In the right situation, it will probably work great.

I have fond memories of catching smelt on the Lake Michigan shore front, Montrose Harbor to be specific. We always used nets and caught them by the hundreds at a time fishing from the breakwater. I have never seen anyone catch smelt on a trot-line.

I have used use trot lines / "powerlines" (long story) to catch coho salmon (5 lbs+) on the Lake Michigan shore front too. They are very effective but the hooks were much bigger than size 12.