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? about limb lines

Posted: Wed May 25, 2011 2:06 pm
by jaredj
Just wanted to know if anyone uses there kayak to set and run limblines

Re: ? about limb lines

Posted: Wed May 25, 2011 4:52 pm
by Carver
Just like a powerboat but a lot more fun.

since you are down "in the action", a single hook line is the order of the day.

Re: ? about limb lines

Posted: Thu May 26, 2011 7:03 am
by Reefmike
Limb lines and jug lines both. Fixing to add trot-line to the arsenal too.

Re: ? about limb lines

Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 6:23 am
by Maulwalker
I've done a decent amount of limb-lining from my kayak, and all of my advice boils down to "safety first."

1) I prefer to limb-line from a kayak with a buddy in a yak nearby. I've never had anything go wrong, but you never know.
2) Use a brushclip to clamp onto the structure you're tying the line to. Makes it a lot easier.
3) Don't try to set lines from your yak in a swift current...it's asking for trouble. I'll occassionally pass up spots from my yak that I would normally set a line on from a boat, but I'm more concerned with coming home that coming home with every possible fish.
4) Have a knife on your person that you can grab quickly in an emergency. Not a folding knife. A straight knife that you can pull with one hand and immediately do business with. I have a sharp scuba knife strapped to the front of my pfd with a loop that I made for my thumb to easily unstrap it. This also requires that I wear my pfd when fooling with limblines. I'm not a pfd nazi. Most of the time I'm not wearing it, but I wear it 100% of the time when setting or retreiving limb-lines.

The way I see it, the quickest way to drown limb-lining from a kayak would be to be setting a line in current (not clipped to the tree) and have your yak start drifting downstream as you're looping the line or baiting the hook. Hook snags you in the hand and the kayak comes out from under you. You're now hooked in one hand (this arm completely useless) and you're treading water in current with all of your kayak-based gear out of reach....and likely getting dragged under by the angle and the current if you don't have a pfd on. Step 2 and 3 should prevent this scenario from starting, but steps 1 and 4 would at least give you a fighting chance if it does.

Carter's point about only using a single hook is important too.

Re: ? about limb lines

Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 8:50 am
by Jorne
I limbline a shallow flat on a lake with a lot of drowned timber. My "route" is about 3/4 mile with 25 lines. I use 80# braid with 5/0 circle hooks. Wintertime bait is raw bacon; the rest of the year I catch shad for bait.

I don't like to get on the water with wind over 8 mph. It gets dicey messing with lines tied to limbs while the wind and waves are pushing your yak around. The safety points mentioned already are important. You must release any game fish other than cats you catch, and using shad will attract an occasional white bass. I also have to deal with gar, turtles, drum, and bowfin; some quite large. These can be safety problems if you are reluctant to cut off. In the winter, I will leave bait on if I think I can check lines in 4 or 5 days. In the other seasons I do not leave lines baited unless I know I can check lines the next day.

Limblining has changed my life. Catfish is great eating and we always have an abundance in the freezer (and the smoker stays busy too). I think of it as a productive hobby rather than a sport.

Re: ? about limb lines

Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 1:15 pm
by uplandrun
I agree with all of the safety points already mention. I have ran trot lines and limb lines from a boat for years and years. I got rid of the boat and only yak now(which is more fun).
Two fridays ago I ran ten limb lines and netted one good blue. This was different than from a boat, I was very attentive to safety and relized how different it was.
I like the tip on bruch clamps and will use this, thanks.
I will soon be runing trot lines.

As far as a pfd, I work with Game Wardens from time to time on recovery missions for bodies and other stuff. Every Game Warden I have known will tell you that it is seldom I mean almost never occurrs that a dead body is pulled from from a body of water that has a pfd on.

Re: ? about limb lines

Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 2:14 pm
by Maulwalker
uplandrun wrote:I like the tip on bruch clamps and will use this, thanks.
Here's the one I've used for at least 4 years. It works great; I spray some WD40 on it occasionally when it starts to stick, and it's as good as new.

http://www.austinkayak.com/products/376 ... ipper.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Re: ? about limb lines

Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 2:55 pm
by CityByTheSeaCitizen
I run limb lines, stationary jugs, and free floating jugs from my yak. I once tried a trotline, but I won't be doing that again. Heavy weights, small boat, and line across bow make for an uncomfortable situation.

