Rant Alert - Jug & Noodle Fishing

[J-Doc]

I spent several hours on the water yesterday and I covered a lot of miles on the lake from Cliffty to Blue Springs.

I normally don’t make it a habit to stop and check a jug/noodle randomly floating down the lake but when it’s in the main channel, I have noticed a series of offenders lately in the last week. I would not call a total of (4) a problem but as a reminder, if you jug/noodle fish, you are required to provide proper identification and you are required to attend or monitor your lines during daylight hours.

Below are the regulations from AGFC.

I found 2 rigs yesterday floating in the main channel with exposed hooks and line. If someone is not watching (and we all know it seems the wake/jet-ski crowd is visually impaired), someone could wrap the line around a prop causing serious damage to someone’s prop & prop seal. While getting drunk wake boat off the lake appeals to me……it’s still not fair and gives us anglers a bad rap that we do not need.

So…………if you jug or noodle fish, do it right. Do it legally. Be responsible. Monitor your rigs. Pick them up when done.

Otherwise, people like me are going to start collecting them and I’ll gladly take home your catch if you’re not properly identified on your jug/noodle. I’m half tempted to report the two I found yesterday to AGFC (doubt they would do anything). Someone just needs to tell these guys to do it the right way before something bad happens.

Oh………..and the 25.5” channel cat that was hooked in the eye did not appreciate floating around on that noodle for several days either. Since his eye was shot, I took him home to give the fillets to a friend. If you don’t want to lose your rig and your catch, better keep them out of my way. I don’t want to repair anything on a brand new boat because you didn’t bother Googling the law & requirements on how to jug/noodle in Arkansas.

Rant switch off….

Jug and Noodle Fishing

• Up to 20 free-floating fishing devices (jugs or noodles) not attached to a stationary object or boat may be used per person.
• All free-floating fishing devices must be clearly marked with the user's name and address, driver's license number or current vehicle tag number.
• Free-floating fishing devices may be unattended only from sunset to sunrise.

http://www.agfc.com/fishing/pages/fishingregulationsbytechnique.aspx#jugfishing

Yes, that's a spotted bass. There are way too many of the little ones. Someone has to eat and these little suckers are eating all the forage.

[Feathers and Fins]

I saw a bunch today Jason all floating around, the owner showed up at 7:30 for a few of them but there was far more not attended. Im not so worried about a prop as a kid skiing or tubing hitting one and getting a 4/0 hook in the eye or other part of the body.

[showmebass]

Well said. It seems that the number of jug fisherman is on the rise based on the number of jugs I've seen floating this year. We used to do it quite a bit on LOZ when I was a kid. It can be a lot of fun, as you never know what is on the end of the line. We've caught everything from big catfish to big snakes....it can get real interesting real quick when you pull alongside one of your jugs. That said - people need to make EVERY effort to collect EVERY jug they set....anything less is irresponsible.

I've recently had a couple of different jug fisherman cut between me and the bank (while I was bass fishing) to retrieve a jug. It didn't ruin my day either time, but a little courtesy would have been nice in those instances nonetheless.

J-Doc - you sure covered a bunch of water yesterday. Hope the break-in of your new rig is going well.

[gramps50]

Oh did that law apply to me? I thought I was exempt because I'm an idiot.

Self anointing jug police, I like it. If something would happen we'd all be guility by association, it would be those d*** fisherman left this out here. The one leaving the jugs are probably the same one's who forgot to bring their mothers to cleanup after them as they leave a trash trail everywhere they go.

Sometimes we have police ourselves.

[J-Doc]

True F&F and that was what I was insenuating by mention of exposed hooks.

Yes, the break in period is complete. 12.5hrs per the laptop diagnostic. Now it's time to stop joy riding listening to Jimmy Buffett songs and get back to fishing.

[J-Doc]

I will just start collecting them and leaving them at the Park Attendant's building and asking that the Ranger get them and contact the offender. Maybe it will cut down the offenders from the ones that follow the rules.

Hate to be that guy but.....we all need to police ourselves like stated above. The risk of injury or damage isn't worth it.

[Flysmallie]

It would also be nice to remind them to remove their limb lines from the trees on the river. I'm pretty sure that if the hook is a foot out of the water you are no longer using them.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Well a 25 pound cat can go a long way and I'm sure the people who had the jug would have loved to have had it back. Just like the fish that breaks of with a lure in its mouth, stuff happens. The cat would have been fine with one eye, all he needed was his skin and his barbels.

[kjackson]

I've picked up a couple of noodles that were apparently freelancing--no others in the area and stuck in brush along the bank. To me, it's just like a coil of mono left on the bank--fishing trash that doesn't belong there.

[J-Doc]

Well a 25 pound cat can go a long way and I'm sure the people who had the jug would have loved to have had it back. Just like the fish that breaks of with a lure in its mouth, stuff happens. The cat would have been fine with one eye, all he needed was his skin and his barbels.

I agree but since offender did not leave a name or phone number, I couldn't exactly call them. I started to let the fish go but I knew someone that would have very much appreciated the large fillets. And I owed them son fish for helping me out with something. So....the fish went home. I don't normally do the "finders keepers" thing because its just not right. In this case, there was no one within miles. I even found a boat hanging lines and flagged them down on plane to see if it was there jug. It was not and they saw it and left it alone. Since it was in the main channel bobbing around, I removed it for safety concerns. In the dark, someone would run over it for sure. Hard enough go see in daylight with a good chop on water.