Best hooks for trotline?

[gldearman]

A buddy of mine and I are planning on running trotlines (and maybe bush hooks) on Lake Talquin for catfish late April or early May.

Does anyone have any suggestions for what size and type of hooks to use? It seems to me some sort of circle hook would be best, but I'm not sure what size. I'd appreciate any advice.

Also, if anyone has any suggestions for bait for these hooks, I'd love to hear them. Right now, we're planning on using chicken livers on some hooks, and rabbit entrails on the others.

Thanks!

[bman]

I'm surprised there is no response to this...there are some experts on the forum.

I have caught plenty of fish on the basic hooks you get with comercial trot line setups.
The are typically 3/0 or 2/0 silver j hooks.

When we buy replacent hooks we get circle hooks of similar size.

For bait- ive used scraps of anything.
One of my favorite times was at lake seminole... We baited the hooks with duck guts after a hunt.
Caught a cooler of cats!

My dad always likes cut mullet for bait.

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Also- bush hooks require your personal info- we write it on the survey tape we use to mark the hook

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[Flint River Pirate]

Thanks for responding to that Barry. Very informative.

[redbelly7]

Depending on the type of catfish you're looking for, I'd bait a circle hook w/ a live bream. The flatheads eat live bait. The other catfish, I don't bother with. Having said that, they are all fun.

[gldearman]

Thanks for the info, bman. That'll help.

redbelly7, I think we anticipate mostly brown bullheads. But you never can tell.

[reelbad]

If you go to Talquin, DO NOT use live bait on your hooks as suggested. You will be in trouble. The fish you catch in Talquin will be blue and channel cats mostly. Bait with CUT shiners for the best luck on Talquin.

[Joe]

Why will you be in trouble. Is it against the law?

[One Keeper]

Yes it's illegal to use live bait on a set line in the state. What reelbad said cut bass shiners has always worked best for me. Remember no fish in whole condition shall be used on a set/bush or trot line. As for the hooks i use #2 stainless steel. Good luck and keep us posted.

[gldearman]

I'm reading the regs, and I don't see anything forbidding whole and/or live fish as trotline bait. Just no game fish or parts of game fish. But I won't do that, anyway. My fishing partner is a farmer, so chicken and rabbit guts are free and easy to come by. And flatheads don't especially interest me. I may try to acquire some shiners, mullet, or shad to make cut bait for a few hooks, though. Thanks for the tip.