# Catfish Jugs



## Reel Cajun

I used to put out jugs alot when I was growing up in Louisiana, but haven't used any since moving to Texas. How many are you allowed per boat, and what information do you have to put on jugs?


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## shadslinger

Better check that booklet that Parks and Wildlife puts out to be sure about the regulations on jug lines, they have a couple of different rules that apply to them. 
You gotta have a gear tag that has your name and the date they were last put out, or run, or I am not sure,better check the regs. No more than five hooks per jug, no more than 100 hooks per person all lines combined.
Fresh water only, and there are some freshwater lakes that you can't run them in.
Many people today use flags, they are like jugs, but are more fun, and catch a lot of fish.


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## Bowhntr

*Flags vs Jugs*

Okay SS
explain the difference between using Flags vs using jugs. I'm going to try these out as I see post that most all are using jugs to catch cats. Also how do you anchor them so they do not float away? and do you have to stay with them while they are set out. Newbie trying to learn the ropes. Do know that you name/date and the have to be white according TPWD:fish:



shadslinger said:


> Better check that booklet that Parks and Wildlife puts out to be sure about the regulations on jug lines, they have a couple of different rules that apply to them.
> You gotta have a gear tag that has your name and the date they were last put out, or run, or I am not sure,better check the regs. No more than five hooks per jug, no more than 100 hooks per person all lines combined.
> Fresh water only, and there are some freshwater lakes that you can't run them in.
> Many people today use flags, they are like jugs, but are more fun, and catch a lot of fish.


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## ras308

You can fish the jugs anchored or free-floating. On my anchored jugs that I fish in the middle of the lake, I have a piece of a brick, the ones with the holes in them. I have three hooks on my jugs, any more than that and they get awful dangerous!!! When they are set, you adjust the length of the string to where the jug just lays flat on the water with enough slack to where the waves do not float your set out of position. When you catch a good one, they will drag them around pretty good!!! With my floating jugs, I kinda make a carolina rig, with about 30 inches of line total. The floating ones are normally fished like you would drift fish with a rod and reel. I have added a snap/swivel where it snaps to the jugs. I used to just drop the line and all into the jugs and screw the cap on when I was finished fishing, but, got tired of taking 5 minutes a jug to untangle them!!! Now I unsnap them and wrap them around a piece of foam. Hope this helps??? Should have called in with catfish fever this morning!!! Good fishing!!!


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## shadslinger

I just tried to post a response and it didn't go, and my second try's usually stink, but here goes.

ras308 told it right and I would just say it my way by adding ;
Flags are usually PVC pipe 1/2 diameter and about 18" long. They have caps glued on each end with a ring eye screwed into one end to which you tie your line. 
They have a weight in side of them, in my case a 2" long piece of rebar, and a stiff white foam collar stuck on one end that is about 9" long. The flag (foam) is placed on it's side so that it is horizontal in the water and the weight loaded to the foam end. When a fish hits it tilts the pipe and the weight slides down popping the foam collar flag up and you know that you might have a fish.
Some folks anchor them with 1 to 2 lb weights and add up to 5 hooks.
I float mine with only a 20" length of stage line with one hook. Some people do both.

Jugs are usually 2 liter plastic soda drink bottles painted white on Lake Livingston. They usually have a short piece of stage line and one hook.
Both catch catfish very well and are fun to use.
SS


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## randyrandy

On my tags, I use a waterproof Sharpie to write my name and address. it stays on for a couple of years. Then, for the date, I use a grease pencil. The grease pencil stays on in the water. Next trip, wipe the date off with a rag (shirt sleeve or pants will do) and grease pencil on the new date. 
Your name written with the Sharpie is always there, just change the date with a grease pencil each trip. Oh yeah, almost forgot, the grease pencil writes when wet.


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## Whitebassfisher

Does this help explain how to make a flagging jug?


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## brazman

Props to Whitebassfisher for finding this diagram. These jugs are so fun to make, and when you show em to people, they think you're some kind of genius. And, they REALLY work well. I have a suggestion for anyone planning to crank out a mess of these bad boys: determine what kind of box/barrel you're going to store/transport these jugs in. I use clear plastic boxes with the two piece lids that fold together when they close. I would suggest finding your storage box first and then adjusting the length of the jugs accordingly. Nothing like making 20 of these things and then finding out that they really don't fit all that well into the box they were intended for.

One more thing: the nicer your jugs are, the more time and effort put into them, the more likely they'll get stolen. DON'T LEAVE THEM OUT OVERNIGHT unless you're with them in the boat, monitoring them from the shore, or you're out in the middle of nowhere. Also, the more likely a big ole fish will try to drag em off, wrap em around a stump, and make you break it off or cut the line to get your jug back. Speaking from experience...


