July 22, 2021 - OK, you fishermen know about trot lines. You know how to make one, how to tie it to two trees across a river or stream, and how to drop lines which contained the hooks. Let's assume that there are some who do not know about trot lines. This story is for you.
The “official” definition of a trot line is this: “A trot line is a heavy fishing line with baited hooks attached at intervals by means of branch lines called snoods. A snood is a short length of line which is attached to the main line using a clip or swivel, with the hook at the other end.” Did you get all that?
The main question that I had is why they were called “trot lines.” A little research found the answer. Back in the early days of the fishing industry, fishermen used baited lines that they ran along the bank shore line. “Trot” was the word used to describe their method because horses were used to pull the lines up and down the banks of a channel or river. The word “trot” is an old Dutch word “trodden” which means “to follow along.” So, now you know.
Back in my younger days I was an avid fisherman. Several of my teen buddies and I routinely placed trot lines in Bland Lake, tying them to trees at the head of the lake. We would also trek westward about ten miles to the Attoyac River where we would camp out and set trot lines and bank hooks. We caught a few catfish and killed a few snakes but that was about all we could accomplish.
My uncle Ben Woods often would take me along when he fished the Attoyac River. I recall that about one hundred yards north of the bridge on Hwy. 21, there were the remains of an old wooden bridge spanning the river. He told me that it was the remains of the original bridge across the Attoyac River. I do not know that to be accurate, but he believed it to be true.
Later on, my teen friend fishermen abandoned the trot line in favor of jug fishing. Back in the days before there were plastic gallon jugs, there were glass jugs with a circular handle near the top. We discovered that, when sealed properly, one could tie a three or four foot long fishing line to the handle, put on a sinker, hook, and bait, drop it into the water and watch it float. When a fish grabbed the bait, the empty jug would slap the surface violently. The poor fish did not stand a chance. On the other hand, we never caught any large fish using the jug method.
Now, back to the trot lines. Most state Game and Fish agencies define a trot line as “a line without a rod or reel attached that need not be held in the hand or closely attended.” A few states regulate the use of trot lines to the degree that they should not be abandoned or left unattended for more that four days. I don't think Texas has such a law.
At my advanced age, I probably will never fish with a trot line again. I know that all the catfish in the Attoyac River are happy to hear the news.
