I still have lines that I used 20 years ago and they're still good.

[CrabmanC27C]

 Get a hose winder,thats what I use,No tangles.

[dfran]

You guys with the hose real, when do you unbait the line? I think it's just as easy to pull the line in unbait and drop in a basket. You don't have that big empty hose real to work around while your crabbing, espically if you have a small boat. I never had my line tangle by laying it in a basket. Stick with a basket BF. I know the line will dry better with a basket.

[Mr. Breeze]

When I was trotlining on weekends commercially, and working a full time land job, here was my routine.  Monday evening after work, unbait 4 1500 ft lines.  ( if fishing is great, i'd take them on the boat and do it on the bay)
Tuesday evening after work, bait 4  1500 ft lines and put them in the freezer.
Wednesday after work,  rockfishing from 5 to 9
Thursday after work, rockfishing from 5 to 9
Friday after work, take 2 1500 ft lines out of the freezer, rockfishing till 9.
Saturday early crab 3000 ft of line, usually finished around 11-11:30, put lines in a basket, and right    into the freezer, sell crabs, nap, take 2 fresh lines out of the freezer rockfish 5 to 9
Sunday same as saturday except no lines to take out of the freezer

I pulled all lines into baskets by hand at the end of crabbing,  snap swivel clipped to a handle, then line to chain in the bottom of basket.  after the chain, i lay the baited portion in the basket  25 baits, then turned the basket 1/4 turn, 25 more baits, 1/4 turn.  when I had done this 4 times, (all the way around the basket)  I pack the line down with open hand pressure straight down.  never move the line to the side while pushing it down.  The only tangles I ever had was when the night was cool and the lines didn't thaw completely

[krackycrab]

Welcome to trotlining, frustration comes and only those who persevere survive. Wait til you get on the water for more fun.

[Dreampixels]

Welcome to trotlining, frustration comes and only those who persevere survive. Wait til you get on the water for more fun.

And it is Dark, with a 15 knot variable wind, other boats arriving dropping traps and laying lines, some without working lights.

[Chef Lar]

And it is Dark, with a 15 knot variable wind, other boats arriving dropping traps and laying lines, some without working lights.

What,,,,,,,there's knots in the wind too?

[Dreampixels]

What,,,,,,,there's knots in the wind too?

I had never even seen a Trot line, just collected information, built one and a prop stick.

I can vividly remember my first attempts of running a Trot Line. Very Very first time was at Crab Alley. Laid across a commercial line, never seen even one of his floats. He was decent as I was close by he waited for me to pick it up and did not cut it.

Could not for the life of me figure out how to keep the line in the water so I could net crabs. It kept comming up in front of the boat, so I put more slack in the line. Now it comes up behind the prop stick in a large loop.

After many many choice words and lots and lots of frustration, things finally started to pull together. But still I believe each day, each place and each lay offers a learning experience as no 2 are identical.

You must find what works best for you, your netter, your boat and the elements against you - trail and error is the only way to reach prefection - what works for one will not necessarily work for you. JMHO

At this time I think recs were allowed 300 ft of line, anyways mine was 300 ft. As soon as something started to go right you were at the end.

[jefftoleft]

Good story DP funny stuff 

[Ronster]

When I was trotlining on weekends commercially, and working a full time land job, here was my routine.  Monday evening after work, unbait 4 1500 ft lines.  ( if fishing is great, i'd take them on the boat and do it on the bay)
Tuesday evening after work, bait 4  1500 ft lines and put them in the freezer.
Wednesday after work,  rockfishing from 5 to 9
Thursday after work, rockfishing from 5 to 9
Friday after work, take 2 1500 ft lines out of the freezer, rockfishing till 9.
Saturday early crab 3000 ft of line, usually finished around 11-11:30, put lines in a basket, and right    into the freezer, sell crabs, nap, take 2 fresh lines out of the freezer rockfish 5 to 9
Sunday same as saturday except no lines to take out of the freezer

I pulled all lines into baskets by hand at the end of crabbing,  snap swivel clipped to a handle, then line to chain in the bottom of basket.  after the chain, i lay the baited portion in the basket  25 baits, then turned the basket 1/4 turn, 25 more baits, 1/4 turn.  when I had done this 4 times, (all the way around the basket)  I pack the line down with open hand pressure straight down.  never move the line to the side while pushing it down.  The only tangles I ever had was when the night was cool and the lines didn't thaw completely

If everyone had your work ethic, this country would be a much better place.

[KALknowsRAE]

I use a hose reel. The problem that I have with using a basket is that when I am laying out my line, some of the necks would shift during transport and hook into the coil of line. This would create tangles. I never had this issue with a hose reel. With a hose reel, I can go home and pull 1200 ft of line out, unbait it, and let it dry. I roll it back onto the reel the next day. I came across a discarded hose reel the other day. Now I can run two 600 ft lines.

I would not use 5 gallon buckets as floats. You can buy yellow plastic diesel cans. They are easy to see, have a nice handle to tie onto, and they won't sink.

9 out of 10 times I use traps anyway.

I have too many 5 gallon buckets as well. As Jeff Foxworthy said; "If you've never thrown away a 5 gallon bucket, you might be a redneck!"

[125blackfire]

Here is what I think I am going to do. Unknot the trotline coil it back up, then put 4 stakes in my yard and un-wind it into a big square. Take the hose and squirt it with water, let it dry, squirt with water, etc. Then put the clip on one handle of a buishel basket and lay the trotline in that, not coiling it just pressing stright down with an opend hand. Then clip the other clip to the other handle.

Should I skip letting the trotline lay out in the yard? Or should I not put stakes in and just make a giant circle?

I'll spell check later internet explorer isnt wanting to let the spell check window pop up...

[Mr. Ray III]

Take the line on the spool and drop it into a 5 gallon bucket of water.  Let it sit there overnight.  Then unroll the spool and bait the line. 



Uncoiling a line should never take this much discussion...