# Jugging Conroe with John3:16 - A Blessed Trip !



## Jeff G (May 18, 2010)

I talked to John this weekend about doing some jugging . He asked me how Sunday night (October 4th ) sounded . I wanted to go but I had a bad feeling or say lack of confidence because I did not have any bait and I had no idea how I was going to get some without having to go spend over $40 at the bait store. Well, I said yes I'll go . If we don't catch any fish at least we can drive around and mark new spots and enjoy each others company out on the lake.

As a hung my phone up , I get a call from Bigmike asking me if I wanted some freshly caught bait that he and his brother Tim just caught at Lake Houston ! I grabbed around six bags of catfish fillets at my house to give them and I met his brother Tim over at the HEB down the street an hour later . These were nice size and much larger than what I am use to catching down in the creek . I called John with excitement because I am now feeling much more confident about this trip .

I get over to John's around 2:30 Sunday afternoon. I brought John back his 400 watt inverter so he starts wiring it in his boat and working on the a new huge light that he recently bought . His whole boat is rigged differently and better. He has a killer removable switch panel with the fuse panal mounted on the other side , his non breakable light mounted on his crane , his jackplate on, a bigger gas tank, and his three bilge pumps mounted professionally looking . I am thinking to my self is this a jugging boat or some boat for a custom boat show rigging contest ! I tell john that I am going to have to sneak some pics of his inventions as soon as he goes in the house and leaves me alone !! LOL

He ran into a few problems with the wiring but he figured it out and got everything working . We tested everything the best that we could .The "John's pre flight checklist " and took off to the lake around 7:00
We launch out of the 830 ramp and head north up past the 1097 bridge . The boat was having a difficult time getting on plane and actually wasn't getting the boat up high enough out of the water to go well at all . I think 12- 16 was about all it was doing . We were both scratching our head . This was weird because the old motor was a 48 horse with no adjustable trim and it would push a bait well full of 75 catfish plus and extra person pretty well. As we slowed down to set the first spot , things got worse ! The boat would not stay idling . Big problem !!!

John decides to not put any gear out until we fix the boat issues . We head back to the 830 ramp . Johns runs to Walmart and gets a new fuel hose with bulb and a whale tale for the motor . He comes back and we trailered the boat out of the water . I installed the fuel line and he grabs his drill out of the boat and mounts the whale tale . The boat runs great now at idle and planes better but not great but better enough to go set a few jugs !

We head out and John 's new GPs that I bought him about two months ago appears broken and it will not aquire the boats position . (This is our second one to do this ! ) He pulls out his droid phone but when he plugs it in the cigarette lighter the charger blows up ! We used the droid for a little bit but it eventually dies after a little bit. 
I pulled out of my box my GPS and we use it . I have all of our old spots marked and a few new ones . We start setting jugs after 10:00 and our last jug was set at 5:30 . Around 1:00 , I can tell John is going crazy not having his lake chip phone so he asked me if he can drive home and get his 110 charger . Feeling I can have a nice break and relax , I tell him that sounds like a GREAT idea !! LOL

John comes back and we set the rest of the jugs . We set out 19 of my "flaggging jugs" and 21 of the big "johnny jugs" . We set mine out first and his last . We set mine on a few spots that I had picked out when I was with Maxpro last week while I was watching his graph and side image as he drove around . The other spots were all new locations . Around 80 % of the jug spots were new spots that John picked out for us to try . 
After setting the jugs , we checked a few of mine and then we let them soak a little bit and then started picking them up around 7:30. We only caught one double this trip , and two small dink fish about a pound each. Everything else that we caught was really nice !!!

Here is the order of the fish that we caught . I photographed John with a dry erase board on ever fish over 5 pounds . I think we may have caught one to two more over 5 pounds because I shot video of them instead of taking the pics .

*15 CPRS : *


*8,7,30,12,16,21,6,8,12,11,6,10,12,8.5,and 22 pounds . One 4 pound channel and two 4.5 blues released too *.

It was a blessed trip given all of the problems that we faced and then the quality of the fish that was caught given the short length of time that these jugs soaked was truely amazing to me . I think that our prayer that we said as we left the ramp earlier helped . I was very amazed over this trip about the quality of the fish that we caught . It was a very relaxing trip . These anchored jugs are so much less labor than having to chase the small bottles all over the lake and trying to fetch them in the shallows or under people's boat docks . It was also great not keeping any fish to take home.