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## ras308

*Exactly*

That's why I use chlorox jugs!!!


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## Thin Water Tracker

*Flagging Jugs*

I have used the flagging jugs for 10 year now still have the first 10 I made and they hold up good and do catch fish. 50 lbs blue best to date"June 08" once you lnow what to look for in a lake they do th job. I fllowed this one about 1/2 mile and once I got a hold of here took about 10 mins to get her into the boat.


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## Whitebassfisher

If the lady had not been in the pic to give perspective, I would not have realized how huge that cat is! Darn, you need a step to get onto the front deck of that boat.



Thin Water Tracker said:


> I have used the flagging jugs for 10 year now still have the first 10 I made and they hold up good and do catch fish. 50 lbs blue best to date"June 08" once you lnow what to look for in a lake they do th job. I fllowed this one about 1/2 mile and once I got a hold of here took about 10 mins to get her into the boat.


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## JakeBrake

Is this a good time of year to be jugging, or what some people i know call noodling. I have about 25 that are made from 3/4" PVC and swimming pool noodles.. the pipe is about 18" and the foam noodles about 12"... a hole drilled in one end with my leader line tied to it with a double hook leader on the end of that with a lead weight. We use freshly caught shad. I also took some DOT reflective tape and wrapped the top end of the pipe for better visibility at night with a spotlight... I've only used them in the summer months, are they good for this time of year too?


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## shadslinger

great posts and pics about jugs, a man could take this info and catch some catfish.


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## Bowhntr

Thank whitebassfisher you and SS (other as well) are full of info. I'll start making a few of these and take my nephew/niece out for some cats later when they are out of school and weekend. Hope to get to fish with you guys one day.


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## Gentleben

This is the diagram we use, glad you found it and shared it with your friends !!


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## Thin Water Tracker

Ben was one ot the guy that started me Jugging with the flagging Jugs. And I sure a few of you know Medulla he took me on my first Jugging trip and showed me the ropes.


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## Gentleben

Yeah Don glad to see you ain't letting no slime grow under your boat !! I need to go fishing more and make sure my stuff don't be walking off, bwahahhahahahha:an6:


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## Gentleben

Donnie Piper actually did the original design of this great fishing tool diagrah which many, many, many ,people have gotten credit for, we don't mind , actually we encourage people to useit. We'll even take you out and show you how it is done .
TPWD came down and did a jug fishing video on this guys and is being aired right now , :doowapstahttp://www.fishingtx.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13688
This guys can teach you and show you how to be sucessfull jugliners for the rest of your lifes !!!!!!!!!
Only thing I would have done different is I would have include Jackie Kenedy on this video to show folks how R&R catfishing is really done !! 
Baby, that puts the icing on the cake !!
Tight lines and bent poles , makes a man happy!!


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## Whitebassfisher

Yes, Don Piper I believe is due credit for the flagging jug diagram. He is very active on FishingTx.com

FishingTx tends to specialize in catfish; they have many members who could catch 20+ pounders on demand, well within 24 hours anyway. LOL


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## Gator gar

Whitebassfisher said:


> Yes, Don Piper I believe is due credit for the flagging jug diagram. He is very active on FishingTx.com
> 
> FishingTx tends to specialize in catfish; they have many members who could catch 20+ pounders on demand, well within 24 hours anyway. LOL


Looks like you were caught in some sort of copyright infringement there White Bass fisher. Looks as if Ben called you out on it.

I noticed alot of the Fishing Tx info was doctored on your flaggin jug diagram and intentionally left erased, leading most to think that you came up with the idea. That is an integrity and moral NO-NO. Stealing info from another site and misleading people into thinking it was your idea in a round about way, but not really intentially, right??:cop:

I've seen that diagram many times on FishingTx.com, but never really looked at it here until Ben called you out, then I realized all the credit info was erased. Shame, shame.

If you really want to help these new comers to the art of jugging, send them to the number one Jug fishing website that there is in Texas and that is FishingTx.com. They specialize in jugging and what better place to learn from??

That is where I learned what I know about jugging and that is where I recommend anyone go, if they want to learn.

There are too many questions over here about jugging and all the answers are over there. I'm not trying to recruit anyone, but facts are facts. There are good knowlegable people over there that are pros at jugging and will do all they can to help you. All you have to do is register.


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## Gentleben

:doowapstaGG I appreciate your kind words of encouragement but in all honest I don't really believe there was any malice intended , Don (wbf) and i talked and he just wanted to share the information, which is ok. WBF is one of the most charitable guy i know, he has given plenty to FTX . The diagram has been floating around the fishing world and someone else doctored it up.
All is well and we are off to another adventure ..It is good to see you still catching fish Mark:dance:>>


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## dbullard

Ok now that is settled we can get back to fishing!!!!I love both sites and I think if WBF would visit FTX he would see more fishing for his favorite now.In the end it is sharing and fellowship that we get the most rewards from.


