Do any of yall fish jug lines for catfish? If so what's ur setups? And also how productive is this method?

You can either go with a stationary set or a floating. Yes, per Texas Parks and Wildlife, it is legal to have your jug lines stationary. With weight tied to the bottom, jug on top(this is the free floating device spoke of) and no more then 5 hooks spaced three ft apart, legal tag which can be the jug itself, this should have your name, address and date set, tag is good for 10 days after date on tag and do not use a orange jug, this is for commercial use and you don't want that hassle. Easy way to get ideas is to check out some utube videos on jug sets. If used right and placed in the right spot, they are very productive. Now some of the jug lines on these videso are illegal in Texas, always check the law first. If you have any question about legal means, on the Texas Parks and Wildlife page their is a email spot for all questions. Good luck and good fishing.

I use this type http://www.catfish1.com/forums/showthread.php?38746-Flagging-Catfish-Jugs
By being able to switch lines, I can set them up for anchored or free floating. I mostly do anchored with the line length at least twice that of the depth where fishing. Set up in right spot they can be productive and you can drift fish in the same area and watch them.

I wish the law were changed that tags were only required if you left them unattended. I always drifted with my jugs and pulled them in when it was time to go home.

Me too. I even carry binoculars so I can see who might be trying to check them from a distance if I decide to go tie up and fish nearby structure. I carry something else too

I mark my name and address in permanent marker then write the date with a "China Marker" pen so it's waterproof but not permanent.

Is the pvc and all really necessary or do any of yall use them with just the string tied thru the noodle?

You can use just the foam with the line through it... Make it simple and just use plastic jugs with a cord

Something I started doing with my jugs is spray some foam in the jug. This helps to keep the jug floating just in case it's hit and cuts a hole in it. Had a jug get hit during duck season. Got the jug back, right before it sank. Had a nice blue cat on it. By adding foam, this should help it float if it is not hit by the prop where the line is tied to it.

Check your local Wal Mart, they have those foam jugs with a piece of metal through it. They work real good.

I have used 6"x6"x2" foam blocks or 20 oz Coke bottles with 2-3 ft line for free floating jugs in the spring.
throw them out on a flat spaced about 20 feet apart and let them drift and fill the cooler up.

We use those 32 oz powerade bottles with a 2 oz weight and about 6 ft of line. Spray some white paint into the bottle and seal it up. I like white cause it's easy for me to see on the water.


That can be some fun fishing, just like Dewayne said, fill the cooler up.

As to juglines for me ...

I fish Lake Limestone. I come into the lake from Running Branch Marina. You have about a 15 minute putt-putt through the No-Wake-Zone until you clear it. I do put some shallow jugs in here & there in the No-wake-Zone. But mostly I jugfish down at the Corner (bottom) of the lake. I refer to just inside as "Near Inside" & just outside of that corner as "Far Outside". The Near Inside is about 24 feet deep in the center & the Far Outside just out from the pump station there is about 28 feet deep. It gets a little deeper as you get out a bit farther, maybe up to about 30 feet or so.

I tend to map out 4 or 5 hooks according to the depth & how many jugs I plan to put out along with my trotline hook count. You are limited to 100 hooks each person. So, I tend to figure 36 hoks each for them in 4 sections of 9 hooks each (18 per half side. Two trotlines sum up to 72. That means I have 28 available hooks left to use. Sometimes I might max it out. Or I may trim back. I may put out 5 total at 5 hooks each (25 hooks). Or I may put out 6 at 4 hooks each (24 hooks). That leaves me 3 to 4 hooks possibly for Rod-n-Reel (very rarely), but most likely some single hook jugs in the shallows.

On my trotlines & juglines, I mainly use size 36 green twist (3 strand) nylon cord for main & leader lines, along with brass brads for placement of the staging. I can get elaborate by adding red beeds & such. I use 3/0 Brass barrel swivels or 3/0 (or 4/0) SS barrel swivels. I stay away from the black ones, as I have had them crumble & deteriorate if left in the water too long. I also do not use the 3 way brass swivels as they snap too easily. I lost the "Giant" once because of them. I feel if I had used a 3/0 brass barrel swivel, it would not have snapped. I do not use the clip type, as I have had many just stretch out & take the hook [Fish be gone]. I use a variety of hooks & styles ranging from 5/0 to 9/0, from Circle to OShaunessy to TruTurn to Kahle. Most interesting is the Tru-Turn, as two big Yellows have gotten caught as they exhale, the Tru-Turn hook falls into their ribbed gills below which are super tough compared to their lips. And it holds them.

As to jugs. I have a bunch of one gallon "Tradewinds" tea jugs collected up that I hope to test out. normally I use bleach jugs, which are naturally white thru-out. If you use something fairly clear, such as a milk jug or water bottle, the sun etches the plastic. It becomes very brittle & falls apart (crumbles) if it sees to much sun. I am willing to try the white paint inside the tea jugs (using oil based white), by adding a bit, closing the lid, then shake them up to coat the inside thoroughly, then empty out the rest into the next jug. Add paint as needed, as you progress to the next. Then after you are sure they are dry, use the spray foam to spray inside. Remember that expansion could range from 50% (1/2) to 66% (2/3). Also realize that you need to beef it up at the handle area. If your can has a straw nozzle, be sure to shoot some thru your open handle (inside). This will insure some reinforcement as to your handle, which is where your line is tied.

I generally wrap the cord twice on the handle & apply three standard knots. With the cord having a melted knot on the end to ensure it will not come undone. You melt the cord with either a match or a small flame (propane or Coleman camper stove). I do the same with leader lines to ensure that the hooks or swivels do not come of. I also melt knots on the ends of the main lines as well. One YellowCat teacher taught me to do this. Of course, he was opposed to any swivels or brads. He used a hitch knot as to the leader affixed to the main line and a single knot on each side to cut down on the leader sliding. In a week & a half, he caught over 180 pounds of YellowCats on his particular trotline, biggest three weighing in (I weighed them) at 35, 19, 19. He caught the 35 pounder on a super shiner I gave him. He was using perch & they were not biting them. But they tore up my giant shiners.

If I use bottles of either the 16, 20, or 32 oz. or 2 litre variety, I still make the 2nd wrap around the neck with the main line cord. Sometimes, if the depth is a bit more than expected, at the corner on Limestone, I will have a few jugs with an extra 5 foot of cord attached with a loop on the end to ties the jugline to. Normally I use a weight. It will sort of anchor the jugline until a fair size one gets on. Also, if it is very tight & no slack, the waves can pick them up & move your line. But I guess you can see

My weights are home made. I get some flexible vinyl tumblers (not hard plastic) about perhaps a 16 oz size. I will make up some "U" s do a bend or such on each side. Flip them around to where the inner "U" is facing up & the bent over tips are into the poured (mixed) concrete to prevent pulling out. I may even slit a small triangle on the side above the concrete line to tie a piece of cord from the tumbler to the "U" to prevent the tumbler from coming off in the water. The tumblers help to keep the concrete from becoming an abrasive in your boat & prevent the concrete from breaking up. Remember, you do not want hard plastic as they will break apart very soon.

And of course I write in black magic marker the info required & the date. I take an extra, plus an old towel or two to wipe dry & a scrub brush if needed as to updating the date.

Hope that helps!

One little trick I've learned for marking the date on a gear tag is to put a piece of duct tape on the jug & write the date on it with magic marker. When you pull your gear, you just remove the old tape and stick on new tape with a new date.

All the other information you've got written on the jug need not be changed.