Introduction to Jugging for Catfish
If you would like to catch twice as many catfish as before, you can go jugging for catfish. This is a method of fishing that used to be practiced up and down the Mississippi River. Many fishermen enjoyed catching so many fish but because of overfishing, fishing laws and too much concentrated traffic it has been outlawed on most bigger waterways.
Luckily, if you have access to a smaller pond you can still go jugging for catfish.
Before you start to assemble fishing gear, you will need to check the fishing laws in your area. Make sure that you can legally go jugging for catfish in the specific waterway. If you are planning on fishing in a neighbor’s pond, it would be helpful to ask for permission before attempting this.
Equipment Needed to Jugging for Catfish
You will need a few soda bottles or used plastic milk jugs. With these items, you will always be able to locate your lines and they will also indicate if you have gotten a bite. You can use several of these floatation devices or just one.
Most fishermen already know what specific type of fish they are trying to catch, so they use a line that goes along with the weight of the fish. Catfish can be very large and if the line isn’t strong enough it will snap and you will lose your catch. It is recommended that when jugging for catfish, you use 2 types of lines. One that is able to hold a fish that weighs 100 pounds and the next should be 80 pounds.
Along with stronger a stronger line, you will also need a sea hook. These hooks are bigger than common fishing hooks and they are able to also hold a lot of weight. They are slightly swiveled and this helps to keep the fish on the hook.
How to do Jugging for Catfish?
Use the main 100-pound test line and every few feet tie on the floating jug of your choice. You can make this initial line as long as you would like. Using the 80-pound test line, cut off 5 to 8 separate lines. Tie the sea hooks to the end of each line and then tie all of these 80-pound test lines to the main line. Make sure to bait them before you do this and keep them spaced apart a full 10 to 12 inches. You should also use a sinker on the ends of the 80-pound test lines.
You can use just about any type of bait to catch catfish. Most people will use a regular brown worm but others claim that sharp cheddar cheese is the best choice. Other suggestions are bread dough, bologna or even hot dogs.
Tie the end of your main line to a dock or a stable rock. You can use a rock or smaller type of anchoring device to secure the other end of the string. If you place a floating jug on the end of the main 100-pound line, you will clearly be able to locate the area if you decide to leave overnight or wait to see when if the floaters bob in and out of the water. When this happens, there is a fish on one of the lines.
Fishermen who use the jugging for catfish method usually place the lines in the water and return the following day. If they do return to find that no fish has taken the bait, they simply pull up the lines and try it again in another area. It may be a good idea to only go jugging for catfish a few times a year. This way you can avoid overfishing.