I prefer noodles because I can get them all setup on land, and take them out, bait hook, and dump them overboard. Limb lines always have to be cut to length and tied up on site. PLus, there is always a bunch of snags near the places I can set limb lines.

I have a honey hole on tawakoni, with 4 willows in a row, and when I limbline there, I put the bait just under the surface.

Re: ? about limb lines

Posted: Sat May 28, 2011 10:16 am
by jaredj
Thanks for all the replys i appreciat all the help and it sure came to use last night. four of us went out last night and slimed the heck out of my new pescador and had a great time. went back this morning and all and all we come out of the little wichita river with a little over a 100 pounds of fish with are biggest a 36lb flat. Man i had a blast.

Thanks again

Re: ? about limb lines

Posted: Sat May 28, 2011 9:19 pm
by Jorne
Paddling up to a line that is tight and making circles in the water can be like Christmas morning. Of course the downside is all the fish you have to clean. I like to cull down to the best 6, so as I head in I release all but 6 best keepers. Then I cut the gills on one side of the keepers so they bleed out in the water. It doesn't kill them but helps the quality of the meat and they are less bloody to clean.

Tight lines!

Re: ? about limb lines

Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 6:20 pm
by pancho vanilla
Does anyone remove the limb lines and or trotlines after they are finished? I find so many left behind just sitting in the river waiting to catch someone offguard and ruin their day. I try to remove the ones left behind when I see them but if you set them please remove them after you're done.

Re: ? about limb lines

Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 6:52 pm
by Bigrock
pancho vanilla wrote:Does anyone remove the limb lines and or trotlines after they are finished? I find so many left behind just sitting in the river waiting to catch someone offguard and ruin their day. I try to remove the ones left behind when I see them but if you set them please remove them after you're done.
Thank you for the reminder! Lots of limb lines and trotlines get left in the water here in my part of the world (no... it's not the kayaking crowd :) ). I have been stuck, had gear pulled out of the boat, and had to rescue one of my dogs that got caught while swimming (luckily on her collar and not in the flesh) and she would have been doomed if not for someone around to get her loose.

Be careful, be courteous, and have a blast! :D

Re: ? about limb lines

Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 8:35 am
by Maulwalker
pancho vanilla wrote:Does anyone remove the limb lines and or trotlines after they are finished? I find so many left behind just sitting in the river waiting to catch someone offguard and ruin their day. I try to remove the ones left behind when I see them but if you set them please remove them after you're done.
Absolutely. It's completely disrespectful to the environment and your fellow outdoorsmen to leave hooks behind in the water without the intention of fishing them.

I will occasionally remove limblines that I encounter that are clearly abandoned (primarily when they create an imminent safety threat to the public), but it's important to note that just because there is an empty hook on a limbline, it doesn't necessarily indicate the limbline is abandoned. Bait thieves don't discriminate; it could be a limbline that got set the night before and has been picked clean by a turtle, gar, whatever. I'd advise everyone to use care and discretion when deciding whether or not to remove someone else's fishing tackle from the water.

Re: ? about limb lines

Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 9:12 am
by johnny a
jaredj wrote:Just wanted to know if anyone uses there kayak to set and run limblines
I am a big fan of limb lining from the yak. I do all of mine in local bayous. At times when the water is up from rain there is some REAL heavy current. We still set our line in this current and like Maulwalker said this is dangerous. When I first started to limb line, I made my lines on site. In current this was a pain in the butt. The hooks I use are so sharp you just need to look at them wrong and the will catch you (in the packs even :lol: ). Not to mention it takes up valuable time.

Also like Maulwalker said have a buddy with you cause you never know what can happen.

So with all that said I will give you a few extra pointers. Sorry its long I am bored with day off and nothing to do :lol: :lol: .

Me and Goose use our limb lining trips for a pleasure paddle with benifits. We make our lines using a 6 to 7ft piece of cheap 100lb to 150lb mono using 6/0 or 7/0 gamakatsu octopus hooks. To attach the line to the tree we use colored survey string to help us see them when we are gathering fish.