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## essayons75

*Shad*

Does anyone know where I can buy shad in the Kingwood area?

Or is it easier to throw a net for them?


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## Gator gar

Yea, maybe I did jump the gun there. I guess he could have gotten the image from somewhere else that had already been doctored up. My bad. I'll go eat me some crow. I'm sure ol Bill has a recipe for it. That's what Gator (Cookie) said. Hope there are no hard feelings there, WBF. The whole deal just rubbed me the wrong way and I jumped the gun.


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## cookie

i would feel better if i had some homemade sausage while doing some jugging


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## dbullard

cookie said:


> i would feel better if i had some homemade sausage while doing some jugging


 I second that!!!


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## capn

WBF helps a bunch of folks on this site, and FWIW I would have posted the same version of the diagram. All of the credit info would have come off a little like pumping another site when all he's shooting for is giving the diagram. FishingTx has a great group of jugfishermen over there, but folks looking for help can definitely find it here as well. There is a good group of very experienced fishermen on this site, it just so happens that right now they are more interested in white bass. 

Jugfishing around here will just not be the same without medulla around. I betcha we fished/hunted/jugged together 30 times a year for the last four or five years! Conroe just won't be the same for me this spring.


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## capn

Oh, and more importantly, I can't access FishingTx from my work. Filters catch it.


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## Gator gar

What happened to Medulla??? He run off with Mellissa????


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## dbullard

yeah Capn what is up with Joe?I talked to him before Christmas but not since.


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## Gentleben

Talk to your IT guy


capn said:


> Oh, and more importantly, I can't access FishingTx from my work. Filters catch it.


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## Gentleben

essayons75 said:


> Does anyone know where I can buy shad in the Kingwood area?
> 
> Or is it easier to throw a net for them?


 *CAll 281 324 9199 that's BJ's Marina they can direct you . also if you make it before the boats start going out the boat launches are good places to get some shad if you have a baot jsut look for the commorants or the Pelicans and the shad will be close by *


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## Gentleben

Joe moved south to Rockport or was it Freeport one of them ports said fishing was better down there


Gator gar said:


> What happened to Medulla??? He run off with Mellissa????


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## capn

Joe got laid off from his job, so he promptly sold his house and hit the road. He's been looking for a job down south. I know he was supposed to find out about a job in Falfurrias this weekend, and if that didn't work out he was going to be looking around the Rockport area. I suppose the only jugfishing he'll be doing are maybe on Lake Corpus or Choke Canyon, if he doesn't become a full time saltwater guy.

Of course I wish him the best since I know he loves that area (and I go down there to fish pretty often), but it won't be the same fishing around here without him.


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## capn

Gentleben said:


> Talk to your IT guy


If I talk to my IT folks, they're going to wonder why I've been able to access this site and another duck hunting site from work...


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## RAYSOR

GG, really glad to see all come to a good on the boards, I really enjoy all the input from everyone and it really boil down to one thing a common interest that we all have and sharing, especially the FOOD, LOL


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## dpiper

I tried to get the videographer to schedule a trip with JK but he didn't have time to set up another trip. Between the catfish festival, going with me and morris jugging, and Carl Bostic and Brett Radabaugh R&R fishing he had a ton of film. In the Houston market the TPWD show airs on channel 8 this coming Saturday at 3P. In other markets in the state it started airing Sunday. Check your local PBS station, it is episode 1717.


Gentleben said:


> Donnie Piper actually did the original design of this great fishing tool diagrah which many, many, many ,people have gotten credit for, we don't mind , actually we encourage people to useit. We'll even take you out and show you how it is done .
> TPWD came down and did a jug fishing video on this guys and is being aired right now , :doowapstahttp://www.fishingtx.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13688
> This guys can teach you and show you how to be sucessfull jugliners for the rest of your lifes !!!!!!!!!
> Only thing I would have done different is I would have include Jackie Kenedy on this video to show folks how R&R catfishing is really done !!
> Baby, that puts the icing on the cake !!
> Tight lines and bent poles , makes a man happy!!


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## 1texjun

Where can I buy some 1/2 dozen flagging jugs?


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## roadtrip57

guide ,,catfishkiller ,,Darrell Taylor ,sold me my first jugs,, he had a production set up at his house,, the line or hooks were not included ,if he still does it,,,the ones i have now are more along the lines of the diagram listed with 3" foam,, good project for a rainy or wind blown out day


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## jjtroutkiller

Thin Water Tracker said:


> And I sure a few of you know Medulla he took me on my first Jugging trip and showed me the ropes.


