Trotline fishing is a proven technique for catching delicious catfish throughout the year. There are countless ways to set and bait trotlines. However, if you are looking for better catch results, using the right bait can drastically increase your odds for success. All of the baits mentioned in this post will work just about anywhere however, based on my experience, not all trotline baits are created equal. Furthermore, not all baits are best suited for every situation. In this post we will break down the best baits to use trotlines depending on the where you plan to fish your lines.
Best baits for lakes/calm water
Let’s begin by breaking down which baits work best for calm water such as lakes. Most lakes typically have relatively calm water. Although there is usually current flow in most bodies of water, lakes are fairly stable with minimal current flow. Low current flow calls for baits with loud scent. There are three baits that typically work great for lakes.
Chicken Liver
Chicken liver is an all around great trotline bait. Liver is typically very bloody and produces a loud scent. The combination of blood combined with the scent of liver will attract catfish from long distances. Liver typically stays on a hook pretty good in calm water as well.
Shrimp
Shrimp is a dynamite bait for trotline fishing. The oil and scent shrimp release in the water creates a great attractant for catfish. You can use shrimp found at your local grocery store. Shrimp also seems to stay on a hook in calm or moving water.
Soap
Yes, soap is a great trotline bait especially if you are targeting channel cat. Not just any type of soap will work however. You will need a hard bar type soap that stays solid while being submerged under water for hours at a time. My favorite soap for catfish bait is Zote Soap. Zote Soap is a type of soap design to clean clothes by hand. However, it can be difficult to find a stores. Another good brand of soap you can use is Irish soap which is found in most retail stores. On a side note, soap will also work for bait in catfish traps or wire nets as well.
Common Stink Baits
Common catfish baits or stink bait can and will work on a trotline however, I do not care to use any type of store bought stink baits for one simple reason. Commercial baits do not seem to stay on hooks very well after being submerged for a couple hours. There are some new and upcoming catfish baits that seem to be more reliable but to be honest, I have experienced better results with the first three baits mentioned in this section of the post.
Creeks and Flooded Timber
Creeks and flooded timber go hand and hand when trotline fishing. Typically spring floods create great trotline fishing on creeks, as well as, flooded time with current during the spring. The key to having great success trotline fishing creeks and flooded timber is tot line placement and using the correct bait. You can use your typical trotline baits for lakes however, I have found better results with using baits that mimic the native food found in back waters and creeks.
Shell Fish
Shell fish like shrimp and crawfish are great baits for trotline fishing in just about any scenario. However, shell fish work exceptionally well in flood waters and small creeks during the spring. I believe the reason for this is shell fish are the main reason catfish swim into flood water in the first place. The entire reason a catfish will swim up a creek during a flood, is to find rich food. As water rises crayfish will rise from their tunnels to feed. Therefore, catfish feed on the crayfish when the water is deep enough to allow them to access places that are typically dry.
There is one major drawback when using crawfish. They can be difficult to collect for bait at times. It can be very time consuming collecting enough crawfish to bait a trotline. Keep in mind I live in Louisiana. Catching crawfish for bait is usually not a big deal for a guy like me living in Louisiana but for my friends in other states, shrimp in the your local supermarket might be easier to obtain for bait.
If you live in an area where you can catch live crawfish for bait, I highly recommend you try to keep the crawfish alive. I truly believe live crawfish are by far the best trotline bait you can use on creeks and flood waters. You can catch channel cat as well as blues and flat heads when using live crawfish.
Cut Bait
Cut bait is great for any type of trotline fishing. Cut bait is probably the most versatile bait you can use for trotline fishing. It works very well in creeks with steady current. Although cut bait does not release a very loud scent, it will have motion that somewhat replicated a injured fish. The injured motion will attract fish in muddy water where the visibility is limited.
Live bait fish
By far my favorite bait to use on big creeks and rivers (where it is legal) is live bait such as bream. Where legal, gold fish also work great. If you are planning to target big catfish, you cannot go wrong with live bream. The delicious spotted cat can easily eat caught on live fish. I absolutely love to set drop lines with live fish for bait in creeks with substantial current as well as rivers. The the trotline setup will be a little different in many cases when I use live bream for bait. It will have bigger hooks and will not be as long as the more traditional trotline setup. However, live bream are magnets for big catfish when fishing creeks and rivers. The key is setting the lines in the right location.
Rivers
River fishing is a completely different animal when it comes to trotline fishing. Often the fish typically caught on rivers are bigger and the best locations to set trotlines on rivers will have a substantial amount of current. The water visibility on rivers can be low as well. For this reason, I almost exclusively use live bream. The live bait fish will attract fish by leaving scent as well as the struggling action an injured fish has once it is hooked by the trotline hook running through its back.
Small bream that are smaller then a normal person’s hand work great. The one draw back is they will easily work off a normal trotline hook. For this reason, I highly advise you to use circle hooks when using live bait on river trotline sets.
Gold fish are a great alternative to bream where it is legal to use them for bait. They can be bought at many bait shops throughout the south. Always check your local rules and regulations for the specific body of water you intend to trotline fish before using gold fish.
Cut bait
Cut bait is my number two bait to use on rivers. The scent and the action put off by current moving the piece of cut bait works great on rivers. However, I have found the best results, for fishing rivers, is live bait fish.
Soap
Soap is my number three bait for fishing rivers. However, I have yet to see soap catch large size fish. If you are looking to catch a few channel cats in some calm back water on a river, soap can produce some nice results.
Conclusion
Every bait mentioned in this post will work on a trotline. However, some baits work better in specific situations. Ultimately, key to finding success when trotline fishing is to keep experimenting with different baits on the specific body of water you fish until you determine what works best for you and your situation.
One of the beauties of fishing for catfish is the fact catfish will eat just about anything. Do not be afraid to try anything that has a “loud scent” or produces blood.
If you deer or duck hunt, you have a great bait source available to use. Duck liver and gizzards are great trotline baits. Deer heart and liver will also work. Simply freeze your duck livers/gizzards or deer hearts/livers the next time you bag a duck or deer. Once your ready to go fishing, thaw out the meat and cut it into one inch square cubes then place the cubes on your hook when you set your lines.
Summary
I hope you guys find this article useful and informative. Trotline fishing is one of the most effective methods of catching catfish. You can provide a great source of protein for you family while enjoying the great outdoors. If you would like to learn more about trotline fishing check out our fishing category under our blog section in the menu. If want more great tips and tricks for hunting fishing and cooking wild game check out our home page.
Always remember to check and educate yourself on the local fishing laws before setting trotlines and baiting trotlines. Be sure to be in compliance with your state and federal fishing laws.
Thanks for reading and good luck!