Setting trotlines is Ken Nutter’s preferred way of catching catfish in Sparkleberry Swamp, but he warns other anglers to know the laws governing these devices. Aside from a freshwater fishing license, anglers also need to obtain a non-game fishing permit from SCDNR.
The regulations for trotlines vary by area. In Sparkleberry Swamp, anglers are bound to a limit of one trotline with a maximum of 50 hooks. The hooks must not be stainless steel, and they must have a gap of no greater than 7/16 of an inch.
Additionally, trotlines must be checked at least once every 24 hours, and throughout the month of September, trotlines must be removed within one hour of official sunrise and cannot be set until an hour before official sunset or later. Also, trotlines cannot be set within 100 feet of the mouth of any tributary stream or within 200 yards of any man-made structure.
Cut bream, shad, chicken livers and shrimp are Nutter’s favorite baits; he likes to use all four on the same line. This allows him to see what the catfish prefer that particular day, and if any bait is dominating the bite, he will stick to that one the next time he sets the trotline.
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