Summertime anglers know, there’s more than one way to skin a cat. Traditional rod and reel fishing remains a favorite for filling a cooler with catfish, but other methods, such as trotlines, limb lines, jugs and yo-yos, are also popular methods of catching cats. Indiana is blessed with big catfish in our rivers and reservoirs. Thankfully, the state’s laws allow us to diversify our means of catching them.
Daytime during the summer is often too hot for enjoyable fishing. Not to mention, fish are often reluctant to bite during the warmest part of the day. Catfish cooperate, because when the sun goes down and temperatures cool, catfishing heats up. If you’ve never sat by a riverside campfire waiting for a catfish to bite, then you’ve yet to experience what I believe to be one of summertime’s best fishing opportunities.
Relaxing by the river is great, but so is running around in a boat checking sets. This can be done on both rivers and reservoirs. Trotlines and traditional limb lines are probably the most popular catfishing tactics other than rod and reel, but I really enjoy jugging and yo-yoing.
When jugging, an angler attaches a stretch of line to a floating jug – milk jugs or two-liter soda bottles are common. A hook, weight, and bait are all you need to add before setting your jug adrift. Acting as a massive bobber, the jug floats along until a fish takes the bait. The fish will pull the jug around, unable to keep it under the surface for long, no matter the size of fish. Remember in the movie Jaws, the scene with the yellow barrels? They chase the bobbing barrels around trying to catch the shark. Jugging for catfish is like that, only fewer of your friends will be eaten by a fish.
In Indiana, jugging is illegal on lakes and reservoirs, but is permitted on rivers and streams. Jugs must remain insight at all times. So hop in a boat or canoe, set your jugs out, and float along behind.
In the fishing world, yo-yos are a spring loaded reel with a single line on it. They are set with a switch a lot like a mouse trap. When a fish bites, it trips the spring loaded yoyo enacting a rapid retrieval of the line which sets the hook. They are essentially a mechanical limb line, but I like the fact that fish are usually hooked by yo-yos, as opposed to swallowing the hook of a traditional limb line.
Yo-yos can be hung from branches, fallen trees or from poles driven into the bottom. Don’t set the bait too deep in the water. Catfish come up shallow to feed around the trees and structure. When they take your offering, zip... they’re hooked. To see what a yo-yo looks like or to order your own, visit: www.rockingaltd.com/mfish.html.
By law, you must label your jugs and yo-yos, as well as any other trotlines, throwlines, limb lines and bank lines with the full name and address of the person using the equipment. You must check your yoyos, or any other lines at least once every 24 hours.
The way I enjoy jugging and yoyoing the most is to gather a crew on a boat, set out the jugs, yo-yos or both, and float around a reservoir checking them every few minutes with a spotlight. It makes for a real enjoyable, team effort social outing usually resulting in a fish fry the following afternoon.
See you down the trail...
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