Jugging tips for the river

[bassadict69]

I am planning on taking my wife & daughter catfishing this Saturday night on the river. I also plan on making some of the noodles (I found the plans here) & running them also.

Can anyone give me some helpful tips for jugging out there?bait?depth?etc?


I have ran jugs a couple of times out there without much luck so I definately need some help.

[NCCatter]

I jug on the river alot, have had best luck in January/ February this year as far as size of fish. Anyway, I fished my bait anywhere between 5 and 10' deep in water ranging from 15 to 25' in places. I do not anchor my jugs as I feel that they create a better scent trail if they can move freely. I have ALWAYS done better with jugs that move rather than stationary jugs. I guess that's why I do bette in rivers than lakes. I take a 6/0 Eagle Claw circle or 8/0 Gamma Octo Circle and use cut shad or cut bream (shad is alot better). I have even used cut eel with good results. With your wife/daughter fishing it will be a blast watching them pull up the jugs and see the fish (or gar or turtle or even eel) float up to the top of the water. Just be prepared for whatever is on the other end of that line!If it's bobbing pretty hard it's usually a cat. In my experience, the smaller cats pull it harder than the bigger cats do, but I still love it and I'm sure your family will too. Good luck!

[jtrew]

I seem to do better with freefloating jugs than with anchored jugs, too. I like to have my juglines as long as possible without hanging up too often, with the hooks spaced from the bottom to within a few feet of the surface; sometimes I do best on the shallow hooks, sometimes best on the deep hooks. By covering the entire water column, I put bait near the fish regardless of what depth they're at.

[catsmith1]

I am sending you a pm with my cell number. If you are out here in Haughton, let me know and I will show you what we cought over 200 lbs of fish on this past weekend. Biggest was 23lbs.

None of mine are over 5 foot long and half are about 2-3 foot drops. The fish are running shallow right now.

Call me.

[MississippiJugHead]

I have been using noodle jugs the past two weekends on the Mississippi with my family and we have been having a great time. There are lots of good noodle jug plans on the internet but if you want I can show you four or five that I used to get ideas from. I took an idea from here and and an idea from there and came up with a hybrid. I would recommend using trotline clips as this makes things much easier. We have been using live goldfish and bluegills as bait.

[bassadict69]

Just finished making 15 noodle jugs...I ran out of pvc for the 16th :confused2:

I read on here somewhere about using pvc glue to hold the pipe inside the noodle. Mine doesn't seem to be sticking. Am I doing something wrong?

[MississippiJugHead]

The PVC glue is to hold the end caps on the PVC pipe, not to affix the noodle to the jug. If your PVC is loose you might be better off with a larger size pipe. Most plans call for 1/2 inch but I find 3/4 fits better in the noodles I am using. Not all noodles on the market have the same size hole running through them so your results may vary...

[Drawout]

Free floating with shad or bluegill .

[bassadict69]

The noodles I bought have the smaller holes in them, 1/2 inch ftis pretty snug so I don't think it will be a problem.

I don't think I could get 3/4 through the hole.

[cschottfish]

I like the fat man nuldes. they have a 3/4 hole in the midle so i use a 1 in pvc going to try them in the morning.

[catsmith1]

I used Gorilla glue ho hold the pipe in the noodle. Only had one come apart and I think that was due to operator error on my part. If you have a good one be sure to grab the pipe instead of the noodle it's self. Better to hook the line with a pole mounted hook than grab the noodle. Big thing is if you get a really big one be ready to drop the noodle if needed and let it get a little more tired if you have to.

[bassadict69]

Thanks Robert...

I tried your cell phone last night & left a message, I'll try you again later or you can call me at work...746-3331 (ask for James) I don't think they know who bassadict69 is :big_smile: :big_smile_2:

[bigcatch87]

i like to anchor mine

[bigcatch87]

with fresh shad

[bigcatch87]

and a 80 pound test

[Kittycatcher]

I have been fishing with noodle jug for two years now. I made my first set out 2 5/8 noodles with PVC pipe throught the center, reflecive tape so that your spot light makes them glow. But this year I have bought jug making kits from Maine Wolf Product (Sponser) and you can use glow sticks with them so they are easier to keep track of during the night. And if you are using a recharable spot light, this save the power on your light. You only have to use the night when the glow stick stand straight up. He got a spool for the line, it will take 25 ft of troutline line. This is adjustable, so you can set it from 5 ft to 26 ft. If you get a chance go to his site and check them out. His site is on the right side of the screen. Have fun with your noodles.

[catsmith1]

It was good talking to you James. Maybe I will se you out Friday night at the noodle hole!

[MississippiJugHead]

Lots of great advice. I hope you La guys don't mind me joining in. I couldn't agree more with grabbing the pipe instead of the noodle and also in using a pole with a hook to retrieve them. I make mine where the pipe is twice as long as the noodle so there is plenty of room to grab.

