# trotlines in Chocolate 10/30



## westend (Jul 14, 2006)

Went to Chocolate Sunday morning. Found birds working. Nothing but small fish but still a lot of fun. Still very, very fresh. But....
There were 4 or 5 trotlines in the east side. Checked them to see who and what was going on. Some guy out of Seadrift. Lots of trash, but also drum and red fish. The bad news was that there were a good number of keeper size reds that were dead. Didn't look like it had been run some time. Released the red fish that were still alive. Looked like he was using some type of pellitized bait.
Thought they were restricted to natural bait.

I am calling the game warden to complain about the killing of protected sport fish.

I don't know how long this is been going on, but that is a good way to rape that little bay system.

Anyone know how long this has been going on?


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## Hogheaven (May 25, 2004)

The bait- is usually a wooden dowel. They are commercial lines and they are looking for drum. Be very careful messing with lines... 2 reasons, the commercials dont much like it, and if it is illegal lines- if the GW saw you i think it would be tough to explain you were just releasing all the reds ( i'm sure he has heard that before) 
Legal lines should have a Identity tag.


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## gsd_lover (Sep 4, 2006)

I run saltwater trotlines...here are the specs. for doing so... 

The trotline MUST be attended at ALL times.
No more than 30 hooks per line. 
At the begining of the line there has to be tags. You must have one tag for every 300 feet of line. They are metal tags about 1"x3" and have numbers on them..and something about TPWD. What you are discribing IS illegal. You should call a GW Immediatly. 18007924263

People who do this give those of us who DO follow saltwater trotlining laws/regualtions a bad name.


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## Grabo (Aug 13, 2004)

I saw the trotlines out in Chocolate Bay also. I've been fishing there off and on for 5 or six years and this is the first I've ever seen them. 

I didn't see anyone working them either Saturday or Sunday. I called TPWD both days. I got a call back from a game warden this morning, but he was not the one out there on Sunday. It's the day off for the one who was out there. They did count 5 trotlines and also saw no one tending them. I expect to hear more later this week.


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## Naterator (Dec 2, 2004)

*thats no bueno*

hope they caught the guy and fined the hell out of him. Not a big fan of commercial fishing of any sort, but those who feel they are free to rape the system using illegal tactics deserve the full weight of the law.


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## westend (Jul 14, 2006)

Grabo said:


> I saw the trotlines out in Chocolate Bay also. I've been fishing there off and on for 5 or six years and this is the first I've ever seen them.
> 
> I didn't see anyone working them either Saturday or Sunday. I called TPWD both days. I got a call back from a game warden this morning, but he was not the one out there on Sunday. It's the day off for the one who was out there. They did count 5 trotlines and also saw no one tending them. I expect to hear more later this week.


I haven't had a call back from the GW since I made the contact. If you hear anything, I would appreciate your sharing the information.

I have been fishing over there for 20 years and have never seen a commercial trotline before this past week. Not a good deal.


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## BarelyLegal (Dec 29, 2005)

My neighbor is a game warden and had been out to Chocolate last week looking for lines that had been reported. I spoke to him this weekend and he said he hadn't found anything. If you give the information on where they are at, I will be sure and pass on the info to him. I fish there as well and would hate to see anything mess up the fishing. The dredging is doing enough of that.


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## capt. david (Dec 29, 2004)

my thoughts are all troutlines should be illegal. although they want to catch drum, redfish do not seem to understand that. they also are a navigating hazard. they cannot be run on weekends.


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## Grabo (Aug 13, 2004)

Most of the trotlines were stretched along what I call Long Reef in Chocolate. That's not the spoils that are along the channel, but rather the reef that runs through the bay on the east side of the channel.

GPS coordinates of N29 11.014 W95 07.795 would put you close to most the ones I saw this past weekend.

I'll probably find out soon if they were still out there today.


