Pool Noodle Fishing

[jag1]

Taking the nephew this week-end to one of the area lakes. Never have done this type of cat fishing before but have heard it's fun. Anybody ever tried it and/or have any suggestions?
Thx.

 

[Weegee]

Taking the nephew this week-end to one of the area lakes. Never have done this type of cat fishing before but have heard it's fun. Anybody ever tried it and/or have any suggestions?
Thx.

It's fun! I'm probably the worst fisherman on this forum, haha. BUT I love eating catfish, and this is something I've gotten into recently. I have old milk jugs instead of pool noodles, but the idea is the same. The one thing I've learned is that your bait needs to hold together pretty well. Using something that disintegrates like stink bait is not ideal. I've heard of people using chicken liver wrapped in a layer of panty hose, but never tried it myself. There's a creek near me house that holds lots of little panfish, so I like using those as cut bait.

As soon as I get off work, I'm going down to the creek to check some limblines I put out, and I am beside myself with excitement.

 

[jag1]

It's fun! I'm probably the worst fisherman on this forum, haha. BUT I love eating catfish, and this is something I've gotten into recently. I have old milk jugs instead of pool noodles, but the idea is the same. The one thing I've learned is that your bait needs to hold together pretty well. Using something that disintegrates like stink bait is not ideal. I've heard of people using chicken liver wrapped in a layer of panty hose, but never tried it myself. There's a creek near me house that holds lots of little panfish, so I like using those as cut bait.

As soon as I get off work, I'm going down to the creek to check some limblines I put out, and I am beside myself with excitement.

Years ago, I ran a section of river using limb lines. The older guy with me was the one who baited them & I couldn't stand to tell him he wasn't putting the bait on secure enough. When we went back to check, not one fish and all the bait was gone! I learned my lesson...speak up! Good luck.

 

[WTM]

can be effective. just make sure you collect them all after youre done. i got one wrapped around my trolling motor that someone probably couldnt find.

 

[MickThompson]

can be effective. just make sure you collect them all after youre done. i got one wrapped around my trolling motor that someone probably couldnt find.

I anchor mine for 2 reasons- the fish can't drag them across the lake; and they'll be fishing the spot I wanted until something takes the bait. June is usually spawning month for cats and has always been my least productive

 

[Weegee]

I anchor mine for 2 reasons- the fish can't drag them across the lake; and they'll be fishing the spot I wanted until something takes the bait. June is usually spawning month for cats and has always been my least productive

Yeah, I have anchored the ones I've done with half of a 20 oz plastic bottle filled with concrete. Technically, you're supposed to have your TWRA# on it somewhere, but I would be surprised if many people follow that rule.

 

[spoonie]

I enjoy fishing with mine, i put them out an hour before dark and fish a couple hours past dark. I've built several of them in the past with the pvc and rebar in them so they pop up and then use reflective tape so i can shine them. But I have now found out i can purchase them off ebay for just about what i can build them for.

 

[WTM]

I anchor mine for 2 reasons- the fish can't drag them across the lake; and they'll be fishing the spot I wanted until something takes the bait. June is usually spawning month for cats and has always been my least productive

the ones that put them out in jville along the rip rap do pretty good with them in may and june and they keep up with them pretty good. mostly spotted cats.

the ones that put them out in birdsong let them float all over the place.

 

[Displaced_Vol]

Not done it much but am slowly building a collection with old laundry jugs and what not. Want to get more into setting limb lines from my kayak.
one thing to check on is to make sure it's legal on whatever lake you visit. There are minimum size restrictions on lakes up here in KY, don't know about TN but worth looking at the fishing guide I'd say.

 

[Huntaholic]

Pool noodles, cut as long as will fit in a 5 gal bucket, a rather large barrel swivel, about 3 zip ties per noodle, run zip tie thru center of noodle, attach swivel to zip tie on the outside of noodle 6 to 8 ft of string, tie string to swivel, attach a sinker about 18in up from hook, cut skipjack for bait, enjoy your catfish cleaning! (write twra number on noodle)

 

[Huntaholic]

If you need pics, PM me a cell number and I will send you pics of mine. It sounds way more complicated than it is and you can fit about 12 to 14 of them standing up in a 5 gal bucket for storage. WAY more space saving than carrying around 2 decoy bags full of old jugs!

