Jug fishing questions

[Master Carper]

Toney, considering that my main line is 220 lb. test, I believe the surgeons loop will be my best bet, then I can add 3 to 5 hooks per line, then have them easily removable when I pull the jugs up at the end of my fishing trip, and not have them in the way...


Dan45, I use shrimp in ponds with good success, but in the lakes, I wind up catching more turtles than anything else...


I found a couple of 60 to 80 ft. channels over at Grand Lake, with rock ledges on both sides of the channel at 20 to 30 feet, and this is where I hope I can get into some big blue cat. I have been flying over the lake where i plan on fishing every weekend for the past 6 weeks, and I have yet to see anyone in the area I want to fish...

 

[dan45]

Hmm.
I haven'tcaught a turtle on a jug line in probably 20 years.








Yup, I just jinxed myself didn't I.

 

[Deer Slayer]

I have never caught a turtle on a jugline

 

[Master Carper]

I hope you didn't jinx yourself, but you never know!


Considering that the first hook will be set 12 to 15 feet deep, I don't anticipate catching any turtles...

 

[Deer Slayer]

Depending on what lake you will be jugging, you may wind up with all of your fish dead. Why???? The thermocline can set up shallow on murky or heavily stained lakes and there will be no oxygen below the thermocline thus killing your fish. The ODWC biologists that I know or have known that did research on blue cats found that they inhabit mainly 15-25 fow.

 

[dan45]

My jugs are 25 feet from weight to float, and the hook ( I only use one per jug. Fishing is supposed to be fun I already have a job) is 17'-20' deep.
Early spring through mid summer I catch 95% blues. Late summer through too cold to be on the boat is pretty even blues / channel cats.

Once in a great while I'll bait with shad, but nearly always it's shrimp.

 

[Deer Slayer]

I have used garlic wieners and have equaled the catch on shad. I did not believe it at first until I tried it. A $.88 package of 8 hotdogs makes 40 baits.
Dan - You be the man with the plan.

 

[Master Carper]

Deer Slayer, does this also pertain to clear water lakes, where you can see your lures at a depth of 3 to 4 feet? I have caught a lot of blue cats over 20 pounds, and I do not remember ever catching a big blue cat in less than 40 feet of water. Flat head and channel cats, I catch them in just a few feet of water, down to maybe 15 feet at the most. Blue cats though, I've caught them down to 80 feet. For the most part though, I only fish deep holes for blue cats because I have always had my best luck doing so. I flew my ultralight to Grand Lake this weekend, and I talked to a couple of old timers to had boated over 10 blue cat, with the smallest one weighing in at 36 pounds and the biggest one was 67 pounds. These fish were caught in 40+ feet of water...


Dan45, I may have to try shrimp again, since it's been probably been 20 years or so since I have used it. I was given the herring, and thought I would try it and see what happens. The guys I was talking too this weekend, used small chunks of fileted carp for bait, and they said that was all they used...


I've coated garlic wieners in cod liver oil before and have caught many many channel cats off of them...

 

[dan45]

I see the skip jack when I buy my shrimp and am tempted to try it.
I think at the end of the day, if we put something the fish can smell in front of them at the right time, we're going to get a bite. We've all caught fish on different baits over the years. Just have to be right place at the right time.

I know grandpa was filling his freezer with fillets using crawdads on Gibson when all the experts said he could only use fresh caught shad.

 

[dan45]

A fella I work with swears by calamari.
I tried the garlic wieners once with no luck.