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## Grabo (Aug 13, 2004)

From reports that I've heard from a friend on the water today, there are trotlines still out there. It doesn't appear that anyone is currently tending them but it does appear that they have been moved. 

There is one near the entrance to Hall's lake at about N29 11.225 W95 06.768 and another one just off the east side of the channel going up into chocolate bayou.

I'm surprised the warden wasn't able to find them last weekend. I couldn't seem to avoid them and I did leave my cell phone number if they had questions.


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## Dani California (Jul 20, 2006)

This one looked to be cut. LOL We need to lay off the dinks a little. Nothin under them birds but our future. Chocolate Fall birds ain't been keeps for a long time. Springs a little different story. Let em eat and go find some keepers. We watched a couple young kids hammer most of the day under them birds.

Dani California


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## BS (May 24, 2004)

commercial trot lines do not have to be attended all the time. they are supposed to be picked up Friday at noon and can't be put out till Sunday noon. the exception to the rule is that if the weather is inclimate on Friday like a small craft advisory, they don't have to be picked up. the bait they use is pieces of wooden dowels. the only legal fish to keep are the drum, reds must be released. I know that most of these guys really try to stay within the law since they get such a bad rap otherwise. I know several of them.

Byron


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## sherwood (Mar 28, 2006)

How would pieces of wooden dowels attract/catch fish?


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## Salty Dog (Jan 29, 2005)

sherwood said:


> How would pieces of wooden dowels attract/catch fish?


I have been told the wood discs resemble a small crab to a drum or redfish.


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

The dowels spin on the hook when the tide moves across them and they look like a small crab. Its not the whole dowel, its cross cut to form like a waffer, then a hole is drilled in the center of it and slipped over the hook shank. Red and Black drum love crabs and will bite on the dowel slivers.


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

back in my bad old days (1960s) we used 1/2 to 3/4" dowels cut 1/4" thick with hole drilled in center. Soaked disks in red food dyd solution for a few days and then in pogie oil. Black drum and reds love them in winter.


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## TexasCityDave (Mar 11, 2005)

Commercial fishermen with a valid finfish license can place their trotlines out in the late afternoon and harvest the following morning. They don't have to remain at their trotlines....although some do keep an eye on them with binoculars.

There are lots of restrictions involving commercial fishing with trotlines. The book is available at TPWS. The finfish license is part of the buyback program. They are not available except by purchasing a license from a commercial fisherman selling one.

Be careful running trotlines that don't belong to you. It can make for a bad outing.


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## sofa king (Aug 25, 2005)

FlakMan said:


> back in my bad old days (1960s) we used 1/2 to 3/4" dowels cut 1/4" thick with hole drilled in center. Soaked disks in red food dyd solution for a few days and then in pogie oil. Black drum and reds love them in winter.


On our way to the bay we would stop at a gas station, or a car lot and grab a few of the plastic triangular flags that they flew, red white and yellow were favorites, we would cut them into diamond shapes stick them on the hooks and wait for midnight to run them. My dad would sometimes pull his lines tight so the baits were hanging above the water, then when the tide came in they would barlly be on top of the water, once you hooked one he would make the rest of the baits dance, brings back some good memories


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## Boaz (May 17, 2006)

BS said:


> commercial trot lines do not have to be attended all the time. they are supposed to be picked up Friday at noon and can't be put out till Sunday noon. the exception to the rule is that if the weather is inclimate on Friday like a small craft advisory, they don't have to be picked up. the bait they use is pieces of wooden dowels. the only legal fish to keep are the drum, reds must be released. I know that most of these guys really try to stay within the law since they get such a bad rap otherwise. I know several of them.
> 
> Byron


 A friend of mine lives in Sea Isle, they talked to the G.W. about the trotlines and he informed them that they were left out because of small craft warnings. This guy was also out of Seadrift. Just FYI.


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## Capt D (Jan 12, 2006)

Most commercial fisherman are nice guy but Dont let them catch you on there lines.it would be hell. There like junk yard dogs.


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