Fishing story.

[BrutalAB]

Ive been doing a lot of jug fishing this summer, anchor the houseboat in a bay and then use my kayaks/dingy to run jugs out in the evening for the night and pick em up in the morning. Well this past week i actually left them out during the day.
A number of boats entered the bay, nothing strange, my jugs are all within 50 feet of the bank, not in anyone's way (also only had 7 out during the day). 16 boats end up tieing together about 100 yards away from us, and about 75 yards away from my jugs.

They are partying pretty hard, and at times its hard to hear my kids talking over their music. I keep an eye on my jugs anyways.

A jug starts dancing. Fish on!

Before i can get into my boat, and go after it, my dad says, "theres some kids doing somerhing stupider than you, they are swimming across the bay."
"Oh well"
"They are swiming to your jug."
A lot of words that will get me warning went off in my head.
So i get in our dingy and try to beat them to it.
But alas, i fail in my attempt. I now have to watch these two kids spin around in circles holding my fish out of the water (best they can anyways) by the line, not the fish.

I make it to the kids and get my fish, they lie and say it swam to their boat and they were just returning it. They of course get some words from me about leaving jugs alone and such.

They are quite lucky it was not one of my overnight jugs, they are anchored to the bottom with a 3 pound chunk of concrete and about 25 feet of line. No life jacket of course.

It was a pretty decent catfish, the experience was a bit tainted though.

[Winger Ed.]

Glad it worked out.

I've run into kids like that too.
I usually end up telling they need more practice at lying, since they're not very good at it.

[swheeler]

I haven't jug fished since we left Arkansas in 1988, loved chasing them down! Don't be too hard on the kids, remember the good ole days!

[BrutalAB]

Well, by kids, i meant they looked like they were 16 to 20. Definitely old enough to know better.


I like chasing mine down to, means i got a monster, not many fish can drag a 3 pound block of concrete and a jug very far. Ive have only had to get one out of the channel so far.

I might grow into one of those guys that sit on their front porch shouting "get off my lawn you kids" while shaking his fist.

[WRideout]

When I lived in TN, I finally got a chance to try jug fishing. Jugs and trotlines are illegal in CA where I grew up. One weekend, I fished with empty milk jugs at Norris reservoir above Knoxville, and caught a nineteen inch yellow cat. I was very proud of myself. On Monday, when I went to work, I announced to the other guys "Hey fellers, I get five redneck points. I caught a yaller cat on a milk jug." One of them gave me a serious look and said, "Do that again and you get a baseball hat."

Wayne

[MaryB]

Wish we could jug and setline(trot line) fish in MN... the MN river is full of catfish as are the tributaries.