Handline or trotline?

[nitrofish1]

The regulations at the lake I'll be fishing at say I can have a trotline or a jugline. But I was also wondering if it handline would work better for me. I'll be out in a kayak and was thinking of tying off the line to one of the boat handles, and a weight on the end of the line could act as my anchor, and at the same time I could fish a rod while periodically checking the hand or trot line for bites. Which one would work better out of the kayak?

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[whrauss]

I think the last place I'd want a panicky 15-20# cat is tied to the side of my kayak. Front or back might be fun (in hindsight :wheew:). I am overly cautious about that sort of thing, as when I'm in my kayak I fish by myself, usually late at night, in a lake/creek that I generally have to myself after 9 pm.

This last weekend I did rig up about 9 pool noodle juglines and ran them from the kayak to try it out. It worked great. The noodles pack well in a small space. And in a kayak you can literally put them anywhere you want.

[nitrofish1]

I think the last place I'd want a panicky 15-20# cat is tied to the side of my kayak. Front or back might be fun (in hindsight :wheew:). I am overly cautious about that sort of thing, as when I'm in my kayak I fish by myself, usually late at night, in a lake/creek that I generally have to myself after 9 pm.

This last weekend I did rig up about 9 pool noodle juglines and ran them from the kayak to try it out. It worked great. The noodles pack well in a small space. And in a kayak you can literally put them anywhere you want.

my only concern with those is that they would be running away from me. but i spose thats the point of the jugline right?

[nitrofish1]

just thinking about what i would most likely do, i think ill be handlining, just because thats how itll roll for me lol. but if i feel like i need to bring in more to sustain my fish eating supply, it wont be hard to go jugging either.

[Bobmac]

I trotline from a kayak on a section of the San Marcos river in Central Texas that is only accessible to hand-launchable watercaft. Being right down on the water makes it easy to work the line and the boat is so light that manuvering around the line is a piece of cake, especially if its tied off at both ends.

[mr_shinn]

I jug fish from a Kayak in a shallow bay of a tidal river. I use liter or quart sized bottles (mostly quart gatorade bottles) with three feet of 30lb mono, a 2/0 circle hook and one piece of split shot. I tie up a stringer to my leg to keep the fish in and have rigged up a 5gal bucket on the front of the kayak with bungee chords to hold the fish while I negotiate the current on my way out. Using about one dozen jugs, I catch ten fish in about three hours and then pack it up.

I think jugging from a kayak is the way to go. Set them out together and just drift with them. When you see one dancing, pick it up. The jugs will spread out in the current.