 

[TNGunsmoke]

Be aware, the TWRA family fishing lakes prohibit jug fishing on the weekends.

http://www.eregulations.com/tennessee/fishing/methods-rod-reel/

 

[jag1]

Be aware, the TWRA family fishing lakes prohibit jug fishing on the weekends.

http://www.eregulations.com/tennessee/fishing/methods-rod-reel/

Well dang! That rules out the lake I was going to go to. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[jag1]

If you need pics, PM me a cell number and I will send you pics of mine. It sounds way more complicated than it is and you can fit about 12 to 14 of them standing up in a 5 gal bucket for storage. WAY more space saving than carrying around 2 decoy bags full of old jugs!

Thx for the help.

 

[Mtncur76]

Pool noodles, cut as long as will fit in a 5 gal bucket, a rather large barrel swivel, about 3 zip ties per noodle, run zip tie thru center of noodle, attach swivel to zip tie on the outside of noodle 6 to 8 ft of string, tie string to swivel, attach a sinker about 18in up from hook, cut skipjack for bait, enjoy your catfish cleaning! (write twra number on noodle)

I use a egg sinker above the swivel straight in line were it can slide up and down it helps with keeping everything untangled

 

[Weegee]

Be aware, the TWRA family fishing lakes prohibit jug fishing on the weekends.

http://www.eregulations.com/tennessee/fishing/methods-rod-reel/

I was planning to go to Percy Priest and do some jugging tomorrow. Should be OK because it's Corps of Engineers, right?

 

[killbilly]

I like to fish the Tennessee river but always wonder how deep to set my hooks in main channel where it's between 30 and 40' deep, can anyone give me a good guess?

 

[TNGunsmoke]

I was planning to go to Percy Priest and do some jugging tomorrow. Should be OK because it's Corps of Engineers, right?

The way I read it, as long as you are over 1000 yards away from the dam, you should be good.

 

[Crosshairy]

There are lots of ways of setting up the "jugs" or pool noodles. The primo method that my dad got me using is to rig them up with a yo-yo, instead of just wrapping the line around them to set the desired depth. A fishing yo-yo is spring-loaded and will maintain tension on the fish, slowly pulling them up shallower. In my experience, you will lose fewer fish with that method, and the tension seems to encourage them to come closer to the surface (it's not pulling hard, but it seems to matter if they've been on the line a while).

The noodles are fun, since they stand up very dramatically when a fish gets on them. There's no wondering whether you have a fish or not most of the time. I enjoy using my dad's setup with the kids once or twice a year.

 

[TNGunsmoke]

There are lots of ways of setting up the "jugs" or pool noodles. The primo method that my dad got me using is to rig them up with a yo-yo, instead of just wrapping the line around them to set the desired depth. A fishing yo-yo is spring-loaded and will maintain tension on the fish, slowly pulling them up shallower. In my experience, you will lose fewer fish with that method, and the tension seems to encourage them to come closer to the surface (it's not pulling hard, but it seems to matter if they've been on the line a while).

The noodles are fun, since they stand up very dramatically when a fish gets on them. There's no wondering whether you have a fish or not most of the time. I enjoy using my dad's setup with the kids once or twice a year.

So the yo-yo is offset to one end, and secured to the noodle?

 

[FLTENNHUNTER1]

I just wish the people using them would all get together and clean them all up. I see them floating everywhere and is irresponsible. Parksville specifically.

 

[cbhunter]

This is my kinda noodling

 

[Crosshairy]

So the yo-yo is offset to one end, and secured to the noodle?

yes, that's right. The line that would normally be used to connect to a tree limb is what secures it on there.

My dad used those for a long while, but he also made some out of some sort of long can...I think it might have been a container for welding rods.

If you go the pool noodle route, be sure to store them out of the sunlight and avoid really long water soaks. Even in non-chlorinated water, they won't last forever. If you store them where they won't degrade, they can last for a few years with light to moderate use.