Trot Line Fishing
Back in East Texas where I grew up
Folks did a whole lot of fishing
I liked to fish using a trot line
If catfish is what I’m wishing
A trot line is a long line that’s strong
Every few feet is a staging
The stagings all have hooks on the end
Where fish find the bait engaging
The trot line is tied across a lake
Hooks are baited while still daylight
Chicken necks or liver are good bait
Run the trot line after its night
The line is run every three hours
Cook hobo stew on the camp fire
When you get tired, go take in a quick nap
Tell stories, find the best liar
We’re trying to catch big channel cats
But lots of things will take the bait
That’s a large part of the fun of it
What comes up next, can’t hardly wait
When you’re running a trot line at night
Don’t paddle the boat to move it
Pull the boat along, using the line
Don’t get up from were you sit
Check each staging as you go along
Soon you will feel something jerking
When a hook is empty you re-bait
But still something’s down there lurking
When you pull up the one that’s alive
Might be a turtle, snake or ell
Only pull up to see what it is
Before, so you’ll know how to deal
The best thing to do with some things you catch
Cut the staging and let it go
But when it’s a fish you want to eat
You want to bring it in really slow
A nice channel cat can weigh twelve pounds
He has sharp fins that can damage
When you bring one that size in the boat
He can sometimes be hard to manage
Next morning we’ll fry some for breakfast
In a skillet until golden brown
Serve it along with some hushpuppies
A better way to fish can’t be found
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