Fishing

[dennishoddy]

It's so much nicer when looking down the line of jugs that are put out and seeing one tip up.
It's not too late if your inclined to add some.
If you're wondering about hook set-ups, use circle hooks. My catch rate went up 50% after switching from J hooks.
In the Summer our lakes typically set up a thermocline at about 15-18' deep. Very little oxygen below that, so I limit the length of my total line to 18' with a hook every three feet above that, three hooks per jug line.
If you fish deeper, there is the possibility of bringing up dead fish that die from no oxygen.
A 16 oz solo cup of concrete is pretty much what everybody I know uses for weight at the bottom.
Use your electronics to find creek channels. Blues use them as highways before moving up to the flats to feed. Drop the jug in 16-17' of water right on the edge so there is a little slack in the line to compensate for wave action. The higher the waves, the shallower the set, but follow the creek channels.
We usually bait with shrimp when putting the lines out, then go find shad to throw-net and use for bait afterward.

Edit: Make sure you have the information the ODW requires on the jug. Some write that on the jug with a sharpy, but it fades quickly.
I went to Amazon and got brass trapper tags to put my information on.

https://www.amazon.com/Custom-Stamp...541&sprefix=brass+trapper+tags,aps,919&sr=8-4

 

[Ready_fire_aim]

I like masonry line for my direct tie to my jug. With a surgeons loop every 4ft or so, then solo cup of concrete with a coat hanger wire loop set in it as an anchor. From there I pre-tie a bunch of 12”-16” leaders with 40lb mono that have a “easy snell” on a size 5 circle hook and a figure 8 surgeons loop at the other end. I wrap all those pre tied leaders around a 2’ section of pool noodle and tie/bait jugs as needed. If you’re deep you might throw 4 on one jug. If you’re shallow put 2 and tie it shorter. Etc

Beware of throwing jugs near snags/submerged timber. You’ll loose many to snags. Stay close and watch your jugs in situations like that. When fishing more open water you can set them and leave for 4-8hrs then come back and see what ya got.

Jug fishing is a skill where you learn as you go. You’ll enjoy it. And you’re certainly going to increase your catfish fish fry’s by starting jug fishing

 

[Master Carper]

I like using these tea jugs because of the heave plastic that they are made out of, plus it's easy to store the line in them.

I use the black tarred nylon line from Walmart, rated @ 120 lb. test line.

I've got 100 of the concrete weights that we bade up from styrofoam coffee cups and Quickcrete with an eye bolt in the middle of them.

We set out 40 jugs a couple of weeks ago at Keystone Lake, and from a straight 48 hours of fishing, we brought home 62 pounds of fillets.

We fished in water from 10 ft. to 30 ft. in depth, using cut and whole shad for bait. In deeper water, hooks were placed at 6 ft. intervals, with the bottom hook 1 ft. off the bottom.

We didn't take any fishing poles with us, we just chased jugs all day and night.

 

[Glocktogo]

Almost forgot to post this little fella my wife caught Saturday!

 

[Master Carper]

Almost forgot to post this little fella my wife caught Saturday!

View attachment 478549

Very nice!

 

[Hangfire]

 

[thaHooligan]

Ok, so a few dumb questions for a complete boating noob. We have a family friend that has a boat at Lake Elsworth that rarely uses it and said we could use it pretty much any time we want to. I don't know the first thing about taking a boat out on the lake. I assume if we used it, we need enough life jackets for everyone onboard and a fire extinguisher and that's as far as my knowledge goes. lol. So what else would we need if we take it out to be legal? He said he would get the tag and w/e else up to date to make it legal. I have my lifetime license and will get a lake permit to fish, but Iike I said, I just don't know all the rules on the boat part and want to have everything I need incase we were to run into the lake patrol.

 

[dlbleak]

Ok, so a few dumb questions for a complete boating noob. We have a family friend that has a boat at Lake Elsworth that rarely uses it and said we could use it pretty much any time we want to. I don't know the first thing about taking a boat out on the lake. I assume if we used it, we need enough life jackets for everyone onboard and a fire extinguisher and that's as far as my knowledge goes. lol. So what else would we need if we take it out to be legal? He said he would get the tag and w/e else up to date to make it legal. I have my lifetime license and will get a lake permit to fish, but Iike I said, I just don't know all the rules on the boat part and want to have everything I need incase we were to run into the lake patrol.

You’ll need a throwable cushion, working horn or whistle too. Check for those things

 

[Master Carper]

Lights if you are going to be out at night.

 

[ch1966]

Ok, so a few dumb questions for a complete boating noob. We have a family friend that has a boat at Lake Elsworth that rarely uses it and said we could use it pretty much any time we want to. I don't know the first thing about taking a boat out on the lake. I assume if we used it, we need enough life jackets for everyone onboard and a fire extinguisher and that's as far as my knowledge goes. lol. So what else would we need if we take it out to be legal? He said he would get the tag and w/e else up to date to make it legal. I have my lifetime license and will get a lake permit to fish, but Iike I said, I just don't know all the rules on the boat part and want to have everything I need incase we were to run into the lake patrol.

You'll also need city permits for both boating and fishing.