Limb lines for catfish

My wife and I moved recently, and live by Floyd’s Fork in Jefferson County.

I’m wanting to try setting some limb lines on Floyd’s fork for catfish.

Anyone have experience doing this? I’m curious about:

What type of line I should use?

What type of bait?

Should I use classic circle hooks?

Absolutely circle hooks. More successful hook rate, I believe, and definitely more hooked in the mouth in case you catch and release.

Generally live bait is best when limb lining, hung right under the surface as to splash around, etc.

Line is up to you, I use the string you can find at a wal-mart of any other store and made for catfish limb lining. I've also used a very heavy mono with no issues. Use a swivel either way as the cats will spin and things while on the line and can cause issues and breakage that way.

Be sure to use lines that are green and springy. Allows for more action from the baitfish and less chance of the limb breaking off on you. I'm a HUGE fan of limb lining, but currently without a boat. :ohbrother:

If you're going to use a circle hook, just make sure that the gap-space between the point of the hook and the hook shaft is not blocked by the bait. I'd definitely suggest a swivel too, like @ChickenWyngz said.

For bait, I'd try baiting half of your lines with "cherry chicken" (3 raw chicken breasts cut into 1 to 1-1/2" chunks and marinated in 8 packets of Kool-Aid mix for 48 hours) and half with live minnows in order to see what they're biting on.

Also, a few details about the KDFWR about limb lining:

SPORT FISHING TROTLINES, JUGGING and SET LINES (LIMB LINES)

(301 KAR 1:410; KRS 150.010)

A sport fishing trotline is a line with no more than 50 single or multi-barbed baited hooks that must be at least 18 inches apart. A sport fishing trotline must be set at least three feet below the water’s surface. Jugging is fishing with a single baited line attached to any floating object. A jug line may have no more than one single or multi-barbed hook. A set line is a line with one single or multi-barbed hook. It may be attached to a tree limb, tree trunk, bank pole or other stationary object on the bank of a stream or impoundment.

One person may use no more than two sport fishing trotlines or 50 jug lines or 25 set lines at any one time. Each boat may not use more than 50 jug lines, but each occupant may use two sportfishing trotlines or 25 set lines. Each sport fishing trotline, jug line or set line must be: 1) permanently labeled with the customer identification number provided on fishing licenses; 2) baited, checked and all fish removed at least once every 24 hours; 3) removed from water, bank or tree when fishing ceases.

Prohibited Areas: Sport fishing trotlines, jug lines or set lines may not be used within 200 yards below any dam. Sport fishing trotlines, jug lines or set lines are not allowed in Department owned/managed lakes having less than 500 surface acres, except those located on Ballard and Boatwright WMAs. No sport fishing trotlines are allowed within 700 yards below Kentucky Dam, the area between Barkley Dam and U.S. 62 bridge, or below the following Ohio River dams from the face of the dam to the end of the outer lock wall: Smithland, Newburgh, Cannelton, Markland, Meldahl and Greenup; McAlpine downstream to the K&I railroad bridge; J.T. Meyers (Uniontown) to the end of the outer lock wall and that portion of the split channel around the southern part of Wabash Island from the fixed weir dam to the first dike.

There's an old-timer I met down in Perry Park years ago who kept a couple really large pots of bamboo growing on his patio to use as bank poles for limb lining. He'd cut and dry the bamboo poles - it grew up probably 15 or 18 feet tall - and then he'd hot-glue a little u-shaped piece of wire onto the tip of it to balance the line on.

He did his limb lining out on the Kentucky River, which ran adjacent to the Perry Park Resort. When he'd set is line, he would tie one end to a tree trunk, and then he would balance the line out on the wire "u" on the end of the bamboo pole and shove the other end of the pole into the mud on the bank of the stream. By having the line hanging out off the tip of the pole, it kept the bait further out in the water than it would have if he'd just been hanging it directly off of a tree limb.