I'm building some new trot lines and thought I would ask how you build your trot lines. Also do you use a jumper box and if so got any pics? I'm making my jump boxs 20x20 with a slant. I use number 21 braided line with number 7 swivels. I feed all my swivels onto the line and then tie knots as I go along moving the swivels as I go. I set the swivels at about 10=12 feet apart. My tug lines are 30 pound mono and hang about 10" down. I use a number 1 stainless Mustad hook. My lines have about 90 hooks each. Since I comm fish I have to tag my lines.
How do you rig up?

Randy

I put my lines together on the water. Pre made trots are a hassle for me and never seem to fit what I'm wanting to cover. Farthest I go is about 5' between hooks. I run out a main line and add a couple weights as I go. Mainly in case another boat comes along I can drop the line down. Pull back across and tie on the stageons and bait as I go. Course after that its just rebaiting unless I move it. I make my stageons by first cutting a bunch of tarred line in about 2' lengths. Tie the ends of those 2' foot lengths together making a circle. Take 2 of those circles and put a swivel in between and a hook on one end. To tie on the main line just go over the line with the non-hook end and back through that cirlce with the hook end, add a half hitch and your done. Can also untie these pretty easy. I carry some extra circles with just a hook on them. If a fish swallows a hook, I cut the line below the swivel than grab the replacement and thread the end through the swivel, hook through the circle and your back in business in no time.

red wire goes to positive & black wire goes to negative

Have you ever used the longline clips?

I don't run lines, but if I did, I would most certainly use them.

Last time I ordered them (for long lining divers/sea ducks), I think that I got 100 from Memphis Net & Twine.

damn u yankees do sum complicated sheet.

just go get a couple rolls of tarred #18 line and a couple hundred #2 or 3 big eye hooks. [the hooks with the flat sides, not them weakass round hooks]

go to starting point.
tie line.
every 2 arm-streatches, make a drop by doubleing the line and pulling a overhand knot. continue till u get to other side of bayou or next stake.

pull line tight. add weights in middle or on each end as necessary.

go back down line adding hooks by slipping doubled line through hookeye and back around hook. quick and simple.

add bait.


take fish off.



now, if ur gonna leave it out there forever, add sum swivels or the fish will twist off if u don't run them a couple times a day.

if ur gonna fish a few days/weeks this is easy to do and is easy to cut-out and get hooks back.

tied thousands of them over the years. easyist way i know.
now, we don't have currant to deal with either.

if i were to fish like u netman, i'd run juglines. easy to handle and mobile.
weights are as close as the nearest trail track.

Actually how I'm doing it is easy. When you jump trot lines you just fish them the one night and pull them as you check them the next morning. You can bait the hooks as they hang in the jump box and then when its time to set the trot line you just attach a weight to the end of the trot line , toss it over and start backing the boat up. The baited hooks feeed out as fast as you want them to go. About every ten hooks attach a weight[railroad spike] You can put a ton of hooks out real quick by doing this method. Then the next morning you pull up the line, unhook the weight and pull and drop the trotline back into the jumper box as you run the line. Unhook fish. Once back to camp/home you take another empty jumper box and start pulling the trot line out and loading the jumper box for the next trip.
You keep moving the trotlines everytime to stay on fresh fish. Now for live baiting with big bluegill for flatheads I will use a heavier trotline,fewer hooks and but still do jumper boxs.
You can cover a long section of the river by doing this.

Homemade explosives gets me all da fish I need.

I have been using a heavy tarred line for the main line. I run the swivels on and tie a know much like it sounds that you do. Next I take 200lb. mono and every 2 feet or so put a short leader on the swivel. I use barrel crimps for this, and use Circle Sea 5/0 on the channel trot, and 7/0 on the flat trot.

Weight on both ends of the trot and good to go.

How do you get crickets to stay on them big arse hooks?

I will follow up with some pics in a couple days. I use number 1 hooks which is alot smaller than most guys use. I also use 30lb mono for my tug line. Give me a few days and I will have some pics up.

Randy