# Jugline Help? Nice Cats



## Catkiller (Aug 14, 2005)

We camped at Kagle Recreational Area on Conroe and set out 20 juglines to set overnight. Set them in 21' of water and caught one good size catfish. Does anybody have any tips or advice on how, where, and when to catch more good size catfish? Its not fun settin out 30 juglines with 3 hooks each and only catching one good one. TOO MUCH WORK, but the one cat made it somewhat worthwhile.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

I have struck out a couple of times in cold weather with juglines, and don't know why. They were set in places where I usually do well. I almost never strick out with them when the water warms up.


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## mudcatz71 (Jun 8, 2006)

i never had good luck with big blues on jug lines but have always caught a bout load of 2-10lbs range try in 4-12 feet of water


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## capn (Aug 11, 2005)

What were you using for bait? Did you lose most of your bait? And, were you setting the lines on contour changes or other structure that would hold fish?

Medulla and I fished Conroe Friday night, mostly with rod and reel, but we set out a handful of jugs targeting big fish. On the jugs, we did not do very on main lake humps like usual, but when we moved em just off a sharp drop from shallow water, they loaded up. We were rod and reeling them in only a foot or two of water most of the night, so I think most of the eaters are going to be close to shallow water, particularly overnight. Find you a good steep drop off of a shallow flat, especially on a wind blown shoreline, and you should be good.


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## waterspout (May 21, 2004)

capn said:


> What were you using for bait? Did you lose most of your bait? And, were you setting the lines on contour changes or other structure that would hold fish?
> 
> Medulla and I fished Conroe Friday night, mostly with rod and reel, but we set out a handful of jugs targeting big fish. On the jugs, we did not do very on main lake humps like usual, but when we moved em just off a sharp drop from shallow water, they loaded up. We were rod and reeling them in only a foot or two of water most of the night, so I think most of the eaters are going to be close to shallow water, particularly overnight. Find you a good steep drop off of a shallow flat, especially on a wind blown shoreline, and you should be good.


Right, And he has your ugly mug all over that other site. rotfl! Nice fish you guys CPR'ed. Congrats!


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## capn (Aug 11, 2005)

Which site did he post them on? We had a great night of fishin, one that you remember for a long time!


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## waterspout (May 21, 2004)

The one you can't get on that's a local site. he's got one of him with his cigar and a bruiser and several of you with nice fishies too. So y'all got into the hybrids too? limits of both. congrats, about time you caught something. j/k amigo!


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## capn (Aug 11, 2005)

Two killer weekends in a row, darn the luck!  The hybrids on our lite tackle were fun, but Joe's 29 on rod and reel stole the show. Heck of a battle on that tackle!


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## waterspout (May 21, 2004)

you have the report in a PM. Post it up big boy!


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## capn (Aug 11, 2005)

I'm waiting on some pics from last weekend, and I'll resize em all at once and post up.


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## TXPalerider (May 21, 2004)

Catkiller,

Capn offers sage advice. He know what he's talking about. And the guy he was fishing with (Medulla) is one of the best jugliners I know of, on Conroe.


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## Catkiller (Aug 14, 2005)

mudcatz71 said:


> i never had good luck with big blues on jug lines but have always caught a bout load of 2-10lbs range try in 4-12 feet of water


 What were you using? We were using catfish bait soap.


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## Catkiller (Aug 14, 2005)

capn said:


> What were you using for bait? Did you lose most of your bait? And, were you setting the lines on contour changes or other structure that would hold fish?
> 
> Medulla and I fished Conroe Friday night, mostly with rod and reel, but we set out a handful of jugs targeting big fish. On the jugs, we did not do very on main lake humps like usual, but when we moved em just off a sharp drop from shallow water, they loaded up. We were rod and reeling them in only a foot or two of water most of the night, so I think most of the eaters are going to be close to shallow water, particularly overnight. Find you a good steep drop off of a shallow flat, especially on a wind blown shoreline, and you should be good.


 We were usin catfish bait soap and minnows. We only got one cat on minnows, but got 2 or 3 or bait soap. The big one was on bait soap. We set them out in the river channel 20-30 ft. It wasnt that rewarding only to get two or three with settin out 30 jugs.


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## TXPalerider (May 21, 2004)

Catkiller,

You need to find some shad. I'll bet $100 that was their bait of choice.


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## wil.k (Aug 22, 2005)

Most people have better luck in the fall or winter ,when the water level is up and the flow is fast,I have found most big cats lay up in the little cuts ,creeks or any inlet in shoreline , these are a good places for your line .

