A trotline is a long fishing line with many baited hooks attached. The hooks are spaced at different distances, and as a fish takes bait, it also pulls in other lines of hooks. Because of that, more fish can be caught with one trotline than with many separate poles and lures.
First, a trotline will be longer than most fishing lines – usually 100 feet or more. This means that your reel needs to be large enough for such a long line and will probably be designed more like a winch.
If you’re aiming for a certain type of fish or body of water, consider paying someone in that area to give you advice about where they like to fish. For instance, trotlines for catfish should ideally be cast in water bodies rich in catfish.
You’ll want your line to be at least 300 feet long. This gives wiggle room for catching different fish. If you don’t have a 300-foot piece of line, as long as your pieces are straight, what matters is how much line you can get total.
If you’re trot lining in rivers or shallow lakes, you can set your hooks anywhere along a vertical path. If you’re fishing in deep ocean waters, however, it’s important to set your hooks only near vertical structures, such as columns and towers.