sunandmoonfishing.co

Originally Posted by sunandmoonfishing.co

Snag lines are legal in Oklahoma, however, as someone else stated. (Must check local water rules).

Brother have you ever fished with snag lines? Snag lines are so very difficult to put out correctly and slay the hell out of catfish. I only ask that you don't leave your snag line in the water. In the spring the flatheads, blues and channel cats begin the migration for spawning.

In the Spring, catfish are looking for mates and are very vulnerable to snag lines. I helped the ODWC pull up a snag line in Lake Murrary that was 2.5 miles long with thousands of true turn stainless steel hooks. We pulled up both dead and live flathead catfish.

I pulled one up at Lake Thunderbird that was nearly as long with a thousand hooks. You know these guys are selling the fish or just killing them. They can't eat that many fish. Sadly, when the spring "catfish run" is over they leave their unmarked killer lines in the water. They are simply too difficult to put out and take in every weekend. If they get caught with illegal lines they are in big trouble. (I hope)

If you want to make a legal snag line, the 6/0 true turn stainless steel hooks are hanging down like a trot line only they are 24 inches apart and point in opposite directions. There are no regulations for snag lines in Oklahoma, just follow the rules for trot lines.

From ODWC
These methods are legal for taking both game and nongame fish throughout the year, statewide, unless restricted under "Special Area Regulations"
TROTLINE / THROWLINE: Trotlines/throwlines are restricted to no more than three (3) lines and 100 hooks per person. A legal trotline/throwline has:
• no glass or metallic floating device on the line;
• no metallic posts in water for attachment;
• lines made of nonmetallic material only;
• hooks at least 24 inches apart;
• owner’s name and address attached to each line;
• been attended at least once every 24 hours;
• not been set within three (3) ft. of surface of water at any point beyond six (6) ft. from either point of attachment, except at Great Salt Plains and Ft. Supply reservoirs where water is less than three (3) ft. deep.
The main line is 12 inches off the bottom, supported by small floats. The hooks are only one inch off the bottom. The main line is a nylon rope stretched as tight as a piano wire.

Legal snag lines don't catch much unless you drape them across a deep creek channel under a bridge where catfish must funnel through. Then they are deadly to anything that swims by, mostly flathead catfish.

I suggest jug or trot line fishing, (not snag line fishing). They know the lines kill more catfish than they harvest, but, they are legal so they continue to use them. The only problem is that they are left in the water year round!

Jug lines and trot lines are excellent forms of what I call "hard work" fishing. We all know catching the bait is the most difficult part. Sitting around drinking beer talking about who has the best trot line or jug line set up is awesome fun.

Good Luck with your trot - snag lines brother, but, please make them legal and take them in when you are finished. The highway bridge going across Keystone would be my choice for a snag line, however, there are already several there killing all fish swimming by.