 Joe got me hooked on the jugs several years back, been using them since.


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## shadslinger

Who is jugging this week end?


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## grandpa cracker

capn said:


> Joe got laid off from his job, so he promptly sold his house and hit the road. He's been looking for a job down south. I know he was supposed to find out about a job in Falfurrias this weekend, and if that didn't work out he was going to be looking around the Rockport area. I suppose the only jugfishing he'll be doing are maybe on Lake Corpus or Choke Canyon, if he doesn't become a full time saltwater guy.
> 
> Of course I wish him the best since I know he loves that area (and I go down there to fish pretty often), but it won't be the same fishing around here without him.


I found a buyer for him . He left a few items for me , a few flags and Salt.I took care of Salt most of the time anyway so she feels right at home with me. She is at my feet as I type this.


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## dpiper

I too had the pleasure of fishing with Joe on a few occasions.

And yes, he does clean up nicely.


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## shadslinger

That just goes to show what fishing can do to a man, lol.


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## dbullard

Piper that looks like twins in the second pic!!LOL
I am sure Joe will be back from time to time to get a juggin fix!!That gets in your blood and there is only one cure!!!


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## capn

My bet is that Choke Canyon will have a new lake record Blue Cat within two years. No kidding!


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## WilliamH

Is this the TPW show mentioned over on that other catfish forum?

http://www.houstonpbs.org/ProgramSchedule/HDSchedule.html


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## dpiper

Select Saturday Feb 21st and then scrole down to 3pm.

Joe was out with us that night and caught a 60 plus pounder. Too bad it was after the TPWD videographer had already left.


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## WilliamH

Thanks, I know Morris and maybe a few others.


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## Slime Time

*Jugs*

Lots of good info on this thread!!!
Its amazing at all the ways fisherman come up with ways to fish (LOL)
First time I ever went jugging was with a friend on the Colorado River.
He asked if i wanted to go jugging with him and his friend and I said hell yes!!! I was totally expecting to see 25-30 clorox jugs in the boat , boy was I surprised!!! when all I seen was a 55 gallon clear trash bag filled with 16 ounce soda bottles painted white with the info written on them with a marker. That first trip ruined me for life, We caught over 50 blues that day on 30 something bottles and 11 of them were over 20lbs and 2 over 30lbs. It was amazing how those small jugs could bring up those big cats!!!!
Unfortunatley Ive never had another day like that and at the moment I have a bad case of cabin fever cause my favorite catfish creek is choked down with lily pads , We so need a good flood to clean it out so I can get some fishing in during April.


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## Rangermike72

Out----standing!! Just found some noodles, yellow and clover-leafed, ugly. But a start!! Will be puttn together Sunday. Better than a bird nest on a clorox jug, still that works. My kids like them, I dont! Dilly


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## Neck-deep

*question*



Gentleben said:


> This is the diagram we use, glad you found it and shared it with your friends !!


What's the purpose of the rebar? Just curious. I'm guessing it slides down when a fish hits the rig. If so, wouldn't it slide down with the tossing and turning of the waves. Or is the rebar used for something else?


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## Fishin' Soldier

It would take some big waves....It does slide downand keeps the jug standing up whether a fish is on o not. It signals you ned to check that jug. If they aren't standing up no fish. Except on an anchored jug...Might have one onand doesn;t flag.


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## tarboy55

i heard that all jugs have to be white is that true. And when you drop the jugs out and what is use to weight them down in rough water. The rebar inside and a weight on the outside is what i was thinking.


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## Procrastinator

randyrandy said:


> On my tags, I use a waterproof Sharpie to write my name and address. it stays on for a couple of years. Then, for the date, I use a grease pencil. The grease pencil stays on in the water. Next trip, wipe the date off with a rag (shirt sleeve or pants will do) and grease pencil on the new date.
> Your name written with the Sharpie is always there, just change the date with a grease pencil each trip. Oh yeah, almost forgot, the grease pencil writes when wet.


Excellent pic! Mind if I post it on another forum?

There are a lot of excellent/knowledgable over people at http://www.fishingtx.com that will help you out too!


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## randyrandy

I posted it to share it, feel free.


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## catman6

If you do not want to make jugs, Wal-Mart sells some that are similar and cost $3.46 each. I bought some last year and they work well.


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## lucas_shane

Thin Water Tracker said:


> I have used the flagging jugs for 10 year now still have the first 10 I made and they hold up good and do catch fish. 50 lbs blue best to date"June 08" once you lnow what to look for in a lake they do th job. I fllowed this one about 1/2 mile and once I got a hold of here took about 10 mins to get her into the boat.


congrats, thats one nice kitty cat. that one would feed the neighborhood all weekend...lol


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