Ochlocknee Bush Hooks

[fishing coach]

Set some bush hooks out last night around the bridge on Hwy. 27 and did pretty good. Managed 6 channel cats in the 3-4 lb range in about 2 hours. We used chicken livers, any suggestions for other baits? Might go again this weekend. Thanks

[One Keeper]

Cut bass shinners works best for me.

[DAWG FAN]

Mullet guts from your local fish market.

[wevans]

Wouldn't shiners be considered Live Bait? If so, it's illegal in Florida "unless the rules have changed"

[bayrunner22]

don't know if it will work or not but when I was young my dad and uncle use to set bush hooks on the Flint River with small chunks of Ivory soap stayed on hook along time and we always had good fish fries

[One Keeper]

CUT bass shinners. Yes live bait is illegal in the state of Fl. on any set line.

[wevans]

You are correct sir so long as it is cut bait, it is legal

Longlines, trotlines, bush hooks and jugs - Using and tending them.

Answer ID 2439 | Published 11/16/2006 05:25 PM | Updated 12/21/2012 10:22 AM
What are the regulations for using longlines, trotlines, bush hooks and jugs in Florida?


SALTWATER: You may fish with trotlines or a jug/float in Florida saltwaters only if:
•Use of a trotline is not prohibited by the regulations for the species you are harvesting;
•The line or series of lines have 10 hooks or less; and
•The fishing line is "tended" at all times. This means you must be present "at the end" of the gear. This is to ensure that you can retrieve the line.

Species specific regulations and a summary of the recreational saltwater fishing regulations can be found at http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/. There is currently no limit to how long trotlines can be. However, too much length on a trotline may make it difficult to retrieve, and may not meet the tending requirement.

Possession of longline gear (a line or series of connected lines with more than 10 hooks) is prohibited in Florida's saltwaters (generally, up to 3 miles off the Atlantic coast and 9 miles off the Gulf coast), except for persons in continuous transit across state waters to or from federal waters. For federal fishing regulations in the Gulf go to http://www.gulfcouncil.org/. For federal fishing regulations in the Atlantic go to: http://www.safmc.net/.

Tending requirements do not apply to "hookless" trotlines used for harvesting blue crab.

FRESH WATER: Jug lines are not well suited for areas with strong currents, boat wakes, or high wave action, and may increase problems with lost fishing lines that continue to catch fish and litter.
•Trotlines, bush hooks, jug lines, and set hooks must be firmly anchored or attached to a fixed object such as a tree limb, etc.
•You may not fish in freshwater with any free-floating unattached device such as a plastic jug.

All passive freshwater fishing gear that catch fish in fresh water while being used or possessed in or upon the waters of the state have to be marked with the owner’s name and address. The marking requirement applies to:
•Commercial and recreational trotlines
•Bush hooks
•Set lines
•Wire traps
•Slat baskets
•Hoop nets
•Minnow lift nets
•Eel traps/pots
•Blue crab pots
•Carolina-pots
•Shotgun pots.

It does not apply to hand-held gear, such as a rod and reel. Marking methods will be accepted so long as they meet the requirement of being "legible" upon inspection by an officer. Potential sources for marking devices include pet stores (dog collar tags) and hardware stores.

Nongame fish such as catfish may be taken using a bush hook, setline, or trotline baited with cut bait or other substance. Live game fish or any part of any game fish may not be used as bait, with any of the gear types discussed in this response. Bush hooks, setlines or trotlines with 25 or fewer hooks are permitted for taking nongame fish for personal use, but only in those areas where trotlines may be lawfully used (see prohibited areas below). Use of more than 25 hooks in any combination of bush hooks or setlines or a trotline is considered commercial fishing, and requires a commercial license.

All game fish taken by trotlines, bush hooks or setlines must be immediately returned to the water unharmed. It is unlawful to possess any game fish while operating trotlines, bush hooks, jug lines, or setlines. Game and non game fish species are listed in the summarized freshwater fishing regulations at http://myfwc.com/fishing/freshwater/regulations.

The possession of trotlines or setlines is prohibited on Fish Management Areas (FMA), unless specifically authorized by rules for a particular FMA. FMA rules are included in the fishing regulations summary.

Trotlines, bush hooks or setlines are not permitted in that portion of the Ochlockonee River between State Road 20 and the Lake Talquin Power Dam; that portion of the Apalachicola River between U.S. Highway 90 and the Jim Woodruff Dam; Bear Gully Lake in Seminole County; the Oklawaha River upstream from the Eureka Bridge; Lake Jackson in Walton County; Silver Lake on the Withlacoochee River; Lakes Jessamine and Holden in Orange County; Triplett lakes in Seminole County; Lake Helen in Volusia County; in Martin County east of the Sunshine State Parkway; in that portion of the St. Johns River and its tributaries south of State Road 46 and north of U.S. Highway 192, including lakes Poinsett, Winder and Washington.

Trotlines are permitted in the portion of the St. Johns River lying between U.S. Highway 17-92 and State Road 46 provided that from 9 a.m. on Saturday until sunset on Sunday all trotlines shall be sunk to the bottom or to a minimum depth of four feet during daylight hours. From January 1 until March 31 trotlines shall be prohibited from 9 a.m. until sunset in the waters of the main channel of the St. Johns River from a point immediately south of Lake Monroe to State Road 46, excluding Lake Harney. Trotlines are prohibited from 9 a.m. until sunset in the Oklawaha River below the Rodman Dam.

In lakes Beauclaire, Carlton, Dora, Eustis, Griffin, Harris and Yale, no trotline shall be allowed from 9 a.m. Friday until one hour before sunset Sunday. Trotlines also shall be prohibited from 9 a.m. until one hour before sunset Monday through Thursday from May 1 through October 31. No trotline shall be secured to or fished within 50 yards of a private pier or dock. In East Lake Tohopekaliga, trotlines are permitted only from sunset Sunday until midnight Friday of each week, and only during the period from sunset each day until 9 a.m. the following morning.

Trotlines are prohibited in Little Bay Lake in Orange County except under permit. Trotlines are prohibited in Lake Talquin during daylight hours.

Trotlines are prohibited from 9 a.m. until sunset in the waters of the following lakes:
•Lake County -- Cherry, Cook, Crescent, Hiawatha, Johns, Louisa, Minnehaha, Minneola, Palatlakaha, Susan, Wilson, and Winona.
•Orange County -- Butler, Chase, Conway, Down, Fish, Isleworth, Johns, Mable, Maitland, Misell, Osceola, Picket, Sheen, Starke, Tibet Butler and Virginia.
•Polk County -- All lakes except Arbuckle, Crooked, Hancock, Rosalie, Tiger and Walk-in-Water.

See: https://www.flrules.org/gateway/readFil ... 23.004.doc for general trotline rules and https://www.flrules.org/gateway/readFil ... 20.005.doc for FMA rules.

[One Keeper]

WOW That's a lot of information Wevans. Looks like just about every body of water has different rules/regs. Good stuff to know. Thanks.

[captkeyser]

I have always been successful with mullet as well. However, I fillet the fish out and cut each fillet into finger size pieces. On a 2lb mullet you should get about 8 pieces per fillet. So that's 16 baited hooks off of one mullet. Used to run them on the Ocklocknee off of HWY20 below the dam.

We would get 3 or 4 boats and find a nice sandbar to spend the night on. Set up camp, make a fire, bury the keg in the ground and start running lines. Good stuff!

[Dockwilson]

Used to set bush hooks on the Ochlocknee MANY years ago. Ivory soap and Catawba worms always did well. We would freeze the Catawba worms and use them just fine. Cut shad & crawfish work well too.