Jug Fishing Tricks For
Monster Catfish

If you're a serious catfisherman, you've probably done some jug fishing. And if you're a beginner who wants to catch as many catfish as possible, you'll start using jugs as soon as possible.

I know lots of old school guys who almost exclusively jug fish for catfish. And for the beginner, it's fun, cheap, easy, and works like crazy.

The biggest advantage jug fishing brings to the table is you can cover a wide area of water with a variety of baits... and it's very easy to move them to different areas.

And of course, depending on where you place your jugs, and the bait you use, you can catch any size catfish... on up to the monsters that are 50 pounds plus. (And you can catch a lot of catfish in a short period of time!)

All you really need is a boat (or even just a raft, air mattress, or float-tube), bait, plastic jugs, string, and tackle.

You can buy pre-rigged catfishing jugs, but you can make your own in a pinch, and it's a bit more fun.

All you need is a jug (old milk or orange juice jugs, anti freeze jugs, 2 liter plastic bottles, etc...), a main line (heavy string), a weight, hooks, and monofilament leaders.

I recommend rigging multiple hooks on each jugline to present a variety of bait. Let some of your lines go all the way to the bottom, and make some of them go to various other deptsh to cover more area and situations.

Here are the exact materials I recommend, along with the steps for making your jg lines.

 1 plastic jug
Caulk (silicone sealant)
 Braided nylon twine
 Various sizes of 1-2/0 Aberdeen hooks
 White spray paint (only if required in your state, check your local laws/guidelines)
 A permanent marker (if required in your state)
 Reflective tape (if required in your state)
 Heavy bell sinker (1-3 ounces)
 10-25 lb. monofilament line (for leaders)

STEP 1: Check your jugs for cracks and split by filling them with
water and looking for leaks.

STEP 2: If your state requires jugs to be bright colored, paint them with white spray paint and let them dry.

STEP 3: Squeeze some silicone/caulk into the caps and screw them on. (Allow these to dry.)

STEP 4: Next, unroll 25-30' of braided nylon twine, and tie one end to the handle of the jug (or around the neck of the bottle if you're using the 2-liter bottle).

STEP 5: Adjust the depth by wrapping/unwrapping the line around the handle.

STEP 6: Tie the bell sinkers to the bottom of each rig. (I highly recommend using a "perfection loop knot" for these...)

STEP 7: Snell each hook with monofilament to make a 10" leader.

STEP 8: Start from the bottom of the line and tie hooks at the 3" mark, 6" mark, and on up... each with a 3-way barrel swivel. (I recommend using 3 hooks on each...)

STEP 9: Repeat step 9 for each jug...

STEP 10: If required by your state, put some reflective tape on the top of your jug along with writing your name, address, phone number (and anything else required) in permanent marker on the top.

STEP 11: Take them out to your fishing area, unroll the mainline, set them at the depths you desire by unrolling only that much line, and anchor the rest on the handle.

STEP 12: Start with the bottom hook, and bait each one before lowering it into the water.

STEP 13: Repeat for each jug.

STEP 14: When one starts bouncing, you most likely have something on the end... just hope it's not a turtle. ;)

That's all there is to it! Have fun!