Thread: Jug fishing

2 liter soda bottle OR a gallon milk jug, both with the cap glued on. Bright orange duct tape wrapped around jug with my personal info written on it in sharpie (that's the law where I come from). 550 para cord for the leader (depth varies depending on how far down the bottom is - I always put my weights on the bottom). two granny knots about 2 inches apart 10ft off the bottom, with a swivel between them. tie a drop on there with about 2ft of 80lb mono with a mustad circle hook 6-8/0. repeat same knot,swivel, leader and hook about 4ft off the bottom. At the bottom use a 16oz solo cup filled with concrete and a small metal wire hoop in it to tie onto.

That's what I use on lakes for big cats. I put mine on either the edge of channels or on flats. Where really depends on water temps and shad locations. Heat of summer I go for ledges near deep water, spring i go for flats or shallows, but if shad ain't close by in either location then i start hunting for where they are.

2 liter soda bottle or even a milk jug will hold a pretty big fish. he may be able to pull it down, but he cant keep it down for more than a second or two. I also made up a some pool noodle jugs that I plan to try out soon.

PS. When you set it, you want your milk jug or two liter laying flat on the water so leave about a foot of slack in the line once the weight hits the bottom. That way you know when a fish is on it will stand up as well as give the fish a little something more to jerk on.

Some people suspend their weights so the weight never touches the bottom but I don't know how that works cause anytime i've ever done it i come back the next morning and my jug is half a mile or more from where I set it, or it's all tangled up in stumps and/or rocks. think those guys must sit on thier jugs?

I have a friend who watches Swamp People and started cutting canes and puts a cane pole off of the banks with a line and has been having great luck doing that.

Originally Posted by MorganT69

I have a friend who watches Swamp People and started cutting canes and puts a cane pole off of the banks with a line and has been having great luck doing that.

Similar to limb-lining. Good in rivers. Hard to find good spots for that, right next to the shore, in a lake.

I use pool noodles cut in 18"-24" sections; with pvc inserted in the center. It works best if you leave enough pvc protruding from the top 2" and bottom 4". Then insert a 6" piece of rebarb or galvanized pipe ; glue on end caps . The pipe will make a loud sound when a fish strikes and stand it upright. It will remain upright indicating that it has been hit. I wrap a piece of reflectorized tape to the top and bottom to track them at night. Use a milk crate to store and transport, no mess, no tangles!

Originally Posted by moecarama

I use pool noodles cut in 18"-24" sections; with pvc inserted in the center. It works best if you leave enough pvc protruding from the top 2" and bottom 4". Then insert a 6" piece of rebarb or galvanized pipe ; glue on end caps . The pipe will make a loud sound when a fish strikes and stand it upright. It will remain upright indicating that it has been hit. I wrap a piece of reflectorized tape to the top and bottom to track them at night. Use a milk crate to store and transport, no mess, no tangles!

That's exactly like the ones i just made up this winter and plan to use here in a couple weeks. Couple modifications I made to mine though:

I didn't put the rebar into the inside because i don't want it standing up all the time. There are fish thieves on every lake I fish here in Oklahoma and I have even caught thieves in the act of stealing, usually those darn bass fishermen early in the morning. Most catfish that have been on a jug over night will lay still after a bit and you wont know there's a fish on till you motor right up next to the jug and even sometimes they wait till you start pulling on the line. a standing up noodle is a sure fire way to get robbed in my opinion. A laying flat noodle or jug and the thieves will just drive by thinking there's nothing on it.

Also I added a bolt on the bottom with two steel washers that are sandwiching two rubber washers and held on by a wing nut. I put 100ft of cord wrapped around the noodle then, I unscrew the wing nut and once i got the depth set right I just wrap it around the bolt between the two rubber washers and then tighten back down the wing nut. i had read that some people also put a set amount of line wrapped around the noodle, so you can fish different depths, and then just tied a not on the end. That I think would probably slip so I added this modification to prevent slippage.

I like the wing nut modification. I set my noodles for a maximum depth of about 8ft and drift along with them. Now, if I am anchored fishing; I toss them into a eddy and listen for the strike and use my spot light to locate'em. When I am done fishing I retrieve them; never leave them overnight............I only river fish though. They might be 20miles away before I get back the next morning!

Thanks guy's for some great information, and I really like the noodles idea. Cats are moving into the coves as the warm water runs in from the local rain so its time.