As for bait a good hand size perch can't be beat.


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## waterspout (May 21, 2004)

gizzard shad is what Medulla said.. cut shad. Ol Joe is a fishin fool. He fishes more days a year than most people do in ten years. Sometimes twice plus times a day. hehehe


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## capn (Aug 11, 2005)

That right there is one of your problems killer. You need to catch fresh shad. You can do this in shallow water at night around lights or windblown sandbars/riprap. During the day, you can try to catch them deeper around bridge pilings or boat stalls. 

Second choice would be live or cut perch. (The live perch will take longer, but bigger fish.)

Third choice would be cubes of beef heart.

Do that, and then find you a good steep drop off of a shallow flat, and you will catch more than you want. You certainly won't have to leave them out all night, either. More than likely an hour or two is plenty of time for them to load up when using shad. We've had times out of Cagle where we couldn't keep 5 jugs in the water, by the time we set the 5th jug, the 1st had fish on already. I don't like to leave my jugs out all night on Conroe unless I'm running them, I end up losing too many to big fish dragging them off or tangling them in trees.

Don't buy that about not catching big fish, either. If you use big baits like live perch or slabs of gizzard shad you will get big fish. We let everything over 10 pounds go after a picture.

One last thing, make sure you're using circle hooks. You will lose a bunch of fish if you are using regular J hooks, and a big fish will straighten out kahle hooks. Something around the 5/0 range works good for both eaters and big fish.


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## capn (Aug 11, 2005)

Here's a teaser from this weekend. We had 4 fish over 20 pounds, two limits of catfish, and two limits of hybrid stripers. Most all of our fish were rod and reeled (including a 29 pounder), we were fishing for the big uns only with jugs. Most of the fish were only in around 2-3 foot of water overnight.


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## TXPalerider (May 21, 2004)

Based on that pic, I know Ed Zachary where you were.


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## waterspout (May 21, 2004)

oh,, teaser. LOL You want me to post the others? LOL na, it yours. run with it.

Looks more like you were duck hunting and he jumped in tha bote. hehehe


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## capn (Aug 11, 2005)

TXPalerider said:


> Based on that pic, I know Ed Zachary where you were.


So do I! 

We were mid-lake, following a pattern exactly like I described. A steep drop from a shallow flat into about 27 foot of water. Jugs right at the base of the drop, using 3-4 inch slabs of gizzard shad. IMO, no one place is better than another at this time of year. We've hammered em up near Cagle, too.

The eaters and hybrids were rod and reeled in about 2 foot of water using button shad. A few on the bulkheads, but the bulkhead bite is not on yet.


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## Toledo (Mar 6, 2006)

Nice fish CAPN.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

There are really only two kinds of bait, shad, and then not shad. Of course shad is better than not shad, if I'm lying, I'm dying, grits ain't groceries, chicken ain't poultry, and the Mona Lisa is a man.
The bulkhead bite at Conroe must be like the one at Livingston. The shad are spawning and the cats are there to eatem up, bout 2' water up against the bulkhead. The shad here will literally come out on the bank , at the boat ramp where I net them, with a wave when the cats are after them at sunrise. When it's in full swing two men with electric knifes can't keep up with three men fishing.
Where are the pics of the hybrids? They are great fighting fish and very good to eat.


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## capn (Aug 11, 2005)

We didn't get any pics of the hybrids unfortunately, it was at night. You can have all you want though, I don't care for them too much. I keep em mostly for giveaways and start releasing them when I have given away fish to those who need it.


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## TXPalerider (May 21, 2004)

shadslinger said:


> ...........The bulkhead bite at Conroe must be like the one at Livingston. ................ When it's in full swing two men with electric knifes can't keep up with three men fishing.
> ............


Oh no, doesn't sound like Livingston can compare to Conroe. On Conroe, it's the other way around, it would take 3 men with electric knives to keep up with 2 fishing!!  JK

(Couldn't resist)


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## capn (Aug 11, 2005)

My lake is better than your lake!


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## hiram abiff (Jun 26, 2006)

set the juglines further down south on the lake. the north end of conroe is not the best fishing in the world but it does have its season.


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## 01 Aggie (Mar 13, 2006)

*north end*

hiram abiff







vbmenu_register("postmenu_1053326", true); 
Member
Join Date: Jun 26 2006
Posts: 12









set the juglines further down south on the lake. the north end of conroe is not the best fishing in the world but it does have its season.

and what season is that??


