juglining help

[SHURSHOT270]

Ok guy's, I went juglining for the first time last week. We caught 6 cat's, 3 we released and the other's went in the skillet. pretty good for not knowing what i'm doing i thought. My questions are what size and kind of hook do you use? I had a #5 J style hook. Is this to bug, should i use a circle hook?? Also will you catch more of your eatin size cat's with livers and hearts, and more of the trophy size ( 10 to 20 lb cats) on the bream or both? I was setint them in about 17 to 20 feet of water and had 4 baits on each line. Any help or pointers would be a great help. Anything i'm doing wrong? anything that I should watch for? Sorry about all the questions but i'm a pilgrim at this. Thanks

See ya on the water!!!

[D.L.]

We use circle hooks and beef heart or perch. IMO liver comes off to easy but I use it when R&R fishing.

[clean air]

In TN normal is about a 10-15 foot line and a 1/4-1/2 oz weight then a 6/0 circle.I have caught many in the 20-30 range and as small as 1-2 pound.Most are 5-15 pounds.I use 50 pound braid.The circle hook will not gut hook cause the fish hooks its self.If you are not going to be setting the hook like with R+R I would use the circle.I bait with cut shad,skipjack and fresh shrimp.In a nut shell thats how we do it.

[dbullard]

Shurshot are you anchoring the jugs are free floating? I use 5/0 circle hooks and use beef hearts ,cut shad and cut pearch and some live pearch.The beef hearts stay on the hook good I think the cut gizzard shad or pearch catch bigger fish.When we anchor jugs with a 1 pound weight we set them in different depths and move them if a depth is working better than another. You need to get the fish off in the deeper water pretty quick
this time of year unless you are fishing a moving river because of the lack of oxygen.I have had one die this year in 23 foot on the bottom hook.
The more you go the more you learn.

[seattleman1969]

Vice versa, I have had them die on the top hook in less that 3 Ft. of water because the water was too warm (The warmer the water, the less it's capacity for holding oxygen).

Long story short, if you are jugging, monitor the jugs and get the fish off fast.

[Thin Water Tracker]

I use flagging jugs 45 foot lines 7/0 deep sea circle hooks 1 to 1.5 lbs weights first hook 6 foot off the bottom mainly fish creek channels in 25 to 35 foot water close to large flats. Fresh cut shad is best bait cut brim will do the job also

[SHURSHOT270]

THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP, DBULLARD I'M ANCHORING THEM WITH 1 LB WEIGHTS. i'M GOING TOMORROW AND COMING BACK SUNDAY. i'LL GIVE AN UPDATE AND HOPEFULLY SOME PICTURES

[bueyescowboy]

I am with most here....i use shad because of price...free.....my jugs are just that...jugs....1 liter jugs painted white with 3 to 5 ft of string and hook....hook whatever gets in my fingers after i put on the string. lets say i don't use much money making jugs up nor do i waste much time in making them. mine i generally float...so if i lose one my feeling aren't really hurt. I am thinking of using treble hooks next time because this year during the shad run I was chasing jugs left and right to find most jugs without bait.
Here's my question....where are you fishing? On livingston, I would think right now if you can find the shad working in an area you probably will do pretty good on picking up some nice cats. Even though I haven't tried it this year, i usually throw out 10 to 15 jugs then run over some place to white bass fish. I set my jugs so they will float to me...so as i fishing here comes my jugs...some bobbing (with fish) some not. I call it the 2 for 1. oh and on livingston, around March the shad spawn..meaning they are all around the bulkheads (hundred of shad) early in the morning 6am till 9 am. throw your jugs next to the bulkhead..then the shad go to working and the jugs go to bobbing...lots of fun chasing the jugs. good luck and the cool thing about jugging its hard to get it wrong.

[Meadowlark]

Dang, now that's a smart approach...2 for 1. Thanks.

[kamreese]

SURESHOTS270

I USE CIRCLE HOOKS FOR A BETTER HOOK ON. THE ARE EASIER TO REMOVE AND YOU HAVE LESS SWALLOWED HOOKS. GOOD LUCK JUGGING.


PS. WALMART HAS A DEVICE CALLED THE CATFISH NOODLE THAT WORKS GREAT. THE ARE ABOUT 2 FEET LONG.2 INCHES IN DIAMETER AND THE FREE FLOAT FLAT. WHEN YOU HAVE A FISH ON THE BOB STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN.
MADE OUT OF PLASTIC STYRO FOAM. I DON'T USE ANY THING ELSE.