I need some schooling.

I fished six juglines this morning with fresh threadfin shad. I checked them twice and found most of the hooks stripped of shad, hooks missing and even one that took, trotline clip, swivel, line, hook and all.

I didn't catch but one fish. I threw back two small blues. What am I doing wrong. I was fishing timber in 7 feet of water.

When I set my lines out, once the one pound anchor hits the bottom, I let out about 12 more inches of line, turn a simple overhand loop and set the loop back onto the noodle.

I find alot of my jugs with 5-10 feet of line stripped off of the jugs. Is this what's causing me to lose fish?

How can I set my line on the jugs so that it won't unravel on me.

I'm using 4/0 true turn catfish hooks, but they are just not working.

At one point, I actually saw one of my jugs just get slammed down under, all the way. It was an awesome hit. It thrashed around for a few seconds and then when I went over to it, the top hook was bare and no fish.

Most of my hits came on the top hook. I have two hooks staged at 2 feet from the bottom and four feet from the bottom.

Please help.

Oh, I almost forgot. I worm my shad onto the hook, starting with the head and ending at the tail.

Sounds like the gar are running.

Seigrist, I don't know where you are fishing so it is difficult to answer your question. I will just assume you are fishing on a lake.
First, catfish are not spawning yet. They are generally the last to spawn. This is important because the cats are still generally in deeper water. I recommend you set your jugs along the old river and creek beds that are likely surmerged in the lake. If you have a lake map, you should have these marked. If you have a sonar, locate these drop offs and place your jugs on both sides of the channels along the edge of the drop offs. In Lake Conroe, where I fish, we are still catching most our fish in 25-30 ft. of water.
I generally use five hooks per jugline. Shad are good but I prefer cubed beefhearts covered in oil. You can use cod liver oil, shad oil, or even cooking oil or lard. I also add enough red food coloring to give these baits a dark or bright red color. I use around 1/2 to 1 inch cubes. Beef hearts are generally available in HEB, Fiesta, or meatmarkets. They stay on the hook really well.
Generally, a one pound weight is large enough. Don't allow more than one foot of slack in your line.
If you are going for flatheads, the shallow water is fine. However, you will need to use live bream or other live baits. The flathead generally feeds in the shallows at night.

It might help if you hook your shad through the eye and come back through the side, workes for me.

Man you pick the day and i'll show you how to jug. I only have 3 jugs made up right now but they will catch the fish.

Ditto, sounds like gar!

na, it is little yellow bass !!