Jug line question

i am going to try jug lines for the first time this fall/winter and i am hearing two different opinions from two fisherman i know on how to make them. Just looking to see what most of you do in this situation.

Do you pick certain depths you are going to fish and make the jug line lengths accordingly and place them at that exact depth of water? Meaning, if i am fishing 10 ft of water I would tie my line to where the jug and weight are roughly 10 ft apart and set the jug there with a heavy weight so it doesn't move or moves very little when a fish gets on? More of a stationary jug setup.

Or if you are still looking to fish the 10 ft depth do you make a 10 ft jug line and put out in deeper water with ligher weight at bottom and let it float/drift from deeper water into the 10ft area? Drifting jug set up.

What do you do? Pros and cons?

Both ways work. But on your jug with a heavy weight, I call that a stationary jug, you will want to tie more line on it. With waves, the jug will rise and fall causing the jug to float away. IF I'm going to leave my jugs out over night, I use the stationary ones. If I'm going to use them in the day and pick them up, I use the floating jugs.

TPWD has some specific rules for jug fishing. Better read up on them rules to be safe.
Specifically about free floating jugs.

Good info! I would have never thought of the wave issue. And i will more than likely be letting them soak overnight.

I must be missing something. I dont have my book handy at this moment but i just looked up rules/regs on jug lines on TPWD and all i saw was info saying 5 or less hooks per Jug line. Is there more info in the book that isn't on their website? I have also heard of the max 100 hooks per person rule.

Some people have stated that a jug line cannot be anchored to the bottom or tied off to anything. I don't know how a game warden might interpret the book but there is a question mark there. I always let mine drift free toward a windblown bank and use just enough weight to keep the bait down to the 5 or 6 ft depth that I set mine at. I also never leave mine out unattended for various reasons. Almost all the fish I hook will head to shallow water near the bank. I catch most fish in 6ft or less of water this time of year.

Jugline

For use in FRESH WATER only. A fishing line with five or less hooks tied to a free-floating device.

May be used to take NONGAME fish, channel catfish, blue catfish and flathead catfish only.

Placement and Location Restrictions

Juglines may not be used in:

Community Fishing Lakes
Reservoirs or sections of rivers lying totally within the boundaries of a state park
Bellwood Lake in Smith County
Boerne City Lake in Kendall County
Canyon Lake Project #6 in Lubbock County
Dixieland Reservoir in Cameron County
Gibbons Creek Reservoir in Grimes County
Lake Bastrop in Bastrop County
Lake Bryan in Brazos County
Lakes Coffee Mill and Davy Crockett in Fannin County
Lake Pflugerville in Travis County
Lake Naconiche in Nacogdoches County
North Concho River from O.C. Fisher dam to the Bell Street dam
South Concho River from Lone Wolf dam to Bell Street dam
Tankersley Reservoir in Titus County
Wheeler Branch Reservoir in Somervell County

Tagging and Marking Requirements

Must be used with a valid GEAR TAG (see Definitions) attached within 6 inches of the free-floating device; gear tag is valid for 10 days after the date set out and must include the number of the permit to sell nongame fish taken from fresh water, if applicable. Properly marked buoys or floats qualify as valid gear tags.
For non-commercial purposes, a jugline must be marked with a free-floating device of any color other than orange.
For commercial purposes, a jugline must be marked with an orange, free-floating device.

They have changed up the site, and only few comments about Rules Book has more.. They need to have your name and Address on them and the date you put them out. if over night. They can only have 5 hooks as you mentioned. I have mine set up for many depth, My Line is 30ft long but I have loops in every foot before I get to the float. so I can adjust. you want it tight but that depends on the water. in in calm water, I want them tight. if Wind and Wakes, I want about 10in of freedom.... I used to use some hooks close to the bottom of the line, but no more, for they just get hung or Fish can Die, in certain times of the year. Good luck...

I knew about the info needing to be put on the float (name, address, date) but the free-floating definition is confusing now that you brought it up. I thought "free floating" meant not tied to a structure (dock or tree) because then it is not a jug line anymore, it becomes more of a trot line. And to the other side of that, if they do mean that "free floating" means no contact with bottom of lake, then you could never put any type of weight on the bottom because if left long enough to float to shore it would become non-free floating once it hits shallow water. I dont see that being the definition of "free-floating" and i have never seen a jug line on the lake that wasn't weighted to the bottom. I will look in my book when i get home but i bet the free-floating means that there is not a horizontal line tied to a structure that connects to the normal vertical main line.

many people use Minimal weights on theirs when fishing for a short time. but never advised to be for over night. friends in Lafayette La, only use Free floating (Minimal float) and they put out about 50-100 (1-2 hooks per) and run them several times a day then pull them before dark. lol if left over night in the Bayou, no telling what could happen... I have light weights and heavy weights depending on what I am doing...

Per Texas Parks and Wildlife. A jug that is weighted at the bottom and is stationary is still considered a jug line. Your correct, it's free floating until it is tied to a fixture ie a dock or tree. If you ever have any type of questions on these things, go to the Texas Parks and Wildlife page, at the bottom there is a question and answer button. They will email you the answer. Good luck with your jug lines.

Weight on bottom unless attended.