Trot Lines

[scotth]

can anyone tell me if trot lines are legal in central illinois river systems? can't find a clear cut answer..i found one going across a creek mouth recently and there is no tag on it..can i cut it down ?

[Mike G]

If I read it correctly, the current (2013-2015) IL fishing booklet (p.6) says trot lines are generally legal. Site specific regulations may exclude an area. For example, on a site with a two pole limit, trot lines are not allowed. You are right that devices left unattended must be identified. As far as I can determine the number of hooks on a line is limited to 50 . (I suppose this is also the limit for dropper flies on a fly leader unless the site has a specific limit of 2 hooks per line.)

 

Removing an unattended unidentified device would seem like the right thing to do. But if Wilbur has been fishin' the crick that way since he was five... Consider the risk.

[Rob G]

 

Removing an unattended unidentified device would seem like the right thing to do. But if Wilbur has been fishin' the crick that way since he was five... Consider the risk.

 

 

When I was a young lad fishing on the upper Sangamon River one day, I ran across a trot line that was showing a lot of movement. Well curiosity got the best of me and I just had to see what was on it, about the time I lifted it up only to see a decent carp on line, a gunshot went over head and some river rat was yelling at me to keep my hands off his fish. I think I paddled away faster than most outboards would have allowed.

[scotth]

i've fished this creek for years and i don't think i have to worry about Wilbur, lol..unfortunately i can't reach it from shore until the water drops or i would investigate..it is definitely tied off on 2 felled trees across the creek mouth and hindering my hot spot location,

[Eric]

I recommend contacting the Illinois Target Poachers tip line and inquiring about the legalities.

 

http://dnr.state.il.us/law3/poach.htm

 

This may or may not be poaching, but your best bet is to speak to the IDNR law enforcement folks to get an answer.

[Mike Clifford]

I took a trip up the IN portion of the Kankakee River while we were filming Everglades of the North with a bunch of "good 'ol boys" on a huge duck barge.
Along the way, we stopped to check several of their trotlines. Every one of them had catfish on them, mostly flatheads.....which ironically has only just begun to happen for them in the channel in recent years. They released all of the fish for the purpose of our documentary.
A few of these guys are also trappers, from a long history of them in their families.
Everything they do is to the letter of the law and ethical.
We had an incredible lunch of grilled frog legs that were harvested from the river the night before.
Even shared some with DNR officers we ran into that are friends of theirs.
It changed my entire perspective on people who live on and among our local rivers.

If you were to take the time to get to know them, they are no more "Wilburs" than you or I.
This particular river has a history that includes the genealogy of these families that goes back generations.

Their ancestors stood on the bridge at the state line, bearing arms to prevent channelization into IL at the turn of the century.
Most of these people were conservationists before it was popular.

[Jim Wright]

I took a trip up the IN portion of the Kankakee River while we were filming Everglades of the North with a bunch of "good 'ol boys" on a huge duck barge.

Along the way, we stopped to check several of their trotlines. Every one of them had catfish on them, mostly flatheads.....which ironically has only just begun to happen for them in the channel in recent years. They released all of the fish for the purpose of our documentary.

A few of these guys are also trappers, from a long history of them in their families.

Everything they do is to the letter of the law and ethical.

We had an incredible lunch of grilled frog legs that were harvested from the river the night before.

Even shared some with DNR officers we ran into that are friends of theirs.

It changed my entire perspective on people who live on and among our local rivers.

If you were to take the time to get to know them, they are no more "Wilburs" than you or I.

This particular river has a history that includes the genealogy of these families that goes back generations.

Their ancestors stood on the bridge at the state line, bearing arms to prevent channelization into IL at the turn of the century.

Most of these people were conservationists before it was popular.