Jugging question

[blr3a]

All right guys... I have been jugging quite a few times but I have a question for you. What size line and what type/size hooks have you found that works best. I ask because I went last night for the first time in 5 years. On about 10 of my jugs the line had broke, fell apart, fell off... etc. SO after I dumped the rest of them I tied some 12 pound line on my 10 jugs left in the boat and put some catfish circle hooks on them. After fishing for 3 hours I had caught 5 fish.... all 5 came off of my 12 pound line and circle hooks!!! My other jugs are a combo of thin braided line (like you put on battle boards in construction, not braided fishing line) or 50 pound mono (that was like a slinky from being coiled up for 5 years) and some big trot line hooks.... they obviously didn't work.

So.... what do y'all use? Thanks in advance.
Billy

[jmull65]

i honestly have never been jugging before so i was lookin around and found this website.

http://www.crappiecat.com/catfish_jugging.cfm

might be some info on there you could use

[hogdawg]

We use braided fishing line and treble hooks. I think they are size 3 or 4.

[Tennesseejugger]

I use black nylon string and 5/0 eagle claw circle hooks.

[agelesssone]

I use 30 to 65 lb braids on my jugs. I still have large fish pull the jugs down and I lose them. They'll generally turn up in a day or two as the fish will get down in the rocks and eventually sever the line.

I put about 10-12 feet of line on each with a 1/2 to 1 oz. sinker on the bottom with a #6 circle hook. This way I can let out all the line and (usually) it will float down the river without getting hung on the rocks on the bottom. Unless they get swung too close to the shore on the outside bends of the river.

I have my best luck using about a 3/4 inch square chunk of skipjack for bait. I just catch a few in the boils, then go fishing.

I like the river for fishing as it moves the jugs along in a kinda orderly fashion. I string them across the river so as to cover as much of the width as I can.

Of course when a barge comes through, it can be panic city trying to get them out of harms way.

And now, after having read the regs a LOT more thoroughly, I realize I can't fish within 100 yds of a creek mouth and I have to be 1000 yds below the dam. That cuts out some fairly productive waters.

One other item I just noticed...... Sport anglers are limited to 50 jugs or blocks and each with only one hook. Didn't know about the one hook per jug. Now I do. I never throw out more than ten jugs as it gets to be too "busy", trying to keep tabs on them in the river.

I guess it pays to read EVERYTHING you can about whatever fishing you intend to do BEFORE you do it. Had I been checked, I believe I could have had to pay some fines for violations I didn't even realize I was making. Thankfully, I won't be looking at wasting money on fines that can be better spent on gas and/or fishing gear.

[nofish]

I use black tarred nylon line with between 6-8ft of line and mostly 5/0 circle hooks with a few 8s for big baits. I only use them at night and usually fish shallow flats off the main channel. I've never tried the river like agelessone due to worries of barges eating my jugs.
I came across tennesseejuggers youtube videos about 2 years ago and liked the way his jugs worked so i made and use the same ones.

[nofish]

I only use circle hooks. Alot of the eagle claws have been breaking so as they break i have been replacing them with gamakatsu which are awesome and very strong.

[blr3a]

Looks like everyone is using big hooks... Do you think you miss any of the 1 pound fish because of this? I noticed a few times my jugs would stand up and then lay right back down.... I figured this was a fish that didn't get the whole hook in it's mouth.

And how do you jug below the dam in the river? It seems to me that the current would be far too strong to jug fish... does you boat just drift roughly the same speed as the jugs? Do you think the fishing is better below the dam than in the lake?

Also... looks like the consensus is braided fishing line. I'm on my way to get some now!

[Tennesseejugger]

Looks like everyone is using big hooks... Do you think you miss any of the 1 pound fish because of this? I noticed a few times my jugs would stand up and then lay right back down.... I figured this was a fish that didn't get the whole hook in it's mouth.

And how do you jug below the dam in the river? It seems to me that the current would be far too strong to jug fish... does you boat just drift roughly the same speed as the jugs? Do you think the fishing is better below the dam than in the lake?

Also... looks like the consensus is braided fishing line. I'm on my way to get some now!
I get allot of what I call drive by's,, from bass, drum, gar ect. This video is when I first started jugfishing and my very first boat...LOL an old trihull.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT2oR0SbvxY&feature=relmfu

[blr3a]

Great video! I checked out some of your others too! What is the advantage of putting the sinker below the hook instead of using split shot above the hook? How many jugs do you normally toss out at one time? Were you using cut bait as well? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just surveying the field!:)

[Tennesseejugger]

Great video! I checked out some of your others too! What is the advantage of putting the sinker below the hook instead of using split shot above the hook? How many jugs do you normally toss out at one time? Were you using cut bait as well? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just surveying the field!:)
I used to sinker my jugs down to keep then from drifting but I just free line now, I always put out 50 jugs and use cut skipjack for bait.

[titansfan2104]

I have caught plenty of the
1# on 10/0 and 8/0 hooks but a 5-6 is probably the best!!@

[jaycee]

The regs say one hook. Does this mean no treble hooks? I was under the impression one treble hook was ok but now don't think so???

What about it

[Alphahawk]

The regs say one hook. Does this mean no treble hooks? I was under the impression one treble hook was ok but now don't think so???

What about it

Had this very discussion with Jeff Hummel and Chris Cole...TWRA Officers...while having a drink in the Laurel Hill Bait and Deli. If you all remember Jeff was the one that was shot several years back down there. Anyway all of us were reading the regs and their decision was to tell the man to fish with trebles. The book says one hook..it does not say single hook. It does not mention treble at all. All in the store agreed the reg needed to be worded better in the magazine. Now if a different officer checks you you can remind him of what the book says...how he will see it is anyones guess.


Regards

[agelesssone]

Interpretations can indeed vary amongst officers. If ticketed, I'd rather have a judge decide the wording as they generally are not biased and have no stake (winning or losing) in the outcome.

[nofish]

i used to sinker my jugs down to keep then from drifting but i just free line now, i always put out 50 jugs and use cut skipjack for bait.

who's the juggers !!!!??????