# Fishing a Sail Line



## Longtooth (Oct 2, 2008)

I have a sail line that I built and used to fish with in Texas. I have looked at the regulations in Florida and they do not mention them. In Texas you have to have a seperate license for them, actualy a metal tag for each 300 or 600 feet if I remember right. It is basicly a salt water trout line with a floating platform at the end with a square rigged sail. You let it take the line down wind with the baited hooks. Does anyone know if I can use it here?


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## NavySnooker (Sep 10, 2008)

i'm not sure if it's legal or not, but would like to give it a shot. sounds like a fun project, post some pictures. i may be interested in getting in on something like that.


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## Longtooth (Oct 2, 2008)

Here are the basic rules in Texas from the Texas Parks and Wildlife web site:<DT>*Sail Line:* <DD>For use in *SALT WATER* only. A type of trotline with one end of the main line fixed on the shore, the other end of the main line attached to a wind-powered floating device or sail. <UL><LI>Nongame fish, red drum, spotted seatrout, and sharks may be taken with a sail line. <LI>No more than 1 sail line may be used per fisherman. <LI>The sail line must be attended at all times the line is fishing. <LI>Sail lines may not be used by the holder of a commercial fishing license. <LI>Sail lines may be used 7 days a week. <LI>*Tag Requirements:* <UL><LI>Must have a valid Saltwater Trotline Tag for each 300 feet of mainline or fraction thereof being fished. </LI>[/list]<LI>*Construction and Design Restrictions:* <UL><LI>Sail line may not exceed 1800 feet from reel to sail. <LI>Sail and the most shoreward float must be bright orange or red color. All other floats must be yellow. *No float* may be more than 200 feet from the sail. <LI>A weight of 1 ounce or more must be attached to the line not less than 4 feet or more than 6 feet shoreward of the most shoreward float. <LI>Reflectors of not less than 2 square inches shall be attached to the sail and floats. They must be easily seen from all directions. This applies for sail lines operated from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise. <LI>May have no more than 30 hooks. <LI>There is no hook spacing requirement. <LI>No hook may be placed more than 200 feet from the sail. <LI>May be baited with either natural or artificial bait. </LI>[/list]<LI>*Placement and Location Restrictions:* Must meet placement and location requirements for saltwater trotlines.</LI><LI></LI>[/list]

Here is mine, 1500 feet of poly twist line attaches to the large orange float, then used a premade troutline, added yellow floats between each hook. Used a longliner clip to attach to the sail that I made using hot water PVC pipe and some floats, Sail is heavy sail orange sail cloth ( you can use an old T-Shirt for the sail). I used a electrical coard plastic reel for the 1500 ft of poly line ( no pic have to dig deeper in the garage for that).<UL><LI>







</LI>[/list]</DD>


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## delta dooler (Mar 6, 2008)

what kinds of fish do you target with that rig?


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