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## Fish Aholic (May 13, 2005)

I second the Shad for bait. You may want to try mullet or squid? It is less likely to fall off the hook. Just keep trying!


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## capn (Aug 11, 2005)

hiram abiff said:
 

> set the juglines further down south on the lake. the north end of conroe is not the best fishing in the world but it does have its season.


I couldn't disagree more. The best jug trip I've ever had was out of Cagle at this time of year, and you can catch them in the trees on rod and reel year round. You just have to find the pattern that the fish are on.


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## waterspout (May 21, 2004)

capn said:


> I couldn't disagree more. The best jug trip I've ever had was out of Cagle at this time of year, and you can catch them in the trees on rod and reel year round. You just have to find the pattern that the fish are on.


I agree that you disagree! It's a hot spot for sure. I seen it happen to many times,,,


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## Miss Dixie (May 21, 2004)

waterspout said:


> Ol Joe is a fishin fool. He fishes more days a year than most people do in ten years. Sometimes twice plus times a day. hehehe


You ain't joking about that! I met up with him Friday before last at the TCD. I ended up leaving around 0400 Saturday morning and he was still fishing at 1 the next afternoon. And I think he was going to Conroe that night for more fishing.

I was trying to make it up to the north side with yall last weekend capn, but it just wasn't in the cards. However, I did get a play by play report with the pics on Monday. Looks like I missed out on some good pulls there.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Whoa! I said Whoa!! Conroe is better than Livingston? Sounds like a jug down to me,..10 jugs,..4 hours,..baited with shad, any depth,..total weight wins gentlemens bet for best lake.


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## TXPalerider (May 21, 2004)

shadslinger said:


> Whoa! I said Whoa!! Conroe is better than Livingston? Sounds like a jug down to me,..10 jugs,..4 hours,..baited with shad, any depth,..total weight wins gentlemens bet for best lake.


IT'S ON!!!!

Now I just need to find my ringer...................Medulla.


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## waterspout (May 21, 2004)

hehehe,, well with that said I out the Lake Houston boys and were in too.

When is this challenge going to take place. Let go ahead and throw in the R&R catagory too. Say two hours of R&R total weight.

And Paleone, I should have known you have to potlick Oh Medulla to take on a contest like this. Bwahhaaahahahahahahaaaa!

This guy is not allowed to enter this contest!


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## TXPalerider (May 21, 2004)

waterspout said:


> ............And Paleone, I should have known you have to potlick Oh Medulla to take on a contest like this. Bwahhaaahahahahahahaaaa!
> 
> ............


Well Hale Yeah!!! I ain't got no boat. Just need him for the ride. :rotfl:


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## capn (Aug 11, 2005)

I will be in the boat with Palerider and medulla - I believe we might could cause irreperable damage to the state's catfish population. 

Spout, give us another week on the rod and reel challenge and you're on. Them bulkhead channel cats on Conroe are FAT, and we don't have to sort thru the 12 inchers.  Plus, we all know that Houston is the little redheaded stepchild of Conroe and Livingston. There is really no debate.


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## waterspout (May 21, 2004)

Why did I Know you two would have to potlick the catfishingest machine this side of the Mississippi River???

forget it! cheaters! . 

%)$&^@* %*& !!!


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## capn (Aug 11, 2005)

Prolly cause neither of us have a boat right now!


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

I say we pick a day and time slot, wait..Lake Houston? I thought that was just a place for jet skies and the like, anyway, we fish the same 4 hours on the same day. No more than 3 hooks per jug. The R&R will have to wait for the bulkhead bite to get started. Strickly the honor system here, as I know we are all true sportsman. I will start a new thread and we can settle on the day and time slot.


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## capn (Aug 11, 2005)

As long as we all agree that Lake Houston barely warrants the term "Lake" in it's name in comparison to Conroe and Livingston, I think we're pretty well settled...


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## waterspout (May 21, 2004)

PFFFFFFFFTTTTTTT! face it Potlicker. If it weren't for Joe Joe youd'd be in the Marsh fishing for cats in da Bayous! Tell the truth for once Capn. LOL


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## capn (Aug 11, 2005)

Now that ain't true at all, ya wannabealake fisherman! Fact is, the biggest cat I've ever caught at Conroe was without the catman himself!









Joe has the edge for sure, but you gotta remember - he's out there every freekin day it seems like!


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