Thread: Favorite Bait for Jug Fishing

minnows or leeches

Fresh shad! We catch our shad with throw nets on our way out.

FRESH shad. Not some from 3 hrs ago, so just keep what you need. At times cut shad makes a big difference. Have tried the hot dog thing but I haven't ever had it outfish fresh shad for numbers or size.

I would say fresh shad and try keeping some of em and deposit in a mason jar take one of the shad or two and find a old blender at one once of water blend then pour that over the other shade in the jar leave the lid loose so it can breath and set in the sun for 2-3 days. the cats here on highrock seem to like that alot.

For many years when I was younger I fished Clark Hill Lake with jugs and spent the week setting out & checking bream baskets collecting just the righht sized baits (bluegills). A perfect bait for me would be as long as your middle finger, or a tad larger. Now that Lake Russell was built and a good supply of shad and herring were established you cant beat cut herring on eith Russell or Clark Hill lakes for catfish. There's sooooo many shad and bluebacks in the lakes its just a natural food for them now.

Winter time, small perch because it is hard to find shad. If I can't get perch I use Catalba worms I had frozen.

My neighbor is a big time jug man. He has the men at the fish hatchery keep and freeze all the dead rainbow trout. He cuts then up in chunks. The skin is so tough the cats have a hard time getting the bait off of the hook

Originally Posted by oldwun

My neighbor is a big time jug man. He has the men at the fish hatchery keep and freeze all the dead rainbow trout. He cuts then up in chunks. The skin is so tough the cats have a hard time getting the bait off of the hook

BETTER CHECK YOUR STATE REGS, HERE IN ARKANSAS UNLIKE TENNESSEE THE USE OF GAMEFISH IS ILLEGAL!

Originally Posted by NIMROD

BETTER CHECK YOUR STATE REGS, HERE IN ARKANSAS UNLIKE TENNESSEE THE USE OF GAMEFISH IS ILLEGAL!

That aint bait Mr. Officer, that is lunch!!

Some of that pre-packaged dough bait works pretty good for me and keeps all the little perch and other fish from takin the bait.