We pre make everything to cut down on how long it takes to set up each hook and I feel it is much safer this way. Each leader/line is coiled up and placed in ziploc sandwhich bag along with a 12" -18" piece of hot pink (stands out better and easier to see) with a BIG snap swivel on one end and loop on the other. The cheap mono usually holds it memory pretty good and is easily coiled up and vary rarely get tangled up. Each one already has the hook, weight and loop (to attach to tie down) on it. We put 1 to 2 oz of weight on each one and carry extra weights incase the current is heavy.

In current I always set my lines on the down stream side of a brush pile or fallen tree. I do this for a few reasons. This biggest being if something happens on to you on the upstream side and you come out of your yak you could be pinned against what ever is under the water and even then a buddy may not be able to help you much. Also your line will be swept into the brush pile.

Step by Step (what we do)
1. When you find a spot you like take pink tie down out of bag.
2. Approach your chosen spot keeping your bow into the current. Paddle up to limb and wrap tie down around branch and drop snap through loop. Remove and bait line and attach to swivel and drop the bait in the desired location and move on to the next spot. I will generally drift backwards away from the line holding onto the line until I am sure nothing is wrapped and the hook and bait are already in the water.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until all your lines are set.
4. Paddle another mile or so to enjoy nature and give your lines some soak time, find a nice spot you can get out of your yak and stretch your legs and have a bite to eat for lunch.
5. Start heading back down stream to gather lines and fish.
6. When you come upon your first line, look for signs of life. Sometimes you will have a "tree shaker"
7. Approach line from the same way you set it.
8.Grab the line first then the branch.
9. Slowly pull on line to gauge the size of the fish before taking death grip on line (another reason for the heavy gauge mono its easy to hold onto and not have to worry about it cutting you like braid can).
10. HANG ON. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3EpI9ssjD4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
11. Remove the hook from the fish once it is under control coil up and place back in bag and retrieve tie down. ALWAYS Remove your lines.
13. Repeat steps 7 thru 11 until all your lines are gathered.

Safety tips as I see them.
1. I set all of my lines as close to the water as possible. I do not want fellow yakkers or people in canoes to accidentally run under my lines and getting hooked.
2. Watch for other lines that were left. These are easy to over look when you are looking for spots to set yours. I have come across several that had the hooks out of the water and are head level. No longer limb lines but yakker catchers.
3. No your limits and the limits of your yak when attempting to do in heavy current.
4. Try to see the "what could happen" in every situation and have a plan.
5. Knife (straight blade) that you have easy access to.
6. PFD on when handling line.
7. Do it with a buddy.

Here are a few other things to keep in mind. We generally will only limb line in the colder months. The areas we go to are prone to have big gators. A cat fish on the line is easy pickens for gators and I would not want to pull one up. We have done it a few times when they have been active and I have had fish that have been shredded and BIG teeth marks left in them. If you do limb lime when gators are active do not hang the fish from a stringer. Again easy pickens and a hungry gator might be enticed.

I am sure there are a few things to add but this has been long enough.

A few pictures.
Image
Image

Re: ? about limb lines

Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 9:23 am
by johnny a
Maulwalker wrote:
pancho vanilla wrote:Does anyone remove the limb lines and or trotlines after they are finished? I find so many left behind just sitting in the river waiting to catch someone offguard and ruin their day. I try to remove the ones left behind when I see them but if you set them please remove them after you're done.
Absolutely. It's completely disrespectful to the environment and your fellow outdoorsmen to leave hooks behind in the water without the intention of fishing them.

I will occasionally remove limblines that I encounter that are clearly abandoned (primarily when they create an imminent safety threat to the public), but it's important to note that just because there is an empty hook on a limbline, it doesn't necessarily indicate the limbline is abandoned. Bait thieves don't discriminate; it could be a limbline that got set the night before and has been picked clean by a turtle, gar, whatever. I'd advise everyone to use care and discretion when deciding whether or not to remove someone else's fishing tackle from the water.
I live/fish (rod n reel)/paddle for fun in what is considered the salt water boundary. East of 45 and south of I10. Use caution if you are going pick up/remove limb lines or trot lines that appear to be abandoned. This has now become YOUR property and a warden can give you a hard time if it is in your possession and it is not properly tagged or if you have a bunch of limb line in your kayak you now have to prove you were removing them and not using them in saltwater. But with this being said there are fewer dangers to other when I get out of the water :D