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jug fishin'

Terry1's avatar
Terry1 5 posts
5 posts
Terry1 says:
howdie all,

i have been jug fishin in a small pond, approx 1 acre, for the past 2 days/nights.i use a milk jug 12lbs test doubled for the hook line, i dont have a boat or anything so i have it tied up to a dock in about 20 feet of clothes line. yeah i know. i can hear you laughing already. anyway. the first night i hooked it up with a HUGE frog. sliced its belly, checked on it up until about midnight, nothin touched it up until then. i checked it about 8 a.m., to my amazement the line was busted and i could feel where teeth had been rubbin on it. i thought to myself thats a HUGE cat. then i riged it with a steel leader with snap swivels. again i found a HUGE frog, hooked it up. nothing touched it up till about 11p.m. then checked it when i arose about 8 a.m., checked the line, this time the line didnt break !!! Phew !!! but upon further investigation, the snap swivel was STRAIGHTENED !!! what could have done that? it still has the 12 lbs test doubled. one GIGANTIC cat or would it be turtles.... UGH !!!
Likes: 0 Login to reply 13 years ago
Nyles's avatar
Nyles 1 posts
Sounds like turtles. Find a way to let it float dont let it tighten the line, make it fight your jug.
Likes: 0 Login to reply 13 years ago
greengiant's avatar
greengiant 7 posts
Nyles is right. Try this. Take a sturdy rod and reel, set the drag to where the line just can be stripped off without breaking the line. Use a heavy swivel, [not a snap swivel] tied on the end of your line, attach about a two foot steel leader directly to the swivel, hook and bait the other end. Tie a clothes pin onto the jug with a short line. Clip your fishing line with the clothes pin so that your bait hangs the same depth as it has on your last two sets. This will allow whatever that has been taking the bait to do so again, only thing, when it does, you will have him on a rig that will hold him and one that will allow you to reel it in the next morning when you check it. Also, may I suggest that you try getting up and checking it around daybreak. Be sure to use tackle, line, rod and reel of sufficent size to hold whatever you feel has been taking the bait. From the size of the pond, it could be a big cat, but, my guess is, it is a big turtle or a gator.
Likes: 0 Login to reply 13 years ago
j_pequin's avatar
j_pequin 1 posts
I'd sure like to hear how this went......
Likes: 0 Login to reply 13 years ago
greengiant's avatar
greengiant 7 posts
The rod, reel and clothspin is a good suggestion, if you have the proper size rod and reel, with one exception. Once you set the rig up and whatever takes the bait, pops the clothspin and takes line from the rod it will be able to turn and create slack on the line sufficent to spit the hook.

Alternative: Use a two foot steel leader and attach it directly to the hook, being sure to smip the end flush with the wrap. Attach the other end via a H.D. Barrel Swivel, to a 20-50# Mono line, tied directly to the jug. Attach the jug to your set line with a short line and clothspin. When whatever it is strikes the bait, it will detach the jug from the set line and the jug, no matter where it is pulled, will always create tension on the hook. If you are afraid of not being able to retrieve the jug, attach a line from a rod and reel with a very lite drag setting. This will allow you to retrieve the jug and whatever is attached to it while remaining on the hill.
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