John taught me some key information about selecting spots to catch the big catfish and it was exciting seeing the results that we caught at these new spots. Thanks again John for another memorable trip . We videod every cpr fish and got pics of all the cpr fish . John will have to post the pics . The simm card that he gave me did not have the pics on them and the video is in a format that my computer can not reconize. John will add the pics later or I will drive over to his house and get another copy of the trip.

Thanks again to Big Mike and Tim !! They gave me another huge box of fresh bait on Monday night for our next trip!!


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## John3:16 (Aug 27, 2010)

This trip did certainly present it's challenges. I guess persistence really does pay off. Stay tuned the "Peanut Butter Jelly Boys" are fixing to pump, pump it up!


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## John3:16 (Aug 27, 2010)

More pictures


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## John3:16 (Aug 27, 2010)

Jeff Loves his catfish, this catfish loved a peanut butter jelly sandwich!


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## John3:16 (Aug 27, 2010)

Well these are the pictures from this trip thanks for viewing.
Read JOHN3:16


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## danmanfish (Jun 17, 2010)

wow.. nice fish you all caught.. congrats..


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## RodBender54 (Aug 27, 2010)

I think I'm fishing the wrong lake...lol. I have said it before "You guy's are totally awsome!" Great pictures guy's


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## slippindrag (Sep 21, 2010)

WOW--You guys have really got it going on. Hey Rodbender54, I think we could really learn some things from these guys, they have really got this stuff figured out.


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## Gator gar (Sep 21, 2007)

Rodbender, you're not fishing the wrong lake, these guys have just put in the time and are really good at what they do. I promise, there are just as many cats in lake Livingston, if not more. Don't be discouraged. I'm sure these guys would come up and fish with you, if you had an incentive to offer. Maybe a 5 gallon bucket of peanut butter and jelly mixed up.

There are guys that do this almost weekly this time of the year and would be more than will ing to help you improve your catch. There are a few that know me, when i used to brag about catching 7-8 on a trotline over a night of fishing.

I got with some of the old school juggers and they showed me the light. Then I hooked up with the commercial fishers and they rounded me out.

My best catch was with Dbullard, fishing near Indian Hills toward Penwaugh. I think we caught 50 head in 41 minutes, or an hour and 41 minutes, I can't remember. it was quick, either way.

If I wasn't working everyday to the week, I'd line you up on a trip for trotlines, drifting jugs and anchored jugs, all in one. Mapping the lake, bait catching, cutting and how to best hook it for best presentation. It all comes hand in hand for a sucessful trip.


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## aussieexpat (Jul 31, 2009)

Thats a good mess a fish, I like it when ya'll take the time to individually photograph each fish.


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## dbullard (Feb 13, 2008)

NIce catch Jeff and John. Rod Bender I have fished with Jeff and some of the guys that got him started .When these guys fish it is an all night afair with 40 plus jugs baited and ran all night. They put the time in to learn the lake and channels and have history of where they have caught big fish before .


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## coup de grace (Aug 7, 2010)

*wow...*


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## hiram abiff (Jun 26, 2006)

good job fellows! looks like you had fun


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## Boatless Potlicker (Oct 5, 2009)

Man, I've been wrong all along. Forget those shad, I'll be packing the PB&J :doowapsta


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## RodBender54 (Aug 27, 2010)

Just kidding about fishing the wrong lake. I agree Gator Gar and dbullard, there are just as many if not bigger blues in LL. I am still learnig LL even though I have fishied it for 30 years.These guys do work hard and spend a lot of hours out on the water. In this case cold long hours Sunday night and Monday morning. I plan on going up in the morning and set out some jugs and do a little RR fishing to boot. I am off again for 4 days. I really appreciate your comments.There are certain techniques that need to be learned for sucess. I am the kind of guy who learns by "Show me how". May be one day we can hook up. I look forward to it. Maybe I can post a picture or two over the next four days.


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## obiewan57 (Sep 14, 2005)

Great trip, looks of those pictures you would never know it was a challenging trip, way to go.


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## John3:16 (Aug 27, 2010)

Thanks Weldon


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## baldfisherman (Sep 22, 2010)

wtg good catch


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