Drop lines advantage?

[justchillin]

Whats the advantage of running drop lines off your trot line instead of direct tieing bait:helpsmilie:

[done workin]

If you do the droppers using teh "standard" Jerry snoods, the baiting process is easier as well as unbaiting.

On top of that I feel that it makes the line alot more forgiving and alot less susceptible to the normal trotline curses: Lines tto loose, lines tto tight, too windy, too sunny, too many waves, too much glare, etc, etc.

I had stopped running my trotline for the above reasons and had only used traps. Since switching over to the Jerry snoods I love running it again even by myself.

I have found that even on windy days the snoods allow alot of cushioning and the crabs seem to be more inclined to hold on longer.

I actually stretch my mainline line tight and then run the boat faster.

It's mainly a trial and error thing. Some people don't like them.

Chris

[POLECAT]

Whats the advantage of running drop lines off your trot line instead of direct tieing bait:helpsmilie:

Here's a few good reasons:

Catches more crabs in less time using less gear.

No transmission of vibration caused by baits crossing over roller.

Crab does not get flipped upside down when line comes off bottom.

No bait loss due to overtightening line.

[SteveL]

One more reason, related to Polecat's "no bait loss due to overtightening line" is that when using snoods/droppers its very easy to move your line by dragging it. For a short distance I can drag one of the the anchors, and for longer moves I remove one anchor, grab ther other end and drag the line (with both floats attached), drop it in the new spot and then go re-attach the anchor and tighten the line. Many times by moving a short distance I put baits into an area that has not been recently crabbed and that may be deeper or shallower or whatever.

I resisted building a snoodline for a number of years, I am so glad I finally decided to build and use a snoodline. I have never had a tangle and the softlay is a joy to handle compared to other lines. No question that I catch more crabs, especially in windy and brighter light conditions (they hang lower in the water on the dropper and don't get spooked as easily as the rise to the surface in bright light).

Considering how much I like to crab and how much time and energy I put into a crabbing trip, the snoodline has paid for itself many times over in a few short years.

[justchillin]

Thanks for all the info guys I think i'm going to make one of my lines that way to compare. Thanks again

[done workin]

Jim

The whole secret is getting the line to come up at the point where you're dipping. I really feel snoods have helped this.

I can pull my line tight and with the depth of the snoods they come up right where I stand to steer.

Previously with a straight line, it was either too steep or too shallow and that could vary with a strong current or winds where the boat or line could move from run to run.

The snoods have really helped this.

Chris

[triplef]

The midmorning sun has less effect on the crabs dropping off.. few more hours of productive catching! Easier for newcomers to net the crabs when they are hanging down as opposed to on top of the line.

[Nummer1]

Not that it is any better but i prefer the straight line . i use #5 locktite for the last few years, sisal twine before. I find it easier to read the line and often dip crabs i never see. The line can be a little more sensitive to tension, but with practice it is easy to adjust by moving the anchors. I run solo mostly and only let others dip for fun as they miss too much. As far as moving the line once set, never works well for me with too much debris on bottom where i crab. I can pull and reset 1000' in 20 min or so. bait necks would be a pain, i ue eel or lips and rebait only as needed . Maybe not the best for ,but it works for me.