# Offshore Jug Fishing???



## c_stowers (Jan 10, 2012)

So we were a couple of miles offshore fishing near the 3 barges and a 2 liter jug zips by. My initial thought was it was trash being pushed by the current, but then by buddy mentions he saw it bobble and that he thought there was a fish attached to the jug. After watching it bobble around for a few minutes and even go completely under water once, we had to go check it out. As we got to the jug it was clear it did in fact have a fish on it, but as we were reeling in the line from the jug it snapped off. I am still baffled by this because I have never heard of anyone jug fishing offshore before. Do people really do this? It seems like a lame and risky way to fish especially in 2-3 foot seas.


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## Realtor (Oct 1, 2007)

Sounds like to me a couple kids were playing around and the jug got away from them possibly... I have no idea, I have not heard of it, but I suppose its been done. Or will be...


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## Scruggspc (Mar 20, 2013)

Would have been way better to know what was hooked.


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## c_stowers (Jan 10, 2012)

Scruggspc said:


> Would have been way better to know what was hooked.


Agreed. We were eager to find out what it was as well, but it was rigged with only 10-12 lb mono and there was a fairly large (at least 3-4 lbs) fish attached. So I don't think there was much chance of us getting it up while bobbin up and down in 2-3 foot seas. It could have come from inside the bay, but we were at least 4-5 miles from the pass. That's a long ways for a hooked fish to travel.


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

Did the jug or line look old. It probably came from one of the rivers. Maybe a red fish got hung on it in the river and made it out to the gulf . Or perhaps a catfish got hung on it and eventually lost the battle to thejug and was washed out to sea where it was eaten by something else . Maybe a shark or remora. This would be my guess , the gulf is just to big to jug fish.


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## weedline (Aug 20, 2011)

i have heard storys of people tieing on a snapper with no hook and light line to keep flipper away apparently when flipper feels the line he goes crazy and runs from the boat dont know if it works i never tried it could have been something like that and it got away from them


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## c_stowers (Jan 10, 2012)

GROUPERKING said:


> Did the jug or line look old. It probably came from one of the rivers. Maybe a red fish got hung on it in the river and made it out to the gulf . Or perhaps a catfish got hung on it and eventually lost the battle to thejug and was washed out to sea where it was eaten by something else . Maybe a shark or remora. This would be my guess , the gulf is just to big to jug fish.


I'd say both the jug and line looked pretty fresh.


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## c_stowers (Jan 10, 2012)

weedline said:


> i have heard storys of people tieing on a snapper with no hook and light line to keep flipper away apparently when flipper feels the line he goes crazy and runs from the boat dont know if it works i never tried it could have been something like that and it got away from them


Interesting. I've never heard of this, but it makes sense. Maybe this is what happened.


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## panhandleslim (Jan 11, 2013)

This is an old trick. 

When plagued by Remoras, people used to throw in a jug over with a bunch of baited hooks and as a few of these scavengers got hooked up and struggled to escape, the jug would float off and the other Remoras would follow because they would think the struggling fish were actually feeding.


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## Five Prongs Of Fury (Apr 15, 2008)

panhandleslim said:


> This is an old trick.
> 
> When plagued by Remoras, people used to throw in a jug over with a bunch of baited hooks and as a few of these scavengers got hooked up and struggled to escape, the jug would float off and the other Remoras would follow because they would think the struggling fish were actually feeding.


Hmmmm.... Never thought about this.


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## Scruggspc (Mar 20, 2013)

Sounds like a plan to be had.


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## Biller48 (Oct 1, 2008)

I know some fellas here in Guam that have a couple jugs ready to pitch while trolling. They use some bally or squid on them and when they hit some Mahi on the troll they pitch the jugs, recover there trolled up fish and then follow the fish on the jugs and pitch baits for stragglers for awhile. Seems to work out good for them. I just generally keep the first fish in the water for a bit, but the sharks are horrendous here and tend to make a fish on the rod disappear. The jugs allow them to free swim easier to avoid getting sharked as much. I have done the same thing with specks(crappie) as a kid.


