# Trotline depth



## Flounder7783 (Mar 24, 2015)

What depth does everyone like to set their trotlines in? Do you have a certian depth that you target? Going to set lines at texana n a couple of weeks for our annual camping trip. Terrible wind on last years trip but still caught some nice yellows. I didnt have a fish finder on the boat last year but have one this year. Im going to use it to try and find some drop offs or depth changes to set my lines over. I tried to stay away from the trees last year as i was worried about the fish tangeling up in them. Anyone have any tips or pointers? Thanks for any help i am trying to do better than last year.

Also, how do yall store your hooks? I tried a bucket but it was a mess. I am trying this foam cooler this time and cliping the snaps close to the hooks.
















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## bearintex (Feb 7, 2006)

Good luck with the wind at Texana. We were there this past weekend and it was dang near unfishable. Didn't even lay down at night.


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## Whitey (Dec 16, 2004)

I can't give much advice on depth as I'm not a trotline guy. We've been catching them on jugs in Conroe around 30' of water with hook sets at 28, 26 and 24'. I use a 5 gallon bucket with round foam pipe insulation glued to the top. My leaders are only 1'long so the clips weight them down inside the bucket and don't tangle much. I would post a pic but can't do it from my ipad for some reason.


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## erain12 (Nov 1, 2009)

Flounder7783 said:


> What depth does everyone like to set their trotlines in? Do you have a certian depth that you target? Going to set lines at texana n a couple of weeks for our annual camping trip. Terrible wind on last years trip but still caught some nice yellows. I didnt have a fish finder on the boat last year but have one this year. Im going to use it to try and find some drop offs or depth changes to set my lines over. I tried to stay away from the trees last year as i was worried about the fish tangeling up in them. Anyone have any tips or pointers? Thanks for any help i am trying to do better than last year.
> 
> Also, how do yall store your hooks? I tried a bucket but it was a mess. I am trying this foam cooler this time and cliping the snaps close to the hooks.
> 
> ...


I use nylon instead of mono and the line hangs straight down in my bucket. I make my line just long enough that my clip lays down on the bottom.


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## HawgTied (Oct 8, 2012)

I also use nylon. I use a five gallon bucket, but I take a hack saw and make little 3/4" deep cuts around the perimeter of the open end of the bucket. I hook the hooks underneath the bucket around the lip on the bottom and pull the nylon line taught and insert it into on of the cuts. The staging clip stays inside the bucket and the hook point is underneath. Keeps em pretty well organized. Ill post a pic when I get home from work.


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## jamesgreeson (Jan 31, 2006)

Make sure and take a shovel with you to dig a hole in that muddy water.last time i saw it was darker than chocolate milk.


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## cva34 (Dec 22, 2008)

HEADSHAKER said:


> Make sure and take a shovel with you to dig a hole in that muddy water.last time i saw it was darker than chocolate milk.


Drove over 4/30 still is..But fish still EAT


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## P (Nov 18, 2012)

When we run lines we try to weight the middle and see what level they are feeding at then adjust the rest but not always the same depth depending on the bottom .


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## Flounder7783 (Mar 24, 2015)

Well the trip went good. Set lines in 20 to 25 feet. Most bites were 10 to 15 foot of the water column on live crawfish.









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## Dtrojcak (Jun 17, 2012)

Did you set them out in the open water, or back in one of the creek/river channels?


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## cva34 (Dec 22, 2008)

*texana*

drove over on 111 about 1700 today june 4 its a little high and muddy


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## Dtrojcak (Jun 17, 2012)

cva34 said:


> drove over on 111 about 1700 today june 4 its a little high and muddy


It's completely full, they're actually releasing a little over 6,000 cfs. 
Texana is always muddy.


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## cva34 (Dec 22, 2008)

Dtrojcak said:


> It's completely full, they're actually releasing a little over 6,000 cfs.
> Texana is always muddy.


Well let me rephrase that...Muddier than norm


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## Dtrojcak (Jun 17, 2012)

cva34 said:


> Well let me rephrase that...Muddier than norm


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## Jeffy (Jul 7, 2009)

I would change your hooks to a circle hook. We are fishing in 20ft deep water. But we are fishing in lake Amistad. Good Luck


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## Michael J (Jan 25, 2012)

While we're on the Texana subject.....has anyone seen the river height at the launch ramp on Edna side of the 59 bridge? Was going to stop by and catch some wb's and cats tomorrow off the bank if Navidad wasn't at flood stage.
Could ck the NOAA gauge, but I'm driving from Houston and would feel better with an actual sighting. Thanks


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## Michael J (Jan 25, 2012)

NOAA river gauge shows Strane Park at 11' right now......usually when Strane is at 5.5'-6' the ramp at 59 is at normal level......so oughta be pretty high but not closed......the small pier might be under water though.


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## Law Dawg (Mar 18, 2013)

Fish the trees and all the structure you can find, especially drop offs and depth changes in 20-30' of water. You might get hung up but will catch more and bigger fish over not fishing structure. Weight the middle of your line also but put a float on it to keep it off the bottom. You will also catch more fish with circule hooks compared to J Hooks.


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## Sac-a-lait Trey (Jun 10, 2015)

Law Dawg said:


> Fish the trees and all the structure you can find, especially drop offs and depth changes in 20-30' of water. You might get hung up but will catch more and bigger fish over not fishing structure. Weight the middle of your line also but put a float on it to keep it off the bottom. You will also catch more fish with circule hooks compared to J Hooks.


Weighting the middle of the line sounds like a good idea, Law Dawg. Can you post a photo or describe where/how you attach the float you mentioned?


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## Sac-a-lait Trey (Jun 10, 2015)

HawgTied said:


> I also use nylon. I use a five gallon bucket, but I take a hack saw and make little 3/4" deep cuts around the perimeter of the open end of the bucket. I hook the hooks underneath the bucket around the lip on the bottom and pull the nylon line taught and insert it into on of the cuts. The staging clip stays inside the bucket and the hook point is underneath. Keeps em pretty well organized. Ill post a pic when I get home from work.


This approach that HawgTied has come up with is brilliant!

In addition to avoiding tangling, it allows you to grab the clip first, which would seem preferable. (I think I'll ask for feedback about that in a separate thread). Anyway, green to ya, HawgTied.

The only downside I can think of - since the length has to match the height of the bucket - is it probably wouldn't work well for any stagings you've already made.

Here are a couple of related threads you might want to check out:
http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?t=1433530

http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?t=322955

http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?t=348493


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## Law Dawg (Mar 18, 2013)

Sac-a-lait Trey said:


> Weighting the middle of the line sounds like a good idea, Law Dawg. Can you post a photo or describe where/how you attach the float you mentioned?


Sorry don't have a photo, but say you want your line to be 3' off the bottom; just attach your middle weight with 3' of rope to the main line then your float to the main line main line.


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