from what i can tell, you can buy a special license to run a trot line from the first dam up river at grand rapids. above that dam its ok with a regular fishing license. not planning on doing this but was wondering if a guy could. lol i never seen anyone doing it when i used to fish there. but you sure wouldnt do it where people were walking into it either. im sure some yeahoo is running a few somewhere over there though. lol i often wondered about drifting one behind the boat out on erie.