[bassadict69]

It was good talking to you James. Maybe I will se you out Friday night at the noodle hole!

Good talking to you too! It is great to find a site with members who are always willing to share their information & help others catch fish. I definately appreciate it! I have to work Saturday morning so I won't be making it to the river until Saturday evening/night.

Thanks to everyone for the replies & help! and MSJughead, join in anytime!

[Alsey]

What benefit does PVC give for noodles? I wrap 150 pound nylon around the ends of my noodles a few times and pull it so tight it makes a constriction in the noodle that prevents slippage. I use a 10 foot pvc pipe with a hook to snag the jugs. The pvc is sealed so it floats. I can drop it if it's a lunker and grab it later and if it's a mid sized cat the pvc gives me a little play, kind of like a cane pole with bream.

[bassadict69]

The main reason I used the PVC in my noodles was to give me a little more out of the water to make them easier to see.

[Alsey]

Ok, I've seen the error of my ways. I ran 15 noodle jugs this morning. I caught 7 keepers. Two of the fish that got on my noodles pulled so hard that they pulled the line off the noodles. I was wrapping 100 lb nylon string around my noodles 3 or 4 times pulling it so hard that it made a constriction in the noodle. This has always worked for smaller fish. I saw both noodles going under and cruising before I could get to them. I hate the fact that I left 2 large cats with 5 feet of string and a 1 oz weight attached to their mouths.

I'm going to redo my noodles with PVC before next weekend.

[Buddrice]

Jim,I was afraid that might happen.I caught a 8Lb 4oz cat and a 6lb 2oz cat today and both fish pulled the noodles down.Using the pvc helped us get them out of the water.I use Gorilla glue to glue the pvc in the noodles...

[badbob46]

i have been experimenting with different setups, but so far havent found anything i am happy with..i am still losing too many fish before i can get to them, i have tried several differnt types of hooks and so far nothing is any better than anything else, i dont want to go to great big hooks cuz i like catching the 2 and 3 pound eaters, my basic setup right now is a heavy nylon cord wrapped around my noodle like alsey described with a swivel somewhere below that line with 50 pound big game crimped on leader style below the swivel with 5/0 gamakatsu octopus hooks crimped on at the business end, i also have a few set up with 4/0 circle hooks, the circle hooks seem to be catching better

[Alsey]

I'm trying to avoid having to go the PVC route due to time and money. I ran a loop of 100 lb nylon string through the middle of the noodles and tied it off. I then run a 5 foot drop tied to the loop on the noodle. I figure if I get my knots right it should hold a big fish. I've gone to number 5 wide gap khale hooks. They feel sharper than any other hooks I've got. I think the key is to have your hooks needle sharp to get the barb penetrated.

I'm also going to start trying to set the hook by giving the noodle a slight jerk right when I get my pole on it, pulling opposite the direction the noodle is traveling. I've had more than a few fish come off as I'm pulling them up to the surface. I think it's because the barb isn't in far enough.

I'm going to run the noodles Wednesday after for for a couple hours.

[WildWillie]

I started getting things together for a few noodles today. I plan on 10 to start with, making them with pvc where they will flag when a fish has biten or is hooked. I would like to use white noodles, as that is a requirement here in TX, but I'll start out with whatever color I can get. I have picked up lots of tips from this thread.

Thanks again
Will

[catfishcentral]

If I'm running jugs on the river, I set my jugs at a depth that's around the middle of the water column. If my river runs a average depth of 25 feet for example, then I run jugs at a depth of 10 to 15 feet. Most blue cats suspend in the middle of the water column during the day. I also don't use more than two drops on my jugs....unless it's a anchored jug. Freefloating jugs will catch a lot more fish but running a lot of hooks up to five in Oklahoma can become a real mess with several catching all on one jug twisting up all your line. I do like catching doubles...nothing better than pulling up a catfish off a jug and finding a second one on the other hook. I also use a LOT more weight on my jugs than many others for free floating jugs. I use 8oz weights and they kind of work like both a free floating jug and a anchored jug. They will drift downstream and will anchor on a ledge or or any big change in water depth. We all know that fish and especially catfish will be around ledges,edges drop offs or whatever you want to call them. The jug will free float and catch any fish as it goes by and then will anchor itself on any depth change and wait for the bigger fish that don't want to chase their food. I will recommend not using noodle jugs with 8 oz weights in heavy current. They will get caught on underwater hazards and get pulled under permanently. I used noodle jugs for a year and decided my ol two liters are still the best way to go. There free, they have more buoyancy and since everyone's using noodle jugs these days there easier to pick out from others. One thing I would suggest to make your noodle jugs easier to spot for yourself and others is try to make them as unique as possible. I would take two different colors to make a noodle. I would make mine 15 inches long and have half be yellow and the other pink...or whatever color works for you. It makes them easier for you to see from all the other's on the water. White duct tape on a couple of spots works great also to distinguish your's from others.