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## Getsome (Sep 28, 2007)

panhandleslim said:


> This is an old trick.
> 
> When plagued by Remoras, people used to throw in a jug over with a bunch of baited hooks and as a few of these scavengers got hooked up and struggled to escape, the jug would float off and the other Remoras would follow because they would think the struggling fish were actually feeding.


A 24'' piece of line with 2 hooks and squid works well. They hook themselves up and play tug-o-war for the rest of their lives!!


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## snake 166 (Oct 2, 2007)

Years ago I had a buddy born and raised in Tennessee. He pestered me about jug fishing in Choctawhatchee Bay until I finally gave in. we rigged up 20 chlorax jugs with line, leads and bait. After a few brewskis we noted many of our jugs were headed for parts unknown and ran them down. Most had hardheads---a few gafftop'sl---and one white trout. What a mess we had in the boat for trash.


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## gulfbreezetom (Jun 12, 2012)

I've heard that remora trick from some people fishing the PB Pier (the remora can get bad out there).


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

That Remora "trick" says a lot about your sportsmanship if you were to ask me. A pretty cruel way to kill a couple of fish to start with and no telling where the hooks and line will eventually end up and the damage they will cause. I had to edit this because there was no reason for me to get nasty. There are pesky fish out there, flipper, the remoras, sharks etc but they are part of nature just as we are and they are doing what they do. I just can 't see how them being bait and fish thieves justifies sentencing them to cruel deaths or killing them because they are pests. I guess the traditions of fishing I was taught are radically different from that some other people were taught.


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## gulfbreezetom (Jun 12, 2012)

KIM, I said I "heard" about that trick. I heard a fishing story while fishing and repeated it on a fishing forum and now I am unsportsmanlike? Never witnessed anyone doing this.


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

I was addressing the "trick" itself and those who would use it. I didn't use your name or mean to imply it was you in particular, if you are offended, by all means I apologize. For some reason things like that just get my goat. There is a difference between how jug fishing is used when it is done responsibly and sentencing living things to cruel deaths, perhaps repeatedly with the hooks.


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## snake 166 (Oct 2, 2007)

Good point Kim. I try to keep hooks and lures from getting free in the environment. Use heavy test line, replace leaders when frayed, remove hooks from gut hooked fish even if it means they will likely not survive, pay attention to your bait to keep it away from fish you don't want to hook.

Really came home to me when fishing in St Joe Bay some years ago. A shark struck at a floating mirrolure and cut the line, a tern picked up the lure and hooked it's beak and foot, it wasn't able to fly normally and was attacked by an immature bald eagle. Never saw the eagle catch the tern so I don't know how this all ended. Point is be aware of what's going on and move/quit fishing to get away from a species you don't want to hook.


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## Fielro (Jun 4, 2012)

Used to use jugs for catfish in the river, but never offshore


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## weedline (Aug 20, 2011)

i also never do anything to to any fish dolphin or any other animal other than harvest them for food or bait. all i was saying is as a long time fisherman i have heard stories. i do get annoyed with remoras but i think thats more because i get sick of tourists saying there is a shark behind the boat and me thinking it must be a cobia. yes they serve a purpose. i will not kill a big shark for a picture and it even gets me when a charter brings in 15 bonitos and a big jack creval and then just dump them at the end of the day. one of the first storys my dad told me was about having an 8 ft shark almost had worn out the beach and a guy ran up and said il get it and shot it before he could even think about it. this was in the 70s so things were different then but he told me he always felt bad about it because the meat was horible and it was such a waste. that has always stuck with me so kim i was brought up like u.i think some of my posts are taken the wrong way when i talk about the reality of things. some think that must be my opinion but its not.


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## Rofhbert (Mar 10, 2014)

Or will be...


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