[Muscrat]

I'm new to this sight and I will say that this the most informitive fishing sight I have ever seen. No secrets here.

My question is have any of you guys ever used liver on a trotline? I used to use a blood bait with a homemade mixture in it that was awsome. I was throwing fish back. I have put the mixture together used chicken livers instead of blood but didn't know if it would work on a trotline? Now the water is warm I can't use the blood bait!

 

[BowieKnife357]

When I run trotlines I mainly use live baitfish and cut shad targeting flatheads and big channels. I have used liver in the past however, and had great results for smaller fish. I've also caught largemouth bass and wipers on liver on my lines as strange as that sounds. I don't know how often you run your lines when they're in the water but if you're using liver you'll prolly want to run them every 2 or 3 hours to pull fish and rebait as needed.

 

[sheldonc]

Chicken liver works and it catches lots of eater channels. I primarily bait with bream that way I can get a mixed bag of channels and flatheads. My easy bait is 1/2"-3/4" Bar S hot dog chunks that have been
soaking in cherry coolaid and minced garlic.

 

[Muscrat]

I'm in teas fishing a small local. I have caught more blues thanchannels. I've never caught a flathead. I have 30 hooks on one line and may set a 10 hook line and try some of the stuff I have read about on here. Any more suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Thad]

If you cure your liver beforehand you won't have to worry about it coming off and it will work well for you, even in current, for eater-sized channels.

 

[Muscrat]

How do u cure liver?????

 

[playin4funami]

All I ever caught with liver was turtles, and a occasional catfish. Stuart (bowieknife) posted above, thats the way I run them when I do,which honestly is not very much anymore. live bait and cutbait have been my best fish catchers in the past, livebait for bigger size cats and cut shad or carp chunks for more eater size fish. carp is good with skin on as it is tough and a fish really has to work it to get the bait!

 

[Thad]

How do u cure liver?????

The basic method is to put them in a pan that has drain holes and coat them with garlic and salt. Put them out in the sun somewhere that the juice won't be a problem (or catch it) and dry them out.

I marinate mine in the tub with salt, garlic, and a pack of strawberry Kool Aid for a day or two and then dry them. For rod n reel this will toughen them up a lot without drying them.
You can flavor them with whatever you want- the popular choices are strawberry, garlic, and vanilla.

Check the articles section for some killer tutorials if you get your Star.