[Alsey]

Good tips Chris. I like the part about how they anchor near ledges. I might try a couple like that.

[catfishcentral]

Another reason I like using a large weight on the bottom of my line is a jug that's left unattended for awhile won't wash up onto shore like one's with little or no weight on the end. I will leave jugs out overnight in many cases and they are a lot easier to run especially if your by yourself when there not right up against the shoreline. They will be right there at that ledge.

[jtrew]

Jim, in over 20 years of jugging, I've found that many cats are very lightly hooked, and giving any kind of jerk or hard pull will result in a lost fish. Here's my technique. First, I try to ease up on the jug to avoid spooking the fish; also, I want the boat to be barely moving when I grab the jug. If I'm alone, I have the outboard running in reverse so that I'm moving even slower at idle speed, and so that the slight movement of the boat will cause the fish to surface alongside the boat instead of out behind it. Makes it easier to net the fish. Second, I grasp the jug with my fingertips so that if the fish should make a sudden run, I can let go the jug. There's much less chance of the fish coming off while fighting the jug; holding the jug tightly gives the fish a great chance to get a good solid pull to get off the hook. Third, any fish that I really want in the boat is netted; if I'm planning to throw it back, I don't care if it flops off the hook while I'm lifting it in the boat. For maximum number of fish landed, you need to use finesse rather than brute strength getting them in the boat.

Incidentally, 2-liter soda jugs make a great jug that's very inexpensive. The jugs are free, and it costs me about a nickle apiece to paint them. If you really want a larger jug, you can go to a 3-liter soda jug, but I've found that the larger jugs are just too bulky for my taste.

[ar_confederate]

I've used both 2 liter bottles and noodles in the past year of trying to learn the fine art of jugging:roll_eyes: The bottles are cheaper and certainly have greater floatation but the thing I like about the noodles is that I can carry them easier and a little more neatly with the line wrapped and the hooks in the noodles. I haven't caught any really large fish on either one and they both seem to work. I've tried J hooks, circle hooks and Kahle hooks. It seems that both the circle hooks and kahles do the better job. Can't tell yet which of those two work better yet. Well, just my two cents worth. Sure do like seeing these other ideas though. Thanks guys!:big_smile:

[Dave53]

I have gone to 20" noodles with swivels on the ends..I have been using hot dogs for bait and find to thread the treble hook through the skin of the hotdog and then hook in back on the swivel..I have found I miss a lot less fish than I did when I used circle hooks..the hot dog seems to get ripped off the circles too easly..when I use shad I only use a sharp circle.. I too have found if you bring them in easy you wont miss the ones that are barely hooked..I have had several that were hooked by a piece of skin and came off when you got the net under them..I use to use short noodles with pvc through them like a lot of brothers do but I lost two this year to fish..as I seen them go under and didn't come back up..so far the biggest I have caught on the 20" noodles was about 8 pounds and he didn't even hold it under for 2 seconds. I caught a 22 pounder earlier in the year on a noodle I had the pvc in but it was also about 20" long.. I think I have solved my problem with loosing these noodles..I found you can get a cheep pack of corks from Wally world for a dollar..they fit right in the end of the noodle..I wrap about 15' of line on the cork and tie it on the drop line from the other end..I then put the cork into the end of the jug..as the fish pulls the noodle under the cork pops out and even if he is big enough to hold the noodle under water..you can find the cork with the 40 pound line floating...When the 22 pounder took the noodle under the cork popped out ... I dont know if I was more excited about the fish or the fact that my little invention worked..:lol:

[David Knotts]

dave that's a good idea, I'll have to try that.

[777]

James, Set your jugs up to fish at different depths and after you start catching fish at a certain depth set the remainder of your jugs at that depth. This time of year I catch a lot of fish in 20 to 30 ft. water fishing 6 ft. depth.

[Dave53]

I've found the only draw back to having jugs at different depths is keeping up with them..I have mine set at 4', 5', and 6'.. and I am constantly running back up the river for the the 6' ones..

[MississippiJugHead]

I got an idea from the library jug samples that allows me to adjust how deep I am fishing. On the main line you tie a series of two double knots every three feet. By using trotline clips I can choose which depth I want and just attach the clip between the coresponding double knots. It cannot slide up or down this way. This method does require tying a bunch of knots to set it up but I feel its worth it in the ease it provides in the long run. It looks something like this...


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[Alsey]

I get shad from a pond at work and cut them up into small steaks from the meaty backbone section. These shad are 8-10 inch long and have real thick backs. These work great for tightlining because you can hook the cut sections through the back and you don't have to worry about it coming off the hook when you cast and whatnot. I'm thinking that with noodles it would be better to put a small shad on the hook because they're softer and the cats will find the point of the hook alot easier.

Make any sense to any of yall?

[David Knotts]

Sounds good to me Jim.